Kauai: Mokupuni Punahele

Do NOT leave Kauai until you have taken a helicopter tour. Much of the island is only visible from the air, and the descent into misty Waialeale crater, with its hundreds of waterfalls, is simply unforgettable.

Spend at least an afternoon sunning or snorkeling at one of Kauai's gorgeous beaches. This journal will help you pick your favorite.

If time permits, visit the ridiculously dramatic Na Pali coast, only accessible by boat or a multi-day hike. Not allowing enough time for Na Pali was my biggest mistake on this trip. If you're only in Kauai for a day, make sure to at least fly over the cliffs on your helicopter tour!

Quick Tips:

There is so much to explore and visit on Kauai, so whatever you do, don't sit in the same resort or beach all day/week/month! Get out there and see as much of the island as you can. There is a completely different ecosystem around every corner. Don't miss a minute of it!

Day trippers: Rent a car and tour the "Coconut Coast" east and north of Lihue. Schedule your helicopter tour in the morning so you have plenty of time to enjoy the rest of the island. If you don't already have snorkeling gear, get it from Snorkel Bob's in Kapaa on your way up the coast from Lihue - you can return it on the way back. If time permits, the South Coast drive is also worthwhile.

Overnighters: Allow at least one day for the North/East drive from Lihue and another day for the South/West. And don't forget to allow 2-3 hours for a helicopter tour!

Best Way To Get Around:

Getting to Kauai from other islands is simple. Aloha Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines fly frequently inter-island, and all flights are the same cost. Changing flights is easy and free, so if you arrive at the airport early enough, you can get on an earlier flight instead of waiting around.

While I did see more hitchhikers on Kauai than any other island, I'm not recommending that you try to thumb a ride yourself (or pick up hitchhikers, either!).

In Kauai, rent a car at Lihue airport so you'll be able to make the most of your time on the island. Rental cars are unusually inexpensive in Hawaii, and tour operators such as American Express offer flight/car packages that lower the cost of the rental car to as little as per day. Renting a car also gets you a copy of the invaluable "Drive Guide" (there is one for each island) which provides maps, coupons, and a mini-guidebook to whatever island you're on. The detail maps in particular are extremely useful, and I don't think you can get them anywhere except from the rental car companies.

If you want an inexpensive 'authentic' Hawaiian experience on this tourist-centric island, visit Dani's in Lihue for breakfast. The unremarkable décor could be found in a diner in any state in the nation, but the contents of the menu revealed that Dani's is indeed in another world. Your dining choices are a nonchalant mix of typical Hawaiian, American, and Japanese breakfast items. We chose a mixture of American and Hawaiian entrees. A ham and cheese omelette was average, but distinguished itself by coming on a plate with a round scoop of white rice - something you would never see on the mainland. Pancakes were tasty and absolutely all-American. Being a vegetarian, I didn't try the many Hawaiian meat side dishes, like lomi salmon (marinated raw with onions and tomato), kalua pig, or lau lau (a luau favorite consisting of an individual serving of pork or beef with salted fish and taro greens, cooked together in a ti leaf). I did, however, sample poi. Nutritious, inexpensive poi has been a staple of the Hawaiian diet for centuries. Made from the taro root (the funky purple-veined member of the Terra Chip family), poi doesn't often end up on the buffet tables of American-friendly resort restaurants. Now I know why. Poi tastes absolutely appalling. Think of cold, purple, gooey grits. Dani's made it even more unappealing by serving it in a styrofoam cup. I couldn't force down more than one awful bite. Horrid!

I tried to unravel the poi mystery over the course of the week by asking locals about it. One admitted to disliking it - but gleefully confided that she made her kids eat it. Another said it 'wasn't that bad' served hot with butter and sugar. Another claimed it was edible when mixed into pancake batter. My thought: Why ruin a nice batch of pancakes?! Even Don Ho (whose show we saw while staying on Oahu) made fun of the poor tourists who had the misfortune of trying it. But for a 'real' cultural experience, try it you must - and at least Dani's won't charge you an arm and a leg for the privilege.

