KAUAI (from Aug. 3 to 10th 2018)
Car Rental
436.36 Eu spent for 8 days (withdrawing on Aug. 3th morning and returning on Aug. 10th evening for a few hours exceeded the threshold of 7 days) for a Nissan Versa 3 volumes with large trunk, at Budget Car Rental, whose offices at Lihue airport can be reached by shuttle. No problem to report
Sleep
494.07 Eu spent for a week in a private room with bathroom all for myself in Kapaa at Jen’s home, she is a lady from Utah who has moved to Hawai’i for retirement. A wooden house, very quiet, no roosters (ubiquitous in Kauai) at 3 am, and immaculate. Located in a quiet residential neighborhood near the Kapaa hospital and schools, a 5-minute drive from the beach. The bathroom is stocked with any product you could wish for, including sun lotions and scalds. On my bedside table, a quite huge amount of travel guides, including the complete “Kauai unrevealed” blue guide and many others reporting all the possible and imaginable treks. Jen is a very nice woman, always available to share delicious cookies freshly baked. Chosen because it was the least expensive of all the Air bnb accomodations, 52Eu, with cleaning and service costs rise a little. The service provided is 5 stars, but without the impersonal atmosphere of 5 stars 🙂
Eat
There are farmers markets in various locations on the island, on set days. My host in my room left available for guests a list with the complete calendar. Maybe it was bad luck, but every time I met one for one reason or another I could not stop my car, so almost always I was obliged to buy fruit and vegetables at Safeway. In town, however, there is no lack of restaurants, and, according to Jen, the Olympic Café offers generous portions at affordable prices, but it is still American food such as sandwiches and hamburgers, so I always preferred to buy fish and then cook it. at home
Excursions
The only unmissable, in my opinion, paying tour in all Hawai’i is the visit to the wild Na Pali Coast
to the beautiful Kalalau Beach, otherwise unreachable, since at the time of my visit, the 11-mile trail that connects it to Kehee Beach’s starting point was closed due to the disastrous flood in May 2018, which it has eroded some parts, making it unsafe, as a matter of fact.
Excursions depart from both Hanalei, north coast, and from Port Allen, near Waimea. It seems that, according to the “Kauai unrevealed” blue guide from Hanalei the route is much more spectacular, but the sea conditions often force the organizers to cancel at the last minute. In Waimea instead the coast is more sheltered, evidence is the fact that, at the time when I was trying to organize this trip, the departures from Hanalei were suspended for some days, while instead going directly to the Port Allen pier I still could find some free places with at least a couple of operators for the next day. However, the sea was rough, especially when the boat engines stopped, and some people got sick. Because of the sea conditions, I think the idea of ​​including meals on board is not the best one, yet there is no operator which sells just the only trip. It must be said that docking at Kalalau Beach is forbidden to boats, and this has preserved its wild beauty. Only kayaks can get there, but it is a challenge only for experts and very trained and fit people
The mutable weather is another crazy variable to consider, it cannot be excluded that, starting your trip from a sunny Waimea, you will be able to get back with dry clothes without encountering rains. In fact, we could not get to Kee Beach because beyond Kalalau the cliffs were shrouded by thick fog, and it was raining
It is however a spectacular and primitive landscape, among the most beautiful I have ever seen. Really exciting, worth every penny spent (150 USD, including dinner). The included meal is a kind of buffet, which not everybody, as I already mentioned, was able to bring to complete digestion, thanks to the waves. Take me seriously: when the ship stopped the engines, I found it hard to stand up using one hand to hold me on the rails, while I used the other one to take pictures.
What to see
Beaches
Many of the beaches from Kapaa to Hanalei are not marked by road signs, and the approximate maps provided by the car rental agencies do not help. The Kauai unrevealed blue guide, so detailed, then fell like godsend.
Let’s dispel a myth, the traffic of Kapaa reported in the forum is reduced to some queues on the main street, interspersed with 4 or 5 traffic lights, some other queues can be found going from Kapaa to Lihue airport, but otherwise traffic is really sliding.
