🇺🇸 Kaua'i: My backyard paradise
- Joseph Bejach
- Jan 31, 2020
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 10, 2020
Kaua'i is my go-to paradise. I've been to islands all over the South Pacific ocean, and learnt that there's not much reason to go beyond Kaua'i; assuming all you're looking for is warm weather, beautiful beaches, fantastic hiking, unique culture, and delicious food.
Kaua'i has it all! - Here's what I love the MOST!
Scenic Spots
Spouting Horn- This is an iconic landmark of Kaua'i- a blowhole that shoots water way far into the air. Parking is easy here and there are many nice souvenir shops near the parking lot
Waimea Canyon- This is an ALL DAY excursion, with wonderful scenery, waterfalls, hiking, and many, many vista points. Just drive to the end of the road and stop anywhere you want- it's beautiful the whole way! Also consider that this canyon can get shrouded in clouds, and therefore is the most weather-dependent sight on the Island, so you'll want to do it on the day with the clearest forecast of your trip.
Kilauea Lighthouse- Iconic, and right next to some nice botanic gardens. There are a LOT of birds in this area
Stand-up Paddleboard/ Kayak on the Wailua river to the Waterfalls
The Maliuhi Road Tree tunnel is constructed of Eucalyptus trees which line the first mile of highway 520
Where to Snorkel
Best Snorkeling is at Ke'e- For Coral and turtles
Near The Beach Club restaurant- Lots of turtles
Koloa landing- this is a deeper water snorkel site, and one of the only places I've seen stingrays
Waterfalls
Ho'opi'i Falls- This is a short hike downhill to the first waterfall, where you can jump off into the pool at the base of the falls. The second part of the hike is a bit longer, and leads you to the second waterfall, which is larger, but doesn't have quite the same nice swimming hole at the base, however, there is a rope swing and the water is definitely deep enough to swim in. The water here is a bit colder than the ocean, so it's not the best place to swim on a cold day.
ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls- Scenic overlook
Wailua Falls- Scenic overlook
Beaches
Poipu Beach Park- The Prettiest Palm Trees
Shipwreck’s Beach- I love this beach because here there's a cliff to jump into the ocean from
Ke’e Beach- Awesome snorkeling, and lots of turtles! This beach has some access restrictions now so check before you go!
Hikes
Alakai Swamp Trail- Boardwalk through the swamp
Sleeping Giant- The BEST view from the top, this is a fairly steep hike up and really hard when it's muddy after a rain as it's crazy slippery. There are multiple trailheads and I recommend the one I've linked to
Queens Bath- A short, unique hike down a steep hill and then across lava fields that run into the ocean. The Queens bath itself always has crystal clear water and is so fun to jump in. Beware that it is not recommended to go during winter as the huge waves are pretty dangerous, many times making it inaccessible
Do nothing
Foodie Alert:
Hukilau Lanai- the most expensive location I'll mention, You'll want to have a reservation here, I love the house bread, Curry Lobster Bisque, and Filet Mingon
Brick Oven Pizza – I love the pizza here. It's not exactly cheap, but at least it's delicious.
Duke's- I like this place for the ambience, location, and awesome salad bar and signature Hula Pie (Macadamia nut ice cream pie)
Bubba's Burger- This is my favorite teriyaki burger on the Island, however I always have to order two because it's lowkey small.
The Beach House- BEST OCEAN VIEWS- I recommend the Calamari and the Fish and Chips
Get some fresh Fried Chicken at Midnight from the Shell gas station on the corner of Kuhio Highway and Papaloa Rd.
Notable Animals
Kaua'i Chickens- These guys are EVERYWHERE
Monk Seals- These seals are found all over Hawai'i- if you see one, stay a ways away as they only come onto the beach to sleep. If you bother one, it will likely just flop back into the ocean without getting its proper rest and become food for the sharks.
Sea Turtles- There are certain spots these guys congregate, but in general you'll get the chance to see them anywhere you snorkel
Humuhumunukunukuapua'a aka Reef Triggerfish- You'll see these anywhere you snorkel
Nene Goose- You'll see these at Kilauea Lighthouse
How the Garden Island has inspired my paintings
First lesson; Inspiration lasts a lifetime
I took a photo of a turtle on Kauai when I was 7 years old. This was back in the days before digital cameras, when you would buy a disposable underwater camera, and develop it, and only 1 or 2 of the 30ish photos would turn out any good. Anyways, I had always loved it, but it wound up buried in a pile of old photos. While I was halfway through painting the Belize Barrier Reef, I decided that it was missing something. I started looking for an appropriate focal point, and remembered this turtle photo I had taken so many years earlier. I dug it up, and got to work painting it. I absolutely love that the turtle I saw as a kid has been immortalized in this way. It only took nearly 20 years to happen, but I am so happy with the final result.
Tikis- A mixed up story
This tiki has a story. Or rather, it might have a story. We actually have two tikis, but my family can't remember where each of them came from. One is from Hawaii and the other is from Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia. The catch? We don't know for sure which is which. According to the story I'm told, the tiki from Nuku Hiva is named Dudley. My grandmother had seen Dudley(a fellow passenger on her ship) shopping and eyeing the statue, stating he would come back and buy it, but he never made it- Dudley died that day on Nuku Hiva. With fond memories of her new friend, my grandmother purchased the tiki he was eyeing and called it Dudley. Years later, she acquired another tiki from a museum shop on Kauai, and as the decades went by she lost track of which was which.
In 2019, I embarked on a 50 day cruise, sailing roundtrip from San Diego as far east as Vanuatu, including a stops at both Kauai and Nuku Hiva. The trip (as all cruises do in this remote region) had a lot of days at sea, so I brought my painting supplies. This tiki was painted onboard the ship, and represents two of the locations visited on the cruise- Kauai for the Tiki and Nuku Hiva's Hooumi Beach as the background.
In hindsight, I'm relatively sure that this Tiki I painted is actually not Dudley. The other tiki is much more similar in design to the Tikis I saw on Nuku Hiva. However, in the future if this painting is separated from this story, one might presume that the tiki was one from Nuku Hiva simply because it was painted with Hooumi Beach as a background.
I think this painting came out beautiful. It's a visual representation of why you might hear similar stories throughout Polynesia, but not the exact same stories. Polynesia is a region where many traditions were passed along orally, and so I can see how what happened in my own family reflects how stories changed over the generations for Polynesians, such as wether only the men were tattooed or only the women were tattooed. Depending who you ask, each person or each island will have it's own twist on history.
Where to stay
Lanikai is an 18 Unit oceanfront condo complex in Kapa'a; with stunning ocean views and access to a relatively private saltwater pool. I've found 113 and 212 to be the most well-appointed units in the complex.
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