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Erin Clarke
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So glad you fell in love with my island! There are hole in the wall places that you have missed. As being a former local resident, those are the places we hit vs. fine dining of the hotels.
Go back soon! -
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I’m so in love with Hawaii. It looks like you had the best time ever. If you figure out that salaried beach bum option, help a sista out!
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Erin, I ‘ve been waiting for this column since you said you were going to Kauai! Loved reading your enjoyment of the island and the photos which were breathtaking! It looks like you’re a travel writer too…consider adding travel magazines to your delightful career!
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When I was there, in the 80’s, there was a fresh pineapple juice stand on the Princeville road, and all he had was a Cuisinart and fresh pineapples. In the background was a valley with a waterfall. That became my dream job…chuck it all and run a pineapple juice stand on Kuaui ….sigh
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What beautiful photography! All the food, beaches, and non-snow covered anything just warmed my heart up!! :)
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It’s all in the details and you covered it! Exceptional writing, wonderful photos… totally beautiful post!! Hawaii is so on my bucket list! Lanai – I love that word, “Thank you for being a friend” – The Golden Girls. LOL.
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Such a beautiful and tasty trip, Erin! You are making me jealous that we didn’t go visit our friends that live on the main island this March. Now with a large hankering for fish tacos and a mai tai, I must start saving for next year!
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This is amazing! I am so insanely jealous of this amazing trip. Hawaii wasn’t on my short list but now I think may need to reconsider!
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Guess you didn’t have any poi? Kauai is a very beautiful island, slow for me, but great for honeymooners! Glad you loved
Kauai and tasted the great dishes on the island. I just loved all that raw fish you showed and I get to eat it all the time, but I don’t. Come again! Love you recipes too!! -
Loved this trip recap, Erin! I had similar feelings about Hawaii before our honeymoon. I thought it was maybe cheesy and over-comercialized, but we fell absolutely in love with the island of Kauai. It is a magical place. :) And those rainbows–every single day!
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Hot DANG!!! Gorgeous. Even tho in recent months I was sunning myself in Asia, I am rather jealous of your trip. Not sure Hawaii is up top of my travel list, but this post did help moving it a few places closer. Hope you are well Erin, happy weekend. :)
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Hey girl- looks like you had a great time!! God creates such beautiful things!! I love your pics!! I would love to go to Hawaii sometime!!
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Living in Alaska, it was one of the closet places to go and after the first I feel in love with the beautiful island of Kauai, have been there numerous times, about 15. Invited 4 of my friends from the lower 48 to meet me there,they fell in love with Kauai also. We have also visited the islands of Maui and Oahu and will be on the Big Island in a couple of weeks and then we go to kauai for 12 more days. One definitely needs to add Hula Pie and Puka Dogs as foods to try on Kauai. As you can tell I am in love.
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Kauai is one of my favorite places on Earth!! Thanks for sharing these photos, I am so nostalgic now :(
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We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon and fell in love!! We’ve been already trying to decide how we can get back as soon as possible! Gorgeous photos!
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I have always wanted to go to Hawaii!!! It looks beautiful and amazing!!! I can totally understand why you want to go back so soon!!! :) Great recap!
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Why am I not in Kauai right now?! My husband and I got engaged in Maui almost 2 year ago, so I’ve been dying to back since then! Next time we go, I think I’d like to do a split trip between Maui and Kauai…gosh it’s so beautiful!!
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LOVE this! Although Kauai is definitely not sunny all of the days :( We went for our honeymoon in December (years ago) and they were in the middle of a random, gigantic storm so it was gloomy and raining HARD the entire trip. So sad! That’s what we get for going in December. These pics make me want to go back STAT! And your guide? The best!
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Paula H, above, mentions the guy at the fruit stand,on the Princeville Road, who had just a Cuisinart and fresh pineapples. If I’m not mistaken that would have been “Banana Joe” and he made the absolute BEST EVER fresh fruit smoothies. And they were cheap, too. I spent the summer of ’85 living on what we called ‘Secret Beach’ the trailhead of which was close to Banana Joe’s. For a special treat, we’d put our clothes back on and hike the mile or so up from the beach and treat ourselves to one of his fabulous smoothies! OH the wonderful memories from ‘back in the day’!
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Baba, now I HAVE to go back to look for this smoothie stand! We went to secret beach too, though it was a fully clothed experience for all who were there that day. Such gorgeous scenery. It was one of my favorites too!
