Fun things to do in Kauai

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Kauai Coffee Company is Hawaii's largest coffee grower. Near here, over 150 years ago, Hawaii's first commercial coffee plantation was planted. Here you can shop for many, many different types of coffee...some of them you can only find at this plantation. Also, there are 3 stations set up where you can sample different flavors and also watch a video of the history of the plantation. Tours are also available. I recommend the Hazelnut coffee!

Kilauea Point was the highlight of my first visit to Kaua'i. I was so completely mesmerized by the flight of the seabirds, so effortless in taking to the air, that I even thought, "I wouldn't mind being here on the last day of my life; and as I expire, my soul would become a bird and take off and mingle with other birds, before flying off to the Pacific...." So I made Kilauea the first stop on my second trip to the island, only to find that the refuge was closed because it was Presidents' Day. The refuge is closed on federal holidays.

Not to worry. There are parking spaces adjacent to the gate of the refuge and a view gallery for the peninsula with the lighthouse and the little cove east of it. This is actually a good spot for viewing birds, especially red-footed boobies that nest on the eastern wall of the cove. Quite a few people were there when I arrived, and a refuge volunteer was pointing things out to us. We saw a Hawaiian monk seal lying in the cove (a rare animal, only about twenty of them are present in all of the Hawaiian islands). Humpback whales were active offshore, and one made a spectacular breach.

Of course, if you arrive here and find the refuge closed, you should definitely come back. This place can get crowded, but it's definitely worth it. The lighthouse peninsula is an exhilarating and refreshing place to experience the sea, and watching these seabirds fly does good to one's soul. On my return visit, I got to see most of the birds the refuge is known for - boobies, nene, Laysan albatrosses, great frigatebirds, white- and red-tailed tropicbirds (the red-tail was a first for me). Whales were active all over the ocean again, and this time, one was doing tail-slapping and delighting us visitors.

The refuge is home to four bird species which nest here - nene (Hawaiian goose), Laysan albatross, red-footed booby and wedge-tailed shearwater (the last, a spring-to-fall resident, had not arrived yet when I visited). The place also puts effort into preservation of endangered plant species, especially the alula, a cliff plant under peril because of apparent extinction of the insect species that would pollinate it.

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Kamukila Hawaiian Village is small theme village actually, in fact you can see how a Polynesian village looks like with thatched huts and some native craft making (you see demonstrations of them). There’s a small guided tour and it doesn’t take more than 30’. The entrance fee is only $5 ($3 for children) and they are open 9.00 to 16.30 Monday to Saturday. It is really nothing really special, I have to say that I found it kind of boring except the funny legend they told us about the name Kamukila which is a lizard that was supposed to gather every precious stone in the island and that explains why you can’t find any of them in our days in Kaua’i. :) By the way, this village used in the movie Outbreak.

The guys that run the place offer canoe rides which is a good reason to visit the place. There different things to choose from like
-Canoe ride to Secretfalls for $30 (45’ the guided paddle to trail or 3 hours selfguided hike to waterfall),
-Canoe ride to Swimming Hole for $20 (1 hour guided paddle and swim),
-Canoe ride to Fern Grotto for $20 (1 hour guided paddle and walk).
-You can also have your own kayak all day for $35 (don’t forget to bring your own lunch).

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If you havent been tired of hiking in Kauai (so many choices) there is a small one at the north side of Princeville! We drove at the end of Punahele Road (you will find it on the right hand after driving down 2 km on the main road). There’s no free parking area but hopefully we didnt get any fee and I noticed many other rental cars there too. Dont forget to take a bottle of water with you, a hat, your bathing clothes of course and definitely wear good shoes (some people with slippers are looking for trouble) because the hike isnt long but it’s not the easiest in some parts.

First you have to go down a muddy path (pic 1) for 10 minutes. There are some nice parts with small waterfalls (pic 2) here and there and after some small or big natural steps (avoid the hike if you have problems with your knees) you will reach the shore. Now you have to walk on the rocks (pic 3) you see on your left hand for about 5 minutes! There are many signs that warns you about treacherous spots which means unexpected big waves can cause serious injuries or drownings because you can easily be knocked off the rocks. I dont want to scare you but there are even life-buoy for those that are already on the sea! (pic 4)

After a while you will finally see the natural swimming pool (pic 5), actually there are more than one. If the waves aint too big watch your step and go inside. The waves splash over the rocks which is weird and nice at the same time. Some books say that there are sea turtles but we didnt see any of them. On your way back pay attention again, I noticed some people that are tired of the sun and just walk fast to their cars.

