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Kauai's East Side Activities

Wailua River State Park is the home of the Wailua, a 20-mile long river, that once wove through the settings of seven different temples. The river's source is the 5,148-foot Mount Waialeale in the center of the island. You can negotiate Hawaii's longest navigable river by boat, kayak, or outrigger canoe. If you choose to go in a car, Kuamoo Road (Hwy. 580, or King's Highway) goes inland along the north side of the river from Kuhio Highway (Hwy. 56). You'll want to take in the special and still-sacred landmarks along the way, including heiau (temples), historical sites, Opaekaa Falls, and the Keahua Arboretum.

East Side activities are laid-back and the scenic and memorable journey continues. Explore Poliahu Heiau, the large lava-rock temple of Kauai's last king, Kaumualii. The East Side's sacred landmarks are many, and you'll be pleased to find an architectural and spiritual sanctuary in the Hindu temple being carved out of rocks from India on the banks of the Wailua River. The temple is being built to last a thousand years or more, and is located on a 458-acre site the native Hawaiians called pihanakalani, "where heaven touches the earth."

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