Things to do on Kauai island of Hawaii

Keeping our pact of exploring new places on our birthdays, Veer and I booked our new adventure for his 25th Birthday – Kauai island of Hawaii. Ditching crowded and touristy island of Maui we decided to explore this peaceful island, a perfect amalgamation of beaches and mountains! The moment we landed here, we knew this is a slow-paced paradise we wanted in this hectic world. The word Kauai (pronounced like “cow eye”) means “season of abundance” due to its rich soil and abundant rainfall. It’s difficult to put into words how incredibly blue the beach water is, or how lush green mountains are here, so I hope our pictures will portray the beauty of this garden island of Kauai.

Well, first things first, since I am taking you on this Hawaiian journey, let’s learn some words in the Hawaiian language. “Aloha” means Hello, “Mahalo” means Thank you, “A hui hou” means Until we meet again and “‘Ono grinds” means Delicious food.

So, Alohaaaaaaa!!!!!

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Renting a Car

On the island, we rented a car directly from the airport and this got us everywhere we needed to go. If you plan on doing a bit of off-roading then get a 4-wheel drive. We got a Mustang convertible – well, because why not!

Day 1:

We started our day with a stroll on the beach near to our Airbnb – Moloaa beach. It is a secluded crescent bay that curves a quarter mile on the shore. I have always loved sunrises more than sunsets, the calmness of rising sun at the beach is what I live for! 

After watching a beautiful sunrise we headed to fill our cranky tummies.

Brunch at Art cafe Hemingway

You definitely need to try some Nutella crepes and salmon quiche here! I’ve always been fascinated by vintage decor and this place is like heaven if you’re into such old school vintage-y stuff !

On the first day, we decided to explore the north-west side of the island which is an absolute must and it has one of the most breathtaking areas that I have ever been to.

Wailua falls

This majestic, 80-foot waterfall is very accessible, located close to a roadside lookout. This is an absolute delight for photographers since a rainbow appears very often, and guess what? We saw it too! If you are feeling adventurous, you can actually hike down to the waterfalls.

Waimea canyon 

For incredible views of Kauai’s mountainous landscape, there is no better place than Waimea. You can either hike the Waimea Canyon Trail or simply drive there. Kalalau is a very famous lookout to get a closer view of the canyons. Make sure to check on the weather since getting a clear view of the mountains is very rare due to rains and clouds.

Beyond the Waimea Canyon roads is the Kokee State Park, which has hiking trails for just about any level of hiker.

P.S cell phone reception is dicey so you may want to download the map before going here.    

Poipu beach 

This is a very touristy beach park but has spectacular sunset views. Sitting here, talking about how good our day was. We had a good time, watching the breathtaking sunset, eating some famous Kauai shaved ice.

Heart-shaped island 

Well, what can I say about finding this place? Sometimes, my extensive research helps us find love in unexpected ways. This tiny heart-shaped island is located near Poipu beach. It is difficult to figure out it’s shape standing on the beach, hence we used a drone to capture its true beauty.

Keokis paradise

After a long day of exploring, we stopped at Keoki’s paradise in an open-air patio right by a little pond surrounded by tropical plants for some delicious dinner with live music and hula dance. Don’t forget to try Mai-tai’s here!

Airbnb in Princeville 

Veer and I share a common travel trait of ditching monotonous hotels and finding the most unique stays/Airbnbs in every city! From treehouses, bamboo homes, beachside condos, bohemian Bungalows to vintage airstreams, we’ve stayed in a bunch of amazing places during our trips and we decided to do the same on our Hawaii trip. My heart was set on this Airbnb the moment I found it, and even though it was a little pricey, we decided to go for it. 

Click here for Airbnb listing

There’s always so much to do on your vacation, but make sure to spend some time “doing nothing” while sipping your drink, admiring the surroundings, sitting by the window gushing over a perfect reflection of clouds in the ocean and relishing the feeling of being just so far away from civilization as the wind continues to sweep away clouds from your soul!

If this isn’t enough then, the envious looks from people in the passing yachts were a testimony of how great our stay was! That’s how our mornings looked like in this paradise- Above the sky, beyond the clouds!

Day 2

Hanalei Pier

With it’s fine white sand and incredible views, the crescent-shaped Hanalei Bay is ideal for summer swims and winter surfing. Due to it’s crystal clear beaches in the gorgeous backdrop of lush majestic mountains hugged by low-lying clouds, it appeared in the classic film South Pacific.

When anyone asks me about Hawaii, the first thing comes to my mind is an image of freshly picked pineapples, sugarcane, papayas, and coconuts. These exotic fruits gave us a tasty reason to venture into ethnic neighborhoods, farm stands and farmers markets across the Islands. To my surprise, we found Chikoo (Sapodilla) in one of our dinner plates! I was completely amused because that is one rare fruit we don’t easily find in this country.