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For being such a small island I would have thought we would have had very similar trips…but I was wrong! We did the Na Pali coast by catamaran which was probably the highlight of our trip, but helicopter is a must for next time! And the macadamia nut ice cream!!! I’ve been craving shaved ice over that ice cream for years now. Can I be your backup tambourine player??
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Your info about Kauai could not have come at a better time! My family already had a trip planned, so we went to many of your beach and restaurant recommendations. Our evening at Beachwalk was lovely and you are right about Tidepools–so romantic! Thanks so much for doing this post. .
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Shelly, I am so, so excited to hear that this recap was helpful for you! And I’m also happy that you visited two of my favorite restaurants :-) Thanks so much for letting me know!
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Thank You so much for this pin! We just got back from our first trip there for our 30th anniversary. I had several pins to refer to and your was one of the most helpful! My only additional advice to people would be to rent a jeep over a convertible if you want to explore, like we did! Ha! Our favorite beaches were Polihale (which is where we got the car stuck in the sand) and Secret Beach. Both were well worth the effort to get there! We did several of your listings, even the JoJo’s, down to the exact flavor of shaved ice and ice cream. Awesome! I had no knowledge of the island at all so it was such a big help to get advice on the best things to do. When you have limited time there, you want to see and do as much as you can! I also talked with locals and got some of their ideas, too. What a Great Place!
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Cryssie, I am so glad that this was helpful! Thank you so much for letting me know. Isn’t Kauai a piece of paradise? Also I’m thrilled/jealous you got to have JoJo’s :-)
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Awesome read and you definitely hit a lot of great spots. I own a new hiking tour co- we host shorter guided hikes for anyone who wants to gear themselves up for NaPali hiking. Feel free to ask questions! I’ve lived here 10 years. Oh and update- that Beachfront restaurant closed. But Sam’s- the new restaurant at that location- is great too! And Banana Joes is a must!
Aloha!
Katie
http://windwardhikes.com-
Katie, I’m going to check out your company next time I’m in Kauai! And thanks for the update on Beachfront. I’m so sad to hear that, but glad Sam’s is great too. Aloha!
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Thank you so much for this!! I’m planning my first visit in May!!! This is getting me so excited! Cannot wait! And if you’re still looking for a way to earn money while vacationing/traveling. My company is hiring and can be worked from anywhere.
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Melissa, I’m so glad that this list is helpful to you. Have a wonderful trip. Kauai is truly a special place!
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Thank you Thank you!!! After reading your article with all the great places to see and do, I’m so very excited to go next week… CAN’T WAIT!!! The places to eat are all on my list of places to go of course… You’re the BEST, so appreciate YOU taking the time in putting together this article of the beauties of Kauai :) WooHoo
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Michelle, I am so excited for you too! I’m happy to hear this guide is helpful, and I hope that you love everywhere you try. Kauai is an amazing place. Soak up every minute!
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We spent a week on Kauai and didn’t eat at any of those places (but enjoyed our meals just as much)! I’m pinning this for when we return (which of course, we must).
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Have you been to or heard of Plantation Garden’s? I’ve been wondering if that would be a good place to go.
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Hi Arianne! I have not, but I’m sure you could look up other reviews online. Trip Advisor is a good resource.
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Erin thank you for such a great article! We are here in Kauai right now and like you’ve said, it is breathtaking around every corner! Do you mind me asking what your friends do for a living to be able to afford to live here? My husband and I have fallen completely in love but it doesn’t seem like the job market is very strong. Just curious what your friends do to be able to enjoy paradise as their everyday home.
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Hi Tara! One works for a school and the other is a freelancer. Both work very hard, live within their means, and they actually rent vs. own. We met MANY people who were happy to live with the basics and take any job they could, just to live in this piece of paradise. I have to say, after a few days there, I wanted to join them!
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Love it!!! We went to the tropical tacos today for lunch after a hike up the Kalalua Trail… amazing..
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Erin, I too am from Milwaukee and my husband and I are headed to Kauai in November! Thank you for sharing your experiences! They will come in handy!
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Being in kauai and experiencing magic of lush green wonderland might be unforgettable moment for nay one. All the food images are looks amazing.
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Literally, just got to Kauai a wrote down all the places you recommended. Thank you for posting. Mahalo!
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Loved reading your post and looking at your pictures. We were in Kauai in 2015 for our 60th birthdays and absolutely loved it.. Then in 2016 we went to Maui to celebrate our 40th anniversary. We loved Maui, but Kauai is so much more laid back, it is just amazing everywhere you look. Going back to Kauai in the fall, can’t wait. Plan on checking out some of your suggestions for restaurants.
