Adventure Kauai
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Adventure Kauai
Some stereotypes are
made
to be broken
By Janna Graber
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Tubers float down the
irrigation flumes of Lihue Plantation in Kauai. The former sugar cane farm
has been turned into an adventure park, providing a unique way to explore
the island. |
“Turn on your headlamp so you can see where you’re going,” our guide says,
pointing to the tiny lamp strapped to my hard hat. The hat doesn’t match my
white swimsuit and black rubber water shoes, but it’s what you wear when you’re
floating on a blue inner tube down the flumes of a sugar cane plantation.
It’s a
former plantation, actually. Farming
cane is no longer profitable here on
Kauai, so the fields of
Lihue Plantation have sat empty for years – until now.
Kauai Backcountry
Adventures recently turned the Hawaiian farm into an exciting natural
playground. Now you can hike the green lands on foot or rush through them on an
ATV. Those who want a truly
unique Hawaiian experience can grab a tube and float down the flumes of the
Lihue waterway system, which originates in the rainforests of
Mount Wai‘ale‘ale.
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The ditches run past wild
sugar cane
and other vegetation. |
Dug by hand for irrigation back in 1870, the Lihue ditches are still in
excellent condition. We’ve drifted past wild sugar cane and plucked fruit from
branches hanging over the waterways while enjoying views of lush mountains in
the distance.
Then suddenly, the ditch
makes a turn, and a black hole looms ahead. “That tunnel looks pretty small…,”
the woman drifting next to me says, worry in her voice. Abruptly, we’re in
blackness, the smell of wet earth in our nostrils.
My headlamp casts a thin
beam of light on rock walls hewn out over a century ago. The darkness ahead is
filled with bobbing lights – and laughter. After all, it’s the first time most
of us have floated through a narrow tunnel inside the earth. We can’t help but
enjoy the experience.
Yet, it’s a part of
Kauai I had never
imagined.
Like siblings in a big
family, the
Hawaiian Islands each have their own reputation and character. Kauai has
sometimes been typecast as the "quieter" and
“wetter” island, yet that stereotype is misleading.
It's true that Kauai has a
slow, small-town pace. There's not much of a nightlife here, and high-end
shopping opportunities are limited. But the island has plenty to offer those who
want to explore the island's natural assets, from hiking and snorkeling to
golfing, boating and fishing.
And while the island’s
remote interior does receive a
great deal of rain, the rest of Kauai enjoys pleasant weather. In fact, even
though the isle is only 33 miles wide and 25 miles long, you can almost pick the
weather of your choice. Kauai has several different micro-climates.
Like dry, arid conditions?
Then stay on the Kauai’s west side, which only receives an average of 18 inches
of rain a year. Home to
Waimea Canyon State Park
with its dramatic 3,600-feet red-walled canyons, the region looks more like
Arizona than a tropical island.
If fertile greenery and
occasional misty rains are your thing, then head to the
North Shore. Numerous
movie stars live near here, drawn by the region’s amazing scenery. The elegant
Princeville Resort, built in tiers on the cliffs overlooking Hanalei Bay, is
known for its stunning location. It has, some would argue, one of the best views
in the region.
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An aerial view of Na Pali
Coast State Park shows its rugged beauty. The 11-mile Kalalau Trail draws
hikers and nature lovers. Most people hike in and stay at least one night
before returning. Hiking permits are required. |
Like much of the island,
the southeastern area of Poipu enjoys a quick rain shower here and there. Yet
most of the time, the weather is warm and sunny. Poipu Beach Park, with its soft,
white-sand shoreline, is a popular local draw. There are dozens of resorts, bed
and breakfasts and apartment rentals to choose from in this region.
Here on the plantation,
though, I’m floating through the island’s remote southeastern interior. The
vegetation is thick and the dirt roads narrow. It took sturdy, four-wheel
vehicles, driven by our fearless guides, to reach this part of wild Kauai. This
certainly qualifies for "off-the-beaten
track" --
and
that's exactly what I had hoped for.
***
Our tubing group is a
diverse one, with Europeans, a few Australians and a dozen sun-seekers from the
mainland. There are even Kauaians on our tour. Drifting ahead of me, two teenage
boys speak in Pidgin (a Hawaiian dialect of English). Later, I learn they were
discussing a recent
University of Hawaii
football game, but I hadn’t even understood enough to guess the topic. That, I
suppose, is the fun about Hawaii. Even though it’s part of the U.S., it is a
complete world all its own.
More than 58,000 people
make their home on
Kauai; many of them work in the tourism business. Some locals have family roots
that go back generations here, while other residents moved to Kauai from the
mainland to retire, motivated by Kauai’s warm climate.
