Kauai travel

Kauai Travel
The Garden Island


Kauai travel evolves around exploring and the island is small enough that all the attractions can be visited staying in just one place. The three main areas - Poipu in the south, the Royal Coconut Coast in the east and Hanalei / Princeville in the north.

The highest concentration of large international resorts and hotels is at Poipu, along the sunny South Coast. Accommodation here sits side by side along the three miles of sandy coastline which in places is broken by large rocky outcrops. There are lots of vacation rentals at the west end of Poipu, beyond which is the spectacular blowholes, a major tourist pull. Poipu has several championship golf courses and the hills inland are good for walking and exploring. There are some excellent coastal trails along the cliffs to the east offering absolute solitude.
More affordable accommodation can be found along the East Coast in the seaside towns of Lihue, Wailua and Kapa'a. Lihue Town is set inland, but the popular beach area of Kalapaki has fine sand alongside a protected harbour with safe swimming year round, some surfing breaks at the harbour mouth, and several world championship courses along the wild coastline beyond the beach. To the north of Lihue lots of accommodation can be found between the small towns of Wailua and Kapa'a, an area referred to as the Royal Coconut Coast for it was the main residence of the ancient Hawaiians and in early European times, was a large coconut plantation. Here there are some fine archaeological sites alongside the river valley and waterfalls to explore by kayak. The beaches here are OK, but often not good for swimming due to rough seas and dangerous currents.

The charming town of Hanalei along the rainforested North Coast with its adjacent purpose built resort village of Princeville back into some of the islands most breathtaking wilderness and has lovely remote beaches along a winding coastal road and several excellent places for snorkelling. Hanalei has several small hotels and lots of vacation rentals and bed and breakfast guesthouses The extremely beautiful Na Pali coastline is accessible from here, with one of the best hiking trails in the State winding its way through rainforest alongside the steep cliffs. Sailing charters and helicopter sightseeing of the otherwise inaccessible Na Pali Coast is Kauai's most popular tourist attraction.

The South West Coast of Kauai is rugged and wild - ideal for reflection but the wind-swept beaches are not safe for swimming and accommodation is thus limited. A few small hotels and some vacation rentals can be found around historic Waimea Town. This is the access point to the unusual Waimea Canyon, with stunning vistas and lots of hiking trails.