From the Kalalau lookout, a lofty vantage point some 4,000ft above sea level, we gazed down into Kauai’s most beautiful and remote valley. White-grey storm clouds hung over the azure waters of the Pacific, stippling the ocean with dark blue shadows. Below the clouds, a fine sheet of tropical rain cast a faint haze over the whole vista, as if a gossamer-thin curtain had been drawn across the landscape. But even that couldn’t obscure the vibrant richness of the scene spread out far below us. Surrounded by jagged, soaring peaks, the floor of the valley was revealed, carpeted in fifty shades of green. It was a jaw-dropping sight. And as we stood, mesmerised, nature added her own special flourish to this perfect view. A rainbow appeared, arching through the clouds and disappearing behind the distant sawtooth cliffs of the Na Pali coast.
Hawaii is ‘the rainbow state’, and the small island of Kauai is nicknamed the ‘garden isle’. If this stunning panorama was anything to go by, both were well named. But aside from rainbows and greenery, so far, our Hawaii adventure had defied expectations. Perhaps that’s because the high-rise hotel resorts and packed surfer beaches are mostly confined to the other Hawaiian islands: Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii itself, usually referred to the ‘Big Island’. In contrast, Kauai is the quietest and most laid-back of all the major islands, as well as the most scenic. Moreover, its dramatic landscapes tend to attract a more intrepid and nature-conscious breed of traveller, as opposed to those who are simply looking for sun, sea and sand.
That’s not to say that Kauai lacks any of those three things, of course – in fact, it is blessed with more golden beaches than any other Hawaiian island. There’s plenty of sunshine too, which makes it a good year-round destination. Average temperatures range from a balmy 69° F (20.5°C) in winter up to around 84°F (29°C) in high summer – but cooling trade winds generally keep things comfortable. Admittedly, it can be wet. As the most northerly and exposed of the major islands, Kauai gets plenty of rain. Then again, this accounts for its lush and verdant flora – and besides, as the locals say: “No rain, no rainbows”. In our experience, the showers came in short, sharp bursts, most of which were pleasantly warm and refreshing – and generally prevailed on the northern and western windward shores rather than the more sheltered leeward side.
We were determined to make the most of our limited time on Kauai, regardless of the weather. It had long been a ‘bucket list’ destination, but we were acutely conscious that this was likely to be our one and only opportunity to savour this Pacific paradise. Several factors – not least, the cost of flights, Hawaii’s distance from the UK and a lingering guilt about the size of our carbon footprint – all contributed to the sense that we were incredibly lucky to be here at all. Of course, we’d done our best to minimise our expenses, even if there wasn’t too much we could do about our impact. We’d arrived at the very end of October, having been tipped off that visiting in the shoulder or ‘off’ seasons – between mid-April and June, and from September to mid-December – not only avoids peak tourist season but can also save you a fair bit of money when it comes to finding accommodation. We’d found a good deal on a two-night hotel stay, which we were mixing up with a few nights in a cheap shared Airbnb and then a penny-pinching stay on a beachside campground – we’d packed a tent and some camping gear in our luggage accordingly.
Negotiating the volcanic red dirt tracks of the Pihea trail, in Koke’e State Park, I was also glad that I’d thought to pack a sturdy pair of trail shoes – though in hindsight, a pair of trekking poles might also have been a good idea. Kauai’s red dirt is sticky and slippery, especially when wet. Caused by oxidation of the island’s iron-rich basalt rock, it stains everything with a distinctive rust-coloured hue – including your shoes, socks and even your ankles.
But the gorgeous, expansive views of the Na Pali coast proved a good distraction, as did the jungle-like setting of the Alakai wilderness – the world’s highest swamp. Skirting the fringes of the island’s dense and impenetrable interior felt slightly eerie, as did spotting the brooding silhouette of distant Mount Waialeale. With a name that translates as ‘overflowing water’, it is one of the wettest places on earth, and almost impossible to reach by road or even on foot.
In fact, depending on which sources you read, between 70 and 90% of Kauai is pretty much inaccessible. There’s no road around the island, and very few penetrate very far into its interior, since the terrain is just too steep or choked with tangled greenery. This means that to see some of its most spectacular scenery, you really have to take to either the skies or the seas, in the form of a boat trip or helicopter ride. We did both, heading out on a dawn charter to see the sun rise over the iconic Na Pali coast.
The 6am start from Port Allen was well worth it. We spotted flying fish and spinner dolphins, as well as a good stretch of the little-seen coastline of Niihau, Hawaii’s privately-owned ‘forbidden island’, which is off-limits to all but invited guests and government officials. We also circumnavigated uninhabited Lehua, a tiny crescent-shaped island nirvana, and snorkelled off its shores. The water was crystal clear – and with at least 25 different species of tropical fish, like jumping into an aquarium.
Our sky adventure by helicopter proved just as spectacular, providing a unique bird’s-eye view of the entire island. We hovered over the 3,000ft chasm of Waimea, dubbed the ‘Grand Canyon of the Pacific’, and over majestic Manawaiopuna Falls in Hanapepe, which plummets some 400ft into an aquamarine pool below. Appropriately enough, our pilot played the unmistakeable opening bars of John Williams’ stirring Jurassic Park theme over our in-flight headphones, for this was the exact location that memorably appears in several scenes in the classic film. It was an exhilarating and utterly unforgettable experience, if occasionally unnerving, as Kauai’s rumpled green landscapes flashed by below the disconcertingly thin plate glass bubble canopy of our little black chopper.
Back on terra firma, and with two incredible sightseeing tours ticked off, we were keen to earn some more views the hard way, by tackling a few more trails on foot. Next on the agenda was a hike to the legendary ‘sleeping giant’, an undulating ridge that crests Nounou mountain, which rises above some of the biggest and most exclusive resorts of Kauai’s east shore, known as the coconut coast. The peak’s name comes from its distinctive silhouette, which resembles a huge figure lying flat on its back. Local legend has it that a giant feasted too well, slumbered after his excesses and never woke up. We worked up an appetite of our own as we climbed gradually through forested mountainsides, zigzagging up several switchbacks, surrounded by ironwood, guava, and silk oak trees. As we got higher, stunning views of Kapaa and Waipouli gave way to more expansive vistas of Kalepa Ridge, Wailua Bay and the Hoary Head Mountains. We stopped for a breather at a handily sited picnic spot on the giant’s chest, before continuing onward via a short but narrow knife-edge ridge that terminated at the giant’s prominent chin – a spectacular eyrie.
Our final hike showed us a different side of Kauai. We headed to the last undeveloped stretch of coastline on the island’s south shore, just east of busy Poipu, to pick up the Mahaulepu Heritage Trail. Setting out from Shipwreck Beach, the trail winds along sand-dune cliffs and through sporadic groves of kiawe trees, revealing impressive limestone formations and sheltered, rocky inlets that are a safe haven for sea turtles and endangered monk seals. Next, we passed a Heiau, the site of an ancient Hawaiian temple, thought to have been a place of worship where fish were offered to the god of the sea.
After skirting the pristine fairways of a somewhat incongruous golf course, we eventually arrived at Maha’ulepu. A site of immense cultural and historical importance, as well as a habitat for rare and endangered plants and animals, this heritage preserve is sacred to indigenous Hawaiians. Indeed, the area has been described as a ‘living museum’. It was a special place. On a small, tourist-centric island under constant threat of commercial development, industrial-scale agriculture and, it has to be said, increasing pollution, it represents an increasingly important and rare piece of Hawaiian wilderness. As we watched giant breakers roll into shore on a sun-soaked, blue-sky day, it seemed the very essence of paradise. In fact, when it comes to island adventure, Kauai may be as close as you can get to perfect.
