The island of Kauai is no doubt the best-kept secret of the Hawaiian Islands. The oldest island in Hawaii, Kauai boasts the most beautiful beaches and vistas of all the isles. Hollywood has used the island as a tropical backdrop to some of its most famous movies including Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, and most recently the wildly popular show LOST. The thing that you never hear about is the cool treat after a warm day of sunbathing and hiking.
Ke’e Beach
Sunbathing first. After waking up at your Kauai resort, take off early in the morning and head to the north shore. There is a beach destination waiting at the end of highway 560. As the highway comes to an end the beautiful beach opens up. The snorkeling at Ke’e gets better every year. The warm water is protected by an outer reef and stays calm throughout the day. You can swim and snorkel throughout the morning while you intermittently catch some rays.
Na Pali Coast
As the morning turns to afternoon on Ke’e, it’s time to see Kauai’s most beautiful vistas. There are full facilities at the beach to shower and prepare for the hike. You won’t miss the Kalalau trailhead, which also sits right at the end of the highway 560. The Kalalau trail goes for 11 miles along the famed Na Pali Coast. The coast spans the northwest portion of the island and is impassable by car. The untouched terrain can only be experienced on foot. The trail is up to 11 miles long and there is a campground at the end where you can stay (permit required). The trail is manageable for any fitness level, if you are aggressive you can hike all day, but if you just want a short jaunt you can turn back anytime. Be sure to take your camera so you don’t miss the once in a lifetime views.
Lapperts Ice Cream
After a hot day of sun and hiking at the Na Pali coast it’s time for Kauai’s best ice cream. Don’t settle for the vanilla/chocolate swirl at McDonalds. Head to Lapperts Hawaii for the most delicious ice cream on the island. Lapperts has extreme attention to detail and goes the extra mile to make sure every bite of your refreshing treat is delectable. When picking a flavor, you gotta try Mauna Kea’s Secret. It is a mouth-watering mix of white chocolate, raspberries, and brownies. Lapperts is just 13 min down highway 560. The exact address is: 5 4280 Kuhio Hwy in Princeville
Off course the order of these activities is completely up to you, although you may want to hike in the morning or evening and be sure to leave ice cream to the end! All I know is that the combination of the three makes for the ideal day in Kauai.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh man, I want to GO! Snorkeling, sunbathing, hiking AND ice cream? Perfection!
my recommendation for a good guide for Kauai is Kauai Trailblazer. surf, sun and sand, we saw it all with this one. RC
That ice cream looks decadent! On my list of thing to try! Thank you, Andy, for sharing your experiences with us here at home!
It helps us a lot when you guys share because we don’t always get to our neighbor islands as much as we would like to.
Big hugs and come back soon!
You are very welcome, Evelyn!