Day 1 Arrival and dinner 🛬
We arrived on our flight from the mainland. The flight arrived in Kauai at around 4 pm. We took a short shuttle to the rental car building. The complete process from arriving at the rental car facility till we were on our way was about 90 minutes. All the rental car places move really slow and usually have a long line as well. We recommend adding an extra couple of hours to your commute when you arrive in Kauai if you are renting a car from the airport. Once we were on our way, we drove straight through to our Airbnb in Princeville about 45 minutes away. There is only one main highway which follows pretty much the edge of the island. We followed this road till the turn off towards Princeville. Our condo was in a beautifully landscaped community in Princeville, like so many others. We settled into our home for the next 8 days. Once settled, we decided to head out for some dinner. We recommend doing some research before-hand on the timings of restaurants and shops in Kauai. Some restaurants close by 7 pm, while others are closed on some specific days of the week.
We were lucky to find a food trailer park in Hanalei Bay. The food truck we picked was called Cafe Turmeric. The food was incredibly fresh, hearty and healthy. We tried several curries and shared them amongst our group. After dinner we dropped off the parents and our son back at the Airbnb. My husband and I went to the grocery store in Princeville called Foodland. Even though the store is a little dated, we found everything we needed and the prices were typical for Hawaii. We ended up getting some pastries for breakfast along with some snacks for the drives to come.
Day 2 Waimea & Kalalau ⛰
We woke up well rested, ready to begin our day of exploring. Our first stop was Java Kai in Kapa’a town for some brunch about 30 min away. We enjoyed a beautiful avocado toast and Acai Bowl along with some delicious tasting coffee drinks. With full bellies we made our way further down the island towards Waimea. We made a quick stop in the town of Waimea (about 1 hour away) to get some fresh juice and snow cones before heading towards the Waimea Canyon State Park. There are limited facilities for restrooms in the park and not much options in terms of food. We recommend keeping some food or a picnic lunch if necessary.
Our first stop was a beautiful look-out point which gave us a great view of the canyon. The roads into the park are well paved, however, they are quite windy. After taking several pictures and walking around for a few minutes, we headed out again. The next stop was the Red Dirt area. We felt like kids just jumping and walking around this strikingly red clay, climbing over some small streams. This area is pretty large and can be explored for as long as time permits. After spending about 30 minutes here we drove on down the road.
Red dirt mounds in Waimea Canyon State Park.
From here we parked a few miles further along the road in a pullout to walk along the Iliau nature loop trail. This trail was dusty since it was dry, it might be pretty muddy in the rain. After an easy walk along the loop, we enjoyed some jaw-dropping scenery while looking out deep into the canyon. We came upon some short side trails to enjoy as well. After this hike, we drove further along the windy road till we came to Koke’e State Park . The first lookout here is Waimea Canyon Lookout. There is a paved parking lot with a payment machine and restrooms available. Parking here is paid. The walk to the paved lookout area is easy with stunning views. The next lookout is Puu Hinahina Lookout. This area is a bit smaller but the views are just as beautiful. There is path to the Nihau viewpoint. As the name suggests, on a clear day it is possible to see the island of Nihau from here. The parking at this spot is also included in the previously purchased parking ticket.
Waimea Canyon
From here we came to our last spot, the Kalalau Lookout. This lookout gives simply breathtaking views of the Napali coast. It is one of the best views in all of Kauai. We were extremely lucky to have arrived on a clear day with no haze or clouds obstructing this phenomenal view. Once we enjoyed the view, we tried to hike the trail that starts behind the metal fence at the end of the parking lot (This may be called the Pihea Vista Trail but due to lack of marking and signage we can’t be sure). This hike is pretty challenging and slippery in places with no marked trail or guardrails. The hike is straight down at first and then up all the way back. We made it about 20 minutes into the trail before it got too sketchy to continue especially for our son. A family coming back up mentioned that it got pretty challenging for a while before being able to actually see the views. We were at a spot where we enjoyed a view of the Napali coast from a different angle. Hence, we decided to play it safe and turn around from here.
Stunning view from the Kalalau lookout point at the Napali coast.
There is a lookout point beyond the Kalalau Lookout, however, we had a long day already and a long drive back before we could get some lunch. Hence, we decided to head back to Waimea town. We ate lunch at Island Taco. They had fresh made tacos and burritos 🌯 with homemade salsas. The prices were high but typical of Hawaii. Portions were not too large, but we enjoyed the fresh food after all the exploring.
