Kauai, Hawaii- Travel Guide

Hello friends! I’ve been back from Hawaii for a few days now and while I miss the gorgeous Hawaiian sun, it’s great to be back at work and into the swing of my daily routine. I’m home the next three weeks and that will consist of work, work, work, work, work. Haha!

So, my family has a time share in Maui that we always go to, but this year we decided to take it to Kauai for our first time! My personal thought is that Kauai is unlike anything else. It’s beauty and land is incredible. Maui is so beautiful and amazing but is becoming very city-like. Kauai is more land and beauty and while there aren’t tall buildings and lots of shopping, its scenic views beat it all! It truly makes you slow down and enjoy life. Everyone is so friendly wherever you go. I find that there are a TON of stray cats in Maui and lots of roosters/chickens roaming everywhere in Kauai… lol not sure why.

Kauai is definitely something else. It rains everyday…. Which might be a downside but after living with it for a week it’s extremely nice. It was a warm light rain a couple times a day that would only last a couple of minutes. We stayed on the north end of the island too, which tends to get a bit more rain than the south side. You definitely need to rent a car to get around when coming to this island. We took day trips to drive along the coast and stop at different places and drove everyday to a different beach/area.

I highly recommend Kauai for anyone looking to go. It was such a treat to go with my family and spend time with them. Since being in college, always being busy with work, and just living a crazy busy lifestyle, it’s hard to find time to truly spend with my family. I got plenty of that time in this last week though. 🙂

I wanted to list out some places that I loved and recommend for y’all below if you want to share, pin, bookmark, or save this post for later when you’re booking your trip 😉

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Where To Eat:

Hideaway Pizza Pub

SO SO GOOD. We ate here twice because we loved it so much. The pizza’s are awesome.

Wishing Well Shave Ice

MY favorite place of all time. Their shaved ice was great but their acai bowls were unlike anything else. I seriously ate it like twice a day. (insert heart eyes)

St. Regis

They have a gorgeous outside area that overlooks the ocean and mountains. They had an awesome brunch!

Lipperts

Yummy homemade ice cream!!!

JoJo’s Shave Ice

A lot cheaper than wishing well and if your a shaved ice fan like my brother you’ll like this one more! The shaved ice was the size of my head.

The Dolphin

Amazing fish and sushi!! They have a cool outside where you can sit and order light appetizers and sushi and we filled up on that! When you go inside though to eat off the menu, order the beer battered fish- you won’t regret it!!

Where to Stay:

Westin Princeville:

This is where we stayed! It’s on the north side and so stunning. The only downside was that they don’t have beach access 🙁

Sheraton South side:

The south side has a lot more going on and less rain! Beach front as well.

St. Regis Princeville

This is where we came for the beach, beautiful beautiful place!!! Very busy though if you are looking for something quiet.

Things to Do:

ATV Tours:

We didn’t get to do this, but everyone on the island raves about it!!

Zip N Dip:

We got to do this and it was a blast!!! They give you lunch and its  4 hours of zip line fun.

Princeville Ranch:

This is where zip n dip is, but they also have horseback riding, off roading, and more!

Snorkel:

Can never go wrong right!? You can really find anywhere!

Kayak/Paddleboard:

You can rent these at most hotels!

Kauai Coffee:

Kauai’s amazing coffee made right on the island has a fun little place showcasing all of their coffee flavors.

Farmers Market:

DON’T miss out on one of these. They are so different and fun. The fresh fruit is incredible, my favorite was the Papaya!

Koloa Rum Co.:

Rum tasting! Made on the island.

Wailea Canyon

Gorgeous canyon view. SO much better than the Grand Canyon. And you can see the helicopters flying by through the canyons giving tours!

Hanalei Bay

The best beach!!! We would spend hours jumping and riding waves. This is the area that Wishing Well Shave Ice is in so grab yourself an Acai bowl, shop around, and hit the beach 😉

Hanakapai Trail

This is an 8 mile hike…… it’s deathly and you hike through mud, rocks, and water but the views and the waterfall ending is so so incredible and worth it. But you will complain half way there just like we did hahaha.

Shopping:

Hanalei Bay

There are other places to shop on the island but this was my favorite. Cute little bikini shops and other little stores you can walk into!

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Also, If you want to see more of our trip, I filmed THREE ‘travel diary’ videos from all of our days there. You can go to my Youtube Channel or watch them below: