Kauai

The garden island – everything is so lush and green! Our condo was a perfect spot to set down home base and explore the island. We were surprised to find that it came equipped with everything we could possibly need, spices and condiments, sunscreen, towels and bedding, laundry soap, beach chairs.

We quickly realized that we had over-packed. A quick trip to the grocery store and we were all set for our week. The weather in Kauai was perfect, mid to high 20s and the sunshine felt incredible! We explored nearby beaches of Hanalai Bay, Princeville and found some favorites with the “secret beach” and Anini beach.

Anini beach was the perfect spot to snorkel and for the kids to play in the shallow calm water. The water was crystal clear and the girls found this to be a great spot to try out their snorkelling gear, although many small fish and sea life were visible from above the water. The beach is long and there are many different spots to park along the road that follows along the shoreline, making it very easy to find a little piece of the beach to call your own. We were a bit unprepared for the monthly testing of the tsunami alarms which caught us off guard – the sound is ear piercing when you are parked close to an alarm tower, but some quick research got us up to speed that it was only a drill.

We visited the Kamokila Hawaiian Village where we got a first hand look at a traditional Hawaiian Village and learned about the culture and customs of the indigenous Hawaiian people. We also went to a Luau and experienced the Hula, Tahitian drum dances and a Samoan fire knife dance. It was so interesting to learn so much about Hawaiian Culture.