Kauai??

My best friend and I are planning a trip to Hawaii at the end of August for a week. We have been to Maui, Oahu, and the Big Island many times and we are thinking of going to Kauai this time. We are both in our mid 20s and enjoy hiking and snorkeling. We are not really looking for nightlife (we have plenty of that here at home...L.A.). I have heard that Kauai is mostly for honeymooners so I%26#39;m a little concerned that we will get bored... any suggestions on what to do?

Thanks!!

Kauai??

Kauai is probably the best island for hiking, you have a great deal of options. There is relatively good snorkeling available as well (for hawaii at least, no crystal clear carribean waters). If you love the outdoors, you could always hike the full kalalau trail and camp out in the state park on the napali coast, quite an experience. Or you can do milder day hikes. A napali coast snorkel trip is also fun, or for the true in shape outdoorsman, the napali coast kayak trip is a nice time.

There is also river kayaking, ATV tours, zipline tours, tubing tours, waimea canyon drive or downhill bike ride, rugged drives to remote beaches like Polihale, fine dining, local dive dining, historical stops, helicopter rides, etc etc.

I wouldn%26#39;t say Kauai is mostly for honeymooners, more for people who like it a little more off the beaten path away from the tourists and in a little more natural setting. Though it%26#39;s getting a bit more commercial all the time, Kauai is still the closest to Old Hawaii out of any of the islands.

Kauai??

You will only get bored if you sit in your hotel room! Kauai is NOT just for honeymooners - in fact, it%26#39;s really only for a certain group of honeymooners (I.e., folks that think places like the Couples resorts are over the top). In August you are sure to see more families than just couples.

There is a TON of hiking and snorkeling all over the island - you have your pick of coastal or inland, strenuous or a walk in the woods. Someone is bound to mention how you HAVE to do the Kalalau Trail along the NaPali coast, but I think it%26#39;s way too strenuous for most people - I hike all over Colorado and I was miserable on the Kalalau. Kauai Trailblazer is a great resource for descriptions of all sorts of hiking, biking, snorkeling and paddling opportunities all over the island.

Other activities you can participate in:

Helicopter Tour

North Shore boat cruise

Kayaking on Wailua or Hanalei Rivers

Shopping at farmers markets and craft fairs

Scuba and snuba

boogie boarding

touring the National Tropical Botanic Gardens (very cool!)

Zipline, ATV and tubing ';adventures';

Horseback riding

A luau

Visiting Kauai Museum and other historical sites

There are tons more activities; that%26#39;s all I can think of right now. So, no, you won%26#39;t be bored on Kauai.

Ah - see? As I was writing my reply, debtman beat me to it with a mention of the Kalalau!

Although the water for snorkeling isn%26#39;t quite as clear as on the Big Island, there are still a lot of great snorkeling areas. Make sure you check out Tunnels and Kee. The hike from Kee can be quite tough---especially if it%26#39;s wet. It%26#39;s not really a path, more like tree roots and dirt which gets slick when it rains. But if you%26#39;re an avid hiker, you%26#39;ll probably enjoy it. Just about everywhere you go on Kauai you can do some hiking!

I wouldn%26#39;t say Kauai is for honeymooners, either----but is for people who like to kick back and get away from it all. It%26#39;s a beautiful place to just sit on a beach and read---or you have boundless hiking and snorkeling choices. You can spend a lot of money and do the helicopters, boat rides, luaus, etc., or spend little and enjoy the free scenery that%26#39;s everywhere.

Aloha! I think you will love Kauai. I went as a single mom w/two kids, but there were plenty of other folks enjoying Kauai besides the honeymooners. :) While there, I met a single school teacher (20%26#39;s) at our luau - she was having a ball learning to windsurf - had even extended her vacation, she was having so much fun! So I wouldn%26#39;t worry about feeling like you were the only non honeymooners. :)

I think of Kauai as the nature/outdoors type island - very laidback and casual. My favorite activities: snorkeling at Ke%26#39;e beach, the Waimea canyon, all the different beaches, boat trip to Fern Grotto, luau. There were more activities that we could have done - so much you can do on Kauai, but we found we just enjoyed the beaches the best. I don%26#39;t think you would run out of things to do, and as you said, you have plenty of night life in LA. We were there for 16 days and could have stayed there forever . . . it was the most relaxing vacation I have ever had. Go and have a great time! :)

I%26#39;m mid-20 and went to Kauai with a good friend of mine last year. If you are up for a strenuous backpacking trip then Kalalau Trail is the way to go. Tough hike to the end, but worth it for the secluded/beautiful stay at the end. At least stay 2 or 3 nights so you can enjoy being away from civilization in a tropical location. We stayed a couple nights in a hostel and had fun just heading to an open-air bar down the road to hang out with the locals. Great island to meet lots of wandering hippies that bought a 1-way ticket to Kaui and are just kind of getting by. Super layed back atmosphere on Kauai.

Thank you so much everyone for all of your suggestions. Kauai sounds really exciting now and I can%26#39;t wait to be there. I%26#39;m sure we are going to love it.

Aloha! In case you haven%26#39;t read other posts, do go get Kauai Revealed - good bookstore or Amazon. It will be an amazing help to you on your trip. It also gets you very excited about everything! Good luck to you. :)

Go for the unknown!

You won%26#39;t be tripping over honeymooners. And, I promise you will not get bored given your hiking and snorkeling plans.

Aloha!

Hey stl_cardinals!

Go Cards!!!!