Kauai is such a beautiful, unique place– it’s hard to go wrong when you vacation there.  Here’s a list of my favorite things that Conoon and I did during our week on the Garden Island.

Rent a Jeep Wrangler. 

The upgrade is worth it!!  Renting a car is seriously expensive in Hawaii… but having a car with a removable top made driving around an adventure in itself.  Plus, it helped us soak in and appreciate the island even more~

Go hiking with a private tour guide.  

Kauai is home to hundreds of beautiful trails for hiking.  While some trails are deeply embedded in the canyons of Waimea, others can be found right off a residential road.  One of the best decisions we made was to prebook a private waterfall tour before our visit.  Chris, our guide and photographer, took us to two different waterfalls: Wailua Falls and Hoopii Falls.

We started out with the more challenging of the two: Wailua.  While most people gaze down at the waterfall’s monstrosity off the side of a road, some know the way (and are brave enough) to trek down the steep, muddy trail.  The “hike” involved a lot of rope- and root-holding, but even at 27 weeks pregnant, I wasn’t nervous because of Chris’ calm demeanor and his clear instructions.  We got to go behind the waterfall (so exhilarating!!) and then spent the next 15 minutes swimming and relaxing in the water.

The hike to Hoopii Falls was an easy, scenic walk.  The fun came at the waterfall, where we jumped from the top into chilly waters below and floated down the stream.

Take a helicopter tour of the island.  

While 35% of Kauai can be explored on land, a whopping 65% of the island can only be viewed from above.  Going on a heli tour was one of the coolest parts of our trip.  The tour gave us the opportunity to see jaw-dropping aerial views of beautiful canyons, mountains and beaches that we otherwise would not have seen.

Eat Japanese shaved ice.

At Shave Ice Tege Tege specifically.  Using a hand crank ice machine and syrups made with organic ingredients, they layer on shaved ice and syrup, alternating between the two, to create a mountain of sweet, fresh snow in a cup.  The green tea flavor was heaven, especially after an afternoon of hiking.

Drive around Waimea Canyon and stop for photo ops.  

We drove up and around the canyon on our last morning, hours before our flight back home.  The fog that creeped in between the ranges made for some really awesome shots and the cloud coverage provided a lot of nice soft light for photos.  If we had more time (and the right shoes), we probably would’ve liked to hike some of the canyon’s trails.

Stop by beaches around the island.  

The first photo is of Anahola Beach Park (Conoon’s favorite) and the second is of one near Princeville.

Eat poke from Fish Express in Lihue.

Best poke I’ve ever had. Period.  And it tasted even better after a long hike.  Their hot dishes, sandwiches and fried chicken are also worth a try!

Watch the sunset at Poipu Beach from the roof of the Jeep while munching on a Puka dog (or any other food).

Star gaze from the car off the side of a random road.

Swim and jacuzzi at night when the pool is free of other hotel guests.

Pick up a pineapple pie from McDonald’s!

This was more of a nostalgic, childhood “to-do” for me.  `When I was in elementary school, McDonald’s had pineapple pies on their menu and it was my absolute favorite!  (Do you remember when McDonald’s had pizzas too??).  I figured since Hawaii is obsessed with pineapples, McD’s would surely carry it there.  So good~  (Sidenote: when traveling to a foreign country, it’s fun to stop by McD’s because their foreign menus will often serve items that match that country’s cuisine.)

And most importantly…

…live in the moment and don’t over-plan.  

A lot of the Favorites that came about were unplanned and happened because we gave ourselves the freedom to be creative with the time, resources and access we had in the moment.  Tight schedules and long to-do lists can lead to frustration, stress and disappointment in any vacation.  Especially in a place like Hawaii, trying to do too much is a big no-no.  So plan a few things here and there, but leave room for spontaneity and downtime, so the island vibes can take you where you need to be~