Confession: I am a trip hog. I try to play it cool, but I LOVE trips. I love vacation. I love travel.
And I love vacation pictures. I love my vacation pictures and I love your vacation pictures and I love your best friend’s cousin’s sister-in-law’s vacation pictures. I wish there was a way for you to upload your best vacation pictures in the comments. The Great 2018 Vacation Picture Swap. Bjork, can we work on that?
This wasn’t our first time to Kauai. We actually came last year. I don’t think I ever really talked about that on the blog. It was just three weeks after we lost our son Afton, and it was with my parents, and we had already purchased our tickets when our whole world fell apart. I should have been traveling to Hawaii just shy of 30 weeks pregnant, but instead, I was recovering from major surgery and carrying a lifelong, unfixable heartbreak.
I always hesitate to use the word “healing”, because while that trip did help me to find some color in life again, a trip to Hawaii can never fix what – who – will always be missing from our lives. But those six days spent admiring the sunsets and feeling the calm of the ocean were special, and, I guess, healing.
“Let’s come back again,” we said. “When we’re less fragile. When we can experience this differently.”
I was thinking more like 5-10 years, but then this year, on Christmas Eve, in the midst of the painful first-holiday season and one year anniversary, we made an impulse buy. I found the cheapest flight I could manage (back of the plane FTW!) and booked us a trip back to Kauai.
When we came to the island in 2017, we were so incredibly fragile. It’s hard to even think about what it was like. I remember the airport being so daunting. It was the first time we had really gone out in public. We were like exposed nerves, walking around, bumping up against the most mundane of things that would jolt us with pain.
This year, we’re more solidly on our feet. We’re not so exposed. The airport isn’t scary. We always carry that grief with us, but it’s been absorbed. It lives in a deeper place. We are able to do normal things without wondering if we will shatter. And as a result, we were ready to adventure around the island and see some of the best of Kauai – the island of my dreams. It was lovely and awe-inspiring.
SO LET’S GET GOING WITH THE PICS ALREADY.
- Westin in Princeville (We stayed here. It’s clean and nice. Several nice pools and the rooms were comfortable, but it’s not overly extravagant or fancy-feeling. Nice views since it’s perched up on a cliff. There is no beach access.)
- St. Regis in Princeville (The St. Regis is a little more fancy and almost twice as expensive as the Westin… which is why we didn’t stay here. But pro tip! Westin guests get access to the private beach here, which is amazing because this beach is INSANELY BEAUTIFUL. So we spent a lot of time at the St. Regis beach. If you like the ritzy pool scene, this is your place.)
- Hanalei Colony Resort (This is where I would maybe stay if we went back. A little cheaper, and not much going on in the pool department, but well-rated and a GREAT location for exploring the north side of the island. We drove by this place on several of our adventures along the coast.)
The beach at the St. Regis. 👇🏼😍
We did a decent amount of driving, exploring, and beach-hopping. Winter in Kauai is not super swim-friendly because the waves are huge and scary-dangerous, so when I say beach-hopping, I really just mean “driving to a beach and walking around, exploring, maybe laying out in the sun, watching the ocean, taking a few pictures and then continuing on our way.”
This was probably my favorite thing about Kauai – the north side of the island especially. Just driving was an adventure in and of itself. It is a JUNGLE PARADISE, not to mention that pretty much the entire coast is beautiful, isolated white sand beaches. There are views around every corner and the natural beauty is incredibly pristine, raw, and untouched.
My Beach Picks:
- Haena Beach / Canon’s Beach / Tunnels Beach (5/5 – Stunning views, and incredibly secluded and quiet when we went at sunset. My personal favorite of all the beaches we went to.)
- Ke’e Beach (5/5 – Stunning views. This was the only place I felt safe going in the water because it was a little more protected from the huge waves – and even then, I only went in the very shallow water. Please be so careful. This beach is adjacent to NaPali coast / Kalalua trail, so it’s a good spot to go before or after a NaPali hike.)
- Secret Beach (4.5/5 – Beautiful, secluded, quiet. Huge stretches of white sand. We did see a nude beach bum, which I think is relatively common at this beach.)
