My partner Mark and I recently visited the island of Kauai for the first time. The year before, we visited Maui and fell in love with Hawaii.
For this trip, we only planned on some hiking before arriving at The Point at Poipu, a Hilton Vacation Club. The concierge was super helpful, providing us with maps for great hikes and even signing us up for a hiking and kayaking trip.
After checking in, we walked the grounds of the resort — along the coast, winding paths and the scenic pool area.
To say the resort is spectacular is an understatement. We were excited to see more.
The first morning, we awoke to a beautiful sunrise. We had breakfast and made our way to the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail, no car needed. The trail is a relatively easy six miles, but even if you only go a mile, you will be happy you made the effort. We walked down past Shipwreck Beach and up onto the cliffs.
The views are breathtaking.
We spent about four hours on this trail, stopping to enjoy the sights and weather. Bring water and wear good hiking shoes — you’ll have an amazing day.
During our trip, we also drove up to Waimea Canyon. We left around 9 a.m. because the afternoons can get foggy. There are so many trails, but we spent most of our day exploring the rest stops, amazed by the island’s beauty. We saw mountain goats, waterfalls, the Napali Coast, amazing plants and rock formations. We will definitely come back on our next trip to Kauai.
Although we enjoyed the leisurely pace of the previous two days’ adventures, we decided to take the guided tour. We headed to Kayak Adventures, where we met with a group of a dozen other excited guests before taking a bus to Wailua River.
We kayaked about two miles along the calm water, passing lush foliage. We beached our kayaks and made our way to Secret Falls. Our guide was a Native Hawaiian and emphasized the sacredness of this place.
After about a mile, we arrived at the spectacular 130-foot waterfall. Our guide told us, “If you walk out from behind the waterfall, you will release all your troubles.” I had to try, and I think he was right.
We had some snacks, then hiked and kayaked back. We had a great time. Maybe next time, Mark and I will rent kayaks on our own to take a more leisurely trip.
Kauai has so many great hiking trails and adventures. We’re excited about revisiting some of these places and exploring new ones.
Read “8 Can’t Miss Small Towns On Kauai, Plus What To Do” for more things to do on the Garden Isle.
