Tag Archive | "kauai see & do"
Video: Swimming at Sacred/Secret Falls
There’s something almost magical about swimming at the base of a Hawaiian waterfall. I love hearing the sound of the water cascading down the rocks, while floating in the refreshingly chilled pool. It’s a marvelous experience. On our most recent trip to Kauai , we kayaked up the Wailua River and then hiked to Sacred (Secret) Falls for a swim and lunch. While we were there, Andy captured this video of the waterfall as he was swimming at the base. Hopefully, it will give you a glimpse into the experience of swimming at a Hawaiian waterfall. (Email subscribers, please click here to access this waterfall video .) Have you experienced swimming at the base of a waterfall in Hawaii? How would you describe your experience? © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Kauai’s Secret/Sacred Falls Kayak & Hike
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The Hawaiian island of Kauai offers an abundance of land and water adventures. Perhaps the most perfect adventure of them all is the Sacred Falls Paddle and Hike with Kayak Kauai . What makes it great? It combines kayaking, hiking, and swimming all in some of the most picturesque tropical scenery on earth . At first you might think that this tour is daunting. I want you to know that you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to enjoy this adventure. On our tour there were kids of all shapes and sizes with ages ranging from about 8 to somewhere in their 60’s. There was one family spanning three generations in our tour group. The kayaking is pretty gentle and the hiking doesn’t require extreme elevation changes that get you huffing and puffing. At the south fork of the Wailua River, where the kayaking adventure begins After the logistics of checking in, the adventure begins at the south fork of the Wailua River. What a beauty this river is! The river edge is surrounded by all sorts of thriving greenery from the river’s edge up to the surrounding mountain tops. I was particularly enamored with the twisted thickets of Hau trees lining the river. A view from the kayak on the Wailua River After the two-ish mile kayak up the river, you put out the kayak to begin the hike into the depths of a Kauai forest. The hiking portion is approximately one-mile long and as I mentioned, it’s not particularly strenuous. Along the way, we enjoyed the seeing the native trees and hearing the sounds of the waterfall and river. Just one of the many pleasant views from the hike to Secret/Sacred Falls. Your hiking is rewarded by arriving at a natural pool feed by a 100-foot, bridal-veil waterfall. The waterfall’s Hawaiian name is Uluwehi, but it commonly called Sacred or Secret Falls. Here, you can choose to take a swim in the refreshing waterfall-fed pool or you can park yourself on a boulder to be mesmerized by the waterfall. We opted for a little of both. Our tour included an excellent picnic lunch at the waterfall with wraps, chips, cookies and freshly sliced pineapple. Uluwehi Falls is also known as Secret and Sacred Falls After the dip and rest stop at the falls, you hike back to the kayaks and paddle back down the Wailua. What to Know When You Go Based on our excellent experience, I can recommend Kayak Kauai’s tour . The cost is $85 for adults and $60 for kids 12 and under. I felt like the quality of the stable kayaks, tour guide, and lunch was at a high standard in comparison to what I saw from other companies. By the way, the folks at Kayak Kauai “invented” this tour in 1988 per their website. Wear sunscreen and a hat or visor. Bring a swimsuit and towel if you plan to swim at the waterfall. Kayak Kauai provided a dry bag to store our towel and camera. Bring a camera that’s waterproof. Wear shoes or sandals that are designed for hiking in wet areas. For example, I wore these shoes and they were perfect. I never had to take them off, even when I went swimming. Do be careful with your footing over roots and rocks on the trail and the slippery boulders in the pool. I asked our guide if he thought there was a better time of day to go on this tour depending on the season. He seemed to think that in the winter, the afternoon tour tends to be better and dryer. In summer months, he said the morning tour might be the best choice as it’s slightly cooler. Here’s a link to a video from a Bay Area show with scenes from this tour. I’m “borrowing” the map shown below that indicates all the key points of this tour. Have you been to Kauai’s Sacred/Secret Falls? How was your adventure? © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Most Epic Humpback Whale Breach Photo from Hawaii
Monday, November 29, 2010
I’ve waited since May to share this epic humpback whale breach photo that Andy shot off the Na Pali Coast. Isn’t it an amazing capture? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret. It’s not real. Here’s the pictorial explanation of how Andy perfectly captured the shot. In the above photo, Captain Trent holds a toy humpback whale to stage the perfect shot for a fellow passenger on the Na Pali Snorkel Sail with Capt Andy’s . As I mentioned in that review, we had a blast on this Na Pali sail. I suppose you can see why, with this photo showing the captain’s witty antics. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Video: Scenes from Kauai’s Kalalau Trail
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Hiking Kauai’s Kalalau Trail is a challenging, yet very rewarding experience – even when you’re only hiking the first two miles of this 11-mile long cliff-side trail. On our recent visit to Kauai, we decided to hike the first two miles in of this trail for a second time. Andy captured video clips along the way to create a video that provides a great overview of Kalalau Trail and what you can expect to encounter. (Email subscribers: click here to view the Kalalau Trail video .)
