A peek at a paradise in Kaua’i

Kaua’i makes a compelling case for the most beautiful place on Earth.

The Na Pali coastline in northern Kaua'i is one of the wonders of the natural world. Tall, near-vertical green cliffs plunge down into a sapphire sea. A fluffy white cloud is forming above the mountain.

It was a time of joy and excitement. The seniors were celebrating 40 years of marriage. The newlyweds were celebrating their first pregnancy. As for Kent and I (the juniors), well, we were just celebrating life, as usual! When we met Kent’s family in Kaua’i, the stage was set for a great time in paradise.

A family portrait, taken at sunset on one of the beaches of Kaua'i. From left to right: the author, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, mother-in-law, husband.

It was my first visit to these far-flung islands and, on the airplane, I could not stop looking out the window! It was a thrilling time: we were sandwiching this family getaway between a victorious race in Laos and a 100k in the Philippines. Obviously April 2019 was one of the bests month of my life!

Row upon row of brilliantly green taro plants cover the flat ground below the mountains. The mountains beyond are a darker shade of green, shrouded by layers of wispy clouds.
Taro + terrific views

And not only mine! There was a lot of great stuff going on for all of us, and that made for a wonderful time together. Plus, the setting was truly sublime!

An airplane window frames this aerial view of Kaua'i! The island is rugged and green, with a few cottony clouds drifting overhead. The sea appears endless and blue beyond.
Paradise seen from above

I caught sight of Kaua’i from the sky! It was unmistakable: a rugged green jewel rising up in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We flew over it to O’ahu, transferred to a smaller plane, turned around and came back. I knew we were in for a real treat before we ever set foot on The Garden Isle.

A collection of sugar packets that depict all of Hawai'i's islands, laid out in approximate order of their arrangement in the Pacific Ocean.

Trail Running: Kaua’i Edition

To keep our legs fresh between our races, we needed to run. And we soon discovered that Kaua’i is a really special place to do so. We did one or two casual runs on the nearby beach. But for longer efforts, we headed to Okolehau Trail.

A bridge begins the Okolehau Trail. A beam of sunlight shines directly onto the wooden pedestrian crossing. Everything else is in green shadow.

Longer, and harder efforts! After a sweaty scramble up steep slopes slick with mud, we reached an expansive viewpoint. Although we’d only ventured a few kilometers, we had views out to the coast and over to the rugged Bali Hai cliffs of Makana Mountain.

A sweeping view of Kaua'i's green nature as seen from a vista point on the Okolehau Trail.

On our first few outings, we ventured only this far. But then we heard from a hiker that the trail continued. So too did we, on our very next run!

A portrait of the author, running uphill towards the camera on a narrow dirt trail. Tall grasses lean in towards her running form, and the dark blue of the sea meets the light blue of the sky at the horizon beyond.

It was more than we bargained for. Hawai’i’s trails topped even Laos’ for sheer verticality, as well as jungle density. Soon after our lookout, we were lost in a thicket of foliage, with only a whisper of a trail at our feet.

The author ascends what appears to be a near vertical cliff with her back to the camera, one hand on a rope and one hand on the ground. She is far above the photographer in this image, and surrounded by lush, tropical plants.
Redefining rugged

But this was indeed a trail! Only trails have ropes. And this one had a dangling, five meter section up a slippery crack in the greenery. I hauled my way up, at times flat on my belly against the cliff, wondering all the while whether or not getting down the same way was even going to be an option.

Shortly after reaching this little summit, we lost the trail completely in the lush jungle and had to retrace our steps. It was a slightly harrowing adventure – but an intimate encounter with Kaua’i’s biota!

Scenic Hiking: Kaua’i Edition

Somehow, we convinced the whole fam-jam to join us on an incredibly scenic hike! We left the green side of the island behind and drove into a surprisingly desert-like area of red rocks and sand. This was the famous Waimaea Canyon!

A stunning image offering a glimpse into another side of Kaua'i - quite literally! This is Waimea Canyon, on the opposite side of the island from Okolehau Trail. Here, pyramid shaped sections break up the sheer wall of a cliff. The rock is red, but topped with green jungle. A thin, double-tiered waterfall tumbles down in the distance.

It was hard to make progress on this most scenic of drives. To the right was the canyon itself, which began innocently enough but soon dramatically demanded our attention. To the left was a crystal clear river carving its way through a slice of cinder-colored stone. We would park and explore, drive until someone started exclaiming again, then repeat the process.

A vertical portrait of an unnamed waterfall alongside Waimea Canyon. The rock is a vivid red, and the water is quite clear.

Several amazing overlooks later, we made it to Koke’e State Park and set off on our hike proper.

A photograph of the author's husband and his family beginning a hike on a dirt road alongside the large Koke'e State Park entrance sign.
Stander’d strolls

A broad service road led us gently down and around. Eventually, this narrowed into a dirt trail that led us to another overlook – but this time we were on the opposite side of the canyon!

An uncommon view of Waimea Canyon: this is the canyon as seen from the trail opposite the lookout!
The Grand Canyon – of Hawai’i!

The exciting trail continued along the edge of the canyon before dropping down to a hidden waterfall. We climbed onto sun-warmed boulders and lounged like a family of lizards before breaking out the picnic.

