We arrived to Honolulu late, it was already dark. My very first impression is Las Vegas on the Ocean or LA. It is very similar in many ways to these two cities. Honolulu is very urban. We stayed half block from Waikiki Beach. At 11:00 at night the street across from the beach was still crawling with people.
Warm tradewinds and beautiful scenary. We had very limited time here while waiting to fly to Kauai.
Many of the roads are one way and difficult to navigate late at night if you don't know where you are going. The island is beautiful, but we only had 9 waking hours spent here.

Diamond Head

We had arrived at Diamond Head at 7:00 am. They open at 6-if you want a headstart before the tour buses arrive-come early. By the time we were walking back down, there were tons of people.
Also bring some bottled water, you will need it.
It cost us $5.00 to enter-the hike is rather unimpressive overall (scenary is not that great) It isn't a bad hike, except for the last set of stairs (shown in photo) They were not fun.
The walk starts out as pavement and then becomes a dirt path that winds around the crater, a set of stairs, more path, the awful steep stairs, set of spiral stairs and you will come to a room, duck under the stone and you will have an awesome view of the Island. Walking up obviously takes more time than going down, so I advise resting and take in the view! Walk down the skinny paved path to the left where you can walk a few more stairs to get the best views.

We loved the view-it was well worth the hike! Just look at the views of the city, the beaches, the lighthouse and the variations of color in the ocean. Awesome!

website: http://www.hawaiistateparks.org

Waikiki beach

Of course if you come here, you must visit Waikiki Beach. We didn't have time to swim while we were here. But it is a great beach for all ages.We enjoyed walking on the grounds across from the zoo on the Waikiki beach side and looking at the trees. Huge Indian Banyan trees were fascinating to look at it. We drove along the past diamond head and took a few photos of the ocean.

Iolani Palace

Since we didn't have time to take the tour we did the best thing and drove to see the Iolani Palace. It is the only authentic palace in the United States, so we wanted to at least walk on the grounds and take a photo. Right across the street you can view the statue of King Kamehameha. It was sent to Honolulu in 1883 after the first statue was lost at sea. The first statue was eventually salvaged and placed on The Big Island of Hawaii.

Website: http://www.iolanipalace.org/

After some lunch and shopping we flew to Kauai- I took the rainbow photo while we were leaving Oahu.

Kauai-The Garden Island!

And we were not disappointed. Hawaii is everything you expect: mountains, tons of ocean beaches, lush foliage, blue skies, warm tropical tradewinds. Gorgeous!
We landed late afternoon in what appears as a field at first glance. Very different from landing in Honolulu. There were no tall buildings, actually no buildings can be seen while landing.
We picked up our luggage and rental car and headed straight to the guest house we rented as we had dinner reservations. We were staying in Kalaheo, so from Lihue we headed west on Kuhio Highway. There are very few roads on Kauai, so it is easy to become familiar with them after awhile. The grasses on the side of the highway are very high, so little can be seen on the drive from Lihue to Kalaheo. In a couple areas there are clearings where you can see mountains, otherwise it is like driving in the country. The guesthouse we stayed at was located down a very narrow (one car width) road going up. It was nestled in a lush foliage.


The windows were always open, so we woke around 6 am every morning to the sounds of birds (kind of like the CD's you buy at the store) and of course roosters crowing. Which is fine by us, we didn't come to Hawaii to sleep anyway.

Kauai has tons of roosters running around. When we were there the were lots of baby chicks too. We were told by locals that the chickens now outnumber the population on the island.

The Na Pali Coast is absolutely beautiful. See it by air or by sea, but if you visit Kauai this is a view you don't want to miss. The colors are outstanding as only nature can provide, The greens,the red dirt,the sand, and the various blues in the water-the Na Pali coast is really an awesome sight to see. No wonder it makes the top lists in a lot of travel magazines.

Helicopter Ride!

What a View!
We did this the first full day we came to Kaui,so we could see the whole island. Since most of Kauai is near impossible to see from the ground, this is an awesome way to see the island. We went with Inter Island Helicopter and had no doors! On top of that it was unusually windy- while I thoroughly enjoyed no doors-it really is not for the faint of heart because when the helicopter turns, well just imagine the view down.

The pilot was very informative and we were able to view the Na pali coastline, Waimea Canyon, the sugar fields, coffee and taro fields, all the various caverns. We saw the whole island. Tons of waterfalls that cannot be seen otherwise.

Loads of fun-an experience we will never forget!

Next to the Na Pali boat cruise this was my favorite activity.