From here we began the long (roughly 2 hour) drive back to our Airbnb. Once we got back, we rested for a couple hours before heading back out to the beach. We went to Hanalei bay beach an hour or so before sunset. My son and husband enjoyed swimming around in the shallow and extremely calm water of the breathtakingly beautiful beach. I walked around the beach and the pier exploring the area from different angles. This beach does have plenty of parking, a restroom, shower and changing facilities as well. While enjoying our time on the beach, we found a pizza place in Hanalei town called Hanalei Pizza Company 🍕 while browsing for places to eat. This place is super popular and hence busy. They stop taking orders after a few hours of opening. We chose to order ahead. After watching the sunset, getting changed and taking about a million pictures, we headed into town to pick up our pizza.
Water time in Hanalei bay beach.
We parked in the complex where the restaurant is located in Hanalei bay. Here we found the restaurant located kind of in the middle section of the complex. There are several shops and a grocery store in the complex too. Our food was ready. We ate the pizza at some picnic tables located right outside the restaurant (it is pick up only). We saw several people being turned away as they already had more orders than they could accommodate before they close (pro-tip: order ahead). The pizza had some unique tropical toppings and the crust was perfectly cooked.
After pizza, we headed to Jojo Shave ice 🍧 located in the same complex. The line was long but the shave ice was worth it. Try their combination of flavors with the special macadamia nut ice cream. It was the perfect way to end a perfect Hawaiian day.
Day 3 Surfing 🏄🏽 & Queen’s bath
We woke up and headed to Titus Kinimaka’s Hawaiian School Of Surfing 🏄🏽♂️ early around 8am for a surf lesson for my husband and son. There are several surfing schools located in Hanalei bay and in other parts of Kauai as well. We chose this one based on reviews, prices, times available and proximity to where we were staying. We arrived in about 10 minutes from our Airbnb. After signing some paperwork, we drove in our car to the Hanalei bay beach park parking lot. We helped carry the boards to the edge of the water. The instructor gave an introduction just on the boards, while on the sand. Next they moved into the water and began wading out. I stayed back walking around the beach, taking pictures, wading in the water to get some footage of the successful surfs as well. This morning in the beginning of August we had perfect tropical, clear weather, warm ocean and calm baby waves perfect for learning to surf. The instructor was knowledgeable and patient. He stayed mostly with my son, helping his practice. We would definitely recommend this particular school as we had a great experience.
First surf lesson in Hanalei bay beach.
After the lesson we headed back to the Airbnb for a quick change and to pick up the rest of the crew. We were famished, hence went to Wake Up Delicious for breakfast. We had some amazing burritos and waffles in the cutest patio with colorful tables. With full bellies we headed to Queen’s Bath. The Queen’s Bath is a naturally occurring, Olympic-sized swimming pool cut into the rocks and fed by the constant waves of the Pacific ocean. Parking is the most challenging bit about visiting Queen’s bath. There is a tiny parking lot right outside the trailhead, which is mostly always full. The trailhead is located in a fully residential area. Hence, parking is not allowed on any side streets. After driving around for a few minutes to find any alternatives, we decided to just wait in the parking lot for someone to leave. It took about 10-15 minutes before we got a spot. Once parked, we headed down the trailhead in search of the Queen’s Bath. This trail is full of roots and rocks. It can be pretty muddy if it rained recently. We did this hike in hiking sandals. Overall the hike has some tricky areas but it is totally doable. Once you get to the rocks, it is a little easier until the downward climb to the actual pool. You will pass several beautiful spots along the way to the actual Queen’s bath and it is a great place to take some pictures of the majestic Pacific ocean.
Looking out at The Queen’s Bath.
Once at the Queen’s bath, you will notice several warning signs about the tides and accidents that have occurred here. Lucky for us, the tide was pretty low when we visited and we did not experience any dangerous waves. However, it is recommended to use utmost caution if swimming in this area. From our party, only my dad was brave enough to venture for a swim as he was the only one who remembered his swimsuit. We had the morning at the beach and did not think we would want to get in the water again. In hindsight, we should have gone for a swim as it was just beautiful and we were hot from the hike up.
It was hard to leave a place so stunning. However, we had a long hike back and we were all hot and a bit hungry. We drove a short 7 minutes back to the Hanalei bay food truck park. Here we got some Pad Thai from the Thai food truck. It was delicious. We enjoyed the large portions too.