- Hanalei Beach (3/5 – Really incredible views, but the sand isn’t as pristine and it was definitely the busiest of all the beaches we went to. It’s a better place for people-watching or surf-watching. Most of the people here seemed like locals. The pier is a good place to post out and watch stuff happening.)
- Larsen Beach (3/5 – Maybe would have liked it more on a less windy/cloudy day. Same about the bums.)
- Wyllie’s Beach (3/5 – I walked here by myself since it was right next the Westin. It’s a cool path to get down to the beach, and the beach itself is small and unique. I had to duck under trees to walk along the sand. Good for a quick explore if you’re staying close by.)
- Hideaways Beach (Didn’t get here but really wish we would have. It’s right next to the St. Regis.)
In order to get to most of these beaches, we would use a combination of GPS on our phones and a deeper Google or Trip Advisor search to find out how to access the beaches directly. Most of them don’t have a parking lot – you’ll just be parking on a side street and then finding the hiking path down to the beach.
Oh, I forgot to mention Poipu Beach! We drove to the southern part of the island for a day of calmer waters, marine sealife sightings (whales and sea turtles and monk seals), and sunset-watching. Poipu Beach is a busier beach and there were people everywhere, but we can deal for a day.
Annnnd my signature Kauai Look.
This was the number one thing I wanted to do in Kauai. I was on a mission to get myself to the Na Pali Coast. And after having hiked the 4-mile trail to the beach and back, I mostly I want to say that this was one of the most intensely beautiful places my eyes have ever seen. UN-BE-LIEVABLE.
A close second is that if you hike, you need to be very careful. Here are some notes about the hike.
- Wear sturdy shoes. I intentionally packed old, nasty tennis shoes that I could just toss after the hike, which was a good idea, because they got so muddy and wet. Hiking boots would be good if you have them.
- Bring lots of water. Not, like, one bottle of Gatorade. Bring LOTS of water.
- The 4-mile roundtrip hike to the beach and back is a good one for a person of average fitness level. But just keep in mind, this is not a casual hike on a walking trail. Much of the trail is rocky, uneven, and slippery. I would say it was a more difficult hike than I was anticipating.
- Read up. I read lots of Na Pali hiking blog posts like the safety nerd that I am, and they were helpful. I felt more prepared.
- READ ALL SIGNAGE ONCE YOU GET THERE.
- BE VERY CAUTIOUS.
- Personal opinion: I really would not recommend this hike when you are pregnant, or while wearing your baby in a wrap, or carrying a kid on your back. It is one of the most dangerous hiking trails in the world. There are no guard rails and the drop-offs are so intensely steep. The trail is slippery, steep, and rocky. There is no cell service. Just… it scares me. Please don’t do it.
View from Ke’e Beach, which is at the Kalalua trailhead. Zero hiking required to get this view of the Na Pali Coast. ♡
You guys, most of the food we had was medium-good and overpriced. Is that the norm on small islands? It was a little sad, but not too sad, because I’m only a 50% food snob and I can be happy with a can of convenience store Cheddar Cheese Pringles. I don’t have a ton of dinner places to recommend because a) we actually skipped dinner most nights due to extreme tiredness and laziness (I KNOW) and b) what we did eat just wasn’t super awesome. That being said, here are the places we would go back to.
- Kalalea Juice Hale – Highly recommend. It’s just a little shack on the side of the road, but it’s adorable. Acai bowls, smoothies, fresh juices, and natural fruit shave ice.
- NOM Kauai – Highly recommend. Great place for lunch or brunch. Modern/playful diner type food.
- Living Foods Market – if you go to the south part of the island and need a quick bite, this is a good stop!
- Hanalei Bread Company – Breakfast food was decent – the avocado toast with eggs was good, and the breakfast skillet was yummy. Breakfast burrito was meh. Ambiance was lovely, though, which is why we came here twice. I got a golden latte here that I really loved.
- Lei Petite Cafe and Bakery – Breakfast food was good. I loved my acai bowl and the eggs benedict was surprisingly good, too. Long line, limited seating, very casual.
- Chicken in a Barrel BBQ – We stumbled on this gritty little place in a moment of severe hanger on the way to a beach. But I am really glad we did! SO yummy – BBQ chicken, chili, and awesome sweet potato fries. Then again, maybe I was just hangry. 🤪
- Kalypso – Outdoor seating and a good pick for post-beach happy hour. I am kind of obsessed with the fried artichokes. I wish we would have just gotten appetizers – the fish tacos weren’t my favorite.
