Kauai - The Garden Isle
There’s a reason why Kauai was nicknamed the Garden Isle. The amount of green there exists on the island was just astonishing.
During this trip, I spent around 5 days around the island. Each day I spent around the island was an absolute blast. As much as I loved the two other islands that I went to, this is probably by far the best one. The food, the landscape, the people, the adventure with friends made the trip exhausting at the end but worth it in every way.
Let’s dive into my week there!
Day 1 (Monday, January 17, 2022): Landing, Costco Shopping, Checking out Wailua Falls, Dinner at Lava Lava
On Monday morning, I flew out at 7AM from LAX. It was a somewhat crowded airport but was able to hop on the ride within minutes of last call. (I’m very good at that)
First thing when we landed was to head to Costco shopping. Mainly for some small breakfasts and water so we keep ourselves hydrated. Along with grabbing a Chirashi Bowl at a small local store and it was not great but it was not bad. But definitely on the pricier side.
Following the Costco shopping was our first stop to Wailua Falls. Unfortunately, the hike down to the waterfalls was closed and it did seem a bit dangerous. The photos that I took with the limited view was not that great. So we left.
However, we stopped by an area that had some interesting trees that looked safari-like. I thought that it made a cool photo to keep.
Our final stop was dinner at Lava Lava. This was recommended by our flight attendant and it was just ok in terms of food. Since we were hungry, anything made us satisfied at this point in time. It was a tiring day of traveling but we finally got to the Airbnb and crashed.
Photo Description
First Photo: Bowl of Chirashi after we landed. It was not the best chirashi I’ve had but it good for a late lunch.
Second Photo: A cool shot that I saw on our way to Wailua falls of the mountains behind the safari looking trees.
Third Photo: Found a hand woven crown sitting on the rock near Lava Lava. Wanted to take a photo of it as it was a cool item that I saw around the beach.
Fourth Photo: Stopped by the Coconut Marketplace to walk around.
Grass field in Kauai - Shot with Sony A7II (24-105mm f4 Lens)
Day 2 (Tuesday, January 18, 2022): Ziplining & Hiking
Note: Glad I brought hiking shoes for this trip
For this day, I did not bring my camera to the ziplining as the guides instructed us not to bring anything while ziplining. Only photo captured was of me ziplining upside down. For this ziplining tour, it was a total of 8 ziplining courses. I usually have low expectations of ziplining with the low altitude views but this was definitely fun to do. The final course was half a mile long and it was quite enjoyable to zip through at 16 mph speeds on a line.
Following the ziplining, the tour guide recommended Koaloa Fish Market. By far the best poke that I have had. With the variety and toppings that they give out, it was much worth. Highly recommend this spot for whoever visits.
When I evaluate poke, I judge the…
Texture of the fish
Variety of toppings
Marinated sauce with the fish
Quantity of how much they give you
Presentation
…all of which checked off my checklist as an Poke enthusiast.
Since my friends and I were drenched and a bit dirty from the ziplining, we decided to take on a hike near the Na Pali coast. The name of the trail that we hiked was the Kalalau Lookout. This was by far a muddy and slippery hike. We decided to get as close as possible to the tip of Na Pali but it was a dangerous hike. It was definitely not do-able so we turned back at a certain point.
Photo Description:
First Photo: Koloa Fish Market front sign.
Second Photo: Koloa Fish Market, hands down the best poke I have ever had.
Third Photo: Looking over the Na Pali Coast in amazement.
Fourth Photo: Photo of the Na Pali Coast.
Day 3 (Wednesday, January 19, 2022): Helicopter Tour, Tunnels Beach, Browsing Around and Queens Bath
This was somewhat of a chill day.
On Wednesday morning, I took a helicopter ride with Mauna Loa Helicopter Tours. The photography tour was a bit pricey but with all of the amazing views around in Kauai, it was worth it. It was fascinating to see how green Kauai was. The pilot took us close to some waterfalls, mountains, and the Na Pali Coast. Unfortunately, the lighting was not that great to get some shots of the coast but it was worth an experience.
Following the helicopter tour was Tunnels Beach and Queens Bath where we would just walk around and relax. While we were sore this day, it was nice to take it easy and slow.
Photo Description:
First Photo: Photo near the inactive volcano in Kauai
Second Photo: Acai Bowl at Kalalea Juice Hale
Third Photo: Side mirror and Kauai shot from the car
Fourth Photo: Photo at Tunnels Beach of the beautiful palm trees
Fifth Photo: Tunnel Beach walking shot
Sixth Photo: Inside a ukulele shop in Kauai, sold beautiful ukuleles around with a wonderful employee.
Seventh Photo: Friend posing near Queens Bath.
Eight Photo: DJI Drone shot of Queens Bath from above.
Day 4 (Thursday, January 20, 2022): Tubing, Souvenir Shopping, More Poke and Driving Around
By this day, the three of us were all tired. Could not wait to come back home. It was after days of high energy intense activities that made us take this day to relax.
On Thursday morning, my friends and I went tubing. I did not want to take the risk of having the camera with me while tubing but it was a fun experience. There were a couple of cool spots for photos but for the most part, it was ok not taking the camera.
After the tubing activity (which ended around 1), we took the rest of the day to try recommended poke spot, grab some smoothie and drive around. We were on day 4 which meant that we needed to get some souvenirs for our friends and fam.
Photo Description:
First Photo: After tubing, went straight for Pono Fish Market. This was recommended by our tour guide and it was talked about a lot on
Second Photo: Taking photos of the mangos nearby Pono Fish Market
Third Photo: Just a sign outside of Pono Fish Market
Fourth Photo: Up close photo of some mangos
Fifth Photo: Pono Fish Market Poke
Sixth Photo: Back at Kalalea Juice for some smoothies
Seventh Photo: Driving around some fun and fast roads
Eighth Photo: Buying snacks / souvenirs
Day 5 (Friday, January 21, 2022): Returning Home
On the last day of the adventures, we decided to stop by to grab some more food and poke.
We stopped by a recommended spot called Lawai’a where the poke was probably my second favorite. It checked off all of my requirements in what I look for when I grab poke.
Since we had some time to spare, we stopped by for some smoothies and a small park before we took off. As tired as we were, it was a fun last day.
Photo Description:
First Photo: Visited Lawai’a Fish Co., some fresh
Second Photo: Photo of the the three bowls
Third Photo: Ordering from Sunrise Coffee
Fourth Photo: Photo of friend
Fifth Photo: Acai Bowl
Sixth Photo: Walking around through a random forest
Seventh Photo: Portrait shot
Eighth Photo: Flight back that day
Food and Drinks:
Koloa Fish Market - Hands down one of the best poke spots that I went to. Highly recommend going.
Pono Fish Market - The food was good. There were mainly 2 proteins and rice. Even though it lacked some variety of toppings, the quality of the fish were on point.
Kalalea Juice Hale - Probably one of the best spots with amazing
Lawai’a Fish Co. - This was on par with the Koloa Fish Market, another highly recommended spot. The toppings made this delicious.
Final Remarks:
By far, one of the most gorgeous spots that I’ve been to. I miss the food, the landscape, the friends and the overall experience there. Would 10 / 10 come back again someday. Thank you Kauai!