Continue reading...Fields of Taro
Monday, September 13, 2010
This luminous green field of taro is quite a beautiful sight that you’ll find at the Hanalei Overlook on the North Shore of Kauai. Please don’t miss this view on your Kauai vacation. Taro is a very important plant in Polynesian and Hawaiian history and culture. The root of the plant produces a starchy, purple vegetable that’s similar to a potato. In Hawaii, you’ll find tasty taro chips and bread. Of course, you’ll also find taro in Hawaii’s famous sauce, poi . Please enjoy this green slide show of the Hanalei taro fields. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Touring Kauai’s Allerton Gardens
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
We’ve been making a pleasant habit of visiting botanical gardens in Hawaii. So on our recent visit to Kauai , we planned a visit to Allerton Gardens in the Lawai Valley in Poipu. This Allerton Home is Snuggled By Tropical Plants Allerton Gardens are managed by the National Tropical Botanical Garden. From their website, they describe the heritage of Allerton as “a garden paradise, transformed through time by the hands of a Hawaiian Queen [Queen Emma], by a sugar plantation magnate, and most significantly by an artist and an architect.” Robert Allerton was the artist and his adopted son, John Gregg Allerton, was the architect. Together, their combined talents designed a unique garden concept of outdoor rooms. An example of One of the outdoor rooms designed by the Allertons. Most rooms included a water feature. A guided-tour ($45 per person) leads visitors through garden rooms while explaining the room design, significance to the Allertons, and the types of plants and trees that were chosen. The guided tour includes a 10 to 15-minute tram ride to and from the visitors center to the Lawai Valley and Allerton Garden. The views along the way are truly fantastic and almost worth the visit alone. Lovely Lawa'i Bay In addition to the excellent Lawai Valley views and exploring the garden rooms nestled by the peaceful Lawai Stream, we also enjoyed seeing Queen Emma’s colorful wall of bougainvillea planted by Queen Emma herself.. She retreated to Lawai to morn the loss of her husband and her son. Bright bougainvillea planted by Queen Emma What to know before you go: Guided-tours (2.5 hours duration) are offered daily at four set times (9am, 10am, 1pm, 2pm.) . See this link for more information making reservations to tour Allerton Gardens. I might suggest that you take the 9am tour before the sun warms up the valley too much. Beyond the set tour times, there’s a special sunset tour offered on Thursdays and Saturdays. It’s a little pricier at $60 per person but it includes pupus (hors d’ouevres) tours of the Allerton’s home. Wear sunscreen, hat, mosquito repellent and comfortable walking shoes. I wore long hiking trousers and I was glad I did as they protected my legs from mosquito bites. Bring water. We had a little trouble finding the entrance to the National Botanical Garden Southshore Visitors Center. But, if you know this, it will be easy for you – the entrance is directly across from the Spouting Horn parking lot. Don’t miss meandering around the Hawaiian Garden at the Visitor’s Center . It’s free and well worth the visit. It’s open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We’re on facebook! Please click here to join us. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Pampering in Paradise at Kauai’s Anara Spa
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Garden Spa Treatment Hale Anara Spa’s setting is amazingly blissful. Stone paths lead you past tropical gardens filled with blooming ginger, palms, ferns, and plumeria. Your mind is put at ease by the sounds of waterfalls cascading over lava rock walls and tropical birds. You’ll enjoy sipping fruit-infused, chilled water while waiting reclining in an open-air, thatched roof hale (bungalow) before your spa treatment. It’s fantastic! A dreamy and sighful “aahhh” comes to mind when I recall my recent experience at Anara Spa. I loved it! If you are looking for a special spa experience on your Kauai vacation, I highly recommend you check out Anara Spa. Anara Spa offers a wide range of spa treatments from massages and body treatments to facials. Treatments are offered either in “indoor-outdoor” rooms with a little bit of an open-air element or in the garden spa area with thatched roof hales. I opted for the 50-minute Hawaiian Lomi Lomi Massage in an outdoor private hale ($160). The massage was excellent. Before your spa treatment, you can take advantage of the spa’s unique amenities spread across this 45,000 square foot spa. The spa offers a lap pool, whirlpools, outdoor lava rock wall showers (see my iphone photo ) , soaking tubs, sauna, and steam room. They even have a 12-head shower that’s fun to try. It’s like being in a car wash. After my visit to Anara, I told my husband, Andy, that I’ve probably never been cleaner in my life with all the different showers I tried. I loved soaking in the sounds and garden scenery at this Relaxation Hale Some spas have snooty staff, but you won’t find that at Anara Spa. Anara’s staff is very helpful and welcoming. I was warmly greeting when I arrived and led to the women’s locker area, where I was given an orientation to the spa and facilities. What to know when you go – Review Anara Spa’s website which describes their spa services and prices. Anara Spa is located at the