Still other arrivals have
come to enjoy the island’s outdoor lifestyle. Patrick Gmelin is just one
example. A former ski guide from
Colorado, Patrick says
that Kauai allows him to enjoy outdoor activities and a healthy lifestyle year
round.
Now a guide with Kayak
Kauai Outbound, I join Patrick later that week for an afternoon kayak tour. The
sun is shining in a bright blue sky as we paddle the
Hanalei River downriver
toward the Pacific Ocean. We kayak past fishermen on the banks,
patiently waiting for the catch that will grace their dinner tables tonight.
Along the river, Patrick
points out coconut groves, banana farms and papaya trees. By the time we reach
the open ocean, I can understand why so many people come to visit Kauai and
never want to leave.
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Kayakers paddle Hanalei
River, one of the
few navigable rivers in Hawaii. The scenic
route is lined with fruit trees and other
tropical vegetation. Lush mountains rise
up in the distance. |
The Hawaiian Islands are
not known for their gentle surf, and the going gets tougher as we pull out into
the open ocean. We paddle along the shoreline until we reach the beach near
Princeville, where we pull ashore to stop for a break.
Yet our ultimate goal is
to snorkel, so we soon head back into the water and paddle around the bend to
secluded Hideaway
Beach. We pull snorkel gear from the back of the kayak, and within seconds,
we’re in the ocean.
The water is warm and
clear, and I can see purple coral and sea cucumbers lining the ocean floor. The
current sweeps me from side to side as I dive down to view these living
treasures up close. It’s a surreal world that Hawaiians enjoy all year round,
and I must admit that I’m envious.
But all too soon, it’s
time to paddle back. As we kayak back upstream, we pass a young man on a wide
surfboard. He has attached a small engine that propels the surfboard through the
water like a boat. Fishing gear and a cooler sit atop the board, and a huge
smile covers the surfer/boatman’s face.
Such is life in
Kauai.
***
Sore from paddling,
I opt for an adventure of another sort the next day – a Plush Papaya Body Polish
at Hyatt Regency Kauai’s ANARA Spa. Okay, perhaps this isn’t an adventurous
activity, but maybe it qualifies as a natural, healing pursuit.
Like many buildings in
Hawaii, the
25,000-square-foot spa seamlessly combines outdoor and indoor living. My massage
room is partially open to the outside, yet it’s still private. As the therapist
rubs the ache from my shoulders, I drift into a world of soothing ocean waves
and sweet papaya.
The spa is just one of the
many reasons to stay at the Hyatt Regency Kauai. With its perfectly manicured
tropical gardens, natural pools and open 1920’s-inspired architecture, the
resort reflects the pleasure of all that is
Kauai.
But as with all vacations,
my island adventure has flown by all-too-quickly. There is time for only one
more activity. As afternoon moves toward nightfall, some friends and I board a
catamaran with Captain Andy’s Eco Adventures for a sunset cruise.
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Local musician Calvin
Chow strums soothing tunes while sailing along the Poipu Coast.
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A warm wind whips through
our hair as we sail along the
Poipu Coast, listening to
local musician Calvin Chow strum 1970’s Gordon Lightfoot tunes on his guitar. We
sail past huge mansions and tidy homes, and then suddenly, Kauai is wild again.
Green mountains jut into the sea, their cliffs sticking out like proud chests,
while gulls glide in the breeze behind our boat.
Then the captain stops the
engine near a secluded beach, and the catamaran slowly dances in the waves.
Below deck, a chef prepares us a dinner of lobster tail and tropical fruit flan,
which we enjoy as the sun is setting.
Later we lie on the ship’s
tarps and watch the moon begin its nightly show. It’s been a magical evening --
of that I’m sure. Many people conjure up pleasant memories and images to help
them relax when life gets stressful. And right now, sailing under a star-filled
sky along the rugged
Poipu Coast, I know that
this is one of them.
If You Go
Kauai
Visitors Bureau
4334 Rice Street,
Suite 101
Lihue, HI 96766
808-245-3971
www.kauaivisitorsbureau.com
Kauai
Backcountry Adventures
808-245-2506
www.kauaibackcountry.com
Kayak
Kauai Outbound
800-437-3507 (toll-free
from USA)
808-826-9844
www.kayakkauai.com
Capt. Andy’s Eco
Adventures
Ele’ele,
Hawaii
808-335-6833
Hyatt Regency
Kauai Resort and Spa
1571 Poipu Road
Koloa, HI 96756
808-742-1234
http://kauai.hyatt.com/property/index.jhtml
Princeville Resort
5520 Ka Haku Road
Princeville, HI 96722
800-325-DLUX (toll-free
from USA)
808-826-9644
www.princeville.com
Whalers Cove
Condo accommodations
2640 Puuholo Road
Poipu
800-367-7052
www.premier-resorts.com