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We enjoyed reading about your trip. Ditto on ALL the positive comments. Felt like I was there with you through your writing and images. Thanks for all the good tips too. We plan to go last part of August 2018. Ya!
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ahhhhh I feel exactly the same way about Kauai – it wasn’t on tiptop of my bucket list but when the opportunity came we went & now are seriously considering how we can move there in the next few years! It is incredible! Jojo’s sounds so good, I’ll have to try it next time. My favorite shave ice was Locococo – they also have macnut ice cream, which is daBOMB.
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We just returned from Kauai last week and I am already trying to figure out how to go back! My husband and I went to Maui in 2016 for our 25th anniversary and loved it. The only thing missing was our kids. So, we took our whole family with us to Kauai for Christmas 2018 and it was an amazing experience. We spent Christmas Eve on a Napali Coast Sunset dinner cruise with Holo Holo charters and it was spectacular! We saw whales, dolphins and turtles and were able to go inside some sea caves. We loved shave ice at Hee Fat General Store in Kapa’a and returned there 3 times. My kids loved ziplining at Princeville Ranch. In Hanelei, we ate barbecue at Chicken in a Barrel and had shave ice at JoJo’s. We also went to the Smith Family luau and their food was incredible and their grounds, well, it’s just hard to believe there are such beautiful places in this world. Before the luau, we went on the Smith Family’s river cruise to the beautiful fern grotto and loved it. My only disappointment was that it was a rainy week so snorkeling wasn’t good due to muddy waters. I have been to Oahu, Maui and Kauai and Kauai was my favorite island hands down and I will be back!!
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Heather, I’m so glad to hear you had a FANTASTIC time! Thanks for sharing this summary of your stay—you will definitely need to go back again!!
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So glad you fell in love with my island! There are hole in the wall places that you have missed. As being a former local resident, those are the places we hit vs. fine dining of the hotels.
Go back soon!
Hi there! I will be going to Kauai with friends in April. What places would you recommend?
I’m so in love with Hawaii. It looks like you had the best time ever. If you figure out that salaried beach bum option, help a sista out!
Erin, I ‘ve been waiting for this column since you said you were going to Kauai! Loved reading your enjoyment of the island and the photos which were breathtaking! It looks like you’re a travel writer too…consider adding travel magazines to your delightful career!
Lovely pictures – thank you! It’s one way of getting there!
When I was there, in the 80’s, there was a fresh pineapple juice stand on the Princeville road, and all he had was a Cuisinart and fresh pineapples. In the background was a valley with a waterfall. That became my dream job…chuck it all and run a pineapple juice stand on Kuaui ….sigh
What beautiful photography! All the food, beaches, and non-snow covered anything just warmed my heart up!! :)
It’s all in the details and you covered it! Exceptional writing, wonderful photos… totally beautiful post!! Hawaii is so on my bucket list! Lanai – I love that word, “Thank you for being a friend” – The Golden Girls. LOL.
Such a beautiful and tasty trip, Erin! You are making me jealous that we didn’t go visit our friends that live on the main island this March. Now with a large hankering for fish tacos and a mai tai, I must start saving for next year!
This is amazing! I am so insanely jealous of this amazing trip. Hawaii wasn’t on my short list but now I think may need to reconsider!
Guess you didn’t have any poi? Kauai is a very beautiful island, slow for me, but great for honeymooners! Glad you loved
Kauai and tasted the great dishes on the island. I just loved all that raw fish you showed and I get to eat it all the time, but I don’t. Come again! Love you recipes too!!
Loved this trip recap, Erin! I had similar feelings about Hawaii before our honeymoon. I thought it was maybe cheesy and over-comercialized, but we fell absolutely in love with the island of Kauai. It is a magical place. :) And those rainbows–every single day!
Hot DANG!!! Gorgeous. Even tho in recent months I was sunning myself in Asia, I am rather jealous of your trip. Not sure Hawaii is up top of my travel list, but this post did help moving it a few places closer. Hope you are well Erin, happy weekend. :)
Hey girl- looks like you had a great time!! God creates such beautiful things!! I love your pics!! I would love to go to Hawaii sometime!!
