Kauai is called “The Garden Isle” in Hawaii. The name is appropriate since it is an absolutely stunning tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with lush rainforests and thousands of indigenous flowers.
We stayed at the Sheraton Kauai Resort on Poipu Beach. It is a lovely resort with excellent, hospitable service and great amenities. Our room was divine, with a gorgeous view of one of their two pools. The resort offered complimentary Mai-Tai hour from 5-6pm nightly, which we took advantage of every night to watch the sunset right on the beach.
A series of golden sand crescents, Poipu Beach is where beach-goers can snorkel, swim in a natural ocean wading pool, boogie-board and surf. For those who just want to lounge on the beach, sip cocktails and soak up some rays – Poipu is great for that as well. It was named America’s Best Beach by The Travel Channel, ranking top among the 10 “best” beaches selected nationwide. It is considered among the safest in Hawaii, with a lifeguard on duty seven days a week. The sand is super soft and the water is crystal-clear and perfect for swimming. Lounge with Hawaiian Monk Seals who soak up the glorious sunshine on the warm sand.
Poipu has a different vibe than Waikiki – it’s a lot quieter and more laid-back. It’s definitely a lot more “Hawaiian” than Honolulu. The great thing about Kauai is that you can be as remote as you want…but still have all the western amenities you’d have at home. You will need to rent a car, as everything is very spaced-out around the island.
Tip: Get friendly with the locals and ask where their favourite spots are. The Sheraton restaurants were good, but we wanted to try other cuisine and eat where the locals do! One of our best finds was Kaleheo Cafe and Coffee Co. (Thanks to Yelp for the tip!) They offer local Kauai coffee which was the absolute best we have tasted anywhere in the world! The cafe is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Don’t miss their famous pancakes. They were so unbelievably good – we ate breakfast at Kaleheo almost every day we were in Kauai, the food was that good. Another great place is Brennecke’s Beach Broiler – it has amazing ahi tuna burgers, with a view of Poipu Beach, yum!
Drive up the coast to the Northern part of the island to see more of the island’s stunning beauty. Kauai is one of the best Hawaiian Island’s to capture beautiful photos of rainbows – keep your eyes peeled during sporadic rainfall.
Watch out for local farmers selling their fruit on the side of the road: pineapples, lychees, papayas, etc. We were so excited to pick up some locally grown, deliciously ripe rambutans. Who knew you could find them grown outside of South East Asia!
If you’re looking for crazy nightlife and loads of people, then Kauai’s probably not the island for you. If you’re searching for a relaxing, stunningly beautiful vacation, then you won’t regret booking a trip to Kauai – Mahalo 🙂
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