After lunch we headed to the Kilauea Lighthouse (about 20 minutes away). This area is supposed to have expansive views with a chance to see several species of sea birds in addition to the historic lighthouse. Unfortunately, when we arrived here we found it closed. It was a weekday and the middle of the day, hence we did not think to check open times. Apparently it is only open a few day of the week for very limited hours. We recommend checking the timings before visiting.
Since we couldn’t go to the lighthouse, we decided to go to a nearby coffee house in the town of Kilauea. Here we got directions to go to secret beach, a beautiful non-swimming beach located in kind of a residential area with a steep trail down (about 10 minutes away). When we arrived here my son was not happy as we did not initially plan on going here. Despite a lot of explanations, he was struggling with his meltdown. We made it all the way down the rocky, slippery trail to get a glimpse of the gorgeous beach ahead. However, we decided to turn back and come back another day when my son was in a better mood.
Looking out at gorgeous secret beach near the Kilauea town.
Day 4 Napali coast cruise ⛵️
We had our Napali coast sunset boat tour with snorkeling starting at about 1 pm. Hence, we started our day at around 10am. We left the Airbnb to make our way to Big Monster Sushi in Lihue around 50 minutes away. We tried some great vegetarian sushi as well as some noodles and curries. The food was delicious. From here it was about 25 minutes to the Kauai Coffee Company. We had more than an hour before our boat tour check-in. Hence, we stopped by Kauai Coffee Company on the way to the boat tour. This place has free coffee samples as well as coffee drinks and coffee for purchase. The grounds are gorgeous with tropical vegetation, flowers and trees. Parking is easy making it a great short stop when in the south shore area. There is plenty of seating to enjoy snacks. They even have some antique coffee grinders to check out. The coffee from here is available in most of the grocery stores as well, sometimes for a bit cheaper.
Next, we drove about 5 minutes to the Blue Dolphin Charter office to check-in for our tour. The tour provides dinner. We had called a few weeks ago to make a reservation and to request a special vegetarian meal for our entire party.
We got caught in a little bit of rain for the first 20 minutes of the boat tour. Once the rain stopped, we dried off quickly. The ocean conditions were a lot calmer than normal. The captain told us it was the calmest ocean he had experienced all year. We considered ourselves extremely lucky as the Napali coast is notorious for being rough and I always get sea-sick. I had applied 2 sea-sickness patches to prevent this. As we passed all the towns along the coast, the scenery kept getting better and better. Next we arrived at a beautiful snorkeling spot. This spot had coral that needed a bit cooler ocean temperatures. The depth was about 20-30 feet. There were plenty of large, colorful fish and turtles to see. My husband and son jumped in. They enjoyed the snorkeling spot from the ocean, while I enjoyed photographing them in the location from the catamaran. After this stop, we sped along towards the main attraction - The Napali Coast.
Snorkeling along the Napali coast.
As we neared the Napali coast, the waves were a bit higher and the ride got a bit bumpier. The boat got as close as possible to the cliffs, caves and waterfalls along the coast, while sharing Hawaiian stories related to these areas. We thoroughly enjoyed listening to these legends of Hawaiian Gods and Kings as well as learning about how these cliffs were inhabited in the past. As I had forgone the nausea medication to try the patch, I was increasingly nauseous with the bumping up against the cliffs in the rough waves. I did end up throwing up overboard once. After that I felt fine. My son was a bit nervous with how much the catamaran was rocking when we were close to the cliffs. However, once we moved away from the coast it was much calmer.
Sea cave along the Napali coast.
After the close-up view of the Napali coast, its coves, caves, cliffs and beaches, the captain took the catamaran further out to sea. From here we got a gorgeous zoomed out view of the jagged cliffs you can only get from the ocean. The crew began the dinner service as we turned around to head back to the port. We were served lentil meat loaves with salad and dinner rolls. As my stomach was not quite settled, I opted to skip my meal. We got to see dolphins swimming alongside our catamaran on the way there and back. After the meal service, the captain stopped the catamaran at a picturesque spot so we could enjoy a stunning sunset over the Pacific ocean. This was one of the most beautiful and memorable sunsets we have experienced together as a family.
Boat ride sunset on the Napali coast.
When we rolled back into port, it was already dark. We stopped by the Taco Bell in Lihue (only one on the island) to pick up some burritos as some of us had forgone our dinner on the catamaran. From Lihue it was just under an hour to get back to our Airbnb. We had the best time, seeing the most beautiful coastline along with a stunning sunset. Even with the longer drive time we definitely recommend this particular tour from the south side of the island.
