Hawaii is our absolute favorite place in the world. We love the culture, diverse scenery, the beauty, and the people. This past week, we spent an incredible week in Kauai. It was our third trip to Hawaii together (we went to Oahu with my family three years ago and to Maui almost two years ago for our honeymoon). After our honeymoon in Maui, we knew we had to get back to Hawaii ASAP, so we saved for over a year to make it happen. Hawaii is definitely not a cheap trip, but it is absolutely worth it.
One of the big challenges when going to Hawaii is deciding where to stay. The popular sights are usually spread out among the island, and Kauai was no exception. Because of this, we decided to stay on the East Side for our trip, specifically Kapa’a. The town is a good middle point on the island and has tons of shops and restaurants. Whenever we go on big weeklong trips, we always want to have a kitchen so we can make breakfast and lunch some days to save money. The big condo resorts were kind of pricey, so we decided on a quaint little condo complex called Kapa’a Sands. We stayed in a VRBO studio condo with a killer ocean view for $160/night plus taxes and fees (which is a steal in Hawaii). The condo was adorable and the absolute perfect place for us.
As for activities, we did a TON of stuff. We aren’t the kind to just sit at a beach. We like to be active and see as much as we can and had a packed itinerary this trip. I could write 10 blog entries on everything we did, but here are our top places to eat and things to do in the four different areas of Kauai, plus some of my favorite photos from the trip.
Heading to Oahu, Maui, or the Big Island? Check out our other Hawaii guides:
NORTH SHORE
Places to Eat:
Wishing Well Shave Ice (Tip: Their Acai Bowls and Cold Brew are awesome!)
Pink’s Creamery (Tip: Get the Hawaiian Grilled cheese)
Chicken in a Barrel
Things to Do:
Kalalau Trail
Walk around Hanalei
Queen’s Bath (Tip: Wear old shoes! The hike down is very muddy and steep)
Hideaways Beach
Hanalei Bay/Pier
Haena Beach Park
EAST SIDE
Places to Eat:
Java Kai
Small Town Coffee (Tip: Their Kevlar coffee, their version of bulletproof coffee, is amazing!)
Wailua Shave Ice
Hee Fat Shave Ice
Kilauea Fish Market
Mermaid’s Café
Kountry Kitchen
Duke’s (Tip: Get the Hula Pie)
Things to Do:
Walk around Kapa’a
Rent bikes and bike along the Kapa’a path
Lydgate Beach
Sleeping Giant Trail (Tip: Go past the trail ends sign to get an even better view!)
Wailua Falls
SOUTH SHORE
Places to Eat:
Anake’s Juice Bar
Puka Dog
Aloha Roastery
Things to Do:
Poipu Beach
Maha’ulepu Trail
Spouting Horn
WEST SIDE
Places to Eat:
Kalaheo Café
Little Fish Coffee
Things to Do:
Capt. Andy’s Na Pali Coast snorkel trip
Waimea Canyon (Tip: Get there early & do the Canyon Trail)
Walk around Hanapepe (Tip: Check out Talk Story Bookstore, which is the western-most independent bookstore in the US.)
Kauai Coffee Company
