Hasn’t everyone dreamed of visiting Hawaii since childhood? The picture-perfect beaches and the green mountains have been imprinted in our brains from countless advertisements throughout our lifetimes. Anthony and I almost chose Hawaii for our honeymoon as that just seemed to be what people do. We were young and broke then, and Hawaii seemed too expensive.
It’s come up again off and on, but was never prioritized.
After 27 years on this planet, we finally had an excuse to visit. My brother was getting married there. His wedding weekend turned into a great opportunity for a week-long vacation, so the research began, and a plan formed.
Considering many outside factors affected the original plan, this post is a bit more challenging to write than usual, but I will do my best.
Highlights
*Disclaimer here that we did not get to spend time at Koke’e as planned, which almost certainly would have made the highlights list. Ditto to the scuba diving.
**Second disclaimer here that major floods several months before our trip meant Kalalau trail, Haena, Ke’e, and Tunnels were all inaccessible… I would assume at least one, if not more, of those would have also been a highlight.
Helicopter ride – We almost chickened out of this due to the high wind warnings from the helicopter company, but thankfully, we did not. The “Garden Isle”, with its high peaks, rugged coastlines, and gorgeous valleys is a perfect destination to splurge on a heli tour.
While it’s not the best activity for the faint of heart or those with a serious fear of heights, if you’ve got an adventurous streak and have always dreamed of hovering over waterfalls and zipping through mountains, DO IT. We wanted to have reflection-free images of our experience, so we flow with Mauna Loa who let us fly with the doors off which added another element of excitement as well. 10/10 would recommend.
Camping at Polihale – Again, I know that camping isn’t for everyone. Kauai Overlander made it an easy and comfortable experience, though, by including everything we could possibly need with our rental and fixing up the truck with a perfectly luxurious top-tent. Most rental car companies don’t allow you to drive out to Polihale, but they encouraged it.
Polihale beach was the most beautiful beach I’ve seen, and the sound of the waves and that ocean breeze while we slept was perfectly soothing.
Watch out for the flies though. I never saw any mention of them in my research, but they were brutal while we were there.
Drinks at Happy Talk Lounge – Kauai has beautiful views everywhere you look, but one of the best is at Happy Talk Lounge. It’s a bit more affordable than the slightly-better-view competition at St. Regis Resort, a more relaxed atmosphere, and the drinks were delicious. Win, win, win.
Wedding and Rooftop Reception – I won’t go into detail here since it’s not relevant to most people planning a trip, but if you happen to be planning a wedding in Hawaii, the rooftop (like WAY rooftop, not just the first rooftop on the second or third floor) of Tiki Iniki is a beautiful place for an evening reception.
What I Would Do Differently
Well… I suppose I’ll start with
Not go during hurricane season – Since this was for a wedding, we didn’t really get to pick the time of year, but also, Hawaii hadn’t had a hurricane in 26 years… seemed like a pretty safe bet that our one week there wouldn’t be any different. But, alas, it was, and while we still had a wonderful vacation, there would have been much less stress and heartache if Hurricane Lane wasn’t slowly trudging toward us during our stay.
Have one night in a hotel/AirBnB to break up the camping – This was our second trip like this, driving around an island and camping in a different location every night. Obviously, I’m a fan. But, there’s no denying that after a few days, we’re starting to crave a nice, hot shower and a cozy bed in a temperature-controlled room where the wind won’t affect our sleep. Just having one night in the middle of the week to accomplish that as well as do some laundry and not be covered in sand and dirt while doing so would be refreshing and perk me up for the remainder of the trip.
Rent snorkel gear – Several beaches in Kauai are great for snorkeling, and I, for some reason, operated under the assumption that there would be an easy place near the beaches to rent the mask and snorkel. I don’t know about some of the others, but at Anini at least, that did not appear to be the case. So there we were, at this beautiful beach with calm waters, a lovely reef, and supposedly lots of sea turtles, and all we could do was sit, walk, and wade.
Despite the additional stress and the trip being cut short, we still had a wonderful time in Hawaii, and I now have unfinished business there that I’ll need to come back for!