Experiencing Kauai, One Step at a Time
Kauai, the Garden Isle, is one of the Hawaiian islands that exhibits rugged beauty and a great change of pace from her other sister islands such as Oahu and Maui. My family of four had the opportunity to visit Kauai in June of 2023.
Our flight from Seattle arrived well after sunset. We proceeded in our rental vehicle to the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas in Princeville, a small village town located at the northern end of the island. The trip from the airport in Lihue to the resort consisted mainly of hilly terrain along the coastline took about an hour. Most of the highways in Kauai are of the two-lane variety which adds to the travel time to the various locations on the island. After an entire day’s journey that originated in Atlanta, upon check-in, we showered and retired for the night.
Countries
Cities
Continent
blog post
On the next page is a YouTube video that gives an excellent overview of all there is to see on Kauai, the
Hawaiian island that is a little off the beaten path but still beautiful, breathtaking and relaxing.
The Best Places to Explore
The Daily Highlights
Our first meal on the island for breakfast the next day was a short ride to Saenz Ohana, a food truck that has a permanent residence in a parking lot. My family enjoyed the potato logs of which a returned trip was made for later in the week. Our first excursion led to us Hideaways Beach in Princeville. My oldest daughter, Gabrielle could not wait to dig her toes in the sand and swim along the shoreline. This is a great quiet little beach with a pretty view and a good place to read a book.
We took a brief respite at the hotel before eating a late lunch at Kilauea Bakery & Pizza at the Kong Lung Market Center in Kilauea located near Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge which was our last
excursion on our first full day on the island. Thousands of native birds nest here from mammalian predators. The Kilauea Lighthouse which is a designated historic landmark, boasts the largest “clamshell” lens in the world, though it is no longer in service. Reservations are required for entry and can be booked at recreation.gov.
I’ve only touched the surface of the island
locations and beaches accessible to visitors.
Among those also included on our travel itinerary
were Wailua (Wailua Falls and Kaui Shores) located
on the eastern side of the island and Poipu,
situated at the southern tip which is the warmest
area.
We also enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast at
Hotel Hanalei Bay with fabulous views of Hanalei Bay.
Luau Kalamaku
No trip to Hawaii would be complete without attending a luau. We chose to attend the Luau Kalamaku Friday evening located near Lihue per the recommendation of the resort staff. You can stroll the Plantation’s tropical grounds prior to the start of the luau. We took a train ride that toured the Kilohana Plantation, the location of the luau. We enjoyed a Hawaiian dinner followed by dessert and coffee while viewing live music and the graceful traditional hula. The evening was capped off with a theatrical luau show.