a honeymoon on the island of Kauai: recommendations by oh lovely day
There are two types of vacationers: the adventurers and the relaxers.  The great thing about vacationing on Kauai?  You can be both – because there are tons of activities to do and sights to see, but there are also plenty of gorgeous beaches to lounge on and relax.  Here are my favorite Kauai beaches & activites, sure to please both the adventurers and the relaxers.
a honeymoon on the island of Kauai: recommendations by oh lovely day
1.  Secret Beach: a gorgeous spot on the North Shore that is so secret you have to hike down to get to it (I learned about it in our guidebook Kauai Revealed, which I also recommend).  Very worth it!
2.  Poipu State Beach: this is where we spent most of our time this trip since we stayed local to the South Shore.  It is basically divided into two sides by a sand bar with one side having more waves and the other is very calm (perfect for little ones!)  There is also great snorkeling here, and appearances by monk seals and sea turtles.
3.  Hanalei Bay Beach: a curved bay beauty with a pier and strong currents on the North Shore.

4.  Shipwreck Beach (pictured above): Also on the South Shore, this beach is located next to the gorgeous Grand Hyatt Resort (worth strolling around if you’re nearby).  Though the current is really strong and not great for swimming, boogie boarders would love it, the beach is lovely and there’s great hiking on the rocky cliffs nearby.

a honeymoon on the island of Kauai: recommendations by oh lovely day

 

1.  Na Pali Coast boat cruise:  This is my favorite experience of Kauai for grown ups (not great for super little kids).  There are a couple of tour companies to choose from, but I recommend a snorkel cruise.  If the weather is right you anchor in the shadows of the Na Pali coast and snorkel in open water.  We also had about 30 dolphins swim along side our boat, which was pretty incredible.

2.  Waimea Canyon drive & lookout (pictured above):  Maybe not for the easily carsick (we are prone to it and did get a bit queasy – but it is totally worth it!) the drive is gorgeous and the view at the lookout is even better.  Want an even more incredible view?  Continue north on Waimea Canyon Road after you’ve stopped at the lookout for about 8 more miles and go to Pu’u O Kila lookout.  It is a breathtaking view (see the top photo).  Time it around dusk and you get a gorgeous view of the sunset on the drive back down.

3.  Eat shave ice:  Hawaii does shave ice deliciously, over vanilla ice cream.  Nothing better.  My favorite place on the island is Jojo’s Clubhouse in Waimea (get it before your canyon drive!)

I’ve also always wanted to try ziplining – maybe next time…

a honeymoon on the island of Kauai: recommendations by oh lovely day

I’ve stayed in hotels on the island, but this is the first time I stayed in a condo and I have to say, I’ll never go back to a hotel again if I can help it. The Villas at Poipu Kai was perfectly located on the south shore, it was a short walk to the beach, and you had all of the comforts of home.  Everyone had their own bedroom (which when you have kids and stay in a hotel is not common), plus a full gourmet kitchen, laundry, great on-site facilities like a pool and gym, and lots of fantastic extras.  I’ll be doing a more thorough post on the Villas later this week (this would be a perfect place to stay on your Kauai honeymoon or Kauai destination wedding), but I had to include them in my Kauai round up because I honestly cannot recommend them enough!

So, is anyone planning a vacation to Kauai?  Or do you have other favorite beaches or activities to share?  Leave a comment to share it with planning couples, and me for my next trip.  Come back tomorrow for a shopping guide of my must-have things for a beach honeymoon.

SaveSave

Share