Directions: West Kauai

Na Pali Coast Boat Snorkeling Tour

Next to the helicopter ride, I believe this is a must do activity. It is a wonderful experience! After considering various companies we chose a small family owned company called Makana Charters and we were very pleased with them. Mike, the owner is a wonderful captain and it was a very informative tour. One of the main reasons we chose them is because they only take 13 people on their 32-ft power catamaran. This made the trip, I feel, a lot more personal and then we could go inside the caves and snorkel on the Nu‘alolo Kai beach (you can only go here if the boat has less than 18 people on it). We took a morning tour, which incidently is the best time to see a pod of spinner dolphins. We were very pleased to be able to see a pod of Hawaiin Spinner Dolphins. They swim in pods of 500 and they were really showing off while we stopped to watch them. Personally I could watch them all day. They were very entertaining.

The view of the Na Pali coast by boat is breathtaking. The views are beautiful, and the caves were very cool to go inside of. The boat left from Port Allen and we went about 100 yards from Ke'e Beach. We then went back and went snorkeling at Nu‘alolo Kai beach. Snorkeling was very good here, we saw several green sea turtles, and lots of fish. When you are finished snorkeling, the charter offered a buffet style lunch and then head back to the port. The trip back to port is much faster than on the way there, so hold on!

The boat tour was a lot of fun.

Phone: 888-335-6137
Directions: Port Allen Harbor-

Allerton Botanical Gardens

"Nani Mala" Beautiful Gardens. If you want a botanist point of the view of the island this is a wonderful place to start. Honestly this wasn't quite what I expected, but it was a great experience. It was a highly educational tour on botany. We took the Allerton tour as it is said to be the "best" of the tours. The botanical garden grounds were beautiful to walk around. You will have a little time if you get there early to do so. Then you take a tram for aprox 30 min to the Allerton portion of the gardens where you will walk for aprox. 1.5 hours. The paths are all dirt and an easy walk. None of the plants are labeled as is common in most botanical gardens, but the guide is very experienced in botany and has lived on the island for over 30 years. He was fascinating to listen to and a volunteer at that. Allerton gardens is composed of 67 acres (you will not see all of it on the tour) it was purchased in the late 1930's by Robert Allerton who created the gardens with the help of his partner. They transformed this red dirt land into a luscious garden. Most of the plants came from other countries. We learned about the Noni plant, chocolate tree, tons of flowers, trees, and of course you get to see the famous Ficus tree in the movie Jurassic Park movie. There are actually several of these trees planted in a a row. They were brought here in the 1950's, we were told, in small pots. You could hold them in your hand. Think about that when you look up at them and see their massive root system. It is really incredible.

There are tons of Hibiscus (the white ones are the only ones native to Hawaii), Tulip trees, Plumeria, Spider Lilies, Red Jade (rare),Ginger, Coconut Trees, Guava Trees, Chocolate tree,Orchids, Lotus, and lots of Bromeliads.

Website: http://www.ntbg.org/gardens/allerton.php

Pools of Mokolea

This spot is not easy to find-you must turn right on a paved road before the Kilauea Lighthouse. We drove down a paved road that then turns into a extremely rutted dirt road. 4WD a must, if you don't have this-park and hike down. once you get to the end of the road you will come to a clearing of dirt. walk along to the left over black lava rockfor 1/4 mile to reach the pools of Mokolea. Our visit in April the water was very rough and the waves very powerful and high. It was beautiful though! The black rock with the beautiful shades of the ocean. Don't get too close to the edge though-stay back or wave will come up behind you and sweep you away! While we were there the waves when splashed came all the way up to the farthest rock you could stand on, so this area can be very dangerous area to hike around. A local told us that several people die at this spot every year, so if you go out just know that you never turn your back on the ocean. Be careful and use common sense.

I also advise if driving down the rutted road keep your windows closed. We had them open, the foliage is so close it rubs against the car and a gecko dropped on my lap, which honestly freaked me out. Poor little gecko. Overall it was a beautiful hike!

Queen's Bath
A beautiful spot in North Kauai. Drive into Princeville and the road before the resort turn right. There is a small parking lot and then you must hike down to get to Queen's Bath. The path is steep in parts and you get to view a small, but pretty waterfall along the way. Walk along black lava rock for a beautiful view of the ocean, twin waterfalls and Queen's Bath. You can swim in here when the tide is low, but the water was much too rough while we were here. We could only look while here and take in the gorgeous view!

Waimea Canyon (The Grand Canyon of Hawaii)

I would advise going here as early as possible in the day for the best view and to avoid being stuck behind giant tour buses. The road is very curvy and when it is clear out the view is fantastic! There are several spots to stop off and catch the view. The day we went was very cloudy, so I included some photos we took earlier from the helicopter.

