 | Off the Beaten Path in Kauai 
 
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 | Kauai Off the Beaten Path | Tips 1 - 10 of 69 |  | ||
Popular Off the Beaten Path | Miscellaneous Off the Beaten Path Tips | All Tips (69)
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 | A wonderful private beach! |   |  |
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 |  on February 20, 2004 |
It's called Kalihiwai beach, unvisited by most tourists on Kauai. Take Lihue Highway north from Kilauea a short bit. Watch for the Kalihiwai street sign BEFORE (south of) the beautiful suspension bridge. There's another Kalihiwai Rd. just north of the bridge; that's the wrong one! Take the road all the way down to a quiet little residential street with man-made signs that say " Slow, keikis (kids) at play. " On your right, across the "street" from some funky homes, is the beach. It's big and beautiful, and the waves are rough(so watch it) but fun to play around in! Note the cliff on your right, behind you. See photo. |
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| Locals beach | | |
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 |  on March 25, 2004 |
Kalihiwai Beach on the north shore, between Kilauea and Princeville, is an undiscovered-by-tourists local beach. The beach in summer is generally calm, and in the winter (or if you are traveling with small children) there is a small river emptying into the ocean that you can swim in. There are lots of trees for shade and plenty of wide open beach space for sun. You will usually run into a few locals barbecuing on the beach. A peaceful and beautiful place to spend an entire relaxed day. |
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| Take a drive along the entire coast.... | | |
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 |  on January 18, 2004 |
If you drive along the coast...either northeast to Princeville or west and northwest to the beginning of the Na P'ali coast, there are endless beautiful sights to explore on Kaua'i. Here I am on the way to the northwest coast with Ni'ihau island in the background. This small and relatively unknown island is home to people who are 100% Hawaiian. No one else is allowed access to the island. Personally, I think more of Hawai'i should be that way. |
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| 'Anini Beach Park | | |
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 |  on March 22, 2004 |
Beaches like this are not supposed to exist, right? Only in tourist brochures? :) 'Anini Beach features a large, sweetest blue lagoon protected by fringing reefs that block the North Shore surf. The beach is narrow, but with clean beige sand and lined with hau trees that provide shades. Behind the beach, there's ample lawn and picnic area with covered shelters. |
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| Rain Forest Rope Swing Off a Waterfall, Wheeee! | | |
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 |  on December 5, 2003 |
One of my favorite places is in all of Hawaii is Kipu falls in Kauai. It is located near the Fish Pond close to the town of Nawiliwili. You must find a local map to get the exact location as it is off a secondary road. Here the opening scene of Indiana Jones was filmed with all the natives and bow and arrows. There are two banyan trees that grow right next to a falls that sits about 20 feet above the pool. One of the trees has a rope swing on it that allows you to swing way out in the middle of the pool. The water is warm and refreshing. The spot is really idyllic... |
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| Hanapepe | | |
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| on February 27, 2004 |
Hanapepe was once the largest town on Kaua'i, and its harbor, Port Allen, the main point of entry into the island. Back in these days it was also known to be a wild place; the town boasted two theaters, numerous bars and pool halls, and a bordello or two, all catering to seamen of the navy and sailors. When a storefront that used to be a pool hall was renovated recently, digging up the street in front brought up a number of opium vials, apparently discarded there in the days of wildness. But then the port activity, and the center of the island, shifted to Lihue-Nawiliwili; the new Route 50 bypassed the town center; and a shopping complex was built in nearby Ele'ele. Hanapepe and its town center went into a decline, and damage from the Hurricane Iniki of 1992 seemed to do the town in for good. In the past decade, however, the dilapidated storefronts of the downtown Hanapepe have been taken up by artists, who have renovated them into art galleries. Today, Hanapepe is showing signs of rejuvenation. The downtown, off the main highway, is gaining in charm if it still feels a little deserted. There are about ten galleries now, some featuring Hawaiiana, some charmingly idiosyncratic. The town hosts an art walk every Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. It's very nice to stroll through the town in the evening, stopping in this gallery and that, enjoying art, and having long conversations with artists themselves over a glass of wine. (Mahalo to Arius Hopman of Arius Hopman Gallery for telling me the story of Hanapepe.) |
