Kauai, Part I: An Island of Greens, Blues, and Sugar Cane Tubes

The snowstorms in the East and the freezing lakes in Wisconsin, make me long for the beach days we found on Kauai.

Hike in only beach on Kauai. © Carol Labuzzetta, 2013.

In July 2013, we took a trip back to Hawaii. Instead of going to Maui, such as we did in 2009, we went to Kauai. One of the reasons for this was that we were going in the summer, instead of over the winter months of December and January.

Kauai is just as pretty as Maui but it has a different vibe. Its nickname is The Garden Isle and when you are there, you quickly realize why. There is a lush interior rainforest (insert jungle if you like). And, the resort we stayed at (a Marriott) had verdant vegetation throughout, the greens were impossibly green!

Taro fields on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. © Carol Labuzzetta, 2013.

Among the places we visited were Waimea Canyon, Hannalei, and Kee Beach for snorkeling. We also went tubing in some old sugarcane plantation ditches. It was a memorable vacation for the scenery as well as the activities.

Kalalalu Lookout, Kauai. © Carol Labuzzetta, 2013.

Kauai is a recreational type of venue with a laid-back vibe. We found there to be less traffic and people were less hurried. Our accommodations had a full kitchen so it was convenient to eat in the room on occasion as well. There were several gas grills scattered across the property which had a lovely pool area, as well as a nice beach. The beach, however, was too rough to swim at and we traveled to the other side of the island to beaches near Hannalei and Ke’e Beach to swim and snorkel. This might be a reason we’ve returned to Maui three times and been to Kauai only once.

Fiddlehead in the rainforest on the Kalalau Trail. © Carol Labuzzetta, 2013.

Since everyone has their own version of what accommodations are best, I won’t waste any more time describing those. The scenery and activities deserve more attention anyway.