Hi my loves!!

This year for our annual vacation, my family decided to explore the neighbor island of Kauai!! Although I’ve lived on Oahu all my life, I’ve only been to Kauai once when I was REALLY young and haven’t had the opportunity to return until now! I had an amazing time & have already been flooded with recommendation requests so here are my all-time favorites and must-sees!! Hope you enjoy!!

SIGHTSEEING & ATTRACTIONS  

Fern Grotto

Way back when, only the Ali’i (Hawaiian royal family) were able to get married in this beautiful grotto. They would canoe up the Wailua River together and exchange vows in this secluded area with the traditional Hawaiian wedding song echoing through the trees and constant rainfall. Just as the Ali’i did, my family boarded a boat and made our way down the river to a small wooden dock. After a short trek through the forest, we stumbled upon the Fern Grotto and was amazed at how lush and beautiful it was. Though the cave itself has been blocked off for a few years now, you can still feel the power and natural beauty of this sacred location.

 

Kauai Coffee

As you’re driving west from Lihue, you’ll see an endless maze of coffee trees and want to make a stop at the Kauai Coffee gift shop! I was hoping to just grab a latte but was happy to find a plethora of different coffees available to try absolutely free!! It can’t get much better than that right? The place smelled heavenly and they even had a little cafe/bakery on their outside lanai if you want to enjoy a sweet treat with your endless supply of coffee. My souvenir of choice was their Double Shot Espresso Coffee Rub & Seasoning, perfect for marinating steaks and light enough to bring back to my friends in California! Afterwards, we wandered through the fields of coffee and even saw some coffee bean buds!

 

Waimea Canyon

Known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific”, this was by far my favorite stop of the trip. After a short, windy drive up a fairly steep hill (I’m definitely glad we decided to rent a Jeep for this trip because a small little car may have had a hard time navigating through the endless rain and mud!) we took a short walk up to the most breathtaking view of the canyon. The pictures just don’t do this place justice, it was absolutely beautiful. I was told if you brought binoculars you may spot some wildlife in the canyon, but unfortunately there wasn’t a goat in sight when I went. Would highly recommend stopping here, even more so than the actual Grand Canyon (at least, in my opinion~).

 

Kauai Cookie Company 

Kauai Cookie is an island staple and coming to the factory store definitely brought back sweet memories of my childhood and spending whole afternoons devouring these cookies. Not only are they delicious, Kauai Cookie is notorious for offering quirky flavor combinations designed to delight any local’s taste buds. My favorites are the Cornflake Krunch Cookies (yes, cornflakes in a yummy homestyle cookie. you’re welcome) and Banzai Cookies (homestyle cookies w/ arare and furikake mixed inside- definitely the most out there combination but also the most satisfying!)

 

Coconut Marketplace 

My brother had actually been watching YouTube videos of Kauai prior to the trip and recommended this spot due to all of the popular shops inside- there’s a Kauai Coffee, Chicken in a Barrel and local farmers market two times a week for both tourists and locals alike. We came here once at night to walk off our delicious dinner at Hukilau Lanai next door, and again the next morning after finding out the farmer’s market would be in full effect. The highlight of the Coconut Marketplace for me was definitely the farmers market, and I left that morning with my arms full of fresh tangerines and banana bread.

 

ONO KINE GRINDZ (FOOD) 

Hukilau Lanai 

After doing extensive research on my dinner options in Kauai (as you can tell, I am definitely a hardcore foodie!) all roads led to Hukilau Lanai. Situated in a beautiful outdoor seating area, this restaurant and bar boasts a very unique menu featuring locally grown vegetables, fish and poultry. What I enjoyed most was their unique flavor combinations, such as their Sweet Potato Ravioli w/ Lemongrass Sauce, Lobster Red Curry Soup and Coffee Candied Ahi Poke. Their recommended dishes were the Ahi Poke Nachos, Hukilau Mixed Grill & Filet Mignon but I wasn’t too impressed with any of those dishes. Order what sounds good to you and you won’t be disappointed!

 

Chicken in a Barrel BBQ & Bar 

So I was definitely skeptical at first about eating at a place called Chicken in a Barrel, but man was it delicious!! If you’re a fan of barbecue you definitely need to carve out time to stop here for lunch and try their Sampler Place pictured above. It included a little taste of chicken, beef, pork and baby back ribs and even came with a side of their homemade chili- to die for!!! I’m not a huge meat or chili eater but I definitely cleared my plate here. There’s a few different locations on the island so it’s a great place to stop for lunch in between sightseeing!

 

Piazza 

Located in the Princeville Shopping Center, Piazza is a beautiful Italian restaurant that makes their own pasta and pizza by hand everyday. From my first bite of the pasta bolognese, I could taste the difference in texture compared to normal box pastas and couldn’t stop eating. The menu also boasted that all of their pasta sauces are also made by hand daily- amazing!! The winner was definitely their Wild Mushroom Pizza w/ Black Truffle Oil pictured above; if you can only order one thing off the menu here it has to be this pizza!!! I will definitely have dreams about this pizza for months to come.

 

Lappert’s Hawaii 

I haven’t had Lappert’s since I was SUPER little and couldn’t wait to get another taste from my childhood. Compared to other ice cream chains you might be used to, Lappert’s has an endless variety of local flavor combinations like White Chocolate Macadamia Nut and Kona Coffee Mud Pie. I went with Love Potion this time, which consists of chocolate ice cream mixed with raspberry sorbet and chocolate chips; it was the perfect combination of sweet and tangy and you best believe it was gone as soon as I finished taking this picture!! Highly recommend making a stop after Piazza as they are both located in the Princeville Shopping Center. There is another location on the west side as well near Kauai Cookie.

 

SOUVENEIRS 

Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salt 

And of course, no vacation is complete without a souvenir run for family and friends! My recommendation is a stop at the Salty Wahine, where they use locally sourced Hawaiian salt to create flavorful seasonings perfect for steaks and poultry. I wanted to try EVERY flavor but the reusable grinders pictured above were $15 a piece so I settled on the Guava Garlic Salt and Mango Java Steak Rub. The Salty Wahine Factory Store is located right next to Kauai Cookie and Lappert’s, making it an easy stop during your island adventures! I also found the seasonings in gift shops all over the island so it should be relatively easy to find even if you don’t have time to visit their factory store!

Kauai Coffee & Kauai Cookie 

And of course, a bag of fresh coffee beans from Kauai Coffee is the perfect pairing to a yummy box of Kauai Cookies. The pair make a thoughtful and delicious souvenir for friends that want a taste of what Kauai has to offer! The coffee beans can be a bit heavy to travel with but Kauai Coffee also offers flat rate shipping if you wish to buy in bulk!

 

And that’s a wrap my friends! I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to explore the beautiful Garden Isle with my family this week. Even just driving along the coast was exactly the scenic, peaceful getaway I needed before returning to reality! Can’t wait for my next adventure, coming soon!!