This was easily, no contest, one of the best vacations. Not to mention it was our honeymoon. Kauai was everything we thought it would be and more. The weather is ridiculously beautiful and the island itself, with all its colorful flowers in bloom, is scenic and offers a multitude of adventures. The roosters that greet you at the airport handing out leis and that wake you up at 4:00 in the morning crowing give such a warming welcome. I laugh as I write this because we really did get a kick out of it.
The island offers an array of excursions. There are catamaran tours, kayaking, ziplining, helicopter rides, snorkeling, fishing, and surfing. We put to use the car we rented and drove from one side of the island to the other. On the western side is the Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. The 3500 foot deep canyon’s beauty and size is awe-inspiring, including waterfalls that are visible all throughout. The eastern side, Coconut Coast, offers many beach activities, the Fern Grotto, the Wailua River, Opaekka Falls, and see if you can spot the Sleeping Giant in the Nounou Mountains. Doesn’t matter where you are on the island it always feels like Utopia. Including the kayak/zipline tour we took in what my husband likes to refer to as the “the sewer water tour”, mainly because the water, though very clean, was also very murky. The beaches are gorgeous, but we didn’t find the water to be that swimmer friendly. Since it was very rocky in most areas, we seemed to just stick to swimming in the lagoon at our hotel.
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency which was stunning. Our room overlooked the ocean and included breathtaking views that were incredibly relaxing to wake up to. The hotel accommodations were impeccable and I have to let you know about the world-class golf course designed by nature and renowned designer Robert Trent Jones Jr. We could kick ourselves for not teeing off. There were several pools to choose from including the already mentioned lagoon. The resort also offers tasty dining of which we partook of. Upon check in the guest relations clerk advised of the breakfast buffet which was a refreshing way to wake the taste buds. Tidepools, with its romantic ambiance yet pricey cuisine, was a dinner worth remembering . It was our honeymoon though, so we had to splurge. As we ate dinner we watched the black swans hovering over the interconnected waterways that flowed along the pathways. They were the icing on the cake.
Now, I saved this section for last mainly because I can’t stress how disappointed we were and didn’t want it to distract from the rest of our wonderful vacation. The Luau, oh the Luau. Well let’s just say the show was nice but not exciting like we expected and the food was mediocre. Maybe because I went there looking to experience traditional Hawaiian cuisine and mostly what I got was an American BBQ with poi. I just can’t imagine that the Polynesian ate like us Texans. Unfortunately over the years it has become too Americanized. The same goes with the rest of the island. Their local food is basically the same as my local food. There is one staple food we left untouched that I think I’ve tried one time, which was enough, and that is spam. Can’t say I missed it.
Our overall experience of our vacation was wonderful. I would definitely love to go back one day with my girls.