There is not a particular reason why I chose to stay in Kapaa, if not the economic one: Jen’s house was in fact the cheapest, and to get it I booked it well in advance. Waimea and Poipu are certainly more sunny, and easier from there to reach Kokee State Park. Kapaa, however, is a lively town, with some hotels but also houses where Hawaiians live, contrarily to Poipu and Princeville, which are mainly agglomerations of condominiums and holiday homes. In Kaapa there are bars, restaurants, a hostel, supermarkets, banks, travel agencies, and above all a beautiful beach walk that goes as far as Donkey Beach via Kealia Beach.
Nearby, there are extraordinary excursions to do, such as the Sleeping Giant Trail, and some beaches with amazing views, like Anahola. Driving early in the morning to Hanalei and stopping at Anahola’s smoothies kiosk is a joy for the eyes.
Moloaa Beach is a pretty and shady beach, but the noteworthy stop is at the Kilauea lighthouse headland, which faces a rocky island where thousands of birds nest.
Anini Beach is nothing special. Mark Zuckerberg has purchased 8 hectares of land in the surroundings of Larsen’s Beach, so it is now impossible to access the coastal area with cars.
Some beaches south of Kapaa have not impressed me, perhaps because of the bad weather, I’m talking about Lydgate Beach, where there is a beautiful park with trees, and a very cool children’s playground, a series of wooden walkways where I would have liked to play as well 🙂
As far as Princeville is concerned, the view of the coast towards Hanalei is splendid, and it is easy to access it for guests, the entrance to the condominium complex is surrounded by manicured lawns, flowerbeds and fountains. However, once entered, it is very difficult find a place to leave the car, and access to the sea. The public parking for Queen’s Bath consists of about twenty lots, maybe even less, and there are long queues of cars waiting. I parked at random on a guy’s lawn, and I made a quick trip, but I do not recommend it, because the area is patrolled by the police, and I risked a fine. Maybe I did not have the opportunity to appreciate these pools, given the conditions of the sea and the partly cloudy sky, but I must say that I was not amazed that much …
The bay of Hanalei, on the other hand, is stunning, even if it is a challenge to find a bit of sun.
Because of the May floods, it was impossible to continue further on up to Tunnel’s Beach and Kee Beach, only residents had an access pass, controlled by the police. Even walking along the water’s edge, in addition to the lush splendor of nature, you can see the damage caused by the floods that mainly affected Hanalei and the Kalalalu Trail
the village is very small, a supermarket, some small wooden shops painted in bright colors.
The beach is very large, a 1.5 kilometers bay, with a small pier where it is said that it is possible to see magnificent sunrises.
In the Waimea area I only went to Mc Arthur Beach Park, an immense beach and a sea crossed by dangerous waves.
The small gulf before entering the city is not very inviting, even if the water seems more friendly and accessible. The Salt Pond Beach Park instead allows for some walks in a beautiful landscape.
The Polihale State Park, the last accessible outpost before the Napali Coast, from the photos and seen personally from the boat (we passed there during the sunset cruises to the Kalalau Beach) seems to be beautiful, but unfortunately the road is not paved and you can only get there with a 4WD
Poipu Beach is not bad, even if it is very crowded. It seems to be favored by seals, who go to rest for hours in the sun, supervised by volunteers who control that nobody annoys them.
A little further to the west, following a walk that crosses the beach of some condominiums, I also saw several turtles. If it rains or it is cloudy in Kapaa and Hanalei, it is very likely the weather conditions are better in Poipu. Infact, at the moment when Hurricane Charlie was very close to Hawaii, only a very strong wind was blowing here (in Kapaa it was raining)
Nearby is the Maha Ulepu Trail, a beach walk from Shipwreck Beach to Gillins Beach. The starting point is a very popular beach full of shade, bordered by a spectacular cliff from which the brave ones can jump
The path partly runs along a golf course, while on the other side cliffs overlook the sea. The colours are special, because the soil is made of reddish clay, the famous “red dirt” typical of Kauai. Because Kauai is one of the oldest Hawaiian islands, the high iron content of volcanic soils has had plenty of time to get oxidized, especially with the island’s humid conditions (Kauai is home to one of the world’s wettest places).
Not only beaches!
