David Klassen

Destination: Kauai

Kauai is a tropical island paradise in the Hawaiian Island chain. The island is lush with vegetation and has been well maintained, having contemporary civic services like water, waste, transportation, ecological reservation areas etc. During my stay in Kauai there was precious little threat of calamity occurring, although it is in an active volcanic region the island of Kauai has not seen an eruption in perhaps 5.5 million years.

My travel agent suggested renting a car on this island given the transit system is less well developed than most metropolitan areas. Travelling around the island is really an exceptional experience, and I would definitely second this suggestion to anyone making it a holiday destination. The island exuded an aura of peaceful paradise throughout my stay there, and if asked I just might say this is probably the closest to paradise I have ever come in this life. The sun is warm in December not hot, even though the temperature may be listed close to 30 degrees you may not even realize it. Throughout the day clouds frequent the north and east sides of the island where most people live. These clouds bring a delightful rain which if you are lucky to experience, is most likely warm to touch.

Helicopter Ride

I decided to take a friend with me on my vacations, because normal travel services reduce the costs to have more than one person on the trip. The person I took on this trip demanded that we take a helicopter ride around the island. Initially I argued against it, because the cost of a helicopter ride is so very expensive, however I soon realized that taking a helicopter trip on this island would be simply unforgettable. Luckily the weather on this day was exceptional and there were so many unique sites to see, it was well worth the price of admission. To top this off the Blue Hawaiian helicopter group provided a full movie of the entire trip for a very low price.

Our First stop was a waterfall where Jurassic Park was filmed, we then flew over Waimea Canyon which looks pretty much the same as the Grand Canyon. After this we flew to the west side of the island and around the jagged Napali mountain coast. We discovered this is one of the only areas of the island specifically unaccessible by road, however the sharp inclines are amazing, green, and spotted with many waterfalls. On the way back we flew over Hanalei Bay, to the highest mountain and rainiest area on the island. Then down to the plains areas of the east side of the island, ending with a great fly over of the Fantasy Island waterfall called, "Wailua Falls"

Deserted Beach

With a rent-a-car you can see many of the amazing sites of Kauai up close, and avoid the expensive cost of a tour company. Polihale Beach is at the west end of the island, and the only way to get there is to drive. Some people like to drive right onto the beach, and given it is such a vast area that is largely undeveloped, it appears to be a well sanctioned thing to do (provided you can also make it off the beach). You can also travel along a road over top Waimea Canyon to the various lookouts over the canyon, and lookouts that point westward over the Napali Coast peaks.

Perhaps the most surprising thing I saw in Kauai were the tents on a beach near Hanapepe This semi circle beach/water area allows tents and visitors to get much closer to an outdoors Hawaiian experience. After snorkelling on this beach it rained, and several rainbows appeared. The beauty of this place was surreal, and everyone we met seemed to know how true it is.

Fun 4 Free

Snorkelling should be a major part of anyone's trip to Hawaii. There are a few simple things that if you remember when booking a trip will help you have instant fun, right from the door of your hotel room. Always make sure to book a hotel that is really close to a sheltered beach. A sheltered beach will have wall around a section of ocean close to shore that prevent any large agressive fish from entering it. This protection will also bring closer to you the smaller fish that seek the protection of shallow waters. Early in the morning of any trip to a tropical island, take your snorkel and mask for a swim to see the fishes. It will give you so much energy to see the new fishes living underwater that you won't be able to stop all day. It is energy like this that pushed me to go so many places on the island.

On one such day I drove to the north side of the Island to Hanalei Bay to surf. On another day we went to the very end of the northern road to Hanakapiai Falls. The hiking trail to these falls is called Kalalau. The trail goes along the coast for a few kilometers and then after crossing a larger stream, heads south into the island for roughly the same distance, up to the waterfall. It is quite likely that the trail will be slippery and wet with red mud, but the trip to the falls is so worth it. Along the way we managed to find a wild orange tree bursting with fruit. At the falls the water is so cold and pure, and the falling water really hits you from above. When we returned to the trailhead, Ke'e Beach beach served as an excellent place to shower off, or go for a nice salt water dip.