You can't miss Banana Joe's on the side of Highway 56. It's a bright, cheery yellow shack and there are bound to be several cars in the parking lot outside. Banana Joe's has one of the most delicious, guilt-free treats I have ever tasted. Called a "Frosty", it is a sort of shake with the taste and consistency of soft-serve ice cream, made from nothing but fresh fruit. They come in a variety of tropical flavors, one more delicious than the next. There are other, more fat-laden ways to indulge as well, like the locally made Anahola Granola bars. I'm not sure if they come from heaven or hell, but they are full of macadamia nuts and buttery goodness. There are also all sorts of other homemade foodstuffs for sale, from fresh organic greens and produce to pints of poi to dried bananas. It's a great place to stop if you're going to or from the Kilauea Lighthouse. If you're eating lunch somewhere else, save room for Banana Joe's. Just go there. Just do it. Do it for me. I can still taste that granola bar ...!

Open 9am - 6pm daily

How to get there: Banana Joe's is on Highway 56/Kuhio Highway, right around the Kolo Road turnoff near Kilauea.

Located in the charming Kong Lung Center off of Highway 56 on Kilauea Road, the Kilauea Bakery would be my first choice for Kilauea-area sweets if Banana Joe's wasn't five minutes away. Still, I couldn't resist trying their macnut sticky bun, and I was glad I did. They are also reputed to make the best bread on the island, and they are known for their Hawaiian Sourdough bread that is made with a guava starter.

The bakery shares a building with Pau Hana Pizza, whose freshly baked pies are bursting with exotic ingredients. Toppings for vegetarians include chipotle pepper, sun-dried tomato pesto, asiago cheese, even tofurella. Meat-eaters can enjoy smoked ham or smoked ono (a tuna-like fish) in addition to the pepperoni and sausage you'd expect.

The Bakery is open from 6:30am - 9:00pm daily. Pizza is served from 11am to 9pm daily. There is supposedly a website for both Kilauea Bakery and Pau Hana Pizza at Click here for Alleged Website but it didn't seem to be working when I tried it.

"I, Snorkel Bob, present the best dive gear in the world, bar none, and I, Snorkel Bob, warranty it for 2 years (save your receipt). Serving 2 million snorkelers through the 80's and 90's and now the 00's with snorkel gear makes me, Snorkel Bob, different from the shirts in Chicago, LA or Tokyo, with their 14 floors, receptionists, secretaries, water coolers, coffee makers and don't forget the dictation. It's a dozen stressed engineers who last saw 8 hours of sunshine in a row in grad school, now testing theory in a swimming pool. I, Snorkel Bob, know what's best by listening to the wants, needs and satisfactions of you who want to breathe easy in the fluid dream."

Thus reads the advertising of Snorkel Bob, island legend and all around wacky guy. Snorkel Bob doesn't just talk a good line though - he rents (or sells) a quality product at an amazingly low price, makes it easy and convenient, and even throws in some freebies! ("a Freebie for You, In Appreciation of Behavioral Patterns Propitious for Me, Snorkel Bob.")

Snorkel Bob is reliable, cheap, and ubiquitous. You can pick up your gear on one island and drop it off on another. For the ridiculously low price of only $9 per week, you get a nice set of mask/fins/snorkel PLUS a mesh bag to store it in, a container of mask goop, a fish ID card, a map, and Snorkel Bob's very own tip sheets for the best snorkeling beaches on the island. And best of all, Snorkel Bob rents prescription masks for the visually challenged who forgot to bring their contact lenses along, like me!

They also rent boogie boards, beach chairs, and other beach-going goodies. You can buy inexpensive underwater cameras, and even book boat trips.

I, Truly Malin, heartily recommend your friend, Snorkel Bob - and I don't even know the guy!

Open 8-5 daily (but you can drop off your gear after hours)
Also located in Koloa and on the other islands.

A beach park is a uniquely Hawaiian creation combining a public-access beach with a grassy area containing the occasional barbecue pit or picnic table. Despite the bland municipal name, some of the best beaches in Hawaii are beach parks. Some great beaches on the East/North coast (from Haena to Lihue):

Haena Beach Park/Tunnels Reef
Claim to fame: The scene from South Pacific where Bloody Mary sings "Bali Hai" was filmed here. It also offers the best snorkeling on Kauai. Adjoining Haena State Park has a colorful past: actress Liz Taylor's brother formed a hippie commune here in the '60s, but they were kicked out because of poor/nonexistent waste disposal practices. Those days are long behind us, happily, and Haena is now full of sun-loving families and guitar-toting tourists. If it's snorkeling you're after, Tunnels Reef is the place to go - but there's never any room to park. So here's what you do: park at Haena, lock up your valuables, then grab your snorkel and hike down the beach to the east (right). Soon you'll see people in the water snorkeling. Find a palm tree to drop your gear under and get in that water! The Tunnel reefs run perpendicular to the beach, making for fantastic snorkeling - and even better surfing in the winter, apparently. The lacy coral and colorful, inquisitive fish made Tunnels a memorable snorkeling experience. Just don't try it in the winter, when the surf makes swimming extremely dangerous. RSCF