- Makana Terrace at the St. Regis – way overpriced. That being said, if you need a splurge meal, the view is out of this world. This might be one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever had a meal. Go for brunch (yummy) or a sunset drink / snack so you can get the views before dark.
- Nalu Kai Grill and Bar at the St. Regis – This was where we got all our beach-side food and drinks, and even though it’s just a poolside grill, I really enjoyed it, actually. The poke was yummy, and the fish tacos were the best I had while in Kauai. Again with the overpriced, but the food and drinks made me happy.
In general, I’d recommend the shacks or food trucks over the super-fancy restaurants in terms of finding the yummiest food. Casual island living at its best!
Okay. One more thing that needs to be mentioned.
On the first day, we got an emergency alert on our phones during breakfast that there was an inbound ballistic missile to Hawaii and we needed to take shelter immediately. Not a drill, it said. So… we hid in the restaurant kitchen and contemplated what it would be like to die in a restaurant kitchen on our first day in paradise.
WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HECK.
There was no inbound ballistic missile. Someone somewhere pressed the wrong button.
So, yeah. Always a special memory of our time in Hawaii. Xo
Have you been to Hawaii? Kauai? Na Pali? Another island? What did you love?
LET’S NOT DO WORK AND TALK ABOUT THE ISLANDS!
More Travel Pictures and Posts:
Moalboal, Philippines
1000 Miles Of Alaska
Austin Vibes
Europe Trip
Aloha! Thanks for your wonderful Blog. Here is a recent song I premiered at a San Jose, CA Senior Center. Enjoy and please feel free to share. Mahalo. https://youtu.be/BKoWql3d0Ww
I am so glad I stumbled upon this post! My husband and I fell in love with Hawaii after our trip to Maui last year and can not wait to go back, Kauai specifically 😉 What a wonderful trip to heal together and take some time to honor your son.
Kauai = best.island.ever. Hands down!
oh my gosh, can’t believe you were there for the missile alert! thank goodness it was just a drill.
gorgeous pictures. i am glad you were able to go back.
I love Kauai and have been about 7 times now (with and without kids in tow). Poipu is the side of the island I frequent since in winter, the waters are calm enough to swim on the south side. There is a beautiful beach called baby beach (near Poipu beach) that has fabulous rental homes within a 10 ft walking distance. Highly recommend! Yeah for Kauai!! And do the ATV tour that lets you rip up the mud puddles. Super fun!!
Love all the photos. Thanks for putting together a comprehensive list of recommendations! My friend was actually in Hawaii during the false missile warning too — so terrifying! I mean, what do you do? There’s really no hiding from it. So glad everyone is safe and that it was a false alarm! Really puts the threat into perspective.
We were in Kauai during that same time – from the twin cities too! So beautiful – I hope to go back again. I’m a safety freak too, so the hikes were a little nerve racking but so beautiful and worth the stress in the end! It was my husband and Is first visit. We also were scared by the Missle Threat alert – but looking back it’s a great reminder about how life can change in an instant and keep focused on what’s the most important.
We’ve spent the last 7 summers on Kauai’s north shore. We usually rent a condo, but did stay at the Hanalei Colony Resort on one trip (so peaceful and beautiful being right on the ocean). These are my favorites food places that we visit over and over again when we go there:
Kapaa
Kountry kitchen – really good breakfast place but most of the time I would just stop there and get a lavender latte, amazing.
Kauai Juice Co – yummy kombucha and nut milk drinks (sexy baby maker is my favorite 🙂
Korean BBQ Restaurant – great bulgogi and the owners are so nice
Java Kai – I dream about their papaya date shake…
Hanalei
Hanalei Gourmet – Best fish and chips we had on the island
Aloha Juice Bar (juice stand in grocery store parking lot) – really good acai bowls, used to be my favorite until these guys opened:
Wishing Well Shave Ice (food truck) – the BEST acai bowls
Fresh Bite (food truck) – just like the name implies LOL very fresh wraps and salads. They are right next-door to another yummy food truck that does hot plates.
Love your beautiful pictures!!