On the road alongside the widening, deepening Waimea Canyon, a series of rock towers captures the attention - and imagination.
If stones were wishes…

On the water: Kaua’i Edition

A selfie taken by Kent during a paddle around Kaua'i. He's smiling into the camera, and Carrie looks over her shoulder to do the same, her paddle rising over the opposite shoulder.

One thing we love to do is explore a place by water. This is especially true if we’re visiting an island, and doubly so if there are kayaks for rent nearby! And on this trip, we added to the fun by bringing everyone along with us!

A family portrait, featuring the author's husband and his family on the water. Kent is leaning back, paddle in hand. Behind him, on limpid creek waters is his mother in a solo kayak, and his sister and their father in another. A Hawai'ian state flag hangs at an angle over the creek.

Kent and I liked the liquid trails so much we went out for a second paddle later the same day. On this second paddle, we followed a turtle around – at a respectful distance.

A turtle sits on a rock below a grassy bank. Rain dapples the surface of the clear water around the rock.

I even snuck up reasonably close to a wild nene on one landing!

A portrait of Hawai'i's state bird on a green grassy bank near a stream. The large bird appears small in the at this distance, but it's unique black and white coloration is unmistakable!
Nene!

Which leads me to…

Wildlife: Kaua’i Edition

A pink and cream bougainvilla looms appealingly into the lens, beyond which is a sign describing the flower. This image was taken in one of Kaua'i's botanical gardens.

One of the highlights for me was the variety of wildlife we got to see on this trip! We encountered dolphins and whales on a boat ride, and there are more wild chickens on land than there are humans.

One of the numerous wild chickens roaming freely on Kaua'i.

Although not strictly wild, we had some great interactions with other birds at the Smith Family Garden and I enjoyed strolling amongst the different trees and flowers.

A peacock displays his beautiful plumage to a disinterested peahen, who crosses in front.

Perhaps best of all, there are little lizards everywhere!

A long-tailed and long-toed lizard: brown with a white underbelly. This tiny creature is perched on a unique plant with thick, leather-y looking green leaves.

Scenery: Kaua’i Edition

Kaua’i’s scenery is stunning. It’s all the reason you need to go there.

The beautiful, fluted cliffs of the Na Pali coast soar up from the sea into a bright blue sky.
Na Pali

If all that you’ve seen so far of the stunning natural scenery hasn’t convinced you yet, maybe this might. The famed and fantastic Kalalau Trail was closed during our visit: but that just meant we had to return (and we did!).

The remains of an ancient waterfall leave a red streak on this steep slate hillside.

Find the door closed? Open a window. Instead of running or hiking the Na Pali, we went on an afternoon cruise to see it from the sea. And this was one of the best things I have ever done.

A photograph featuring the author at the front of a catamaran. She's wearing a swimsuit and has her head turned over her shoulder to grin in delight at the camera.

The boat was outrageously fun. I lounged in hammock at the front of the boat, getting splashed by the surf and eye-level views of dolphins leaping alongside us. The sapphire water and jade cliffs were absolutely dreamy.

A large 'x' marks the spot - where basalt lava once flowed on this dramatic cliff face!
Not to mention the lava formations!

Then we rounded a corner, and caught sight of the Na Pali for the first time. It’s surreal beauty completely defies description. It was straight-up magical.

The author gazes out from the side of the boat at the beautiful cliffs of the Na Pali on a beautifully clear afternoon.

Refueling: Kaua’i Edition

On a somewhat less transcendent but perhaps equally important note is Kaua’i’s awesome cuisine! We stocked up on great American groceries (always a treat for us!) for staples, but we found ourselves drawn out for treats more often than not.

A cute cafe occupies a simple shed. Signs offer coffee, shave ice and acai below a corrugated tin shade.

One night we had artisan Asian fusion, and we dropped in for a local Hawaiian spin on Mexican several times. There was the best little smoothie bowl/shave ice place right next to our rental home. And one time we went out for the world’s best vegan yogurt creations!

Kent smiles above a towering bowl of frozen yogurt, surrounded by fruit.

Play hard, eat well is what I always say!

Recharging: Kaua’i Edition

A striking image of spontaneous waterfalls decorating the green mountains of Kaua'i's interior following a rainstorm. Heavy grey clouds lurk around the peaks and obscure some of the mountaintops from view.

With beauty around every corner, you don’t actually even need to do anything to enjoy this gorgeous place! A lot of time was spent enjoying the view of the mountains towards the interior of the island. And just as much time was spent on this beautiful beach!

The tropical beach of your dreams in Kaua'i! A gold sand beach slopes down to meet azure waters on a curve of land below verdant hills.

Have you been to Hawai’i? What an incredible place! If you’ve not yet been, you’re going to want to go. Kent and I got just a taste of the place during our five day stay in Kaua’i – and that was enough to convince us to move there a handful of years later!

The author and her husband smile into the camera. They're on a boat, at sunset, in Hawai'i. Life is good.
Life in Kaua’i is great.

That’s all on Kaua’i, folks! Want more Hawai’i? There’s a page for that! Looking for more in the US? Check out this page, dedicated to the United States of Adventures! There’s all kinds of other hikes and scenery in a score of national and state parks. Happy trails, wherever you are!


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