Kauai, part 1

We're back from Kauai with lots of stories and photos to share!

For the first part of the trip, we camped at Anini beach on the North Shore of the island. We arrived shortly after sundown on a Thursday, so it was a challenge to pick out a good site in the dark, especially when it seemed like a lot of the good sites had been taken. But we found a nice sandy spot right on the beach and set up camp. Matt baked some bread and we had a quick dinner before collapsing into our sleeping bags. We woke the next morning to check out our surroundings.

We pitched our tent underneath a large false almond tree, which had a few low-hanging branches that were perfect for a hammock (or just sitting, as Matt demonstrates below). There was unfortunately no picnic bench, but we had the foresight to buy a couple reed beach mats when we landed. The mats provided a good place for us to cook and eat without worrying too much about the sand.

Matt and our Anini campsite -- I'm standing on the beach here.

Anini Beach was a beautiful stretch of beach completely protected by a large reef about 200 - 300 ft off shore. The waves broke over the outer edge of this reef, and as a result, the beach was always very calm with almost no waves. This made snorkeling pretty easy, although there was still a fairly strong current to fight against. The beach itself was made mostly of little bits of coral, probably evidence for how strong the waves hit that outer reef edge. We woke at dawn each morning to gorgeous skies.

Sunrise over Anini

The view from our campsite

A lone SUP'er in the morning

Coral finds on Anini Beach

One of our first excursions on the North Shore was to Secret Beach and the Secret Lava Pools. These pools are usually very accessible in the summer, but in the winter, the high surf can make the trek a little  less safe. We climbed along the lava rocks as far as we felt comfortable going, then sat for a while and enjoyed the view. The sea was literally stirring itself before our eyes.

Waves churning over a sandbar at Secret Beach

The eastern part of Secret Beach follows a high cliff wall teaming with plant life.  Closer inspection revealed that there was fresh water literally pouring over virtually all parts of the cliff. It seemed like a great place to be a plant.

A living wall

Constant watering

Later that day, we decided to head over to the town of Hanalei for some shave ice.  We made it a priority to sample the local treats around the island, shave ice being one of the most popular.  We also enjoyed fresh coconuts, pineapples, and several ridiculously good coconut brownies from a local farmer's market in Kapa'a.  En route to Hanalei, we passed the famous Hanalei Lookout, where you can see the taro fields and surrounding mountains in a breathtaking view of the landscape.

Hanalei Lookout

We also wanted to check out some of the famous waterfalls on the North Shore of the island. We hiked about a mile or so to Ho'opi'i falls, a favorite among the locals. The views of the falls were somewhat obstructed, but we enjoyed the pretty hike nonetheless.

Hiking to Ho'opi'i

A forest of white trees

We also stopped to check out a view of the Wailua River, where lots of kayak tours converge. If you squint, you can see several kayaks on the river, below. Next we stopped at Wailua falls, which you can see from the roadside.

Another excellent day for kayaking on the Wailua River

Wailua Falls

After three days on the North Shore, we packed up our tent and moved to the South Shore for 2 nights. Stay tuned for Part 2!