Sleepy Kauai is a keeper
Hawaii’s Garden Island is a laid-back tropical paradise where activities beckon
Kauai is the last Hawaiian island I visited, but it will be the first I return to.
Everything moves at a slower pace than on Maui. For instance, the highway speed limit, which constantly fluctuates from 20-40 miles per hour, is strictly adhered to. Armchairs and couches are placed at bus stops.
And I love its lushness and even the rain, otherwise Kauai wouldn’t be known as Hawaii’s Garden Island. Sure, you can soak up the sun on its 50 miles of white sand beaches, but rain or shine, activities beckon.
CYCLE DOWN THE WAIMEA
Aptly dubbed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific by Mark Twain, Island Outfitters takes you 3,600 feet to the top of the canyon by van (with bicycles in the trailer) and you whiz downhill to sea level.
The ride is exhilarating, especially on a few stretches when you get up to 55 kilometres per hour. We braked several times for photo ops and lunch.
Visit outfitterskauai.com.
TUBING
Inner tubing is guaranteed to bring out your inner child.
“Bumpy bumpy,” a burly tuberider said with a laugh as he spun and shoved into me, which you’re encouraged to do. It’s bumper cars on water!
For about two hours we navigated a series of tunnels and canals that irrigated a sugar plantation back in the 1870s. The eco-tour company has access to 17,000 acres of former plantation lands and you’ll hear all about it from the guides — they’re charming storytellers.
Visit kauaibackcountry.com.
LIMAHULI GARDEN
Even if you aren’t into gardening, Hawaii’s luxuriant vegetation is fascinating, made even more so by the Limahuli Tropical Botanical Garden.
Sign up for a two-hour tour or selfguide with their informative 52-page booklet that describes plants and trees, many of which are rare and endangered.
The forest path breaks for panoramic ocean views and turning inland, almost mythical craggy hills surround the garden. It’s like being in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth. Or Jurassic Park.
SHOPPING
First on my agenda, right after a lomi-lomi massage to iron out the kinks from the flight over (check out the Grand Hyatt’s spa in Poipu), is shopping for the perfect cotton frock. Look no further than The Shops at Kukui’ula, also in Poipu.
The funky town of Hanapepe is like stepping back to the 1970s. The best time to visit is Friday evenings, when several art galleries open their doors to live music and snacks.
Just down the road is Port Allen and the Kauai Island Brewing Co. Sidle up to the bar for pork quesadillas and a local beer.
HELICOPTER RIDE
Since almost 80 per cent of Kauai is inaccessible by land, about a dozen helicopter companies vie for tourist tours. Some chopper companies are based at Lihue Airport (we chose Blue Hawaiian Helicopters) and Papillon operates out of Princeville.
Visit ntbg.org.
The writer was a guest of the Kauai Visitors Bureau, which neither reviewed nor approved this article before publication.