The real star of Kauai, as mentioned, is the Na Pali Coast. You can admire it from the sea, savoring its majesty, but it is only by walking on its pathways, starting from Kokee State Park, that you can really live and breathe it. Such impressive and extraordinary landscapes are unique in the world. The park excursions can keep visitors busy for a week at least.
http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/kauai/kokee-state-park/
This is a good site to get maps and details of all the trails
Another site
As for me, I did the Waimea Canyon Trail, the Puuhinahina Look Out Trail (interrupted almost at the bottom due to the mud) and the Kalepa Ridge Trail
The weather during my stay was not great, Hurricane Charlie was approaching and we still did not know when and if it would hit the archipelago, this is why I decided to do all the most interesting things as soon as possible. The Kokee National Park is located in the driest part of the island, but the mountains still attract clouds, I find it difficult to understand if the weather tends to be better in the morning or afternoon, while on the east coast it is more sure that it’s more sunny in the morning. Anyway, on the first day at the Kokee the sun was splendidly shining for almost all the time. The first breathtaking views that I enjoyed from some lookouts are those on Waimea Canyon.
The trail was then in excellent condition, and did not present any difficulty until the first waterfall.
From there I did not quite understand where and how it was possible to go on, most of the people who had arrived there had no other interests but to dive into the water pools, so after having satisfied my thirst and admired the landscape I came back.
The Puuhinahina Trail starts from the homonymous look out.
t should be short and easy, but it was so muddy that in some places I sank into the water up to the ankles (it rained during the night), so after a while, almost at the end, I got tired and came back (it was already quite late in the afternoon) without seeing much. In fact it is not among the most spectacular trails.
I talk abot the Kalepa Ridge Trail at the end, although it was the excursion of the very first afternoon, because it would deserve a novel. Condensed all in one word: WOW. Subtitle: I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life. The Kalepa Ridge Trail is an unofficial trail, so no maintenance is done. It is short compared to the Awa’awapuhi Trail, for instance. I could not understand the exact length but it should be about 3.5 km round trip. On the site “all trails” is classified as h itard, just like Awa’awapuhi, but in reality it did not seem as difficult as they say. Certainly there are sections with great slope and clay soil, so very slippery, and a last part, spectacular, where you walk on a ridge, the path is wide about a half meter, so just be careful not to fall and stay away if your suffer from vertigo. Obviously wisdom must be used, and it has to be avoided in case of rain. The trail ends on a spike of rock that looks almost on the Kalalau Beach, looking down below when standing was so fearful so I layed down on my belly and crawled like a worm to take pictures
Access to the Kalepa Ridge Trail is not signposted, however on the left of Kalalau Look Out there is a sort of small gate from which you can pass to descend the path. Also, from the lookout, apart from the splendid panorama
you will certainly notice some people walking along a steep path, deducing that of course they must have left from the look out. Many venture only for the first few meters, as soon as they realize their flip-flops are not the most appropriate footwear to face the steep descent. Even in the first sections, however, the breathtaking scenery is assured.
Kauai, however, never disappoints, and it is easy to cross picturesque views practically at almost every corner, driving on the main roads, or making short detours.
I mention here below what impressed me the most.
Going from Kapaa to Waimea, shortly after Lihue I followed the rroadsigns to Hawiliwili. I found the sea at Kalapaki Beach Park, where many guys were surfing. I parked in front of a shopping mall, and I took a stroll, first to the port, and then the other side, entering the property of some luxury hotels. I then went back to the main road from Lihue to Poipu, passing through the countryside, passing by the Menehune Fishpond Overlook. Here, I was attracted by the surrounding mountains, so, along the Kipu Road I tried to get as close as possible. Beyond a certain point I could not go on, because it is private property. The Kipu Ranch Adventure organizes various types of jeep excursions in the forest, and various amenities such as zip lines and so on. The beach, Kipu Kai Beach seems to be amazing, but it is only accessible to customers, or reachable by kayak. All beaches on Kauai are public, so owners can not prevent kayaks from docking. They nust however remain on the sandy part, and do not go beyond the line of trees and grass.
In Koloa, you can see coffee plantations, and visit the city museum which also offers tastings (I did not go)
In the surroundings of Poipu I took a relaxing walk to Kukuiula Golf Club, open to everybody. There are also some beautiful Japanese gardens.
Before arriving to Hanapepe, on Kaumualii Hwy, I recommend to stop at the look out on the right hand side, it is anyway indicated by signs, because there is a beautiful view of the valley.
Hanapepe town is interesting, and it is worth stopping for half an hour to take a look at the painted wooden buildings, and walk to the swinging bridge