I live on Oahu, but Kauai is my favorite island because the hiking is amazing on the Na Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon. The Kalalau Trail is epic and not that dangerous if you are experienced hiking in the mountains or in Hawaii!
Making notes of your food places. We actually had great food in Kauai and were surprised with how many places there are to eat.. mostly because everyone in Oahu says how “remote” Kauai is. Java Kai, Kealia Poke, and Kauai Beer Company were favorites for us. All casual, the fine dining in Hawaii is usually not worth the price (for us at least).
Hello, I’m another Minnesotan who has been to Kauai twice! It is so spectacular. We stayed both times near Poipu and the Beachhouse is one of the best restaurants we’ve ever been to (but pricey).
We did the same hike on the Napali coast and would you believe we actually encountered a young couple with a baby in a wrap? They were also BAREFOOT. Oddly they seemed to be navigating the rocks and mud better than we were. It almost made me think they lived in the jungle there or something!
One of our favorite things though, which you and anyone else should absolutely do if you go, is to take a helicopter tour of the Napali coast. Unreal!
Thank you for your valuable comments about the Na Pali Coast. I had to turn back. Not because of the hike itself, but because I was freaking out over the dads with babies on their backs, the dogs running free, and the young girls in short skirts and flip-flops!
AHHH, this made me cry. Because I miss Hawaii (all the islands) SO much. We were so beyond blessed to live on Oahu for just over 2 years. Kauai and Big Island are our favorites. You missed our favorite coffee shop Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee Company – I want you to go back immediately just to go there! And take a trip to the BI and go to Mountain Thunder coffee plantation, our favorite coffee in the world (we started drinking coffee black after tasting their, SO good). I miss Hawaii everyday, it’s the only other place in the world (besides where we’re actually from) that has ever felt like home for this military family.
Beautiful post and photos. Can’t believe you were there for the accidental missile alert! I would have freaked out.
Can you remind me where those slouchy green pants are from? I know you’ve said before but I can’t remember where… and want ’em! Thanks 🙂
We went there and stayed at the Westin on our honeymoon. So naturally everything was dreamy and perfect. BUT the spring rolls during happy hour I’m stillllllll dreaming of almost 5 years later. I got sick on our last day and my husband ordered them and I sadly couldn’t get my last fix. We’ll go back .. just for the spring rolls. We also enjoyed tiki man pizza and I loved the passion fruit mousse at The Postcard.. which I also couldn’t finish due to illness!! Loved your pics, great memories!
I’m glad you got to go back and enjoy a vacation while in a less fragile place. You and Bjork are very strong. I had a first trimester miscarriage is 2013 and I can not imagine having gone on any sort of trip or really doing much of anything after only 3 weeks.
I just got back from the Big Island and Lana’i. The Big Island was fine, but Lana’i was amazing. The only hotel there is the Four Seasons, so see if you can get them to sponsor you to do a review since it was a crazy expensive property. I was lucky enough to go using my SILs comp nights. The food was phenomenal and the people were great.
I’m so glad you guys got to take a well deserved vacation!! I absolutely love looking at all your vacation pictures – I think I might even like them more than the delicious food pictures you have (*gasp*) ! We’re kindred spirits in that regard!
Quick question for you – when you travel, do you take your DSLR camera with you? Or are most of your pictures iPhone photos? Your photos are always so beautiful!
I grew up on the island of Oahu but now live on the East Coast…. your pictures make me so homesick!! It was such a magical place to live.
Great pictures! My husband and I lived on Kauai for a year right after we got married in 2012. I worked at an awesome farm to table restaurant there that is now shut down, but it was amazing! I would recommend the Kileua Fish Market (fish burrito), Mermaids in Kappa, and the Taro Truck on the road out of Hanalei. For sure it is better to go truck or hole in the wall restaurant there!
I would also recommend doing the whole trail next time and spending the night at the end. It is amazing and so different. A lot of people out there just live off the land. Someone asked us to come share a goat he just killed, no joke. It was a hard 11 miles but so worth it! Another great hike is Okolehao hike. It is straight up, but you get the best views of the bay and area around there.
We pretty much hiked and paddleboarded the rivers for an entire year (and worked some!). Get a paddle board (we owned them but you can rent a lot of places or craigslist) and just go up the rivers as far as you can. They are unreal and so undiscovered. That never got old.