Day 5 Wailua, Poipu & Shipwreck ⛱️
We had our breakfast at the Airbnb on this morning before making our way to ‘Opaeka’a Falls in Wailua about 40 minutes away. This waterfall is away from the coast towards the lush, green center of the island. This area has many residential areas and beautiful local communities. The waterfall is visible from viewing area in the parking lot, however the waterfall is actually quite far away. It is only visible as a tiny speck in a mountain of green. The parking lot can accommodate many cars and has a restroom as well. Just across the street from the parking area, there is another view point with a gorgeous view of lush mountains along with a river valley. We enjoyed this view a bit more than the faraway waterfall.
Opaekaa falls in Wailua.
From here we drove on to Wailua falls about 20 minutes away. These falls are one of the most popular on the island due to the ease to view them along with the picturesque setting. This double waterfall can easily be viewed from the roadside. Parking can be challenging as this area is pretty popular with tourists. We parked on the side of the road about 5 minutes away from the viewing area where we found someone pulling out. Several locals sell various fruit salads, juices and other snacks near the viewpoint. We indulged in some fresh juice to cool-off. The trail down to the base of the waterfall is technically closed. We did see an opening in the metal fence where several people were trying to get to the trail, ignoring the closed signs.
Wailua falls
After enjoying the waterfalls, we worked up an appetite and made our way to pick up some lunch from Da Crack Mexican Grinds in the Poipu beach area about 30 minutes away. The food here was delicious, fresh and flavorful. There was not much options for seating around, hence we decided to take our lunch to Poipu beach and have a beachside picnic.
We waited for a few minutes in the Poipu beach parking lot for someone to leave before we found a spot. Then we carried all our beach gear and food towards the beach. We enjoyed our food at one of the picnic tables with a view of the beach. After lunch, we found a spot on the beach and got changed in the restrooms at the beach park. Restrooms, showers and changing rooms are available in this beach park.
Playing in Poipu beach.
Poipu beach is one of the best beaches on Kauai for leisurely swimming, especially for kids. This beach is supposed to have a kind of protected cove with a shallow area, which is especially great for kids. Unfortunately, we did not experience this calm, gentle side of Poipu beach. The weather was cloudy and incredibly windy on the day we were there. The waves were too high for us to even stand comfortably in waist deep water without being thrown about. The tide was too high to walk to the little island close to the beach. This beach is quite a bit more rocky than Hanalei bay, hence water shoes are highly recommended to avoid cuts and scrapes.
After we got showered and changed, we made our way to the trailhead for Mahaulepu Heritage trail, also known as Poipu cliffs. This trail begins at Shipwreck beach and goes in through the trees and up the sandy, rocky hills behind the beach. We walked around for just under a mile exploring the cliffs and enjoying spectacular coastal views. Some areas may be challenging to climb due to sharp rocks and sand, but we all managed fine in hiking sandals. The day was extremely humid and pretty warm. We were out of water as well. Hence, we decided to head back and find something to drink.
Shipwreck beach viewpoint.
We made our way to The Shops at Kukui‘ula about 5 minutes away to get some snacks and do some shopping. We spent about an hour here. Lappert’s ice cream is a local gem. The mango and macadamia nut flavors were just spectacular. The snow cone shop in this mall was not as good as some of the other ones on the island. There are several shops for housewares, T-shirts, kids stuff and any other souvenir needs.
From here we made our way to Shivalik Indian Restaurant in Kapaʻa for dinner before making our way back to our Airbnb in Princeville. The restaurant was nothing spectacular in setting or food. It was just decent food. Once finished with dinner, we drove back without any additional stops.
Day 6 Beach, Monastery & Train 🚂
The next morning we got ready after breakfast to hike down to a secluded beach. This hike begins from the parking area of the Sealodge condos in Princeville. There is no designated parking spots for visitors heading down to the beach. We recommend parking at your own risk. The trail begins towards the back of the condo complex going downward towards some old buildings and then becomes more of a jagged trail. The trail is moderately challenging at times. It requires scrambling over rocks and holding on to a rope while climbing down to the beach with a short but steep drop off. The trail can be more challenging if recent rains have made it more muddy and slippery. We did this hike in our Chacos and had no issues other than some rock climbing. We did not intend to swim here. However, we read some reports that the snorkeling is good in this area. There is a good amount of shade present from a dense group of trees to the back. This is a great spot for an early morning swim and picnic. We arrived around 9 am and left around 10am. When we were leaving, a large group of people just showed up. We enjoyed the hike especially the coastal boulder walking.