Queen’s bath 

After chilling by the beach, we headed towards the hidden gem of Kauai – Queen’s Bath, a natural tide pool! Water spills over the rocks to refresh the pool with water, and it is home to some sea creatures too. The pool was named the Queen’s Bath because it was once used as a royal bathing place. As a curious explorer, I would anytime recommend this place, but visiting the Queen’s Bath without appreciating the potential hazards can be deadly. The hike is not suitable for all and the trail is not well defined. Plus from October through May the coast here is exposed to very big surf and many people have drowned after being swept off the rocks. If you are brave enough and more importantly well prepared, you can experience this a once-in-a-lifetime view!!

Helicopter tour of Na Pali coast 

On the morning of our flight, the skies were grey, it was too windy and bam! We got an email from our planned helicopter tour company that they had to cancel our tour. In a moment of panic, I looked at Veer and he could see the discontent on my face. He immediately called the other available tour companies and fortunately, we were able to book a private tour with Air Ventures.

There’s no better experience than seeing a bird’s eye view of the Garden Isle than on an airplane, those breathtaking views of Na Pali coast, waterfalls, volcano, mountains, clouds full of rains, rainbows, not just the rainbows, the view from above those rainbows!! As soon as we were in the air, I couldn’t stop clicking pictures. I suddenly felt much calmer. Photography really is the best medication. Veer, on the other hand, was feeling a little motion sick, so one pro tip – avoid eating an extra dish of fish tacos or any heavy food for that matter before the flight.

We have always met some incredible people on our journeys, and our pilot Ray and his wife were one of those super enthusiastic, knowledgeable and fantastic individuals that we will never forget! We talked about Hawaii, our life, how we met each other, their love story and much more frenzied talk, which we will cherish forever. 

Dinner at Wyllie’s beach

For Veer’s birthday eve, I planned a surprise dinner by the ocean, to the sound of waves under twinkling lights and sky full of stars! And it was exactly like it sounds. After doing extensive online research, I found the super talented chef- Emily who helped me set up this dreamy dinner. Traveling really opens up the doors to meet new people from different parts of the world, lets us collaborate with them and make friends for life!

For Appetizers, we had a Cheese plate with homemade sesame whole wheat crackers, papaya and dark rum jam, soft brie, aged goat cheddar, sliced chico, and spiced pecans. For Entrée, cardamom & lemongrass rice, grilled monchong, asparagus, lemon buttercream sauce (it was THE best entree) And lastly for Dessert, some avocado mousse topped with reduced coconut cream!! We ended this perfect evening by stargazing by the beach, listening to our favorite songs from the 90’s. 

Day 3:

Yoga by the beach 

On our last day here, we wanted to take it easy, just chill by the beach instead of running to all the places. We started our day with some beachside yoga and fresh fruits.

Kappa’s beach 

We spent most of our time just lying down on Kappa beach, appreciating its beauty, our life and being thankful for being able to travel to such dreamlike places.  This is the most beautiful part of Hawaii and the ideal spot for someone looking to sit back and relax with the sound of the waves. 

Cruise tour of Na Pali Coast

What is a better way to end this adventurous tour than taking a sunset cruise on Na-Pali coast? The views were mesmerizing. We also had some Dol-fun! The most common Dolphins you can find on a cruise are the Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins and their watery aerobics make them star attractions of this tour.   

Honestly, three days were not enough for this heavenly island, but since a weekend is all we had to spare, we made sure to incorporate natural wonders, roadside lookouts, charming café’s and most importantly, lots of chilling on the beaches to our itinerary.

If you have more than 3 days to spend on this island, here’s a list of things you can explore:

Best Beaches in Kauai

• Poipu beach
• Kappa beach
• Hanalei Bay
• Moloaa beach
• Kalihiwai Bay
• Ke’e beach
• Mahaulepu Beach
• Secret beach
• Tunnels and Cannons beach – Heana Beach Park

Best waterfalls of Kauai

• Wailua falls
• Secret falls
• Opaeka’a falls
• Hanakapi’al falls

Best places to Eat in Kauai 

• Art Cafe Hemingway
• Keoki’s Paradise
• Hanalei Dolphin Restaurant and Sushi Bar – Hanalei
• Tidepools at the Grand Hyatt Kauai- Po’ipu
• Moloa’a Juice Bar – Moloa’a
• Kauai Coffee Plantation – Kalaeho
• Mermaid Cafe – Kapa’a
• Pink’s – Hanalei
• Hanalei Gourmet – Hanalei
• Federico’s – Princeville
• Island Taco – Waimea

All pictures are created by Madhura and Veer. Follow us on IG for more travel fun!!