2 Days Exploring the Garden Isle of Kauai

 How much of the island of Kauai could you really see in just two days. Read on and see how I managed to fit just about every corner of the island into two long days of driving and then think to yourself what you could do with an entire week!

 Starting off centrally located was key. I stayed at the Beach Hostel in Kepa'a, which is about twenty minutes north of the airport. I separated my two days into a southern and a northern itinerary. There is one big road that goes around the coastline of Kauai, with a few roads heading inland to see waterfalls, rivers, and canyons. The coastline is awash with beautiful white sand beaches, and a number of hotels, resorts, vacation rentals, and restaurants to keep the regular tourists busy. But for the adventurous visitors who want to get off the beaten track Kauai is an untapped playground.

 Just south of the airport lies Kalapaki Beach and Nauwiliwili Bay were surf lessons can be watched with mai tai in hand on the lanai of the famous Dukes Barefoot Bar. Follow the river up along the old back roads and you will be rewarded with a beautiful overlook of the Menehune Fishpond surrounded by movie quality scenery all around. It is no wonder that Hollywood keeps coming back to here to film movies. Most of the island is unhabitated, undeveloped, and green.

Hanapepe Town

 Farther yet a stop at Kauai Cookie and bakery is a great place to get some road snacks. Then a detour through the 'biggest little town' in Hawaii, Hanapepe, is worth some time. An old swinging bridge adds charm to the artistic and photogenic town. A couple more miles and an old Russian fort guards the Waialua River mouth, which just so happens to be the place where the famous explorer Captain Cook first made landfall in the Hawaiian Islands. If it was up to Cook then the islands might still be called the "Sandwich Islands."

Waimea Canyon

 The jewel of Kauai comes next. Known as the 'Grand Canyon of the Pacific', Waimea Canyon juts down to 3000+ft, and at a mile across and 10 miles long it truly is a grand canyon. Millions of years of erosion has carved away different ages of the bedrock which creates a kaleidoscope of colors in the canyon. People say that the colors will often change with the changing of the weather. There are many places to pull over to the side of the road for different vantage points...just so long as you aren't too afraid of heights.

Kalalau Overlook on a sunny day

 The road continues higher bringing you to Koke'e State Park and one of the wettest spots on Earth. The high elevation swamp up here on Wai'ale'ale summit averages 450 inches of rain a year. I happened to catch it on a beautiful, clear, sunny day so I took advantage by hiking around. But I had more to check out and it was still only day one so I had to put off any ideas of big hikes until another time. This is also a great place for birdwatching as it is one of the best spots to see the rare Hawaiian honeycreepers and pue'o. I saw both before heading back down to the coast.

End of the Road

I had driven as far as I could inland, so now it was time to check out the end of the road to the west. For the drivers extreme a challenging rut filled gravel and dirt road finishes the last five miles to Polihale Beach. This is where the road ends into a long stretch of beautiful sand and the base of the stunning Na Pali Cliffs. Even though it is stunning I would say it is not worth it if you don't have a lot of clearance.

Nene

Pueo, Hawaiian Owl

 Day one was in the books. I managed to see quite a bit of the islands and some of its feathery inhabitants as well. Next day is for waterfalls and waves.

Hanalei Bay

Taro Fields of Kauai's North Shore

 The road north leads to lusher and lusher vistas including waterfalls, stunning beaches, cliffs dropping off in the sea, and big crashing waves. The surfing town of Hanalei stands as the center of all things north shore. You can't miss the fields of taro stretching back towards the green covered mountains on your way into town. The town itself is situated around a beautiful bay where surfers flock during the winter to ride the big waves. This is where famous big waves surfer Laird Hamilton has settled down and for good reason. Imagine my surprise when I paddled out for a surf session this morning and there was Laird sitting right next to me. Luckily I held my own and caught some really fun rides.

The Famous Hanalei Bay Pier

Waialua Falls

 Waialua falls and Opaeka'a Falls are can't misses on the eastern shore. Kauai is the only island that has navigable rivers. There are some steep trails that will take you down to the bottom of both of these waterfalls but again, no time. Something to come back for.

Windy North Shore

  The shops of Hanalei are becoming quite boutique-ie as the hippie culture turns into yuppie culture with money. There is still a wonderful vibe from the people who live there, almost enough to make me think about moving islands.

Dry Cave

Inside the dry cave

 Past the town you start hitting one lane bridges and rugged cliffs giving way to beautiful sandy beaches. Huge caves open up just off the side of the road, some dry and some filled with blue water. It is fine to swim in the water although for some reason people seem to get very scared swimming in here. There is a legend about a mythical maiden who would pull people under in these caves.

Wet Cave

 But of course I couldn't resist putting that legend to the test. It was a bit scary when I got all the way back and around the corner to the left and had no light at all to lead me ahead. Note to self, bring an underwater light next time to explore a little deeper. The view looking out was pretty amazing.

 The worldwind tour wasn't over yet. Next on the list was the final end of the road, Ke'e Beach and the beginning of the famous Kalalau Hiking Trail. This trail heads for 11 miles, deep into the Na Pali Coast. Hidden valley which can only be explored by foot or helicopter spread out from here to Polihalu Beach on the far side. However if you are rushed for time like me then only hike half a mile in. You can get a beautiful over view of Ke'e Beach and then a look all the way down the Na Pali coast before turning back.

Ke'e Beach

Na Pali Coast from Kalalau Trail

 The views from around the island just seem to get better and better. The other islands always joke that everything on Kauai closes at 9pm, which is pretty accurate, but it seems to make everyone wake up early and head outside for adventure. It turns out that Kauai is definitely my kind of island. I'll be back for more hiking and deeper exploration soon.

Kilauea Lighthouse

Red Footed Booby

 If you want to see my camera setup, and what else I like to carry in my backpack you can take a sneak peak inside here: http://daimarsadventures.blogspot.com/p/whats-in-my-backpack.html