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One morning we drove north. We turned right between 22 and 23 mile and we approached Kilauea town, actually the area with stores (pic 2) and cafes so we had our breakfast there. It used to be another plantation town, a big sugar company had its base here at the end of 19th century and closed down in 1971. We drove a bit more to reach the Kilauea National Wilflife Refuge. Before the entrance there is a lookout spot where you can stop for a while and take some nice pics of the historic lighthouse (pic 1). It was built in 1913 and had the largest clamshell lens in the world.

To see the lighthouse from close distance (and get inside) you have to drive a bit down the road, park (for free) and pay the entrance fee ($5). Some visitors think that they will walk in the park but you will be allowed only to walk the path that will take you to the Kilauea Point Historic Lighthouse. Some tourists dont like that (and feel cheated) but we have to respect (and understand) that this is a refuge of wildlife and yes they need to be protected. So some signs (pic 3) are there for you and not the birds because they can’t read :) With good lenses and cameras you can admire the rare birds though, like the five species of sea birds. The view from the area around the Lighthouse is great anyway, you can check the small island (pic 4) that houses many of them or the Kaapea (Secret) beach (pic 5) on north shore. With binoculars you may see whales and dolphins at the ocean. There is also a small info kiosk with many photos and displays and a souvenir store with some nice books also. The refuge is open daily 10.00 to 16.00 and some days they offer small guided hike to Crater Hill. We missed that because of the breakfast earlier :(

On our way back we stopped at the end of Kolo road to check the Christ Memorial Episcopal church. It was built in 1941 with lava stone walls but the cemetery next to it dates from the end of 19th century when a Hawaiian Congregational church was here.

It was time to reach Kuhio Highway again which you will understand is the highway that you will drive most of your time in this island as it covers a looong way.
Directions:drive north on Kuhio Highway. Kilauea town is at the right hand after mile 23. Lighthouse is at the end of Kilauea Road

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The first thing I remember from Kapaa town is the colorful front walls of the several stores. It used to be one of the previous century plantation towns (till 1960) but now is more focused on tourism. There are many stores to rent a surf board here or book other tours and even pubs for you that prefer to live during the night (but you’ll miss the real attractions in Kauai). It seems most of the tourists choosing the east side are here. Just a few miles before Kapaa you will see rows of coconut trees, the place is called Royal Coconut Coast (pic 1). Our hotel was located near here where the Coconut Market Place also located.

There are several beaches near Kappa. There is a scenic view stop just north of Kapaa (pic 2). It is the spot where the Kapa’a beach is and as you can see in the picture there is a path for bicycles and joggers. The Kapa’a beach park is located next to the town’s center, a 1.3km long beach with picnic shelters and bathrooms.

Further north you can swim at Kealia beach (pic 3). It means salt land and there are many small areas of salt because of the waves. It is a 1.2km sandy beach with no facilities at all. The high waves didnt allow us to enjoy it much but the bodyboarders seemed to have fun there.
We continued drive north to Anahola for the Anahola beach park. It is located at the town of Anahola, a 1km long beach with many facilities like picnic tables, bathrooms, lifeguard etc I have read that it gets packed the locals but what we found was a deserted beach.

After mile 14 we tried to see the King Kong’s profile on the mountain but still when I look at my pic 4 I try to understand where he is :) Just a bit north from there, after mile 15, you can also see the Hole In The Mountain spot, where depending the time of the day you can see the sunrays go through it It used to be bigger and more obvious.

There is always traffic betwen Lihue and Kapaa so use the bypass road after mile 6 on Kuhio Highway.

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Smith’s Tropical Paradise is a nice theme garden where you can walk around the 1,5 km long pathway and enjoy the 30 acres of gardens and small or big lagoons. We loved some beautiful corners here, like some small bridges, some colorful flowers and the numerous birds. Of course, the most funny were the roosters that were running behind us all the time. I also noticed some small recreated huts like in several ethnic villages like the Fillipino village (pic 3) and some weird ones like the head from the Easter island (pic4)

The Gardens are open 8.30-16.00 daily. The entrance fee is $6($3 for children). They provide you with a small simple map to know where you are although it’s very difficult to get lost and there are signs that show the way (according to the map route).

Some days(Monday, Wednesday, Friday) you can join their Lu’au with traditional dance and food but you have to pay $78 for this so I can’t tell you if it’s worth it. The leaflet says that you can go at 17.00 stroll around for an hour and at 18.00 watch the programe which includes the Imu ceremony, Kalua pig steam roasted to an exotic succulence in an authentic earth oven!

What surprises me is that we saw only one pig in the park, oh oh, it seems they kill one every time :)