Kauai, Hawaii: An Island Guide

This was a special trip for us, as it was our Baby Moon! Adventure is something we love and has brought so much joy into our marriage. We look at this little one as the start of our next greatest.

We were looking for a place we could both play and relax, depending on what I was up for. Thankfully, I had lots of energy in my second trimester, so we were able to explore the island a decent amount. Kauai is the Island everyone always says that once you’ve been, you fall in love and never go back to any of the others. We’ve never been to the other islands so I can’t say from that perspective, however, it was magical and we will be revisiting in the future.

Kauai is a one of the smaller islands and has a “small town” feel to it. There aren’t many resorts and it feels more like a locals island. There is a lot to explore and take in. I hope this guide can help narrow down the options, however, we had a long list of recommendations given to us by a local on the plane that we didn’t even put a dent in. The only way to go wrong is to not go at all.

Quick Tips:

Rent a Car

The island is very small and you will want to get out and explore the towns, beaches and local restaurants. We weren’t sure if we were going to need a car since we were staying at a resort, but we were so thankful we did. Our resort didn’t have a shuttle for the airport and their car service only allowed for 2 hour trips. There aren’t many Ubers or taxis, especially once you’re out of the airport area. That being said, if you’re not going to rent one, do a lot of research beforehand to make sure you’ll be able to get around to the things you want to do.

We rented a Ford Bronco through Turo, and it was THE BEST. We used it almost every day and it was a blast being able to put the top down and easily put it back up if it started to rain. We felt like islanders for a week.

To Stay:

1 Hotel: Hanalei Bay

This is THE resort on the Island. There are a few others, but this one takes the cake. It was originally the St. Regis. But it was purchased a few years ago and reopened this year by the 1Hotel group. It’s located on the north part of the island, about a 1.5 hour drive from the airport. After learning more about the island once we got there, the north side is where you want to be whether you’re staying at a resort or renting an Airbnb. Most of the things to do and see are all on the north shore. And if you do nothing but take in the view here, you’re already winning.

There’s not a bad room in the place. We stayed in a Mountain View Terrace Room and it was like waking up in heaven every morning. The hotel also had many activities, restaurants and amenities that made it easy to settle in. Their beach is one of the better beaches on the island. There are other amazing beaches worth going and visiting, whether for views or snorkeling, however, we found that we didn’t need to spend much time going to the others because ours had everything we needed—snorkeling, kayaking, comfy chairs and of course, food and drink service!

To Eat:

1 Kitchen — This was the hotel’s main restaurant. We expected to eat here a lot, however, surprisingly, we only ate here on the first night. It was an outstanding meal and worth going to even if not staying on property. But don’t let this be the only stop. The next suggestions were show stoppers.

Welina Terrace — Also a restaurant at the hotel, but it faces the bay and is THE place to be during sunset. Even if you can’t get a reservation during the sunset hour, you are still able to grab a drink or just walk out onto the terrace to see the views. But the views are not the only thing this place has shining for them. This Japanese inspired menu blew me away. Even though I couldn’t partake in the raw options, everything I ate, I still dream about. I can’t wait to come back here when I can indulge in all it has to offer. **If you are not staying at the hotel, you will need reservations far in advance. Even as a guest at the hotel, I suggest making reservations as soon as you can due to limited availability and growing popularity on the island. You could argue that this restaurant has the best views on the island.

Tiki Iniki — A hilarious experience. This local tiki bar was a fun one to go to. It’s located a few minutes from the hotel in a locals shopping center. The food was good, not memorable, however, the atmosphere and locals at this place was fun to be a part of for the evening. If you end up trying this out, go in with an open mind and a fun spirit.

Bar Acuda — This one rivals (in my opinion) with Welina Terrace as the best meal we had on the trip. It also seems to be a local favorite. We had many people suggesting this one to us and it did not disappoint. It’s located in the town of Hanalei, which is just a short drive from the hotel. This little town is the adorable and has many other great food options. If you’re looking for something fun and local, you probably won’t go wrong with any of the places here.