The hike to the beach behind Sealodge condos.
The beach and bay near Sealodge condos.
After this hike, we needed some freshening up, restroom use and changing of clothes. We went back to our Airbnb a few minutes away and left again in about 15 minutes. From here, we headed to the Kauai Hindu Monastery past the Wailua river state park. On our roughly 45 minute drive, we drove past local communities, beautiful houses, local schools, stores and local farms. Unfortunately, the monastery was closing when we arrived. They provide scarves to coverup arms and legs prior to entering the monastery. We missed checking the times prior to arriving, hence were late by about 10 minutes. The gift shop was open. Here they sold handmade beaded bracelets made from sacred Rudraksh beads collected from the Rudraksh tree grove nearby. The Rudraksh tree seeds are considered sacred in Hinduism. This is the only grove of Rudraksh trees anywhere outside of India. Hence, it was a real treat for our parents. The seeds fallen off the tree naturally were free to collect. Hence, we collected as many as we could. We enjoyed a picnic lunch in the Rudraksh tree grove on the available picnic tables. We had on-hand subway sandwiches we picked up from the gas station. Overall, this was a great experience even though we missed out on the monastery itself.
Rudraksh beeds from Kauai Hindu Monastery.
From the Wailua area we drove towards Lihue to the Kilohana Kauai Plantation Railway about 10 minutes away. We had tickets for the last train ride of the day at 2 pm. We arrived a few minutes before our train was set to leave. Restrooms are available onsite. The train ride took us through this magnificent plantation growing fruits, vegetables and grains from all over the world. It was impressive to see just how fertile and beneficial the hawaiian soil can be for plants from the world over. We got to taste some starfruit right off of the tree! The train ride took us to see some hogs and chickens as well. We enjoyed feeding some of the animals. Overall, the train ride is under an hour. Our railfan son enjoyed it. After this ride, we had some time. We headed for the open air mall right on the highway. Here we did some souvenir shopping and had some snow cones.
Kauai Plantation Railway.
Once we got back to Princeville, we went to dinner at a local Thai restaurant in the same shopping complex as the grocery store. The food was great but the wait was long. After dinner we wanted to have ice cream at Lappets again, (as it was so good the first time) but unfortunately it was closed by the time we finished dinner. Hence, picked up some local brand ice cream from the grocery store to enjoy at our Airbnb.
Day 7 Hā’ena, Kalalau, Ke’e & Kīlauea 🥾
This morning was an early start. We had reservations for parking at Hā’ena State Park from 8 am to 12 noon. We reserved this about 3 months ago (when the reservations opened up) staying up till midnight as that is when the new reservation days are added. There is a shuttle option which allows more time. However, we did not prefer all the back and forth the shuttle would require. Additionally, the per person charge for our entire party would add up quickly. Hā’ena State Park is the beginning of the Kalalau trail and Ke’e Beach.
Going up the Kalalau trail from Ke’e Beach.
The walk from the parking lot winds through some beautiful taro fields on a wooden walkway. The walk is about 10 minutes long. Once we arrived, we first headed towards the beach to check it out. The beach is one of the most gorgeous on all of Kauai. We started our time by beginning our hike on the Kalalau trail. We hiked (climbed really) up to the 0.5 mile marker view point. This trail is pretty challenging. Even though we only did a mile roundtrip, the climb was strenuous, at times slippery and challenging. We were comfortable in grippy hiking sandals. The view of the Napali coast from the viewpoint is nothing short of breathtaking. This view made the challenging hike worth all the effort to get up there. There is a viewpoint at the 0.25 mile marked as well where we enjoyed a gorgeous view of Ke’e beach below.
Napali coast viewpoint up the Kalalau trail.
Once we arrived back down to the beach, we got changed in the restrooms. There are showers available outside the beach as well. The beach was just magnificent. The water remains shallow for a while. The sand is soft except for some rocky sections. Some people reported seeing a turtle around the reef. The snorkeling is great near the reef as well. The beach is long with room to spread out. We changed and got ready to leave as our time was up. After leaving, we headed to Nourish Hanalei for some açai bowls and wrap. The view is just stunning from this spot. The entire Hanalei bay and the mountains surrounding it can be seen from this glorious view point. From here we headed home for some rest time.
View of the Hanalei bay and mountains from Nourish Hanalei.