There is no fee to drive through here, there is a small museum you can visit for hiking trail maps and other general information. It was informative.

Website: http://www.hawaiistateparks.org

Spouting Horn

Drive all the way to the end of the road (well almost) and it is on the left. There is a parking lot and a tent like structure with retailers selling their trinkets, lots of chickens running around and a nice view of the ocean and Spouting Horn.

Snorkeling

There are tons of great spots to snorkel in Kauai. Generally speaking the waters on the South shore were more calm then the North shore. One of our first stops was to Snorkel Bob's to rent some gear. The face mask and the fins were great, but the snorkel we weren't too happy with. After sucking way too much salt water we went to Wal-mart and bought a snorkel with a stopper and we were happy to snorkel after that.

We snorkeled at Poipu beach, Tunnels beach, Ke'e beach and Lyndgate as well as at Nu‘alolo Kai on the Napli Coast while on our tour boat. It was great as we were able to see different fish at each spot. We saw the largest fish at Lyndgate Beach. They were at least 2 feet long and 18" wide. Beautiful.
Some of the fish we saw include:
Various Butterfly Fish, Moorish Idol,the Picasso Triggerfish (the Hawaiin state fish-humuhumunukunuku), various Tangs, Eye-stripe Surgeonfish,a needlefish,ornate wrasse,a pufferfish,green sea turtles, and lots of others that I am unsure of their names.
Nonetheless there are a ton of fish to see while snorkeling and they are just as curious about you as you are about them. I was actually surprised at how close a group of them will come to you. My photos are not so good because it was just a cheap waterproof camera zapped one too many times at the airport. But the experience was awesome.

While snorkeling is loads of fun-it is easy to float too far out and get yourself into a world of trouble. The rip tides here are unbelievable and will pull you out and under. You really have to be careful.

After watching the coast gaurd pull a man out of the water who went missing while snorkeling-I cannot stress enough to be careful while in the water. This affected me deeply since we were less than 100 feet of where he was found and could hear everything over the radio. It isn't a sight I will ever forget, The ocean is beautiful, but it is dangerous.
Have fun, but use caution and don't go out alone.

Kilauea Point Lighthouse & Wildlife Refuge



If you love lighthouses- come see the Kilauea light house located at the North end of the island. There is a spot to park and take a photo from a distance without having to pay the entrance fee. To be closer and see the birds it cost a few dollars to get into the park. They also have binoculars available,so you can get a better view of the beautiful birds. While we were there we saw the Nene Goose-Hawaii's state bird along with several other birds. The lighthouse was built in 1913 and has the largest "clamshell lens" in the world with the ability to send a beam 20 miles out to sea and 90 miles by air. The lens is incredible. It cost a whopping $12,000 in 1912 and was built by French craftsmen. It is no longer used though, in the 1970's the lens was replaced by an automatic light

Nawiliwili Lighthouse

This one was a little more difficult to find, but the drive offers great views and a peaceful escape from tourists :-)
We turned down like we were going to the Marriot Resort and drove as far as the road goes-you will eventually come to an abandoned shopping center area with some very nice views. Follow the road around to the other side of the shopping center, the road will turn to dirt and will eventually lead to the Nawiliwili Lighthouse.

I believe the golf course is called the Lagoons. It is a beautiful course. Unfortunately the lighthouse had lots of graffiti all over it, so it was tricky to photograph up close. This spot is a great spot to watch the airplanes arrive-they are really close.

Waipa (Hanalei) Farmer's Market

Help support local farmers and get awesome fresh food in the process! We actually found this on accident on a Tuesday afternoon while driving to Tunnels beach. Get here early because it gets packed and you are not allowed to "shop" until 2:00. There was a huge crowd of people waiting to get through the roped area by the time 2:00 came around. We were here 15 min early and I would guess there were about 30-40 cars there before us and more came after. The market had lots of fresh produce to choose from and it was a great way to get a fresh pineapple or drink milk from a coconut.
This is the prettiest spot for a Farmer's Market.

Directions: Turn left by Farmer's Market sign just before road curves to the Hanalei one way bridge.
Open on Tuesdays at 2:00 pm

Website: http://realkauai.com

Wildlife

Another Endangered animal in Hawaii-Green Sea Turtles. "Honu"
These guys are nearly impossible to photograph, as they only peek their heads up once in awhile and you better hope your camera is ready. You can however, easily view there green bodies beneath the water as they ride the waves! We had the most luck seeing them by Poipu beach area, actually a little bit east of there near the condos there is a great spot to watch them ride the waves. We also saw one (very close to shore) on Shipwreck Beach, and when we went snorkeling along the Na Pali coast.

