Hawaii - South Kauai

The last few days of our stay on Kauai were spent on the south side of the island.  It's drier and less rainforest-y than the north side, but it does have the better sunsets, in my opinion.  Our hotel was fantastic (the Grand Hyatt in Poipu) and we spent several days just lounging by the pool and going for walks along the beach.

We had a really nice anniversary dinner at their Tidepools restaurant.  Kevin had fun throwing bread to the koi fish in the pond below the window.

We also took a day to drive over to Waimea Canyon.  It's gorgeous -- like the Grand Canyon, but with a bit more greenery and lots more waterfalls.

The drive was really pleasant and at the highest viewpoint we had a good view of the beginning of the Napali Coast.

On the way back, we stopped in at the Kauai Coffee plantation to do the self-guided tour.  It used to be a sugar plantation, but was converted to coffee back in the 1980's.  They now have over 4 million coffee trees growing on 3000 acres.  We got a nice caffeine fix while sampling all the varieties on the tasting patio.  I liked the aptly-named "Rooster Alarm".

One of the best ways to really see the island of Kauai is by air, so we booked a helicopter tour.   We had the choice of a normal helicopter (with windows and doors) or one that had the doors off (for better photos and a bigger adrenaline rush).  Feeling brave, I had booked the doors-off version and we boarded the flight with just a hint of trepidation.

But as soon as we took off, all fear disappeared instantly.  Instead we just marveled at the gorgeous scenery far below us.  We got up close to the waterfalls and sheer cliffs in Waimea Canyon...

...hovered over the reefs on the north end of the island...

...and had stunning aerial views of the Napali Coast.  It was just breathtakingly beautiful.

And here's a video summary of the whole trip, including some footage from the helicopter ride.  Enjoy!


Hawaii Trip 2016 from Solsticecatamaran on Vimeo.

Hawaii - North Kauai

We took an inter-island flight from Maui to Kauai and drove the rental car to the north side of the island.  On our way to our rental condo, we stopped at Kilauea point to have a look at the lighthouse.

The 100-year-old lighthouse has been replaced by modern technology (basically a light on a post, see the 2nd picture above).  The area surrounding the lighthouse is a wildlife refuge that is home to a wide variety of seabirds, including Hawaii's state bird the Nene Goose.

Speaking of birds, Kauai seems to be overrun with wild chickens -- they are literally everywhere.  It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the roosters crowing at all hours of the day and night.  We were glad we brought earplugs.

Our condo was in the Princeville area, which was just a short drive from the famed Hanalei Bay, one of our favorite spots to lounge on the beach and people watch.

On the drive to Hanalei is a nice overlook of the taro pond fields.  Taro is a root vegetable, kind of like a potato.  It's the main ingredient in poi, and is a staple of the traditional Hawaiian diet.

We drove to "the end of the road" -- Ha'ena State Park, which is the start of the Napali Coast Trail.  But rather than brave the slippery mud on the Napali trail, we opted for a more leisurely stroll from Ke'e beach to Tunnels beach.

We also explored the Limahuli Botanical Garden, which had a fantastic collection of native Hawaiian plants as well as some not-so-native plants.  The hibiscus flowers were the size of dinner plates.

Our rental condo was situated on a seaside cliff, which made for a great spot to sit and watch for whales while sipping some sundowners.  So relaxing!

Hawaii - Maui

Aloha! We kicked off our stay in Maui at the Old Lahaina Luau - great food, tasty drinks, entertaining show, and beautiful location right on the beach.

We arrived in Maui on Dec 30th, and there were lots of Christmas decorations still up at the hotels and around town in Lahaina. I had Bing Crosby's "Mele Kalikimaka" running through my head almost nonstop.

On New Year's Eve we went to a White Party at the Sheraton. Everyone was supposed to wear white but the rule wasn't really enforced. (Note that we followed the rules, of course!). They had a pretty good DJ and we toasted 2016 with glasses of champagne.

For the first part of our stay we were at the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel. They've dubbed themselves "Hawaii's Most Hawaiian Hotel", and the property has a very 1960's island vibe. The Tiki bar with its Drink of the Day specials was a highlight. When you check out, they do a Farewell Ceremony where they give you a kukui lei and sing a song in Hawaiian -- very unique.

For the last two nights we headed to the Westin Ka'anipali which had a fantastic pool with lots of tropical flourishes including parrots, swans, and flamingos.

 

Our time on Maui was super relaxing. We read, walked along the beach, watched the sunsets, snorkeled at Black Rock, drove up to Kapalua and Paia to watch the surfers, and just soaked up the atmosphere.