Kauai Travel Guide
Day 1
We arrived in Lihue around 1PM. Started off at the rental company to pick up our car. I highly suggest renting a Jeep Wrangler because of the 4 wheel drive. Afterwards we headed to local food truck - Kauai Boba & Barbeque to grab a bite to eat. We also stopped by Target to grab water and snacks, but with looking back, I would have rather gone to a local market instead. We arrived and checked in at the Kauai Shore Hotel, wasn’t my favorite but we swam by the beach and definitely liked this! Finished the night with dinner at the Lava Lava Beach Club. Food was okay, more for the views and vibes - Skinny Dipper Drink was good.
Day 3
Woke up and got coffee at Imua - which honestly, did not hit the spot. Wow, have I become a coffee snob? Went to Java Kai instead for a 2nd cup of coffee and breakfast, which satisfied our cravings! Headed out for a hike at Waimea Canyon. This was a slippery hike, be sure to grab a walking stick and have good shoes with grip. The views consisted of a beautiful waterfall and the Waimea canyons. The parking for the hike was $10 and entry was $5 per person. Afterwards we stopped by a local fruit stand and got fresh fruit. My favorite was the papaya and mango. The mango smoothie with ice cream is a must! There was a Shrimp Station next door and the food was everything I hoped for when in Hawaii. Later, grabbed dinner at Foodland (WRONG DECISION). I strongly recommend to go at the beginning of the day to get poke instead of at night, I mean duh - who wants to eat raw fish that’s just been sitting all day?
Day 4
Discovered amazing coffee at Aloha Roastery. I got delicious malasadas from Passion Bakery Cake to go with it - absolute perfection. Went to a local farmer’s market at the Coconut Marketplace. We purchased some ginger juice and took it back to the beach to drink and eat. For lunch we had a Loco Moco. After lunch we did a 7 mile guided kayak and hike excursion through Kayak Wailua, which was filled with all the views! I would recommend doing this without the guide if you can, get Tevas, and bring a yummy snack. Dinner consisted of Thai food from a food truck.
Day 6
We of course started our morning with Aloha Roastery and head back up to Princeville. We grabbed a sandwich for lunch, grabbed some bottled water + snacks and went to Queen’s beach where I almost drowned (LOL). They have signs of how the waves can sweep you up— and I underestimated it, please be careful if you go here! Did some shopping at the Aloha exchange right after, which is a super cool local brand. After picking up some new goodies, we picked up an Acai bowl and headed over to Tunnels beach to soak up more sun. For dinner we kept it simple and got Panda Express because eating out was getting expensive lol.
Day 2
Woke up early for sunrise and had breakfast at Lava Lava Beach Club. Ordered the mac nut pancake - I typically don’t love sweet breakfasts, but when in Hawaii! Drove down to Princeville for coffee at Outpost, and the coffee there was delicious! Afterwards we picked up poke and snacks at Foodland. Then drove to Hanalei beach to picnic. We also rented kayaks through Kayak Hanalei, this was so peaceful and zen, loved it! Later, went back to our hotel. Got shave ice and drank wine. To end the night we went to dinner at Lava Lava Beach Club (again lol).
Day 5
Started with a fresh papaya and Aloha Roastery for breakfast. Headed out to the Kauai coffee tour which was so fun for Joe and I since we have been really into coffee lately. Had the most delicious poke, this place is a must try!! We headed to an overly crowded beach and quickly left. While driving we passed by a packing house that had little shops, so stopped in there to buy some gifts. Bought bbq sauce, salad dressing, etc for gifts for friends. The highlight of the day was going to Polihale State beach - which was the most stunning, private beach! You do have to off road about 4 miles before hitting the sand, but the privacy is so worth.
Day 7
Ended our trip with the most epic helicopter ride. We were on the fence on this because it was pretty pricey (~$300 per person), but being able to see the views that we did was truly such a once in a lifetime thing. 100% recommend doing this! A little tip is to try to plan for this early in your trip just in case you have to reschedule due to weather. For lunch we had Smiley’s local grinds. After that we went back to the hotel to swim at the beach until it was time for our final dinner at Hukilau Lanai, great food and the most kind staff!
Packing List: Items worth packing
Packing cubes, rain jacket, hiking boots, noise canceling headphones, and re-useable bags/ ziplocks for shoes. I would definitely suggest bringing tops/dresses/shirts that are of breathable textiles, like linen.
Totally Worth
Upgraded economy plus seats, Jeep Wrangler (4 wheel drive), helicopter excursion, fresh poke and fruit, malasadas, hike to the Polihale State beach for photo op.
Takeaways
This was my 3rd time at Kauai and I was reminded of how much I love it! It’s hard not to fall in love with the beautiful landscape, but what I love most is the “slow yourself down” motto that they have there. Coming from such a busy lifestyle of constantly have to keep track of my emails, notifications, etc. it was so nice to be able to just slow down, relax and enjoy earth and all it has to offer.
Up next? Cabo!
