That led to a busy, exciting, adventurous vacation that is going to take more than one blog post to recap. So, without further adieu, here's part one of...a few.
Our flight to Lihu'e was uneventful. We landed around 7pm HST, grabbed our rental car, and stopped at a Safeway to pick up something to cook for dinner. Our Vrbo was exactly what we were hoping for, located in a resort we easy access to a pool and Po'ipu Beach. We finally arrived around 10pm and I threw together a quick dinner before we got some much-needed sleep.
Monday, October 14
We planned our first day to allow for sleeping in and a relaxing activity, but with the time difference, sleeping in wasn't totally necessary. We had breakfast at home, then made our way to Kaua'i Backcountry Adventures for our tubing reservation.
During the bus drive up to the drop in, we got lots of history on the sugar plantation and the irrigation canals and tunnels we'd be going through. We stopped at Wai'Ale'Ale, the heart of Kaua'i. It's the rainiest place on earth and is where some of the most iconic scenes from Jurassic Park were filmed. Its crescent shape is attributed to Maui getting a little over-enthusiastic with his fishhook.
The tubing trip was fun. Although it was rainy and overcast, the water didn't feel too uncomfortable...and I'm a real baby about getting in cold water. My biggest complaint was that I was given a standard-sized tube and I kept falling through the middle, so my butt was creating drag in the water and I ended up at the end of the group. I finally was able to lift myself to move faster along the river, but Matt and I were separated for the entire tour until the very end.
The river takes you through five man-made tunnels that were used to irrigate the sugar cane when the plantation was active. After tubing, they fed us lunch and shuttled us back to the start.
This activity was the perfect way to start our trip. We immediately took our guide's advice and set out to find the best shave ice on the island at Wailua Shave Ice (which apparently has a location in Portland, OR now?!). He talked so much about li hing mui, which is dried plum powder, and it became our favorite thing to seek out on our trip.
 |
| Matt got the Love Potion #9 and I got Strawberry Coconut. |
We made a couple stops at overlooks, first the Wailua Heritage Trail, then Opaeka'a Falls. These waterfalls looked small but I recently saw a video of someone jumping off the top (and getting seriously injured) and they are much bigger than they seem. We soon learned that "everything is bigger than it looks" is truly the motto of sightseeing in Kaua'i.
We grabbed poke and rice at the grocery store and had a simple dinner at home. Something we quickly learned was that small restaurants close early on the island, and sit-down places require reservations.
Tuesday, October 15
This was by far our most adventurous day. It started with a doors-off helicopter tour. Now, we booked this because a friend recommended it to me, and I wish I could remember who it was because I definitely have some words for them. This activity was absolutely amazing and awesome in the most traditional sense of the word, but I was terrified the entire. fucking. time.
I was seated between Matt and the pilot, which was definitely the safest-feeling seat; I reminded myself that if she was calm, probably everything was fine. And at first, I was fine, too. But as soon as we crested the first mountain ridge and I saw the earth drop away beneath us and got an idea of how high up we were, I was overcome with fear. There was nothing stopping us from falling straight out of the air!
 |
| We got to fly into the Wai'Ale'Ale crater! |
 |
| Videos are on IG. |
Now, all that said, the flight was so smooth. When I closed my eyes, it didn't even feel like we were moving at all. I felt like I was sitting in a chair on a windy day. I've never experienced anything like it. The gusty wind rocking the helicopter was scary with my eyes open, but I barely felt it with my eyes closed.
I admittedly kept them closed for the majority of our time over the water along the Napali Coast, but otherwise I tried to remind myself this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (because I will never, ever do it again) and take it all in.
 |
| My eyes were closed, so these photos are courtesy of Matt. |
The views were unbelievable and indescribable. We saw so many parts of the island that are inaccessible by land. The "Garden Island" truly earned its name; the trees and canyons were the most vibrant green I've ever seen, but there's also a rocky canyon comparable in scope to the Grand Canyon.
 |
| I look so calm and collected. It must've been the relief. |
As terrifying as this was, I'm so glad I did it.
Based on a recommendation from a local, we grabbed lunch at Tip Top Motel & Cafe, which was truly a local dive sort of experience, but the food was excellent. We walked along Kalapaki Beach and then headed to Kipu Ranch for our ATV tour.
I'll be honest, ATVs aren't really my thing. I'm not sure what the appeal is of riding around on bumpy roads while you get plastered with dirt. That said, it was a cool experience to see the landscape and I loved learning about the ranch and getting to see some areas that we otherwise would never have seen.
 |
| We even got to eat guavas right off the bush! |
At the end of the tour, they took us to a pretty waterfall pool, where Matt dove in and swam around a bit while I hung out on the shore and got eaten by mosquitos.
More shave ice was in order post-tour. We took in sunset and sea turtles at Po'ipu Beach, then cooked up some salmon and bok choy for dinner at home.
 |
| We got the Island Nectar. |
So, that wraps up our first three days in Kaua'i! Coming up next: our hike to Hanakapi'ai Falls.
Ali
No comments:
Post a Comment