KAUAI TRAVEL GUIDE

If you follow us on Instagram you will know that Brett and I (Bryana) just spent 2 weeks in Kauai, Hawaii for our honeymoon!

It was absolutely amazing! It's called The Garden Island for a reason, lush green everywhere! Miles of mountains + beaches to hike and explore.

I am not a travel guide writer! This is just a summary of our trip and what we think is worth checking out during your trip!

Here are a few random tips you might find helpful:

• Buy "The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook" by Andrew Doughty (time + life saver)

• You will want to rent a car for this trip!

• If you're traveling in the winter, know that it's the rainy season. A lot of roads were closed during our trip so we weren't able to see a few things, including Queen's Bath. That being said, most days the rain passes quickly so you won't have full days ruined.

• You WILL NEED sunscreen. The sun is very strong!

• Bring a good pair of waterproof hiking boots that you won't mind getting dirty! There is so much mud and red dirt on the hiking trails.

• Resort restaurants were actually a huge disappointment to us, it was a lot of money for average food! Food trucks + local places are the way to go!

• Prepare for chickens EVERYWHERE. We loved them for the most part, except when we were somewhere with outdoor seating and they stood by your feet hoping you drop food!

WHERE TO STAY:

We booked all of our lodging with Airbnb.

Originally when we started planning the trip we thought we'd be staying in one place for the entire trip. That didn't work like we had anticipated! When we went to book our lodging NOTHING was available the entire time. So we ended up staying in 4 different Airbnb's throughout the trip. Our #1 tip is to book at least 2 months ahead of time! We love using Airbnb for all of our travels. There are a ton of options here so find what best fits your wants and budget.

Our favorite city to stay in was Kapa'a! It was the most central while also being close to the beach and endless places to eat!

Second favorite city was Princeville! If you're looking for a nice beach getaway, this is where you should stay. It's the furthest north you can go and the views are breathtaking!

No matter where you stay, I promise you will have a great view of either the ocean or the mountains!

WHAT TO DO + WHERE TO EAT:

I'm going to break this down by each side of the island to make it easy for you to come back to!

North Shore:

• Hanalei Bay - Our favorite beach for its easy access, soft sand, and shallow swimming! This beach is perfect for taking a nice walk or learning how to surf! Which is what Brett did with Titus Kinimaka School Of Surfing.

• Hideaways Beach - If you want secluded, this is your spot! It was a 5-10 minute walk down a steep hill, but there are railings and ropes to help you! You come to a coarse sand beach surrounded by cliffs.

• Hanalei Bread Co. - This place had a very familiar feel! Amazing food, coffee, and fresh homemade bread (yes, please)! You can get breakfast, lunch, or just some bakery here and you will not be disappointed.

• Aloha Juice Bar - If you're looking for fresh fruit smoothies or acia bowls, this was our absolute favorite!

East Shore:

• Sleeping Giant Hike - This was an easy, well maintained trail that led to a lookout over the island and it was gorgeous! Make sure to keep going after the picnic area to get to the very top. We hiked up this mountain in the dark before sunrise one morning and actually took the wrong trail, which forced us to do some rock climbing.. haha! Not the safest thing we have done but it was so worth it!

• Wailua Waterfall - It is super easy to access the outlook for this waterfall, you literally just drive up to it. But we saw that people hike down to the bottom so we ventured down the muddy-very steep hill. It was a little bit scary but I'm glad we did it! Some of my favorite photos from the whole trip!

• Ho'opi'i Falls Hike - You know how I mentioned that it's the rainy season? Well you really notice that on the hikes. SO much mud on this one! Our shoes were completely covered by the end of it but we got to swim in the pool at the bottom of the waterfall. It was magical!

• Donkey Beach - This was another secluded beach with really nice sand! We got to watch people surf here for about an hour and it was a blast! It's about a 10 minute walk from the parking area.

• Wailua Shave Ice - You will read that a lot of places are "the best" shave ice on the island, but i'm telling you now! Wailua is THE BEST. Trust me, we tried a lot of them! haha. Our suggestion is to get vanilla ice cream on the bottom.

• Street Burger - This is the spot to go if you're craving a really good burger + fries! I loved the vibe in this restaurant.

• IMUA Coffee Roasters - First coffee shop we found that we genuinely loved! We are picky when it comes to our coffee and these guys do it right. Very small space so we just got it to go each time! We bought beans from them as well and yummmm.

• Kountry Style Kitchen - From the outside this place honestly looks kinda run down... but the inside is super cute and man do they serve the best breakfast! Get the lavender latte!

• Bull Shed Restaurant - This is a very good steak house! They are known for their prime rib which is my favorite so we had to try it. This place was well worth it’s money and you have a beautiful view of the ocean while you eat!

South Shore:

• Shipwreck Beach - 100% mine and Bretts favorite beach! Great spot to get your tan on or boogie board and there was also an awesome cliff hike right next to the beach. We actually got some professional photos done here with Julia Kathleen Photography. I highly suggest hiring a photographer to take some photos of you on your trips, there is no better way to document the memory of it!

• Spouting Horn - This is a rocky shoreline that has a blowhole in the ground that goes off when the ocean is wavy! Great spot to watch the sunset! Don’t be afraid to walk around the fencing and find a spot to sit on the rocks.

• Captain Andy’s - If you’re willing to spend some money on an experience, we highly suggest you do one of these tours! They offer a few different options but we did the rafting excursion. It was 13 of us on a boat, holding on for dear life, getting hit by waves in the middle of the ocean. It was freaking amazing! Haha. I went snorkeling for the first time and saw so much sea life including; whales, sea turtles, manta rays, dolphins, + more. Lunch was also included and a whole lot of laughs, we were with such a good group!

• Puka Dog - These are Hawaiian style hot dogs and they are SO good. We were both in shock when we took the first bite because how good could a hot dog be? Amazing. They also make fresh squeezed lemonade that is the perfect amount of sour + sweet.

• Aloha Coffee Roasters - This is the second best coffee shop we found! The vibe in the place is amazing and their pour over is just right.

West Shore:

• Waimea Canyon State Park - First you ascend the mountain on Waimea Canyon Drive (maps will take you a different route but this is the scenic one). You drive along a curvy road with lots of viewpoints and and trailheads. The best view is said to be at the very top at The Pihea Lookout. It was cloudy the two days we drove up so we can’t say for certain, but we can say you won’t regret taking this drive! I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

• Polihale State Park - The drive out to the state park is a bit rough, so take it slow. You will arrive at a large monkey pod tree, continue right and you will arrive at the most magnificent beach you’ve ever seen! I don’t know how it’s a real place to be honest... photo below ;)

• Awa'awaphui Hike - This hike is on Waimea Canyon Drive and lets just say, for a couple of people who don’t do very much hiking.. our legs are sore! But again, WORTH IT. It’s a 6.5 mile round trip with a 1,400ft elevation change. The way down is easy, it was a bit muddy when we went because of recent rain! There are a few different view points along the hike, but nothing compares to the end! If you’re feeling daring, continue on the trail past the railing for an even better view!

We actually met a couple who just got engagement a minute before we got there! Such an epic proposal spot!

• Chicken in a Barrell BBQ - This was the only place we ate on the west side and it seems to be a chain in Kauai! Really good food for a reasonable price. The location is gorgeous as well!

If you're interested in getting a full recap and see all the things we did during our 2 weeks in Kauai, you can head over to my personal Instagram's story highlights to see it day by day! [ B+B Kauai Highlights ]

Is there anything I didn't mention that you are curious about or have any questions? Leave them down below in the comments! - B