Kauai / ACTIVITIES

BOAT RIDES

Holo Holo Kauai Boat Tours

Great for a trip up to the Napoli coast on a catamaran, where they ply you with food, sun, fun, and, optionally, beer and wine (included in the price of the tour). They stop once to let you snorkel, drive the boat up the Na'Pali coast, and sail back down from there. The boat has a canvas spread out over the water at the bow. It's a fairly smooth ride -- at least during the spring and summer -- and the crew is nice, funny, and knowledgeable. Departs from and returns to Port Allen.

Website: https://www.holoholokauaiboattours.com/

Blue Ocean Adventure Tours

A small company, owned and operated by former boat captains at other agencies, this is a unique experience. Their adventure tours are done on a fairly small navy-surplus skiff. The boats go very fast, and are able to maneuver in areas that larger boats (e.g. Holo Holo above) are not able to access, such as sea caves. If you want a real adventure, check them out. Departs from and returns to the small boat launch in Kekaha (just past Waimea).

Website: http://www.goblueadventure.com/napalicoast

HELICOPTER RIDES

Jack Harter Helicopters

For our honeymoon, our family kindly purchased a helicopter tour of the Kauai for us to use during our honeymoon. After looking at the various options, we settled on Jack Harter. They have multiple tours available, though we opted for the more basic of the options. The tour was about an hour, and the pilot was good, funny, and had a strong knowledge of the island. Departs from and returns to Lihue.

Website: http://www.helicopters-kauai.com/

HIKES

Na'Pali Coast

The trail starts at the far north end of the island, and it can be a bit hard to find parking depending on the time of day and year you're there. The beach out here is worth visiting as well. The trail head starts right near the beach. It's a fairly exposed hike, so bring water, a hat, and make sure to wear sunscreen. The first two miles will take you to a nice -- but not swimmable -- beach. The next two miles (which we have never done) will take you to a nice waterfall. It's a doable hike, but get an early start if you plan to do the whole thing.

Pihea Trail (Akala'i Swamp)

The trail head begins at the end of the road on the west side of the island, up in Waimea Canyon. It's not a particularly long hike, per se -- about 3.5 miles in each direction -- but there is a fairly large elevation differential, and the way back can be a bit strenuous. Also, can be very wet, and very muddy. You'll want to get started early because it'll take most of a day to complete the trek. If you're lucky, once you get to the end of the trial, you'll have an amazing overlook of Hanelei Bay. However, it's often fogged in, so set your expectations accordingly.

SNORKELING

Koloa Landing

This is a nice place to snorkel on the south shore. This can be particularly helpful during the fall and winter months, when the northern parts of the island are often not fit for snorkeling. We have seen turtles here (which is not uncommon), and there is a good amount of local fish in the waters. It's an old boat landing, and can be a little hard at times to get in and out with flippers on (careful not to slip). Sometimes it is murky -- even too murky to see the wildlife -- but on clearer days it's great.

Tunnels

Our favorite spot to snorkel on the island. It can be hard to access during the fall and winter months, as there tend to be large northern swells that close the water or generally make it inaccessible. However, when it is accessible, the coral here offers a great diversity of fish and other marine wildlife (including sea turtles, if you're lucky). Don't forget to bring your GoPro! There is a small dirt alley between properties you can park in if space is available, or else you'll have to park at the big lot just down the road and trek back down to tunnels.

SURFING

HANALEI SURF SCHOOL

There are plenty of surf schools on the island, and we have only used Hanalei Surf School. However, we had a great experience. The surfing is done in Hanalei Bay, which tends to be fairly calm (especially in the summer months), and the instructors are knowledgeable and -- most importantly -- local. Reasonable prices for what you get, and they supply the rash guard. We had a great time.

WATERFALLS

Wailua Falls

Easy to access and find, this iconic double waterfall is worth visiting at least once. It's only a few miles outside of Lihue, and you park right next to the viewing area. Make sure to find a fun way to use the double waterfall in your picture!

Opaeka'a Falls

These falls can only be seen from a distance, but as with Wailua Falls, you are able to park more or less right at the viewing area. This makes it great for a quick diversion off the highway to see the waterfalls.