4 Ways to Enjoy Nature in Kauai

Aloha, Kim here! Move over Maui, I think you've just been replaced as my favorite Hawaiian island! My husband and I recently got back from five bliss filled days in Kauai and first off, five days in Kauai is not enough. Second, this place definitely lives up to its reputation as "the garden island." Whether you're up for an adventure or just want sit back and relax, this quick travel guide has a little something for everyone. Read on for four ways to enjoy the natural wonders of Kauai.

**01. PLAY AT THE BEACH**

Okay, so I'm starting off with the most obvious activity to do in Kauai. The island has an overabundance of breath taking beaches, but these we're my favorites:

Hanalei Bay - the water here is calm, the beach is long, and there are restrooms and showers. A perfect spot to relax all day. If you get hungry or realize you forgot something, there are a bunch of restaurants, food trucks, and shops all within a short walk from the beach.

Hideaways Beach - this beach is a little bit harder to get to. The parking lot is located just in front of the St. Regis Hotel and the trail to walk to the beach is between the parking lot and the condo building behind it. The trail is pretty steep and can get slick and muddy. There are ropes along the trail and you will need to hang onto them! So I would recommend packing light and wear hiking shoes for sure. However, once you get down to the beach the view is unbelievable! The giant cliffs surrounding the beach give off a sense of privacy and the water is such a gorgeous blue. There are lots of trees on the beach to provide plenty of shade too.

Kealia Beach We found ourselves going back to this beach quite a bit during our trip. There are really big waves here making it perfect for skim boarding, our favorite beach activity, and boogie boarding and surfing too I guess. This beach is surprisingly safe for kids to swim in, since the water is pretty shallow. This beach probably has the most "amenities" out of all the beaches we went to - large parking lot, shaded picnic areas, bathrooms, showers, and lifeguards. It also seemed pretty normal for people to drive their trucks/SUVs right onto the beach and have a pretty nice set up for the day.

**02. EAT LOCALLY SOURCED FOOD**

Every now and then, we'd take a break from our spam musubi binge and eat something fresh and local.

AMA Restaurant had it all. Amazing asian inspired food, like ramen and bao buns, served in an open patio setting with gorgeous views of the mountains.

Bar Acuda which, coincidentally is right next door to AMA, is a cute tapas place with delicious cocktails. Reservations are needed! Unless you're cool with sitting at the bar, which is what we did.

And for dessert, you can't miss the shave ice from Waikomo. What makes this place different than every other shave ice stand? Their syrups are completely natural made with organic cane sugar and it comes topped with fresh fruit and home made coconut cream. The result is shave ice that isn't overly sweet and doesn't have an artificial fruit flavor to it.

**03. PADDLE OUT TO A WATERFALL**

Along the Wailua River, you can paddle board or kayak to a place called Secret Falls. The falls are no secret, you'll see plenty of tour groups there. But the experience paddling along the river is sooo serene.

A few tips: you will need water proof hiking shoes for the hike to the falls, the trail was crazy muddy when we went and we also crossed a few streams to get there. There are plentY of companies that rent out kayaks and boards but make sure you call well in advance to reserve! We tried calling the day before and everything was already booked for the whole week. Luckily Kamokila Hawaiian Village does rentals on a first come basis, so we made sure to get there promptly at 8:00 when they opened.

**04. TAKE A HIKE**

I clearly saved the best activity for last. Waimea Canyon park is the most stunning place!

There are a lot of ways to experience the canyon, lots of hikes, scenic drives, and overlooks. But if you're like us and only have one day to take in the place you have to do the Awaawapuhi Trail hike, you will not regret it! The trail is 6.5 miles long, it took us maybe 3.5-4 hours with a nice long break to take in the sights and eat a snack. The trail itself is pretty uneventful, it's a steady decline down making the hike back a work out. But once you get to the trail end, the views are EPIC!