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| Thar she blows!! (not a whale) |  | |
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 |  on January 29, 2005 |
This is a blow hole called Spouting Horn. The old hawaiian story says that a brave warrior trapped a giant lizard in the lava rocks and to this day you can hear it moan and then spout off. The lava rock has some holes in it and the ocean flows in an out creating a loud suction sound and then a blowout. South near Poipu beach |
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| The Kalalau Trail | | |
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 |  on October 28, 2003 |
This is the trail that starts at Ke'e Beach, and climbs through the Napali Coast. This hike is WAY HARD! Don't take that to mean that we are wimpy girls who don't know what we are doing - we know how to hike, and this trail is WAY HARD. We rate it a 9 out of 10 for difficulty - any more difficult, and I don't think you could actually call it a 'trail'. If you're going to do it, we seriously recommend a walking stick. We got about a mile in, and it started to rain. Wear clothes you don't care about, because the red-dirt of Kauai does not wash out easily. The photo shows what Susan looked like when we finally got out of there. |
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| Hawai'ian Salt Pads | | |
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 |  on June 7, 2006 |
For many many years the Hawai'ians have used Pa 'akai (salt from the seas) to flavor their foods. Today the tradition of salt drying is handed down through the Kau'ai generations. The art is slowly dying out but there are still some who cultivate this savory seasoning and make it available for purchase in the local markets. The Sea Salt is produced from the Hawaiian waters. A natural mineral called "Alaea" (a red clay from Kauai rich in iron oxide) is added to the salt to add beneficial trace elements to the product. This natural additive is what gives the salt it's distinctive pink hue. Many locals Hawai'ians like to say, "it 'broke da mouf" translated to mean the taste is truly "ono" or delicious! When in Kaua'i you can visit these salt farms up on the Western shores of the islands, but take heed not to step in or disturb any of the pans that are drying out, in other words "look but don't touch!" |
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| Menehune Ditch | | |
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 |  on November 23, 2005 |
Although this site is not well developed and is seldom visited by tourists, I found it absolutely fascinating. The Menehune Ditch is an aqueduct of cut and dressed stones that was once used to bring irrigation water from the Waimea River to the taro fields. Only 50 or 60 feet of it are now visible, including a section of tunnel. The rocks for construction of the ditch came from a quarry more than six miles away. What's so impressive about is that this is one of the only relics that was almost certainly NOT created by the current race of Hawaiians who came from Tahiti around 1,000 years ago. It was probably built by the original "native Hawaiians", who migrated from the Marquesas Islands around 300 A.D. The Tahitian invaders displaced them and their culture after they had lived on the islands peacefully for 700 years, establishing the Hawaiian culture that was discovered by Captain Cook, the first European to "discover" these islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Directions: On Menehune Road, 1.3 miles north of the town of Waimea. Look for the ditch directly across the narrow roadway from the Waimea Swinging Bridge, which you can't miss. |
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More Kauai Tips
| Overview | General Tips Tips: 56 - Photos: 46 |
| Restaurants Tips: 119 - Photos: 77 | Hotels and Accommodations Tips: 66 - Photos: 44 |
| Things To Do Tips: 302 - Photos: 284 | Nightlife Tips: 16 - Photos: 9 |
| Off the Beaten Path Tips: 69 - Photos: 64 | Tourist Traps Tips: 11 - Photos: 4 |
| Warnings or Dangers Tips: 32 - Photos: 25 | Transportation Tips: 27 - Photos: 15 |
| Local Customs Tips: 22 - Photos: 18 | Packing Lists Tips: 16 - Photos: 10 |
| Shopping Tips: 23 - Photos: 14 | Sports Travel Tips: 17 - Photos: 15 |
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