Kauai, Hawaii beach sunset - photo, Edward_Bryce (flickr CC)

Kauai, Hawaii is an amazing island for adventure or just chilling. I first went there on a honeymoon back in 1987. I’d been living on Oahu for three years and Kauai was the first of the other islands I visited. To say I was hit with culture shock is an understatement.

To go from Oahu to Kauai is like going from New York City to Lima, New York. (look it up in Google earth)

The beauty of Kauai is astounding. As the plane flew over the island and I looked out the window taking photos mainly of the window, frame, and wing I could see hardly any buildings on Kauai. Kauai is remote! I remember thinking this was the best Hawaiian island for a honeymoon ever. I’d not seen the rest – but, Kauai had to be the ultimate island to getaway to from Oahu.

The Kauai airport was so small I had to, for the first time ever, walk down the plane steps to the tarmac to enter the 1-story airport.

We promptly rented a Jeep and got to exploring the island. There are few roads and streets on Kauai. There are few buildings. There are few people in comparison to Oahu or Maui. There are few touristy things to do – and all the tourists are doing them when you arrive to do them too.

The official Hawaii tourism site says that just 10% of Kauai is accessible by automobile. I thought I had seen a lot while I was there (been back since) and yet I’d seen just a thumbnail of what there really is on the island.

Next time I go back I’m going to do some hiking on the west side, in the Napali coast mountain range. I’ve been to the top peak and tourist lookout area, but never walked the trail more than a kilometer or so. Apparently camping is also possible if you get a permit, which I never knew.

Here is a video of some hikers on the Kalalau Trail along the Napali Coast:

Here are some great photos of the hike by this same group that really show in nice detail the beauty of this Kauai hike:

Kalalau Hike Photos >

Have you been to Kauai lately? What are your favorite things to do?