Adventures on the Garden Island
KAUA’I
Nicknamed the “garden island, Kaua’i’s lush landscape is the perfect backdrop for adventure. My partner and I don’t identify as thrill seekers, but we do love to play. In fact, on our 4-day trip, we didn’t relax on the beach once—not once! It was my first visit to the islands—a 30th birthday gift from my then-boyfriend, now fiance—and we were keen to make the most of every moment. We spent four full days on the island and scheduled one adventure per day, making sure to fuel ourselves with amazing food along the way.
Adventure
The “Zip and Dip” is so fun! It’s just what it sounds like: an afternoon of ziplining topped off with swimming in a natural watering hole. Ziplining is exhilarating. Each line is progressively more intense than the last, and by the end, you find yourself holding hands with your partner and stepping off the edge of a cliff, letting gravity propel you down an 1,200-foot line. They call that one the “King Kong.”
We zipped and dipped through Princeville Ranch, which I don’t believe survived the pandemic.
Helicopter tours are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Literally. Because while this tour was truly awe-inspiring, once was enough! Ours took us along the 15-mile stretch of the Nā Pali coast, a special landscape frequently named as one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. Its beauty is due to the beating it takes, absorbing most of the rainfall the island gets every year. My personal highlight (as someone who was raised on the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals my grandmother would pop into the VHS player for me), was flying over the beach where Mitzi Gaynor “washed that man right outa” her hair in “South Pacific.” Beyond that beach, we flew into canyons and past waterfalls. It’s hard to imagine land more fantastical than this. The only thing better than seeing it, would be being in it. Next time—weather permitting—we’ll hike it!
We booked through Safari Helicopters, which felt safe since our pilot was military-trained.
Volcano hikes are the alternative to the helicopter tour, which will take you into the Nā Pali landscape, along ridges with vast Pacific views. At the time of our visit, the best trails—which take a full day—were closed due to an especially wet winter. You will need a permit to hike this area and rumor has it they're hard to come by, so plan ahead.
A sunset boat trip is a must. I love love love being out on water and when you add the hope of seeing dolphins you can’t get me on that boat fast enough. In my opinion, boat trips do not need to be over complicated or dressed up with the bells and whistles of dinner and drinks. They are, in and of themselves, a total delight, both meditative and exciting. But there are two things that stand between you having a fabulous experience or a miserable one: a windbreaker and Dramamine. You are not above it. You are not so tough that these aren’t good ideas. Trust me. Trust me because even though I know this, I didn’t think to bring a windbreaker. I mean, “it’s Hawaii! It’s hot there.” Not on the ocean it’s not. I spent three hours brewing in angst, wrapped up in towels for warmth. My redemption came when the dolphins did. We had resigned ourselves to not seeing any because the weather was getting stormy and we were forced to head back early. But as our boat outdrove the rain and the golden light of sunset came upon us, we spotted dolphins. I threw my towels off, dashed to the front of the boat, and watched in pure bliss as they gave us a real show playing in our waves.
Honestly I don’t think it matters much which vendor you select; they all offer similar services. It’ll come down to what time of day you prefer, whether you expect to be fed or not, and what size group you want to share this experience with.
A secret beach. If I told you it wouldn’t be a secret, but there are enough of them that if you do a little reconnaissance with folks who’ve been there, they may—may—share their tips with you. In our case, we parked along the side of the road and tracked down a secluded pathway down to a beach that edges up against an enormous plantation house. We weren’t the only ones there, mostly locals it seemed, but it was quiet enough that I was able to walk alone, meditating on the big milestone of turning 30.
Adventure Fuel
where to eat to keep yourself energized for adventure
breakfast
Little Fish Coffee. The thing nobody told me about Kaua’i is that there are chickens everywhere! I thoroughly enjoyed this and found them highly entertaining. Especially when they joined us for breakfast at Little Fish Coffee, an amazing spot for healthy breakfast and snacks, right across the street from our hotel, the Ko’a Kea.
dinner
It really depends on your vibe, but here are some fun ideas:
The Hyatt is for tourists, which… we were. The appeal of Tidepools, though, is the location. The dining room sits on raised platforms, just above the water level of ponds full of coy fish. It was romantic and magical.
Is a luau a requisite tourist experience? Sure! This was essentially an endless buffet of everything I love about Hawaiian plate lunch, plus fire tricks and dancing. Tourism is undoubtedly an important economic mechanism for Hawaii, but how much of this luau was truly authentic, I can never know. The best part though is—hands down—audience participation. Life’s too short not to take the bait. I danced on stage and you should too.
The Beach House is a decidedly nice restaurant without the fuss or gimmicks. I remember this being the most satisfying meal of our trip—and a respite at the end of our adventures. The dining room is open air and even though it was too dark to see the ocean, we could hear the waves and smell the salt.
ice cream
Go to Lappert’s. It’s not really your birthday unless you devour a double-scoop in a waffle cone amiright? This little gem came recommended from a pal of mine who grew up in Hawaii, so for that, the recommendation is super solid.
vices
Head to Kilohana Plantation, home of Koloa Rum Co. We had lunch here on our last day (pineapple on everything and too many pina coladas to count!) before heading to the airport, which meant everyone got coffee, candy, nuts, and rum as their Christmas gift that year. What I found most impressive though were the vast and impeccably landscaped grounds. They host tastings and tours too which, we learned, we were supposed to book ahead of time.
🖤
There is so much more going on in Kaua’i than any guide could encompass. What are your favorite adventures on Hawaii’s garden island?