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Beautiful Kauai: Hawaii at its best
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Not everything improves with age. But the island of Kauai certainly does. The fourth largest and oldest of the Hawaiian islands and estimated to be around 5.1 million years old, Kauai, the island paradise, just seems to get more beautiful as it gets older. The island emerged from a volcanic hot spot in the depths of the ocean and has brought some Eden-like spectacles with it too. Two in particular stand out.
At 10 miles long, two miles wide and over 3,500 feet deep, the largest canyon in the Pacific – Waimea Canyon – can be found here. This visual spectacle was carved by thousands of years of rivers and floods rushing from the mountain peaks. It’s not for nothing it’s been named the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific”.
The second natural wonder is the wild and untamed Napali Coast, an 11-mile landmark whose coastline is among the sheerest in the world. Ancient Hawaiians favored this coast because they could find hard-to-catch ocean delicacies here. This is where the visitor experiences 2,000 foot sea cliffs, cascading silver-ribbon waterfalls, dolphins and, from December to April, the humpback whale. Even today, 87 percent of the island is undeveloped and it’s best seen by road, sea or air.
ATV ride
One way to see it by road is to ride an adventurous ATV ( all terrain vehicle) on Kipu Ranch, one of Kauai’s most beautiful private ranches. Steering is easy after a few lessons back at the reception area and a four-hour tour is what’s in store. You follow the “road less traveled” on old sugar plantation-turned-cattle-ranch roads, through tropical landscapes inaccessible to the general public. Have fun seeing just how dirty you can get but be sure to wear clothes you don’t mind getting muddy!
Movies
Although Kauai was the first island that Captain James Cook sighted on his voyages to North America, it has since been “spotted” by film directors who have used the island’s natural beauty in movie settings like “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (Kauai became a South American jungle for this one), “Thornbirds”, “King Kong”, "Jurassic Park” (where the island doubled for Costa Rica) and the classic “South Pacific” (the island became New Caledonia). The beach at Lumahei Bay is the island’s most photographed and the scene with the song “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” was shot right here on this beach. Ben Stiller and his wife even own a home on the island.
Helicopter
If you’re not touring around on an ATV, then one of the best ways to see the scenery is by helicopter. And what a way to go! Everyone on our trip, excited and bubbly to start with, ended up in silence as the rich layers of red, brown, gold, gray and green loomed right into their view. This 10 mile-long canyon, at a mile wide and more than 3,600 feet deep was created by eons of high wind and erosion and is unparalleled anywhere on the islands.
Waterfalls descend sharply down the hillsides as rivers gurgle below – all of which can be seen through the windows below your feet or through the scenic window in front. You can feel the energy of this place as you soar among its peaks and valleys. You’ll want to reach out and touch the mana (power).
Rain of course is what keeps this island green (well that, and the tourists’ dollars, joke the locals!) and it’s not surprising to learn that Kauai entered the Guinness Book of Records on 23rd November 1982 with a total of 714 inches of rain for the year, 49 inches of which fell in one 24 hour period. The helicopter tours will show you Wai’ale’ale (Hawaiian for “rippling waters”) – one of the wettest place on earth (first place currently goes to a location in India). The water from the summit descends a roaring 10 miles down the mountain-face and over an 80 foot precipice to form Wailua Falls.
One of the visitors on a previous trip said in the comments’ book that his vocabulary had been reduced to three words: “Wow”, “Incredible” and “Unbelievable”. As we soared higher and higher among the lush green forests and adjusted our eyes to some of the most captivating and spectacular scenery on earth, we could totally relate. The small group of travelers in the helicopter became totally speechless. We had a front row seat to some of nature’s most majestic treasures. The narration and the background music just set the scene all the more.
As one visiting couple, L. and B. Goodwyn, said “Better than anything we’ve seen on the Discovery Channel. And we work there”. This is an experience that will live within you forever.
Boat ride and snorkeling
Another way to see the scenery and get some of the best views—this time of the Napali coast-- is from Capt. Andy Sailing Adventures boat which includes lunch and time to snorkel. You can’t catch the fish below the surface, except with your eyes of course! The views of the picturesque 3,000-foot cliffs of the Napali Coast (Napali is Hawaiian for “the cliffs”) can’t be beaten. The captains will share the history and legends of the area and interpret the marine ecology for you.
Plantation Tour
More history can be found at the Kilohana Plantation, the manor house that, at its time, was the most expensive and most beautiful home ever built on Kauai. Back in 1935, sugar was king and steam engines took the workers into the fields and returned with heavy loads of raw cane to be processed. Today the plantation built by Gaylord Wilcox has boutique shops in the rooms of the main house.
Once you’ve seen the house, take a ride on the narrow-gauge Kauai Plantation train and find out what life was like in the 100-acre plantation that contained fields of sugar, pineapple, banana, papaya, coffee and hardwood trees. It includes a stop to feed the goats and pigs kept on the farm. In Hawaiian “Kilohana” means “not to be surpassed”. A fitting name.