beautiful Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort in Poipu (Koloa) at 1571 Poipu Road. If you are not a guest of the hotel, you can self park in a large parking lot on the left near the entrance of the resort. Valet service is also available. Aim to arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment to take advantage of the steam room, sauna, whirlpool, lap pool, showers, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed the Relaxation Hale, so make sure you leave time for that. Bring a swimsuit if you’d like to take advantage of the lap pool, whirlpools, etc. Want a deal at Anara Spa? Who doesn’t! Check the Grand Hyatt Kauai twitter stream or their facebook page for the latest spa deals. Have you been to Anara Spa? How was your experience? Photo Credit: Anara Spa at Grand Hyatt Kauai © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Video: Kauai’s Wailua Falls
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Wailua Falls might be one of Hawaii’s most iconic waterfalls and definitely a must see on your Kauai vacation. Whether you’ve seen this waterfall many times or look forward to your first view, I hope you’ll enjoy this video of Wailua Falls. See my post for details and directions for visiting Wailua Falls . (Email subscribers: click here to access the video .) © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Video: Na Pali Coast Sail
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
A couple of weeks ago I shared about our experience sailing the Na Pali Coast with Capt Andy . Now, here’s a video with clips from our tour. (E-mail subscribers, please click here to watch the video .) © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Na Pali Snorkel Sail with Captain Andy’s
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Capt Andy’s tagline is “Nobody has more fun!” Well, count me in as a believer. We had a blast on their Na Pali Snorkel Adventure . What made the trip so much fun? Our captain, Captain Trent, kept us entertained and laughing most of the way. Have you ever been to a comedy show and laughed so many times you lost count, but when the show was over, you couldn’t remember a single joke? That’s what it was like being on a Capt. Andy’s adventure with Captain Trent at the helm. Capt. Trent at the helm. On previous visits to Kauai , we took an afternoon Na Pali Coast sail , so we wanted to compare that experience to the morning sail plus get an idea of the quality of snorkeling off the coast. Well, we got to experience one of those objectives. I’ll explain more in a minute. Our excursion started bright and early with a 7:15am check in at the Port Allen Marina Center in Ele’ele. (See Google Map of this area .) Luckily, the check in office/shop offered free coffee to help wake us up. From the shop, we were lead to the catamaran by our captain. Once we were on board, we given a safety briefing and then we were off on our adventure. After we moved beyond Port Allen Harbor, a continental breakfast was served. As we headed towards the Na Pali Coast, we enjoyed seeing dolphins. Though it was the official end of humpback whale watching season, we still saw some whales. Just one of the many intriguing cliff views of the Na Pali Coast. As we approached the cliffs of the Na Pali Coast, the ooo’s and aah’s began. It doesn’t matter how many times we’ve seen that coast, the scenery still catches us off guard each time. Captain Trent knew the coast very well and was able to angle the catamaran in close for the cliffs for excellent views of waterfalls, sea caves, and lava arches. We had never been that close to the cliffs from the water and it was fantastic! With our sailing adventure being at the beginning of May, we still experienced what locals would call “Winter” surf. That meant that the surf was rocky at times, and well, the crew wasn’t able to find a safe snorkeling spot. So, darn it, we’ll just have to go back on another tour to experience some Na Pali Coast snorkeling – with twisted arms, of course. As we searched for smooth water, we were able to sail away from the coast which allowed us a broader, “bigger picture” view of the coast. Once we found a smooth patch of water, a make-your-own-deli-sandwich lunch was served. The sails were raised and we enjoyed the peaceful ride and view of the coast. Na Pali Coast In total, the sailing adventure lasted 5.5 hours. Despite the the fact that we couldn’t snorkel, we still enjoyed our time. Here’s what to know when you go: The cost of the tour is $139 for adults and $99 for children. Book online 7 days (or more) before you go and receive a $10 web discount and a a free t-shirt. This discount is currently shown on this page . Wear a swimsuit and cover up. Bring sunscreen, towel, hat or visor, and sunglasses. Take proper precautions if you are prone to motion sickness. Only one kid on our trip got motion sickness at the end of our rocky ride and I think it was because he napped the entire time. Be flexible in your expectations. As we experienced, sometimes the surf doesn’t allow you to snorkel. We also experienced a mixture of clouds, rain, and sun. If possible ask to be on one of Captain Trent’s excursions. I’m not sure how the other captains compare, but we know Captain Trent was great. Have you been on one of Capt. Andy’s sailing or rafting adventures? How was your experience? © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
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