Lumahai Beach
Claim to fame: Also featured in South Pacific - this is where Mitzi Gaynor "wash[ed] that man right out of [her] hair". Gorgeous Lumahai is just past Hanalei Bay. Don't go out of your way to visit it unless you're a movie location junkie - you'll have to hike down a hill to get to it, and it's a terrible place to swim! You can snorkel here but why bother when it's so much nicer at Haena? Look for the beach between mile markers 4 and 5 on Highway 56. Park on the roadside and hike down the trail. No facilities.

Hanalei Beach Park
Claim to fame: Idyllic location inspired Peter, Paul, and Mary to situate Puff the Magic Dragon in "a land called Honalee". One wonders what exactly they were puffing... Hanalei beach is a great place to relax and hang out - quiet, calm, and graced with a stunning view of Hanalei bay, a perfectly round crescent cut out of the coastline. Swimming can be treacherous, as with any North coast beach. Take Aku Road in Hanalei and turn right at the dead end. RSL.

Anahola Beach Park
Claim to fame: Safest beach on the East/North coast, namesake of the irresistable Anahola Granola bar (available at Banana Joe's ). Bring the kids, but not the fins and mask. Take Anahola Road after mile marker 13 on the highway. RS.

Note: I heartily endorse Snorkel Bob for your gear rental needs.

Kilauea Lighthouse stands on the tip of a spit of land cantilevered high over the Pacific Ocean. Situated at the Northernmost point in the Hawaiian islands, the century-old building holds the world's largest clamshell lens (no longer in use). It's also drop-dead, photo-opportunity gorgeous. If that weren't incentive enough to take a detour off of Kuhio Highway, consider this: the Point is also a national wildlife sanctuary and home to hundreds of migratory birds.

Within minutes of our arrival, we spotted a family of distinctive-looking geese and correctly identified them as nene, which are not only Hawaii's state bird, but are practically extinct. A friendly ranger told us that about 180 of the 2,000 nene on all the Hawaiian islands make Kilauea Point their home. September is when they start to pair up for their nesting season.

Love was recently in the air for the Wedge-Tailed Shearwater as well. The surrounding cliffs were pockmarked with their distinctive nesting holes, which they dig painstakingly with their beaks and then fill with adorable grey powderpuff chicks. We also saw White-Tailed Tropic Birds soaring dramatically over the point, occasionally duking it out with Great Frigate birds. These pirates of the air like to harass the hapless tropic birds until they drop their food - then the frigate birds swoop down and catch their ill-gotten snacks in mid-air.

Even if you're not into birds, the view of the ocean is superb, as was the pod of spinner dolphins who jumped and cavorted in the water just off the point.

The birding lineup:

Great Frigate birds can be seen year-round
Wedge-Tailed Shearwaters arrive around April and stay until November
Tropicbirds are there from March - October
Red-footed Boobies nest from February - September
Laysan Albatross prefer Kilauea from November - July

The Point is open from 10am-4pm daily except holidays. Admission is $2 for adults (free for kids under 16).

If you saw the scene in Jurassic Park when the helicopter dives into the mist-filled crater with the glimmering waterfalls dappling its sides, then you’ve got a sense of what it’s like to explore Kauai by helicopter - like flying over heaven. That was one of the many highlights of this costly but incredibly worthwhile tour of Kauai. Ohana offers two tours, both leaving from their office in Lihue. We chose the shorter of the two, which covered plenty of scenery, yet wasn't in the air long enough to cause airsickness. While the on-ground experience wasn't perfect, the in-air part was simply incredible. I’ll discuss the bad parts later, after I relive my experience!

Flying into Waialeale crater, full of waterfalls and not a tourist in sight, is one of the most unspoiled encounters with nature I've ever had. Waialeale is the wettest place on earth, averaging 40 feet of rain a year. This makes it impossibly lush and speckled with silvery strips of waterfalls everywhere you look. Equally stunning was the flight over the Na Pali cliffs, with its rivers running headlong into the ocean, rainbows arcing almost 180 degrees, and once again, not a living soul to mar the National Geographic beauty of it all. My third favorite vista was Waimea, the "Grand Canyon" of Kauai, if only for the dramatic and unexpected contrast of its arid Arizona-esque landscape with the lush greenery of the rest of the island.