The ultimate guidebook is also great! The more you go, the better it gets!
So glad you guys got to go back to Kauai, where we’re heading in May, when the water is calmer, to celebrate a belated 40th anniversary. Seems you like a more quiet vibe, as do we. That said, I’d suggest looking for lodging at a VRBO house or condo. It’s what we try to do almost everywhere we travel. Cooking at home saves a great deal of money, and you can still eat out if you wish. Be sure to check out what’s included if, like my husband, you require a grill to complete your vacation in paradise. NaPali trail suggestion: Take a hiking stick. I told my husband I wasn’t going to make the climb again, but your photos may have convinced me otherwise. Food suggestion: Visit Opal’s Thai on the North Shore of Oahu in Haleiwa for an experience that can’t be replicated and for food that’s fabulous. Though we choose not to eat out much on Hawaiian vacations (too much natural beauty to experience), when we’re on the North Shore of Oahu, we go to Opal’s every day for lunch after spending the morning on the beach. It’s that good! Guess where we’ll be eating lunch during the second half of our anniversary trip? And you made me cry…again. That one sweet picture…you know the one…spoke a thousand words. Blessings to you and Bjork.
I loved this post and pics! We went to Kauai in 2009, stayed at the Grand Hyatt, in Poipu. They had a pricey, yet Amazing breakfast buffet. Also, next time check out Puka Dogs! Fairly cheap, super tasty hotdogs in delicious bread, with fabulous relishes and sauces! We loved Puka Dogs! I’ve followed your blog for about 4 years, and so enjoy each post.
Gorgeous photos! I’m heading to Kauai in the Spring and can’t wait. We had the same experience when we went before — overpriced food everywhere! We had a kitchen in our rental, so we went to the farmers market and stocked up on fresh fruit and local goodness to make breakfast smoothies/lunches at “home.” Next time you go, I’d recommend stopping at Bar Acuda for tapas (my favorite meal on the island) and Sushi Girl (maybe it’s just because we ate this on the beach for a late picnic… best picnic ever. Definitely overpriced but good). I also plan on heading to Kauai Juice Co. It’s the one place I’ve ever seen/tried a sugarcane shot — SO GOOD. In terms of things to do, DEFINITELY go to Queen’s Bath if the weather’s nice. Honestly, I could have floated in it for hours and hours, even though it was crowded. Looking forward to adding Na’pali coast to our list. We’re thinking of doing a boat trip, but maybe we’ll do the hike too. We tried last time we were there but there was no parking, unfortunately. EEK – I’m getting so excited now!
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We stayed at the St. Regis for our honeymoon!! The whole island is just a dream. If (when) you go back, you MUST continue 2 more miles on the Na Pali coast to Hanakapi ‘ai falls. One of the most incredible things I’ve seen in my life.
Totally on board with not doing work and talking about islands (Kauai specifically, which I do ALLLLLL the time – I’m actually a Destination Expert for Poipu on the Trip Advisor forums!).
We went to Kauai on our 1st anniversary/belated honeymoon in 2004, then returned in 2005, 2007, 2009 (with a 9 month old in tow), 2011 (with a 7.5 month old and 2.5 yo), 2013, 2016, and a trip planned for this summer. We also went to Maui in 2015, and while it is a great place, it is no comparison to Kauai.
I blogged about our early trips to Kauai with kids at http://kauaiflamingos.blogspot.com , and photos from our 2016 trip are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/rL0vVwRNL6ZhEcFX2 (mostly just iPhone pics of my goofy kids)
One point of clarification – all beaches in Kauai are public, including the one in front of the St. Regis. You can even enjoy the poolside bar as a “commoner”.
There are lots of great restaurants on Kauai – we love Dolphin and Barracuda in Hanalei, North Shore Country Store in Princeville (the BEST local beef burgers) Lava Lava Beach Club and Street Burger on the East Side, Keoki’s Paradise in Poipu and Wrangler’s Steakhouse Anuenue Shave Ice in Waimea – but you’re right, some of the best meals we’ve had have come from food trucks and roadside stands!
I’ve added Kalalea Hale to my list for our visit this summer – it looks delish.