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Aloha! While planning our trip to Hawaii we had a really hard time deciding which ones of the 9 islands to visit first, but we knew from the very beginning that Kauai was going to be one of them.
It takes just a quick search on Google for photos from this island to have you convinced in seconds that this is a place you really must visit!
Kauai is famously named the Garden Island of Hawaii, and from the minute you step out of the airport you can tell why. The whole island looks like a well-maintained luxurious botanical garden, so lush and green and…unbelievable. The scenery changes constantly from green tall forests, red canyons and wild beaches to breathtaking coasts…the kind you see in the Jurassic Park movies, because yes…they were filmed there.
If you are looking for a beach only destination so you can enjoy a cocktail under the sun, Kauai is not the place for you, but if you feel adventurous and like hiking and exploring, keep reading and you will not be disappointed.

There are hundreds of things to do on this incredible island, the majority of them being hiking trails, but to get to see them all not even a month would be enough. Here are the things we enjoyed most and believe that you cannot miss.

 

Take a helicopter ride
If there is only one thing you will get to do on this island is the helicopter ride! I can say that without a doubt this was the most amazing thing I have done in my entire life. Words cannot describe how incredible this was and photos don’t do it justice, but for the entire hour we were flying I had a large smile on my face and I was blissfully in awe.
The tour takes you on a trip around the island, through the Waimea Canyon, above the huge and incredible Na Pali Coast and my favorite part, inside the volcano that formed this island. Can you imagine being inside of a million years old volcano where several waterfalls have formed in the meantime and being so close to them that you get soaked? Trust me, I have a huge imagination and still I was blown out of my mind.
We took the doors off tour as this is definitely the best way to get the whole incredible experience.
However, if you get motion sickness easily, this might not be for you. Although the flight is pretty smooth it will turn you around in order to see the whole island and this might make you nauseous.


Awa'awapuhi Trail
Not many travel guides will tell you about this one and honestly I don’t understand why. We were fortunate enough to find out about it from the host we were staying at and we are sure glad we took her advice.
Unlike other trails in Kauai this is more of a walk than a trail, however it is 3.25 miles long so it will take a while to get there. The trail ends with an amazing view of the Na Pali Coast, this coast being one of the most overwhelming things I have seen in my life so far! It’s hard to comprehend the immensity of it, but when a helicopter tour will get there and will look like a tiny toy, you will get the idea.
Getting there is pretty easy as the trail descends slowly through the jungle, however returning home is a bit difficult as you have to walk all the way back up, so you might want to return home while there is still light outside.


Waimea Canyon
Did you know that Mark Twain named this place the Grand Canyon of the Pacific? Well…for good reason. There are several trails that you can take to explore it, none of them will disappoint.


Maha'ulepu Heritage Trail
This is a fun and easy trail that takes you along the coast and offers some beautiful views of the ocean.


Wailua Falls
Prepare to get muddy and then wet! Getting to this place requires a short hike, however most of the times the trail is muddy as there is a small river that also flows on the trail. The fall changes appearance easily, depending if it rained or not the day before. If there was no rain for too long the waterfall gets smaller and therefore not that impressive.


Hanalei town and Hanalei Beach
There are several heritage little town on the island, but for some reason our favorite was Hanalei. There are a lot of cute shops and food trucks that give a …let’s say cute vibe to the town.
The beach is not bad, although is a bit touristy and more for surfing, therefore can get easily crowded.

Aloha! Hawaii has been on our bucket list for a while, so what better time to visit than now!? All we knew about Hawaii was basically from movies and that it is far far away, so a lot of research took place before we decided on which islands to visit. There are 8 major islands in Hawaii, 7 of which
you can explore.


After a lot of “pros and cons” lists we decided that on our first trip to Hawaii we shall visit Oahu, the most popular of them and Kauai, the Garden Island as they call it. I will write about Oahu in this article and promise to return with another one about Kauai too.
As I mentioned earlier, Oahu, known as The Gathering Place, is the most popular of the Hawaiian islands, and yes that makes it a bit touristy but surprisingly almost never crowded. This island offers a little bit of everything and is a perfect destination for everyone. It has the perfect blue beaches where you can just soak in the sun with no care in the world, the incredible rugged landscapes where you can take hikes if you feel a bit adventurous, the great night life in Waikiki, the posh and extravagant shopping and the amazing food! In our opinion, for first timers in Hawaii, this is the place to go.

The weather in Hawaii is very tricky and easily changeable. It rains often, but usually at night, so this should not affect your vacation at all. The coastline is mostly sunny, but if you go inland, towards the mountains, the clouds are very low, however this gives it an incredibly mystical vibe.

To best experience the island I suggest you rent a car. There are several companies you can choose from and the renting process is extremely simple, way easier than in Europe for example. There are hundreds of things you can do on the island, but here are some you cannot miss:

Waikiki beach

When we got to the island the first thing we did was go to the Waikiki beach as it was close to where we were staying. All the travel guides we read were not saying a single good thing about this beach, however they all ended with: you cannot go to Oahu without at least seeing the Waikiki beach.

Now I will say the same thing, the beach is not much, it’s very touristy, maybe the only crowded place in Oahu as well, but you cannot at least see it once.

When we got to the Waikiki area, Chris’s first question was: “Are we in New York?”. Skyscrapers and expensive promenades were not how we imagined Hawaii, where are all the tiki bars? However, this is the only part of the island that looks like this, just drive a bit in a different direction and you will get the true Hawaiian vibe.

Ho’omolania Botanical Gardens

This botanical garden is like no other you have seen before. The garden is so huge that you can drive through it in order to explore its every tiny corner. We spent a few good hours here admiring all its beauty.

The Pillbox hike

I mentioned earlier that Oahu has it all, from great hikes to perfect beaches, but honestly it would be a shame to go to Hawaii and just lay on the beach as the island is best seen from above.
We started our trip with one of the easiest hikes. This one takes you around the coastline and in just about 15 minutes you will get to the top from where you can see the beautiful Lanikai beach and the Mokulua twin islands.

Explore the diverse beaches

Each beach we visited in Hawaii was like no other on the island, just drive around and check them out. Lanikai beach was by far my favorite one! The water was warm and a blue so perfect that we never wanted to get out.

Crouching Lion Hike

This hike was a bit more strenuous, but the view from the top was absolutely amazing! The trail is not necessarily marked, so the basic rule is that you always go up. Hiking shoes are recommended, and I have to admit that throughout the Hawaii trip we kind of neglected our flip-flops. We have apparently outgrown the times were we walked barefoot through the jungle or climbed hills in flip-flops.

Kualoa Ranch

I'm sure you know this place, you just might not be aware of it! This is one of the most famous places in Hawaii as it was featured in several movies. 

Kakaako Neighbourhood

This is a cute little area full of great quality graffiti walls. It is not necessarily a must, but it’s nice to see if you get to that area.

Words of wisdom in Hawaiian:

Aloha = With love (used for both hello and goodbye)

Mahalo = Thank you

Hang loose = They signal this with the thumb and pinky held up, a reminder to chill and live the Hawaiian style, happy and relaxed

O'ahu was nothing like we imagined it, but it was absolutely amazing! The diversity on this island could satisfy even the most pretentious of you. I mean, what’s there not to like...perfect beaches, scenic landscapes and de-li-cious food!

Hawaii will always hold a special place in our hearts and we plan to return there one day, but until then…there are so many places left to explore!

Mahalo for reading and Live Aloha!
O