Frommer's Kauai - Jeanette Foster [5]
• Watching the Hula: The Coconut Marketplace, on Kuhio Highway (Hwy. 56) between mile markers 6 and 7, hosts free shows every Wednesday at 5pm. Arrive early to get a good seat for the hour-long performances of both kahiko (ancient) and auwana (modern) hula. The real showstoppers are the keiki (children) who perform. Don’t forget your camera! See chapter 10.
• Bidding the Sun Aloha: Polihale State Park hugs Kauai’s western shore for some 17 miles. It’s a great place to bring a picnic dinner, stretch out on the sand, and toast the sun as it sinks into the Pacific, illuminating the island of Niihau in the distance. Queen’s Pond has facilities for camping as well as restrooms, showers, picnic tables, and pavilions. See chapter 7.
• Soaring over the Na Pali Coast: This is the only way to see the spectacular, surreal beauty of Kauai. Your helicopter will dip low over razor-thin cliffs, flutter past sparkling waterfalls, and swoop down into the canyons and valleys of the fabled Na Pali Coast. The only problem is that there’s too much beauty to absorb, and it all goes by in a rush. See chapter 8.
3 The Best Adventures
• Take a Helicopter Tour of the Island: Don’t leave Kauai without seeing it from a helicopter. It’s expensive but worth the splurge. You can take home memories of the thrilling ride up and over the Kalalau Valley on Kauai’s wild North Shore and into the 5,200-foot vertical temple of Mount Waialeale, the most sacred place on the island and the wettest spot on Earth. (In some cases, you can even take home a video of your ride.)
• Explore the Na Pali Coast by Water: Unless you’re willing to make an arduous 22-mile hike (see chapter 7), there are only two ways to see Na Pali: by helicopter or by boat. Picture yourself cruising the rugged Na Pali coastline in a 42-foot ketch-rigged yacht under full sail, watching the sunset as you enjoy a tropical cocktail, or speeding through the aquamarine water in a 40-foot trimaran as porpoises play off the bow.
• Duck Underwater: You haven’t really seen Hawaii until you have seen the magical world underwater. Beneath those blue waves is an entire universe in itself. You’ll see schools of rainbow-colored fish, dazzling corals, graceful manta rays, lumbering turtles, and quick-moving silvery game fish. If you are really lucky, you may see playful dolphins or the frequent winter visitors to Hawaii, humpback whales. See chapter 7.
• Hike Until You Drop: Kauai is made for hiking, from the numerous trails in Waimea Canyon to the high forests of Kokee to the interior trails that give the island its special beauty. See chapter 7.
4 The Best of Natural Hawaii
• Waterfalls: Rushing waterfalls thundering downward into sparkling freshwater pools are some of Hawaii’s most beautiful natural wonders. Kauai is loaded with waterfalls, especially along the North Shore and in the Wailua area, where you’ll find 40-foot Opaekaa Falls, probably the best-looking drive-up waterfall on Kauai. With scenic mountain peaks in the background and a restored Hawaiian village on the nearby riverbank, the Opaekaa Falls are what the tourist bureau folks call an eye-popping photo op.
• Gardens: The islands are redolent with the sweet scent of flowers. For a glimpse of the full breadth and beauty of Hawaii’s spectacular range of tropical flora, we suggest spending an afternoon at a lush garden. Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens, on some 240 acres sprinkled with about 70 life-size (some larger than life-size) whimsical bronze statues, lies hidden off the beaten path of the North Shore. Other great gardens are Allerton Garden in Poipu and Limahuli outside of Hanalei. See chapters 7 and 8.
• National Wildlife Refuges: Kauai has three wildlife refuges: Kilauea Point, which protects seabirds; Huleia, which shelters endemic Hawaiian birds and wetlands; and Hanalei, which maintains a sheltered area for Hawaiian birds and the watershed.
• The Grand Canyon of the Pacific—Waimea Canyon: This valley, known for its reddish lava beds, reminds everyone who sees it of Arizona