Enjoy a Kauai vacation. A carefree aloha lifestyle will awaken your senses on a fun filled Kauai vacation for you and your family. Emerald valleys, dense mountain forests, and golden sand beaches abound. A step back in time to old Hawaii; buildings reach only the height of a mature coconut tree and a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere blanket the island.
Kauai offers a full array of outdoor expeditions and festivals that you will recount long after your trip has ended.
Photo credit: HTJ
For excellent windsurfing, head to Anini Beach Park and Kalapaki Beach, two areas that favor consistent winds. The southern shores of Kauai offer excellent scuba diving with calm waters, an average of 50 feet of visibility, and abundant marine life.
Drop your lines at any of the island's teeming waters to catch large and small mouth bass from Kauai's inland reservoirs. Anglers looking for marlin, ahi, onu, and aku will hook plenty off Kauai's south and east coasts.
Venture out to explore the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific," Waimea Canyon is 3,567 feet deep, 2 miles wide and 10 miles long. You will be mystified by the canyon's reddish lava beds and deep red, green, and brown-hued walls that change color with the light.
Archaeology enthusiasts should pay a visit to the ruins of the Russian Fort Elizabeth in Waimea. The fort was built in 1816 by Georg Scheffer with the assistance of the Kauai King Kaumualii and is a fascinating reminder of an obscure part of Russian and Hawaiian history.
Shooting saltwater 50 feet into the air, the Spouting Horn is an ocean waterspout that shoots water from an ancient lava tube. A visit to this natural wonder at sunset, when water sprays serve as tiny prisms when they catch the golden sunlight is extraordinary.
Journey through the island on foot; hiking along scenic trails like a five-mile Kukui Trail that descends 2,000 feet into the majestic Waimea Canyon, and the 4.2-mile Kuilau Ridge Trail that winds around dramatic views of small waterfalls.
Campers will find the island's county and state parks ideal for pitching tents. Permits for camping at county and state parks are limited, so be sure to apply well in advance, especially if they are visiting during the peak season.
If golf is your game, choose from golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, municipal courses, or golf courses available at the world-famous resorts of Poipu Bay, Kauai Lagoons and Princeville.
Enjoy many interesting events and activities on Kauai like the Kauai an Days Celebration - an annual festival to promote the spirit of aloha through island-wide activities, events, programs, and sharing during nine days of fun-filled activities, including the King He Inoa no Kaumualii Parade, a traditional hoolaulea, food booths, arts and crafts demonstrations, an all girls rodeo and more.
In addition to Lei Day, another annual event eagerly anticipated in May is the Prince Albert Music Festival. Dedicated to Hawaii's Prince Albert, the music festival features the finest in classical and Hawaiian music and dance, children and seniors hula, exhibitions of antique quilts and artifacts, lei contests, silent auction, demonstrations, and workshops.