Throughout all of this, our pilot/guide provided expert narration. The six-seat helicopter was comfortable, except when the air conditioning stopped working (thankfully we were close to finished by then). Seating is at the discretion of the staff, so large men will likely find themselves assigned to the middle of the back seat, where they are least likely to unbalance the copter. Still, with wrap-around windows in the front, everyone has a chance to admire the views.

What made this tour less than perfect? Our flight was 50 minutes long, but the entire experience took over two hours. There was a great deal of waiting - in the office, on the tarmac, and after our flight, for a van to take us back to the office. This last wait took so long that a group of visitors from a cruise ship almost missed their boat's departure. We were also baffled by our "personalized video", which they said would include coverage of the group boarding the helicopter, followed by stock footage of the trip. What we actually got was TWO tapes. We were told that one was stock footage, and the other contained our 5 minutes of fame. At home, though, I popped the custom tape in the VCR and found that our smiling faces were followed by nearly an hour of gorgeous footage, with narration by our same guide. Weird!

In summary? Despite these few glitches, I’m willing to recommend Ohana Helicopters for what will certainly be an unforgettable trip.

This entry describes how to tie together the various activities and sights I've described on the East and Northern coasts of Kauai - plus a few more. You can't actually circumnavigate Kauai by car, because the road ends west of Ke'e Beach on the north shore, and also at Barking Sands Beach on the west shore. However, if you don't linger too long in any one place, the East and North coasts can be combined into an afternoon or day trip, as can the South and West coasts. Without any stops, Lihue to Haena should take you about 90 minutes.

Begin in Lihue, where rental cars can be picked up at the airport. Breakfast at Dani's Restaurant in Lihue is an inexpensive look at how the locals eat, if you've got time. Take Highway 56 (also called Kuhio Highway) and head North out of town.

With only one day to spend on the island, I didn't have time to take a detour up route 583 to Wailua Falls, where you can paddle up the Wailua River (rent kayaks in Kapaa) and visit the tourist-infested Fern Grotto, then continue upriver for the short hike to Ho'olalae or "Secret" Falls.

Stop in Kapaa to pick up gear at Snorkel Bob's for your snorkeling or beach-going needs later in the day. Kapaa is also a good place to rent a kayak if you're planning on spending more time in the water. Kapaa itself isn't a particularly nice town, but it does offer plenty of services. For instance, if you skipped breakfast, or are hungry for lunch, you can find food in Kapaa (try the Aloha Diner or Pono Market for typical local cuisine and "plate lunch") but try to wait until you get to Kilauea.

North of Kapaa, the highway turns inland, but not before giving you a glimpse of the beautiful soaring peaks of the Anahola Mountains. A calm swimming beach may be found in Anahola (see "Coconut Coast beaches" entry), but if you're planning to go further or are a devotee of snorkeling, however, keep going. It gets better!

At the 23 mile marker, you'll reach wind-swept, stunning Kilauea. Make a right on Kolo Road, pausing to look to your right at the Christ Memorial Episcopal Church, made entirely of lava rock. Then bear left onto Kilauea Road to reach the Kong Lung Center, a vintage trading post cum tourist attraction, and the unforgettable Wildlife Refuge/Lighthouse.

If you're hungry now, lunch is waiting at Kilauea Bakery/Pau Hana Pizza but save some room for the mouth-watering treats at Banana Joe's - or at least plan to stop there on the way back!

Continuing West on the highway, you'll pass Princeville, an ultra-luxury resort overlooking the Hanalei bluffs. Next is the Halanei Valley Overlook, worth stopping at for a glimpse of a true Hawaiian vista. Terraced taro fields blend into wildlife refuges and wild stretches of untouched land. At the bottom of the hill is Hanalei Bridge, a one-lane rickety looking affair that is closed in foul weather lest flash floods trap unwary visitors west of their escape route. Happily, tour buses are too heavy to cross over it, so anything west of here is likely to be even more unspoiled than their eastern counterparts.