We headed back out to the town of Kilauea. We completed the hike down to secret beach. The trail was steep but we were determined as our son was in better spirits this time around. This beach is not for swimming, however we did see some people surfing. The water was rough. This added to the rustic beauty of this beach. I enjoyed a peaceful walk along the beach as my husband and son enjoyed flying the drone. We were the only people here at the time. After this beach we headed to dinner at Kilauea Bakery & Pizzeria. The pizza was excellent and the location in the older shopping complex was charming. After enjoying the pizza we headed to our Airbnb for a relaxing evening.
Secret beach near Kilauea town.
Day 8 Surf, garden 🪴 & beach
This was our last full day on the island. We were really sad to be leaving. We decided to use the morning to get one more practice of the surfing techniques the boys had learned. I used the time to relax on the beach while taking in the beautiful weather and surroundings. The parents relaxed at the Airbnb, sleeping in a bit. We returned to the Airbnb to shower and change. Then we headed for lunch in Hanalei town. We tried Hanalei Gourmet. The restaurant offers fresh made bread, soups and sandwiches. After enjoying our meal, we headed to the Limahuli Botanical Gardens about 20 minutes from Hanalei bay town. We passed many picturesque local communities along the way as well as some gorgeous beaches and a couple of farmers markets. Some of the islands popular beaches like Tunnels beach, and Cannon’s beach is located around here.
Napali mountain range bordering Limahuli botanical gardens.
The gardens were laid out beautifully into terraces, showcasing the mountains and offering glimpses of the ocean as well. There is a bit of climbing involved in completing the route. We saw numerous native species of trees, shrubs, edible plants etc. They have some traditional huts as well. The day was hot and humid. There is not much shade along this walk. We spent about 90 minutes here and headed back. Parking is pretty challenging to get to Tunnels beach. There is no specific lot. People typically try to find street parking. However, this can be a mile or more of a walk from the beach itself. We wanted to check out a beach, but we did not want to go for a swim. We chose Haena Beach park located between the popular Tunnels beach and Cannon’s beach. This beach park has a parking lot, some food trucks, restrooms and a changing area. There are some shaded areas available towards the back to relax in a beach chair. We had to wait a good 20 minutes for someone to leave from the parking lot before we could park and head to the beach. We grabbed some fresh smoothies and walked around the beach for a bit. This was the last of the north shore beaches for this trip. We definitely were not ready to leave.
The evening was just dinner back in Hanalei bay town accompanied by some last minute shopping for things to bring back. We spent some time organizing our stuff in preparation for checking out the next morning.
Day 9 Heading southward & airport 🛫
We had to check-out from our Airbnb by 10am. However, our flight did not leave until 9pm. Hence, we made a few stops before heading to the airport. First, we headed to Donkey beach towards the east side of the island. This beach has its own parking area with restrooms. From the parking lot, it is about a half a mile walk along a perfectly paved and shaded walkway. The last bit of the walk to get down to the beach from the path can be a bit of a challenge. Just holding on to someone was enough to make it down safely. We did see a couple of families swimming just in the area where the waves break. We felt the water was too rough for enjoying beach time. The beach had a rustic, rough charm. We walked around for a while enjoying the sea breeze and pleasant weather. We found some rock for perching on too.
Donkey beach
After a while, we headed further down the road to Kapaa town. We wanted to grab lunch at one of the food truck parks. However, it was too sunny to sit on the available benches and eat as there was absolutely no shade. We ended up picking up some Indian food from a food truck and driving a couple minutes down to some covered picnic areas by the water. The food was perfect with a perfect view. From here, we headed down to Lihue to walk around the shopping area to kill time. Initially, we planned on going down to the Poipu area to check out the blowhole. However, we read that the traffic getting from Poipu to the airport can get pretty backed-up in the evenings as all the tourists are heading to the airport and there is only 1 road to get there. Plus, there was construction going on. We played it safe and spent time in Lihue even though there was not much to do. Eventually, we picked up some snacks from Starbucks in the mall and dinner from Taco Bell, and headed to the airport.
Picnic area by the ocean near Kapaa town, close to food trucks.
Once we returned the car (which is much faster than renting the car 😃), we went in through the checkpoint to wait by our gate. The Kauai airport is pretty small. There is 1 restaurant which was closed and 1 Starbucks, where we got some drinks. There is 1 souvenir shop as well. We ate our Taco bell burritos at dinner time and waited for the plane to board. Just like that our time in one of the most beautiful places came to an end!