We loved watching them ride the waves.

This one was taken at Salt Pond Beach. We actually didn't even notice him at first. The Hawaiin Monk Seals are endangered and you are not allowed to get to close to them. Usually volunteers rope off the area when a Seal comes out of the water to rest. We were here before they had a chance to do this and I had a good zoom lense on my camera at the time. He didn't seem to mind that anyone was around. Opened his eyes once and then went back to sleep.

There are so many beaches in Kauai to choose from. Poipu is a a nice sandy beach good snorkeling, a playground,bathrooms. This was a great spot to see turtles too. Located on the South side of Kauai. I took a photo of this little crab there.

Exploring the Island

Hikinaakala Heiau- Sacred Grounds
You can view this Heiau (temple) at Lyndgate park. This was a place of refuge for those who had done something against the kapu system. Kapu meaning something "taboo". The Heiau was constructed in the 1300's it used to be 6 feet tall. The Heiau's while not much too look at our interesting since they have deep Hawaiian spiritual and religious significance.

Hikinaakala Heiau (Rising of the Sun temple), is one of 7 Heiau's on the island.

See the Island-Hanapepe

The island has so many beautiful spots to explore. We enjoyed just visiting the small towns along our way. I wouldn't call Hanapepe a must see city. The downtown street is lined with very old (some very dilapidated looking) But it is an interesting town to see because of the history of the island and I think the small towns are important to see in any area for this reason. We came during the day here to see the Hanapepe Bridge and then came back on Friday night when all the little art galleries are open to view. It isn't a must see, but a nice diversion. The bridge really does swing, especially when it is windy (like it was when we were there)

Directions: Take Highway 50 west. Hanapepe is located at Mile Marker #17

See the island-Koloa Tip

Another small town on the island of Kauai. We drove through often to get to Poipu Beach from Kalaheo.
It is an old sugar town, where you can see remenants of the old sugar mill. The shopping center is inside the original town buildings and is connected by a wooden walkway. It is a cool little town to stop in and see. Has nice shops too including Island Soaps, Lapperts Ice cream and several restaurants.

Nightlife

There really isn't any "nightlife" on the island of Kauai. Nature is what it is all about here.

The best nightlife? Walk along the beach, go see a Luau, or better yet watch the sunset with someone you love. On our last night in Kauai we drove to Salt Pond Beach to watch the sunset. BEAUTIFUL!

Don't turn at the sign that says "Salt Pond Beach" rather go straight to the end of the road for the best view!

Places we liked to Eat At

Overall we found eating out to be quite expensive on the island, unless of course you eat at fast food. Here were the top three places we enjoyed.

Puka Dog: Hot Dog Hawaiian Style!

While I was a little bit leery of eating here. I am not that crazy for hot dogs and the name of the restaurant-well it doesn't sound appetizing. May help a little if you know Puka means "hole", or maybe not. It is a little hot dog hut located in Poipu Shopping center and the line gets quite long at lunch time, so come a little early.
Nonetheless, we thought the dog was rather tasty. a Puka dog is a polish sausage or a veggie dog with a special lemony garlic sauce and your choice of Hawaiian relish. We had Kauai Special, which is a Mango Relish (tasty) and a Na Pali Cruise which is a Star Fruit relish (tasty as well) and fresh lemonade (we watched them squeeze the lemons)

While probably the most expensive "hotdog" I've eaten, it was equally the best one I've ever tasted, so for this we say Delicious for lunch and something different.

Directions: Poipu Shopping Center

Tidepools

This restaurant is special for one reason- Atmosphere! We chose this restaurant for our anniversary dinner for this reason alone. It is part of the Grand Hyatt hotel in Poipu Beach area. Tidepools is outside dining though, except for the open air thatched huts, your table either overlooks the meandering Koi pond or a beautiful waterfall. The lighting is low just candles and torches- has a very romantic atmosphere and the food was good too. I would recommend for a special occasion or special night out!

We had seared Opah (smoked moonfish) and Oven roasted Ono (wahoo fish) Expect to pay $30+ per person

Directions: Grand Hyatt Hotel Poipu Beach

Kalaheo Steakhouse: Great Steakhouse

We went here on recommendation of our helicopter pilot. He told us to get here early, so we did! They are closed on Mondays, but open for dinner all other nights. The restaurant is nothing special to look at, but the steaks were good- so we say delicious for the steaks and ouch for the steep price!

Our helicopter pilot told us "they open at 6 and they often run out of cow by 8!" Expect to pay $30+ per person for dinner

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