Hanalei is very tourist-friendly - but I prefer to think of it as (ahem) charming. The Hanalei Center and Ching Young village are colorful, fun-loving smorgasbords of shops, restaurants, and crafts. There are tons of places to eat, shop, and overnight here. Keep going though and check out the bay! Also on your radar should be Lumahai Beach, coming up right after you round the corner past Hanalei Bay. Keep going and the jungle will start to encroach upon the road. The asphalt narrows, small streams meander (when it's been raining) across the pavement, and somewhere past the 8 mile marker (the numbers reset after the bridge), you'll encounter the gaping mouth of Maniniholo Dry Cave on your left (and Haena Beach Park on your right). Maniniholo is an interesting excursion - better if you remembered to bring a flashlight. Vines are draped ominously over the entrance. Wild taro grows within, and water drips occasionally from the ceiling. Maniniholo is an enormous former lava tube. Walk as far as you dare toward the back as the ceiling lowers. If you brought that flashlight I mentioned, you can follow a passage at the back left wall a fair distance.

Your last stop before turning around should be Haena, where I strongly recommend leaving your car and proceeding to Tunnels Reef for some world class snorkeling. The road continues a bit further, and there are two caves - one wet and one dry - to explore. Go ahead if you have time, and let me know how they were!

A final note: Past Haena, hearty adventurers with time to spare will have just begun their trip. The Kalalau trail begins where the road ends, traversing 11 rugged miles of inland beauty and the untouched tops of the Na Pali coastal cliffs to Kalalau Beach. If I ever get back to Kauai, I'll make sure I'm in decent shape and have plenty of time for this, the ultimate Kauai adventure.

With most of our day taken up by a helicopter tour and a long drive up the East/North sides of the island, we really had to limit our time on the South Coast - and we skipped the West part of the island altogether. Such are the sacrifices you make on a day trip! However, there was a method to our madness. We had already flown over the most beautiful parts of West Kauai on our helicopter tour. So if you're equally pressed for time, here are my recommendations for a quick visit to the South Coast.

Get out of Lihue fast - there's very little to do there. Take Highway 50 (Kaumualii Highway) and then left onto 520 (Maluhia Road) toward Po'ipu. You'll drive through a tunnel of Eucalyptus trees, planted in 1911, that smell wonderful. Watch for signs for Poi'pu Road and get on it. You are headed for Po'ipu Beach Park, and boy are you in luck. Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, the nation's foremost beach expert and a professor at Florida International University in Miami (I am not making this stuff up - do a Google search if you don't believe me!), named Po'ipu the world's most beautiful beach in his 11th annual survey of beaches this year. While I would argue that there are other beaches just as beautiful, I won't soon forget my sunset visit to Po'ipu. It's located at the southernmost point of Kauai, with nothing but ocean in most directions. To the West, surfers frolicked in the break in front of a pinkish sky. To the south, an ugly fence blocked off the entire beach. Why? Because two months earlier in July, an endangered monk seal had decided to give birth to a pup right on Po'ipu beach. There are only 20 monk seals on all of Kauai so we were thrilled to be able to see two of them, including the most recent arrival! Monk seals have wonderfully expressive faces, and although mother and pup were both sleeping, they had attracted an enraptured crowd. Despite the fence, you could see that Po'ipu is a special place. When it isn't occupied by endangered species, Po'ipu offers great bodysurfing, spotless white sand, and plenty of facilities (lifeguards, showers, restrooms, and a deli within walking distance).

In my haste to tell you about the monk seal I forgot to mention Koloa, known to tourists as "Old Koloa Town" at the intersection of Maluhia and Koloa roads. It's a cute, friendly looking little plantation village, carefully restored to encourage Poi'pu's visitors to stop for a bite to eat or some shopping.

While you're in the area, take a detour onto Lawai Road (the right turn you didn't take when Po'ipu Road forked left) and follow it to the end to Spouting Horn. This is a submerged lava tube through which water is forced when the surf crashes to shore. The result is a geyser-like spout of salt water that varies wildly in height depending upon the force of the wave that preceded it. We had fun trying to predict which waves would result in the biggest spouts, and trying to time the click of our camera shutters accordingly. Across the street is tiny Kuhio Park, where wild chickens strut about and the roosters do their best impersonations of Foghorn Leghorn.

There's also some fine surfing for spectators on the other side (left or East) of Po'ipu Beach Park, near the Beach House restaurant. For variety's sake, you might try taking Poi'pu road east down the shore until you reach Weliweli Road. It'll take you back to Koloa via an alternate route.