Remember when Maui was considered the undeveloped island of Hawaii, in the days before hordes of tourists and the commercialism that inevitably follows invaded its pristine coastline? Well, quick, before the same thing happens to Kauai, visit the Garden Island, the lushest and prettiest of the Hawaiian Islands.
The oldest island in the chain—more than 5 million years old, compared with the island of Hawaii, a young upstart at only 1 million years—Kauai has almost as many superstitions as it does birthdays. The one that says it is the birthplace of rainbows is one of my favorites because it captures the essence of the island: mystical, magical, and colorful, with surreal treasures to be found at either end.
Whether you drive around it, fly over it, bike across it, or sail up to it, you know you’ve reached paradise. The lushness is exquisite. Green grass merges with green plants that spring into green bushes to grow into green forests that then meld into green mountains. The eye often cannot distinguish one from the other; the monotony of color is almost mesmerizing.
Along the island’s edge, translucent waters spawn rolling whitecaps that nip playfully at the sand. At other times, waves loom so large that they form a wall between you and the ocean. For the briefest moment, time and wave stand still—then it breaks with resounding force as if to reassert its uncontested dominance of the area.
One of the most personal connections with the islands can be had hiking along the Napali Coast on the island’s north shore, for which you now need advanced reservations. The 11-mile trek begins at Ke'e Beach at the northwestern tip of the island and continues along a steep narrow trail along daunting cliffs and knife-point peaks until it reaches Nirvana in the form of Kalalau Beach. The all-day hike—more often a scramble over rocks and mudslides than it is a trail walk—is not for the faint of heart or heavy of foot.
Those who wish to taste the trail without ordering the full course may opt for a 2-mile appetizer from Ke‘e to Hanakapiai Beach. Each time I started to bemoan my inability to navigate the slippery boulders, I’d spot a 9-year-old using the muddy surface as a slide or a grandmother confidently spearheading the path with a makeshift walking stick. It was the young mother with a baby on her back, gingerly sidestepping the rocks as though out for a suburban stroll, who finally convinced me to keep my whiny self-deprecations to myself. For those who find such challenges unappealing, other methods of transport offer comparable—if less intimate—connections with the coast.
A helicopter ride along the coast provides an extraordinary overview, like a beautifully written abstract of a book. The Zodiac raft trips allow you to visit the coast beach by beach, chapter by chapter. But hiking the Napali Coast, you become one with the story, immersed in the characters and a part of the book itself.
Another must-see that allows for multiple methods of exploration is Waimea Canyon, the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” As you snake your way alongside the 3,600-foot-deep chasm, glimpses of colored pageantry unfold. Red and orange desert hues tease the tropical greenery, hinting of the daunting canyon vistas yet to come. Still, you arrive at Waimea Canyon Lookout unprepared for the expanse and grandeur that finally greet you.
Not far away, yet another vision of wonder awaits. Kalalau Lookout casts a sweeping eye over the historic Hawaiian Valley and Napali Coast from its vantage point of 4,000 feet. Looking beyond the overgrown gorges and razor-edged cliffs, you can’t tell where the ocean stops and the sky begins.
For many, most of Kauai’s appeal lies in its natural splendor. However, if you can force your eyes away from the beauty of the surroundings, other attractions wait to be enjoyed. A drive around the island, spanning fewer than 100 miles, brings you to several small towns that are unchanged since the mid-1800s.
Visit the Waioli Church and Mission House in Hanalei, where the first missionaries arrived in 1834. Walk along the wooden sidewalks of Hanapepe and check out Shimonishi, the world-famous orchid store, boasting some varieties of orchids so rare they won’t sell them. Stop by the vintage 1913 lighthouse in sleepy Kilauea town, which sits on the northernmost point of all the Hawaiian Islands.
Visits to ancient hula temples, lava blowholes, wet and dry caves rich in tales of Hawaiian folklore all contribute to Kauai’s magic. Oh yes, one other thing. Kauai also has more beaches than any of the other islands. Long stretches of white sand surround the island, forming a blanket of beaches as inviting as satin sheets and plush pillows at the end of an exhausting day.