Living in Alaska, it was one of the closet places to go and after the first I feel in love with the beautiful island of Kauai, have been there numerous times, about 15. Invited 4 of my friends from the lower 48 to meet me there,they fell in love with Kauai also. We have also visited the islands of Maui and Oahu and will be on the Big Island in a couple of weeks and then we go to kauai for 12 more days. One definitely needs to add Hula Pie and Puka Dogs as foods to try on Kauai. As you can tell I am in love.
Wanda, you are truly a Kauai expert! Hula pie is definitely on the list :)
Kauai is one of my favorite places on Earth!! Thanks for sharing these photos, I am so nostalgic now :(
It is truly special. Thanks Kristi!
We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon and fell in love!! We’ve been already trying to decide how we can get back as soon as possible! Gorgeous photos!
I have always wanted to go to Hawaii!!! It looks beautiful and amazing!!! I can totally understand why you want to go back so soon!!! :) Great recap!
Why am I not in Kauai right now?! My husband and I got engaged in Maui almost 2 year ago, so I’ve been dying to back since then! Next time we go, I think I’d like to do a split trip between Maui and Kauai…gosh it’s so beautiful!!
LOVE this! Although Kauai is definitely not sunny all of the days :( We went for our honeymoon in December (years ago) and they were in the middle of a random, gigantic storm so it was gloomy and raining HARD the entire trip. So sad! That’s what we get for going in December. These pics make me want to go back STAT! And your guide? The best!
I’m sold. I need to start looking into flights! Kauai looks gorgeous!!
Paula H, above, mentions the guy at the fruit stand,on the Princeville Road, who had just a Cuisinart and fresh pineapples. If I’m not mistaken that would have been “Banana Joe” and he made the absolute BEST EVER fresh fruit smoothies. And they were cheap, too. I spent the summer of ’85 living on what we called ‘Secret Beach’ the trailhead of which was close to Banana Joe’s. For a special treat, we’d put our clothes back on and hike the mile or so up from the beach and treat ourselves to one of his fabulous smoothies! OH the wonderful memories from ‘back in the day’!
Baba, now I HAVE to go back to look for this smoothie stand! We went to secret beach too, though it was a fully clothed experience for all who were there that day. Such gorgeous scenery. It was one of my favorites too!
For being such a small island I would have thought we would have had very similar trips…but I was wrong! We did the Na Pali coast by catamaran which was probably the highlight of our trip, but helicopter is a must for next time! And the macadamia nut ice cream!!! I’ve been craving shaved ice over that ice cream for years now. Can I be your backup tambourine player??
Your info about Kauai could not have come at a better time! My family already had a trip planned, so we went to many of your beach and restaurant recommendations. Our evening at Beachwalk was lovely and you are right about Tidepools–so romantic! Thanks so much for doing this post. .
Shelly, I am so, so excited to hear that this recap was helpful for you! And I’m also happy that you visited two of my favorite restaurants :-) Thanks so much for letting me know!
Thank You so much for this pin! We just got back from our first trip there for our 30th anniversary. I had several pins to refer to and your was one of the most helpful! My only additional advice to people would be to rent a jeep over a convertible if you want to explore, like we did! Ha! Our favorite beaches were Polihale (which is where we got the car stuck in the sand) and Secret Beach. Both were well worth the effort to get there! We did several of your listings, even the JoJo’s, down to the exact flavor of shaved ice and ice cream. Awesome! I had no knowledge of the island at all so it was such a big help to get advice on the best things to do. When you have limited time there, you want to see and do as much as you can! I also talked with locals and got some of their ideas, too. What a Great Place!
Cryssie, I am so glad that this was helpful! Thank you so much for letting me know. Isn’t Kauai a piece of paradise? Also I’m thrilled/jealous you got to have JoJo’s :-)
Awesome read and you definitely hit a lot of great spots. I own a new hiking tour co- we host shorter guided hikes for anyone who wants to gear themselves up for NaPali hiking. Feel free to ask questions! I’ve lived here 10 years. Oh and update- that Beachfront restaurant closed. But Sam’s- the new restaurant at that location- is great too! And Banana Joes is a must!
Aloha!
Katie
http://windwardhikes.com
Katie, I’m going to check out your company next time I’m in Kauai! And thanks for the update on Beachfront. I’m so sad to hear that, but glad Sam’s is great too. Aloha!
Thank you so much for this!! I’m planning my first visit in May!!! This is getting me so excited! Cannot wait! And if you’re still looking for a way to earn money while vacationing/traveling. My company is hiring and can be worked from anywhere.
