Beyond Oahu and Maui: The lesser-known Hawaiian island you must visit

By Julia D'Orazio

January 14, 2024 — 10.15pm

This story is part of Traveller’s Destination Guide to Hawaii.See all stories.

With the nickname Garden Island, Hawaii’s lesser-known isle, Kauai, is a living Jurassic Park. Besides the movie of the same name being filmed here, the state’s third-largest island is the oldest in the Hawaiian archipelago, chock-full of remarkable volcanic formations moulded over its five-million-year existence: rare sharp-toothed crags, deep valley gorges, and its own ‘Grand Canyon’, skirted by aquamarine waters.

Over 73,000 call Kauai home, however, humans do not rule the roost here. Instead, Kauai is overrun by descendants of dinosaurs – chickens – with an estimated 400,000-plus birds imprinting their pointed three-toes across the island, their unescapable crows sounding at all hours.

Wild roosters aside, Hawaii’s ‘Lost World’ – just a 40-minute flight from Oahu – offers a bounty of things to do.

A view from the top

“Kauai is addictive. Once you visit, you’ll want to come back,” Blue Hawaiian Helicopters pilot Sami Zvonkovic says as we soar over Hanapepe Valley’s Manawaiopuna Falls, also known as Jurassic Park Falls. The secreted falls are neighboured by a series of steep, tiered silver streams appearing as mountain pipes wedged in evergreen forest. It’s one of Garden Island’s extraordinary sights.

Remarkable formations formed over five million years.Credit: Hawaii Tourism Authority/Ben Ono

Nearly 70 per cent of the island is unreachable by land, making scenic flights the only way to see much of Kauai’s colourful landscapes. The Kauai Eco Adventure tour makes its way around the island in 50 minutes, departing from the island’s central hub, Lihue. The scenery switches from green peaks to the crumpled-paper-like Waimea Canyon. Dubbed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, this miniature counterpart stretches 22 kilometres long, 1.6 kilometres wide and 1907 metres deep.

Dramatic scenes continue to unfold, flying over the famed Napali coast. A chain of razor cliffs peaking at 1219 metres slant towards the ocean. My head is in propeller mode, observing cascading waterfalls, caves, valleys, and arches within emerald-hued fissures.

Waimea Canyon: Kauai’s own version of the Grand Canyon.Credit: Hawaii Tourism Authority/Ben Ono

Yet, not all premium views come at a high price. Some involve an intense workout that rewards handsomely. There are many hiking trails in Koke’e and Waimea Canyon State Parks. Although classed as a difficult climb, the popular five-kilometre trail Awa’awapuhi is a must-do when conditions are dry. The downward track ends on a narrow ridge overlooking Napali’s multiple valleys – Awa’awapuhi, Nu’alolo and Honopu – with the Pacific Ocean and blue sky blurring into one on a clear day.

Other panoramas are less strenuous, with three official lookout points in the Waimea Canyon State Park easily accessed from a car park. Purchase a day ticket for access ($US10 a vehicle, $US5 per person), or alternatively, viewing the rocky wonder roadside along Highway 550 is just as impressive.

The Napali Coast’s dramatic topography.Credit: Hawaii Tourism Authority/Ben Ono

Life on the water

Kauai is best experienced from all angles, particularly on the water – or below it. Hop onboard Holo-Holo Charters’ Niihau and Napali Coast Super Tour to journey along the renowned coastline, where the pointed bluffs’ colour scheme changes as the sun rises.

After chasing pods of spinner dolphins and passing a gorilla-shaped crag, the 65-foot catamaran travels 27 kilometres to “Forbidden Island”, Niihau. I practise my scissor kicks in the clear blue waters, snorkelling alongside a curious monk seal and numerous tropical fish. It is a full day out on the water with breakfast, lunch and an open bar post-splash included.

Spot more of Kauai’s marine residents on a scuba dive. Dive Kauai offers shore dives at the former 18th-century whaling port, Koloa Landing. Twelve metres below sea level, I swim with the current alongside abundant marine life, including sea turtles, countless black-and-white spotted boxfish, yellow trumpet fish and the peculiar-looking winged fish, the flying gurnard.

The epic wildlife spotting opportunities continue at South Shore’s Poipu Beach. Come sundown, the cosy corner morphs into a wildlife sanctuary for Hawaiian green turtles. One by one, beaching themselves on golden sands. Observing the nightly migration behind a zoned area becomes a game of spotting bopping heads and floating shells in shallow waters, their arrival on land turbo-charged with every crashing wave. Within an hour of sundown, at least 20 turtles are resting onshore, a natural behaviour unique to these species. The crowd coos.

I’m given another reason to fuss over tired fins with a lone monk seal sleeping on the coast as the sunset casts a glow on its slick-furred body.

Creating your own bowl of happiness

“Being self-sufficient is empowering,” poke master Kalen Kelekoma says as we walk around his backyard in Anahola in Kauai’s northwest. A small group of us are foraging for ingredients on the former pineapple plantation as part of an intimate poke cooking class. Kelekoma’s thriving food forest includes Hawaiian chilli pepper, avocado, guava, cumquat, tomato, lemongrass, herb garden and more, exciting anyone with a green thumb.

We don aprons in an outdoor kitchen beside his family home, with crooked green mountains as a spectacular backdrop. The class involves learning to cut fish, the origins of locally sourced components and preparing the traditional dish in three ways using aku (skipjack tuna) and ahi (yellow-fin tuna).

“It’s the taste of the waves crashing,” Kelekoma says as he adds flecks of the Hawaiian seaweed specialty, limu kohu, into the poke mix. His aunties, in their 70s, gather the delicacy from a secret spot, depending on moon tide.

The class concludes with a low-key garden luau – a traditional Hawaiian feast – a wholesome way to enjoy soul food, island-style.

Jungle stays and beach getaways

Marjorie’s Kauai Inn: swallowed in lush, greenery.

“You can have anything you want in here,” Marjorie’s Kauai Inn guest caretaker, Jen Cundiff, says as she opens the fridge door. My eyes grow wider than the wheel of brie on the top shelf. A free-for-all of cheeses, antipasto, sweets and soft drinks is one of many indulgent perks at this secluded inn.

The South Shore guesthouse is one of the island’s oldest traditional bed and breakfasts. Cloaked in green, the 1993-built property features 1.2 acres of gardens and neighbours Allerton and McBride gardens within the National Botanical Gardens in the sacred Lawai Valley – an island pocket believed to have healing powers.

Adding to its soothing appeal, each of the inn’s three Hamptons-meets-Kauai themed rooms features a private deck facing misty mountains. I fast-track tranquillity in my Sunset View room’s outdoor saltwater jacuzzi, sighting rainbows over the valley. Double bliss.

I mix up valley views with blue hues at coastal retreat Aston Islander by the Beach, on Royal Coconut Coast. An excellent base for exploring the North Shore, the 94-room, plantation-style hotel is a top spot to see the sunrise and lounge by a beachfront pool surrounded by tropical gardens and a lively tiki bar. I am keeping the coast in sight in an Oceanfront room featuring homely Hawaiian decor, dark wooden furnishings, a lounge area, and a balcony. I have found my happy place.