The Hanalei Dolphin — Also located in the town of Hanalei, we hit this one on our last night after many locals suggestions. It was a fun, low key place to end our trip on. They don’t take reservations, so plan to have to wait for a minute unless you go for an early dinner.

Wishing Well Shaved Ice — Saving the best for last— this was our favorite place on the island. It’s a local’s coffee shop and shaved ice truck. We went here several times on the trip. We’ve heard it’s the best place to get shaved ice on the island. And although it was the only place we went, we would still argue that it’s true. Also located in Hanalei, you’ll often find it with a long line of visitors and locals. You can’t help but be happy here.

Waipa Self-Serve Fridge — A hidden gem we stumbled upon after getting to know a local family on the island. This is one you may never find on any list in your research for your trip. When this sweet family was trying to describe where to go to get this locally, homemade Lilikoi Cheesecake, I thought they were pranking us. They told us to drive down the main road, pass the church, cross over the first bridge, turn left before the second bridge and you’ll see a little blue house. Behind the house is a self-serve fridge with cheesecake. And it was exactly as they described. This is why it’s important to get to know the locals. It was amazing. And the adventure made it taste even better.

To Do:

Snorkeling — Our hotel made this so easy. We rented snorkel gear right on the beach and dove in off the shore. There is so much to see just a few feet from your toes while you’re sitting and enjoying your margarita on the shore. We saw beautiful fish, sting rays and the most majestic sea turtles. This was a surprisingly fun actvitity to do while pregnant. I felt weightless and was easily able to swim along with Brad and the fish. Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, you can still access this beach and rent the snorkel gear from here. You’re also able to rent the gear and take It to the other beaches in the area to see what other wild life you might find elsewhere. This was a fun thing to do throughout the week when you needed a break from your do-nothing day at the pool.

Bike ride — If you have access to bikes, like our hotel, it was so fun getting to explore a little bit of the island on bikes. We rode from our hotel up the hill to Queens Bath and then to one of the beaches. Everything is so close. Even pregnant it was doable!

Kayak Hanalei River — We rented our kayaks from the rental hut on our hotels beach. It’s available to anyone, not just hotel guests. However, if you’re not staying at the hotel, I’d suggest going into the town of Hanalei and renting from one their places. You’ll avoid having to kayak in the ocean to get to the river. Although fun to be in the ocean, it was exhausting fighting the waves. Plus, the rentals are right next to the best shaved ice— The Wishing Well!

Hike the Napali Coast — This hike was the most breath taking hike i’ve ever experience in many ways. It is a very difficult hike. Although I was carrying an extra passenger, I still think it was the hardest hike I’ve ever done. But the views were worth it. And wear good shoes. It is very rocky and often wet, causing the hike to be slippery. I saw many people wearing sandals on this hike and I’m shocked they didn’t fall. (or maybe they did and I just didn’t see it happen lol)

NOTE: You MUST have a park reservation to access the hike. We did not know this until a local on the plane informed us. And these reservations fill up fast! We snagged one quickly but our date and time were limited. So if you’re thinking about doing it, go ahead and book it! It’s worth it for the day. We did the park and shuttle pass. It made it super easy to get in and out.

Queen’s Bath — is an Ocean Pool formed from lava rock. You hike down toward the coast and walk across the lava rocks. There are beautiful views and inlets on the way. Please do your research on the time of year and day before jumping in. It can be a very dangerous place if you’re not informed or go at the wrong time. When we went, there were a good amount of people already swimming and jumping in so we were not worried at all. Sadly, I could participate in the cliff jumping, but it’s definitely on my list of things to do when I go back.

NOTE: We rode our bikes from the hotel to get there, which was nice because the parking here is VERY limited. The entry point to the hike down to Queen’s Bath is in the middle of neighborhood. You may want to check what time of day is less busy to avoid parking issues if you plan to drive.

**We had a long list of suggestions from a local with other fun experiences on the island, but with it being our babymoon, we didn’t want to adventure to far. So we mainly stayed on the north part of the island. However, there seems to be a LOT more we didn’t get to do on the other parts of Kauai. Do you research and ask the locals!