Melissa, I’m so glad that this list is helpful to you. Have a wonderful trip. Kauai is truly a special place!
Thank you Thank you!!! After reading your article with all the great places to see and do, I’m so very excited to go next week… CAN’T WAIT!!! The places to eat are all on my list of places to go of course… You’re the BEST, so appreciate YOU taking the time in putting together this article of the beauties of Kauai :) WooHoo
Michelle, I am so excited for you too! I’m happy to hear this guide is helpful, and I hope that you love everywhere you try. Kauai is an amazing place. Soak up every minute!
We spent a week on Kauai and didn’t eat at any of those places (but enjoyed our meals just as much)! I’m pinning this for when we return (which of course, we must).
Have you been to or heard of Plantation Garden’s? I’ve been wondering if that would be a good place to go.
Hi Arianne! I have not, but I’m sure you could look up other reviews online. Trip Advisor is a good resource.
Erin thank you for such a great article! We are here in Kauai right now and like you’ve said, it is breathtaking around every corner! Do you mind me asking what your friends do for a living to be able to afford to live here? My husband and I have fallen completely in love but it doesn’t seem like the job market is very strong. Just curious what your friends do to be able to enjoy paradise as their everyday home.
Hi Tara! One works for a school and the other is a freelancer. Both work very hard, live within their means, and they actually rent vs. own. We met MANY people who were happy to live with the basics and take any job they could, just to live in this piece of paradise. I have to say, after a few days there, I wanted to join them!
Love it!!! We went to the tropical tacos today for lunch after a hike up the Kalalua Trail… amazing..
This is so great! My husband and I are going next month and I am so excited. Thanks for the tips.
I hope you have an amazing trip, Ara!
Erin, I too am from Milwaukee and my husband and I are headed to Kauai in November! Thank you for sharing your experiences! They will come in handy!
Have an AMAZING time Katelyn. Kauai will truly steal your heart. I’m excited for you!
Being in kauai and experiencing magic of lush green wonderland might be unforgettable moment for nay one. All the food images are looks amazing.
Thank you, Luke!
Literally, just got to Kauai a wrote down all the places you recommended. Thank you for posting. Mahalo!
Enjoy your trip, Jenn!
Loved reading your post and looking at your pictures. We were in Kauai in 2015 for our 60th birthdays and absolutely loved it.. Then in 2016 we went to Maui to celebrate our 40th anniversary. We loved Maui, but Kauai is so much more laid back, it is just amazing everywhere you look. Going back to Kauai in the fall, can’t wait. Plan on checking out some of your suggestions for restaurants.
It is SUCH a special place Kathy! I hope you have a wonderful time!
We enjoyed reading about your trip. Ditto on ALL the positive comments. Felt like I was there with you through your writing and images. Thanks for all the good tips too. We plan to go last part of August 2018. Ya!
Stacey, thank you so much for this kind comment. Have an AMAZING time!!
ahhhhh I feel exactly the same way about Kauai – it wasn’t on tiptop of my bucket list but when the opportunity came we went & now are seriously considering how we can move there in the next few years! It is incredible! Jojo’s sounds so good, I’ll have to try it next time. My favorite shave ice was Locococo – they also have macnut ice cream, which is daBOMB.
Thanks for the tip, Erin! Glad to hear you thought it was magical too!
We just returned from Kauai last week and I am already trying to figure out how to go back! My husband and I went to Maui in 2016 for our 25th anniversary and loved it. The only thing missing was our kids. So, we took our whole family with us to Kauai for Christmas 2018 and it was an amazing experience. We spent Christmas Eve on a Napali Coast Sunset dinner cruise with Holo Holo charters and it was spectacular! We saw whales, dolphins and turtles and were able to go inside some sea caves. We loved shave ice at Hee Fat General Store in Kapa’a and returned there 3 times. My kids loved ziplining at Princeville Ranch. In Hanelei, we ate barbecue at Chicken in a Barrel and had shave ice at JoJo’s. We also went to the Smith Family luau and their food was incredible and their grounds, well, it’s just hard to believe there are such beautiful places in this world. Before the luau, we went on the Smith Family’s river cruise to the beautiful fern grotto and loved it. My only disappointment was that it was a rainy week so snorkeling wasn’t good due to muddy waters. I have been to Oahu, Maui and Kauai and Kauai was my favorite island hands down and I will be back!!
Heather, I’m so glad to hear you had a FANTASTIC time! Thanks for sharing this summary of your stay—you will definitely need to go back again!!