Activities

Only 2 days on Kauai - what should I see?

If I only had 2 days to spend on Kauai, I would definitely want to see Waimea Canyon and Kokee State Park. There are many lookouts on the way up to the very top - you get some great views of the Canyon and of the Na Pali Coast when you get to the top.

There is a good natural history museum in Kokee and the Kokee Lodge serves a pretty good lunch. If you like walking, there are some nice trails. If you look towards the mountains you can usually tell if it's raining up there. If so, it will probably be cool enough to need a light jacket, or you may choose to go the other way and try Waimea Canyon the next day. It's 4500 feet up there, so is usually breezy and a little cooler. On the way back, stop in Waimea at Jojo's Shave Ice (before 5:30) - they have really good shave ice.

On the second day, if I didn't just want to relax and soak up the sun on the fabulous beaches around Poipu, I would go around the other side of the island and drive up to the North Shore. Along the way, you might stop for breakfast (before 11) at Ono Family Restaurant in Kapaa - my favorite local spot - and maybe take a peek in some of the shops in Kapaa. Still traveling north, you could lunch in Hanalei and do a little more light shopping if you like. If you continue about 7 miles past Hanalei, you will reach Kee Beach, at what we call "the end of the road" (because it is). Shortly before that, you'll see a large dry cave on the left, one of the sacred spots on the island. Plan to swim and snorkle at Kee Beach. There's a protected swimming spot there and the snorkling is really good. You can rent snorkle gear in Hanalei.

A great place to watch the sunset is from the lanai at the Princeville Hotel. Excellent, although somewhat pricey drinks and hors d'oeuvres. There are 2 very good restaurants there as well.

This is about .01% of the fun things to do on Kauai, but it will show you the differing climates and eco-systems of the island. The south and west are hotter and browner, the north shore is green and lush. You will want to come
back for longer. A good web site with links to many places on the south shore is http://www.poipu-beach.org.

Mahalo and enjoy your stay on Kauai!