We met our good friends and stayed the remainder of our time at Lae Nani—a beautiful condo complex with the most breathtaking landscape on the east side of Kaua’i in a town called Kapa’a. This part of the island, where you can watch spectacular sunrises, is called the Royal Coconut Coast. It is considered a holy area where the Hawaiian royalty used to live. We explored waterfalls, chased rainbows, and went to a luau. Of the 5 previous luaus I have been to, this one was my favorite so I will post the details below.
Here are some of our unforgettable adventures in pictures.
The Royal Coconut Coast – East Kaua’i
Lae Nani Condos in Kapa’a on Kaua’i’s Royal Coconut Coast. Starfish 411 is simply the best condo we have stayed in. Look at the grounds and the view! The grounds were destroyed by past hurricanes, and a master gardener redesigned everything. It’s stunning.Waterfall hunting. First stop – Wailua Falls Next – ʻŌpaekaʻa FallsFresh coconut water by the Falls.I bought a beautiful lei from a beautiful lady who had a mobile shop set up in the parking lot. Her father was friends with Elvis!
Heading West– the Na Pali Coast
Sailing on the 55’ catamaran along the Na Pali Coast with Capt Andy’s! I am all smiles here but the trip back was rough. My motion sickness medication did not help with the white caps and the swirling sea! Lots of waterfalls, caves, and breathtaking cliffs! And Dolphins!! So many dolphins with their babies🐬 Sunny skies (calm before the rough seas)
The conch shells signal the start of the luau and the Imu Ceremony begins! Imu is an underground oven and a traditional Hawaiian method of cooking the kalua pig and rice pudding for the luau. According to Kamika Smith (general manager), they used to get the pigs right on Kauai, but since Covid the pigs now come from Oahu.Before our feast, we took a tour of the gardens, which have been in the Smith Family for over 50 years. This Wailua River Valley is a truly special place for a luau.A tour of the gardens, the Imu ceremony, dinner with entertainment, and then the “show”, complete with music from the different cultures that tell the Hawaiian history. The evening was filled with stars on the stage, and in the sky.
Exploring the North Shore
Opened in 1913, The Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse, is situated on Kīlauea Point. It stands 52 feet tall on a rocky cliff that’s 180 feet above the ocean.Hanalei Bay on the North Shore of Kaua’i, which has served as the backdrop for Hollywood movies such as South Pacific and The Descendants.
South for some Sunshine, Sea Turtles, and Seals!
Poipu Beach I am zoomed in—the turtles were roped off and we stayed 15 feet away.So many turtles catching some rays. We heard that many more come out at night to rest on the beach. Also, while nesting season is between May-September, we saw at least 10 during our October visit to Poipu Beach.This Hawaiian monk seal was having a lazy day.Gotta have a Puka Dog! The sauces are amazing 🔥
Other Notable Adventures
The others in our group did a helicopter tour of the island and one couple went to Oahu for the day. We have done these below before, so we skipped them this time.
Good morning! The sunrise by our condo.Yoga to start the day next door at the Kaua’i Shores Hotel. The restaurant, Lava Lava Beach Club is on site and it’s really a fun atmosphere with live music every night.
Also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, Waimea Canyon is 14 miles long, 1 mile wide, and greater than 3,600 feet deep. The panoramic views are jaw dropping!
In addition to the scenic overlooks stops, we did a couple of hikes while in the park. The best was our 3 mile hike starting on the Canyon Trail and ending at Waipo’o Falls. FYI the Canyon Trail is a 12.9-mile out-and-back trail—we only walked a small part of it.
At times it felt like we were on Mars!At the bottom of Waipo’o Falls The famous (scrumptious) pancakes at the Koke’e Lodge after our hiking adventure.Back to the chickens — This was a sign at The Shops at Kukui‘ula. 🤣
Kaua’i in October is as beautiful as it gets. Who needs changing leaves and pumpkin spice when you have swaying palm trees, tropical sunsets, and Lava Flows?
Hawaii is a special place for me. I grew up going to the islands from about the age of 13. My heart has been broken for the people of Maui with the Lahaina fire and I continue to pray for healing, strength, hope, and love (please join me in continuing to support the various local community organizations on the island)
To kick off our 30 year wedding anniversary vacation, my husband, Mike, and I splurged and did a bucket list item by spending 5 nights at the Grand Hyatt in Poipu, Kaua’i. Talk about a resort for memory making! We were greeted with orchid leis, informative bellmen, front desk staff with the Aloha spirit, and the most amazing lobby view of the ocean. There wasn’t one thing about this hotel I didn’t love, and I have been wanting to stay here for years so the hype kept building! In fact, we had plans to visit in September 2020 but Covid cancelled them.
Some will say it’s a ton of walking within the lush landscaped property (over 1000 steps from the pool to our room) but if you like to get in your steps, it’s the place for you. There’s the 2 mile Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail that starts right at the hotel and goes along the coast if you want more exercise. They have a phenomenal spa and fitness center (which you pay for in your resort fee) and I did some type of class each morning—HIIT, yoga, etc. I had a wonderful massage with Deanna. We drank $18 foo foo drinks at the pool (ouch! But try the lilikoi margarita—it’s worth it once). We bought a room package where the yummy breakfast buffet at Ilima Terrace was included (otherwise it’s $100 for two people without the tip), and found that would tide us over until dinner.
The room was spacious with plenty of drawers, a mini refrigerator, and their own coconut mango bath products, which smell like paradise. Hyatt is reducing plastic pollution so they give their guests an aluminum water bottle upon check in and had plenty of filtered water stations to refill on the property. One evening we ate at Tide Pools—a tropical oasis in the middle of a koi pond. Very romantic! 🥰
The pools were abundant, with an adults only pool, a lazy river, a sandy beach lagoon pool, a slide, hot tubs, and plenty of nooks and crannies to hang out in the water. We always found chairs with an umbrella, although they do have more exclusive chairs/tents to rent. We were fine in the “free seats”.
Room with a view and champagne to enjoy an early anniversary celebration🥂Grand Hyatt, Poipu, Kauai This is what to see when you walk into the lobby. Kind of takes your breath away, doesn’t it?Dinner at the amazing Tidepools with the koi!💙🤍🩷Lava Flow, Lilikoi Margarita and the Hyatt’s aluminum water bottle in the background Rooster 🐓 enjoying a coconut. 🥥 Kaua’i has a lot of chickens. A lot. The story is that during two large hurricanes (Iwa in 1982 and Iniki in 1992), many of the domestic coops were destroyed and “free range” took on a whole new meaning in Kauai!
Christina’s Journey Journal 