Kauai - Exploring Hawaii's Garden Isle

One day in early Fall of 2014, we received an offer in the mail from Starwood Hotels and Resorts for a great deal to stay at the Westin Princeville Kauai for 5 nights/6 days. We had never been to Hawaii and it wasn't even on our radar. It wasn't even on my travel plan! And when most people think of a first-time visit to Hawaii, they envision Maui or Honolulu.  This further intrigued me...a chance to explore an area totally un-researched (at least by me anyway). We are frequent travelers to the Caribbean, but had never done the Pacific. And we LOVE Westin Hotels. So when I ran this by hubby he said "Sure, why not?" And a trip was birthed.

After some online research and checking our family schedule, I decided the best time for the trip would be April. I checked Google to compare flights (www.google.com/flights), and as it turns out, departing on a Thursday and returning on a Wednesday was the cheapest option. By the way, this site is awesome, as it shows via a calendar the cheapest airline and day(s) to travel to your destination! 

Leading up to our trip, our Westin concierge Jana, was already in contact. She sent us a postcard, and we spoke on the phone prior to our departure. She gave us dining recommendations, as well as her advice on activities during our stay.

ARRIVAL/THE WESTIN PRINCEVILLE

After a very long trip including leaving our home before dawn, and a connection in Phoenix, we arrived mid-to-late afternoon. At the Westin, first impressions rule, and we had an easy check-in with a friendly gentleman at the front desk. We then spoke with Jana again, who gave us a quick run-down of the resort and a handful of brochures. Soon we were off on our way to our room, while first stopping off at the pool bar for a Blue Hawaiian for me and a beer for my husband (happy hour!).

Just beyond a green on the Makai golf course, outside of our room at the Westin Princeville Kauai

Everything about the Westin Princeville is well, like a Westin should be - immaculate. Our room (a one bedroom suite I believe), was just perfect for my husband and me. (In my opinion, it might get a little crowded with the addition of children). There was a full size fridge, microwave, sink and stove top. The room had a large bathroom with a huge tub (which in island destinations can be a rarity). From our room, we had a beautiful view of the Makai golf course and the ocean, even though these rooms are typically reserved for timeshare owners. The Westin property and grounds are beautiful with lush gardens which are meticulously maintained. In my experience, the staff was very friendly and helpful and sometimes I felt they anticipated our needs before I even had to ask for something.

Breakfast with the koi at the Westin Princeville

Poolside at the Westin

ACTIVITIES

Hanapepe Friday Night Art Walk

The Hanapepe Friday Night Art Walk, basically an arts and crafts festival, is held every friday night in this tiny town on the south side of the island. I have to say Jana warned us Hanapepe was quite a haul (one hour) from the resort and advised us to partake in other South-side-of-the-island activities on the same day. We actually decided against this, because I wanted to shower and treat Friday night like a true date night - and not be sweaty and wet from our day's adventures. We dined, we shopped, we visited with locals, and perused the Western most independent book store in the U.S. While Hanapepe was a cute and fun experience - it's an experience which can be done in an hour. And it's very casual. So, you can totally do this on your way back from a day's excursion or beach trip. If you find yourself on this side of the island on Friday evening, definitely swing by.

Casual but yummy dinner at Bobbie's in Hanapepe

Live entertainment at Bobbie's during the Friday Night Art Walk

Hiking the Na Pali Coast to Hankapi'ai Falls  

After reading reviews of this hike on TripAdvisor, I was pretty sure we either (A) weren't going to do it or (B) would take the easy route and just do the 2-mile portion to the "beach" and back. Reviews range from "not for the faint of heart" to "rugged" to "wow, wow, wow", and "worth the reward." I blame it on my hubby who I quote: "Come on, we got this." At the time all I was thinking was, "well...I do work out" and "I can burn off all the extra calories I'm eating." Right. So on the day of our hike, we ate an early breakfast at the Westin and hit the trail head between 9:00-9:30 AM on a bright, sunny April day. The 2-mile portion to the beach is rocky and both uphill and downhill at times, but not extremely difficult. The sights of the NaPali coast on this portion of the hike are pretty spectacular, and worth it if  you're just doing the 2 miles in and back out. At this point, we decided to make the additional 3-mile trek up to the waterfall. (It's 8-miles round trip). Holy danger. The trek between the "beach" and the water fall is treacherous with very narrow paths at times with steep cliffs, slippery rocks, and at least 3 streams to cross with rushing water. At one stream crossing, I lost my grip and my husband grabbed my arm, or I would have been a goner. As we got closer to the waterfall (and thinking of giving up), it started to rain. Things became even more slippery and treacherous, but we kept on - literally being cheered on by other people we met along the trail. Many said "It's not much farther," and "It's worth it." So we pushed on.  And then - the reward - the awesome waterfall and natural swimming hole, which we had virtually to ourselves. After a very cold dip and some photos, we then we had to hike out. In the pouring rain. And I thought I was going to die. BUT WE MADE IT! And I'm so glad we did, as I consider it a big achievement and very precious memory from this trip.

A few notes: prior to our trip, my husband and I both purchased Keen hiking sandals in anticipation of this hike, and they were awesome. Although I did have some major blisters, I can't imagine what this hike would have been like without these water-proof hiking shoes! In early April this hike was not that busy, but I understand during peak travel times, it can get quite crowded. That would add to the difficulty level of this hike.

Creating our own parking space at the trail head for the Hankapi'ai Falls

NaPali coast sights along the Hankapi'ai Falls hike

Sights along the Hankapi'ai Falls hike

Treacherous water crossings on the Hankapi'ai Falls hike

WE DID IT! (Soaking wet, dirty and very tired after 6 hours of hiking!)

Boat Trip to the NaPali Coast

The next day after our hike, we were scheduled for a 1/2 day boat trip with Captain Andy's to the NaPali coast, which included a BBQ lunch. I had booked this prior to leaving home, as Captain Andy's was highly rated on TripAdvisor and also recommended by Jana. We once again had to trek to the south side of the island to catch the boat, meaning we had to leave the hotel before dawn. Thankfully, it was fun trip with a great crew, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Dolphin sightings are normal occurrences on these trips, as well as Great Humpback whales during the season (typically December-April), and we saw both! The Na Pali coast is simply stunning, and I really had a better appreciation of it after hiking the previous day. Truly it doesn't translate through photos; it's breathtaking.

Na Pali Coast Boat Tour. Is this gorgeous or what?

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

Fun tip: the rainiest place in the world - Mt. Waialeale - is on Kauai

The north shore of the island did tend to be more overcast and rainy than the rest of the island, so travelers may want to keep that in mind. However, the upside of the North shore is the Westin resort of course, beautiful views of the Napali coast and close proximity to the St. Regis resort and the city of Hanalei.

Another plus of the Westin- they offered us a hospitality suite to come back to after we checked out on the 6th day, because our flight wasn't until 8:50 PM. This was a life saver, as we were able to enjoy our last day sightseeing and hitting the beach.

Other parts of our awesome trip included: shopping and more shopping, golfing at Makai (hubby), cabana massage at the hotel (me), checking out the St Regis, touring the Kilauea Lighthouse, seeing the Sprouting Horn, tastings at Koloa Rum, and relaxing on the beach. It was a wonderful six days, and yet we didn't see everything the island has to offer. Kauai is abundantly beautiful, and I can't wait to return one day soon, and maybe tackle some more hiking. Aloha!

**For my full review of the Westin Princeville on TripAdvisor, click here.**