So I was lucky enough to attend a medical conference in Hawaii this year. Picked by me using my continuing education funds 🙂 Kauai was amazing. When I dreamed about what a tropical island would like Kauai fulfilled that dream and more! I was so pleasantly surprised by everything. Except for how expensive the island was in terms of food and lodging, but to be expected.

Grand Hyatt Resort and Spa

The conference was held at the beautiful Grand Hyatt Resort and Spa. This was easily one of the most picturesque places I’ve stayed. The landscaping was amazing, and I really enjoyed waking up early and walking along the coast at sunrise before the start of the conference.

McBryde Garden

If there is a beautiful garden, I will go. There were actually two botanical gardens on the island and I visited both during my week long stay. McBryde and Allerton Gardens are together and located on the south side of the island, and Limahuli Garden is on the north side. Definitely worth a visit if you are into plants, flowers, or just beautiful scenery in general. You need tickets in advance for both.

Allerton Garden

Napali Coast Boat Tour

A must when visiting the island is getting out on the water. Specifically to see the Napali Coast on the northwest side of the island. I did a tour with Blue Dolphin Charters called “Deluxe Morning Napali Coast Snorkel Tour”. It was a full day excursion. I checked in at 7:00 am and the boat got back to port around 2:20 pm. Definitely worth it for the views alone, but we also docked and they let people out to snorkel with sea turtles. Then we saw dolphins and some humpback whales from a distance! I also got to soak under this beautiful cliffside waterfall.

Waimea Canyon

On the west side of the island you can visit the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” or Waimea Canyon. I just drove up to the scenic overlook which was an hour and 20 mins from my hotel, but next time I’d love to do some hiking in this area. I think you can hike and stand above that waterfall in the distance.

Poipu Beach

This beach was walkable from my hotel and a must visit for the sea turtles! I was told there are usually sea turtles hanging out at this beach, and sure enough they were there just chilling on the beach when I walked up. The area is guarded off to protect them. There’s a little cove on the beach that allows you to snorkel with them.

Food

The most popular thing to eat on the island is fresh seafood and poke bowls. Shaved ice is also a must try. The one I got had ice cream at the bottom which I’ve never seen before.

Haena State Park

One of the highlights of my trip was hiking the Hanakāpīʻai Falls Trail in Haena State Park. It’s 4 miles in and out, so 8 miles roundtrip. But I only did the first 2 miles in and out to Hanakāpīʻai Beach. This hike gives you great views of the Napali Coast. It is a bit challenging and I fell twice on wet rocks and branches, so be prepared with hiking gear and the right shoes. It’s also very humid in Hawaii so a few liters of water is a must. Of note, there is zero cell service in this area and you need to get a permit in advance which includes entrance into the state park with a specific shuttle time.

Limahuli Garden

The second botanical garden I visited was Limahuli Garden on the north side of the island. The entrance to this garden is right outside the gate to Haena State Park. Since I took the shuttle into the park and did the “Park and Ride”, I was able to walk over to the garden without a reservation. Otherwise you need to book this in advance as there is very limited parking and you can’t just walk in. I saw them turning people away who did not book in advance.

Wailua Falls

On my way back the airport I did a pit stop at the Wailua Falls Overlook. This is only a 15 min drive from the airport and worth a stop to see. I think you can also hike in the area.

Sunset

The best sunsets I saw were on the north side of the island where you can see the sun setting over the ocean. This was the view from outside of my Airbnb where I stayed the last two nights I was on the island.

Till next time Kauai, I will definitely be back! Soon hopefully 🙂