Kilauea Wildlife Refuge
Don’t forget to visit Kiklauea Point situated on a bluff on the northernmost point of the state. Opposite, on the cliff face you’ll spot a bird sanctuary with sightings of rare Hawaiian geese (nene). And don’t overlook the little Naupaka flower along the roadside – it appears to be only half a flower. Legend has it that a high warrior wished to marry a commoner (something illegal in those days) and sought permission from the king. The king agreed to the marriage only if the warrior could find a “complete” Naupaka flower. Since it was impossible, the couple never got married. Ah, but they were not ones to go down in legend as a love-torn couple – very advanced for their time, they just lived together instead!
Massage
If all that excitement and talk of unrequited love makes you just want to lie down and relax then you can do that too. Kauai has its specialty in many things and the massage here is no exception. The Lomi Lomi massage is unique to the island (it means “to touch with loving hands”) and masseurs use elbow and forearm movements to increase your level of healing and relaxation. Traditionally, Lomi Lomi was used as a healing practice by native healers to aid in digestion and as a form of restorative massage. The ANARA Spa at the Grand Hyatt will give you a massage to remember. Just lie there and breathe as the reality of your everyday life fades to black. Go ahead, inhale deeply and slow down. Now, doesn’t that feel better already?
Shopping
Alternatively, there’s therapy in shopping, and souvenirs are everywhere, from original Hawaiian wooden crafts to hand and body lotion made with well-known Hawaiian plants like plumeria. And coffee, grown on the island, is plentiful and makes a great souvenir. Don’t go home empty-handed.
Botanical Gardens
But it’s not all adventure and shopping in Kauai. You can choose to check out some of the beautiful native plants. You’ll find them in abundance at the 1,000 acre Limahuli Garden, National Tropical Botanical Gardens which works hard to retain only native Hawaiian plants.
Plants such as the bougainvillea, mango, gardenia and even the plumeria used in leis have been brought on to the islands and are not original to the area. Here, you can find the world’s largest collection of native Hawaiian plants, one of the most threatened plant populations on the planet. As you walk among lava rock terraces built by ancient Hawaiians, look for such plants as the turmeric which the Hawaiians used for medicine for earaches and nasal congestions and as a purifying agent in religious ceremonies. Records date the cultivation of this plant back to the 8th century BC in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Nearly all the native plant you see in Limahuli Garden are extremely rare and endangered. Out of Hawaii’s 1,000 native plant species, 100 are already extinct and another 100 have fewer than 200 plants remaining in the wild.
Kauai, the oldest main Hawaiian island, has more endemic species than any other Hawaiian island. The plants you see at these gardens are some of the rarest plants in the world and can only be found on Kauai.
Luau
No visit to Kauai would be complete without visiting a Luau. Polynesian dancing and good food including the native poi make for a tropical and entertaining night out. Low in fat and protein, and containing vitamin B, calcium and phosphorous, poi has fewer calories than rice and has been touted as a health food. It’s is a gentle food, hypoallergenic and easily digestible. It has even been known to save the lives of babies who have been allergic to everything else. Don’t miss the luau’s floor show and the dinner buffet.
After a visit here, you won’t be surprised to find out that Kauai has been described as a “tropical paradise” and is a favorite amongst honeymooners (but you don’t need that as an excuse to go to nature’s own heaven-on-earth, just make up your own!).
After one trip to the Garden Island you’ll be left with such sweet memories you’ll be able to close your eyes and visualize the Hawaiian people beckoning and calling “Heli Mai” and you’ll wish you really could “Hurry back”.
For more articles by this author, click: http://www.examiner.com/x-29076-SF-World-Travel-Examiner
Hotel recommended:
Grand Hyatt Kaua’I Resort and Spa, 1571 Po’ipu Road, Koloa, HI 96756, www.kauai.hyatt.com
Condos:
1. Outrigger Waipouli Beach and Spa, Awipouli Beach, 4-820 Kuhio Highway, Papa’a, HI 96746, www.outriggerwaipouli.com
2. Hanalei Colony Resort, where the living is elegant but simple (no tvs or phones in the room- for once you might just forget about checking your email!) 5-7130 Kuhio Highway, Haena HI 96714. www.hcr.com
Activities: Captain Andy’s Sailing Adventures: www.napali.com
Jack Harter Helicopters (recommended by more guidebooks than any other helicopter company on Kauai). www.helicopters-kauai.com
Kilohana Plantation and Kauai Plantation Railway: www.kauaiplantationrailway.com
Kipu Ranch Adventures: www.kiputours.com
National Tropical Botanical Gardens: www.ntbg.org
For more information, contact the Kauai Visitors Bureau: www.kauaidiscovery.com
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