🏝️🌊 Best of Kauai, Hawaii: What to See, Do and Eat! | Newstates in the States

welcome to Kauai also known as The Garden Island and for good reason home to the famous Nepali Coast lush tropical rainforests cascading waterfalls and beautiful beaches come along as we explore the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands by air Land and Sea we'll travel counterclockwise around Kauai showing you where to stay where to eat and the best things to do all across this incredible Island Paradise we're Howard and Caitlin new state dog people food people Adventure people we've been living on the road for the past four years traveling through North America and Beyond each week we bring you along with us to show you how to live like a local in every new state we visit we flew to Hawaii for Howard's surprise birthday trip he had no idea where we were going until we got to the airport just heard they were going to Hawaii and even then he still wasn't sure what island we had landed on so the entire trip and all the activities were a complete surprise oh quiet Howard just figured out what I'm drawn here on Kauai there really is something for everyone whether you're looking for an adrenaline rush epic hiking or you just want to relax sipping monetized by the beach and we're going to show you how to do all of that but we're kicking things off with some adventure and probably our favorite Excursion on the island if you only splurge on one big activity here this should be it we just made it to the small boat harbor so we are heading out on a boat with Captain Andy's for their Nepali Coast rafting tour and I am so excited prior to you getting on the boat we have a separate shoe bag and then we'll return them to you a little later once we do our beach landing and we get off the boat thank you of course thank you just hang on uh let me and let the boat do the work any last words let's go I like it [Music] these are all the Hawaiian spinner dolphins uh dolphin as referred to as Naya smaller pot of them pot sizes range you know 50 to 100 on a small side every so often you'll see that Mega pod where there's like 500 or more of them right where that wave is currently crashing right into the side of the Sea Cliff what's going on is here uh these waves have found a weak spot in the side of the Sea Cliff the waves constantly hit the same spot over and over and that's the beginning stages of a sea cave being formed the cave is more formed in the winter time because we get extremely large waves out here but big waves crash against the side of the Sea Cliff and creating a sea cave eventually the sea cave gets so big the ceiling of the cave gets too heavy and it simply collapses on itself and that's what happened directly in front of us so where I'm going with that is this is what you call as a hanging Valley this is where the coastal erosion is more rapid than the inner Island erosion and keep in mind Kauai is about 6 million years old this is the oldest island in the Hawaiian chain and definitely the best Hawaiian island but it also takes the brutal of the beating the force of those big waves 2 700 miles that way the next land mass you're gonna run into the illusion Islands of Alaska [Music] keep in mind there's a little Motion in the ocean today so as we mentioned earlier please don't fall off the boat but please don't fall off the boat inside of a sea cave that's probably worst case scenario uh took your toes hang on uh by all means do pictures do videos and stuff like that of course at your own discretion you drop anything over the side of the boat uh I guarantee it's Aloha it's gone forever okay [Music] this has been absolutely incredible so we're at like that halfway like stopping point where we get off the boat we get to have lunch wow take a little hike to an old fishing Village I think this has been just absolutely incredible to be able to see the Nepali Coast from this Viewpoint is just like once in a lifetime and the caves um and that one that was a what was it a roofless cave uh the one it was like a protected Cove that had this rock that's mostly like Mary J Blige I guess one time did a music video there I don't know people get married in there beautiful yeah absolutely beautiful and our captain is so impressive like the way that he handled some of those waves and swells and everything yes it's bumpy but you're not getting rocked around to the point where it's uncomfortable I think he says four foot waves today and the tour is about six hours and it makes sense because it does take a decent amount of time to get up to the northernmost point of the tour where they're taking you through a whole bunch of different caves you're seeing sacred beaches is and then you kind of work your way back down the coast when we go into the cave it's just so on the watch the crew the crew work and they're tell s about everything at the same time and learning all of these things if you didn't take a tour like this yeah at one point we saw in one of the caves it was the last 40 feet of the second highest Sea Cliff waterfalls in the world going snorkeling because it's so rough it's very murky I saw some colorful fish and I was just about to give up and I'm like all I want to see is sea turtle if I could just see a sea turtle and I look in front of me and I'm not kidding a sea turtle this big is right in front of me and I'm the only one around and I'm like oh my God this amazing and I sleep with them for like five minutes oh yeah what is that it's a monk seal you're the most endangered species here wow okay so according to our guide that was the largest monk seal he's ever seen and he estimates it to be 800 pounds gosh I'm amazed I only wanted to see while we're here was a turtle and monkey feeling I sold both within an hour of each other this is the best lunch stop ever ever [Music] welcome back thank you [Music] all right we're back on dry land Justin and Cason our crew and Captain were fantastic if you guys do one big Excursion on the island I don't know this is this is the one to do like that was absolutely amazing Captain Andy with so much to see and do all across the island where should you stay there are two major resort areas south you'll find puipu with great swimming beaches shops and restaurants and North is Princeville a master plan resort area built around two championship golf courses we opted to stay sort of In The Middle on the east side of the island also known as the coconut Coast in the town of Kapaa there's a great local Vibe here with unique shops and incredible dining we stayed at three different hotels in this area during our week-long trip a name brand Hilton property which has a wonderful Tiki Bar and is a guest of the hotel you get complimentary Mai Tais which is a nice perk the beach is a bit of a walk down the hill but the swimming area is protected by a man-made rock wall and the snorkeling here was excellent we also stated the more budget-friendly Aston Islander on the beach this property and the rooms are a bit older but the grounds and Oceanfront views are definitely what makes it and in our opinion we've saved the best for last Kauai Shores hotel this retro Motel turned funky Beachside getaway is a Vibe and this would be our top recommendation in the area okay guys I have a confession to make but I think Kauai Shores hotel might be one of my favorite hotels that we've ever stayed in and we've stayed in a lot of hotels and there are a couple of reasons why I'm gonna talk about the room first which is so nice we are in room 202 and it has an amazing Oceanfront View and I love all of the touches in here first of all the bed last night was extremely comfortable we have so many pillows which is really important to me there are two luggage racks there's a huge Smart TV there are tons of towels in the bathroom and it's just a really comfortable room to hang out in and every room has a balcony which is also very nice we had coffee out there this morning and had lunch on the patio it's awesome a big draw for me and why I decided to book this hotel is because of the Ambiance it's just really fun they have an on-site restaurant Lava Lava Beach Club which has happy hour every day they pulled out a bunch of lawn games today Saturday afternoon so everybody's out there like playing cornhole and foosball there's a beautiful view of the ocean obviously there's a bike path right in the front and two pools and a hot tub I mean what more could you possibly need as we mentioned this area has plenty of great dining options for breakfast we love Java Kai they roast all of their coffee beans and have several gluten-friendly options so right next to where we have breakfast is Kawaii Gourmet nuts and they were offering free samples so we're like heck yes we went in and had a wonderful time learning about the process I tried some roasted almonds that were covered in like mango and she's using a traditional Bavarian machine to roast them and add everything like all the spices so delicious we also learned that the macadamia nut is the hardest nut to crack I think she said it takes 400 pounds of pressure to open a great lunch spot is Pono Market they have daily specials you order at the counter it's carryout only and very reasonably priced for delicious local Cuisine I got a Hawaiian plate which is Kahlua cabbage and then a pokey got tuna and salmon here oh my God look at all that pork and what'd you get you got Adobo chicken and adobo and Chicken Long rice chicken long rice yeah hmm really really good value yeah yeah like this is what 11 bucks awesome and for a quick dinner we loved wailua Drive-In so this place has been featured on Guy Fieri's triple D if you know what that means this is not a fancy place but it has some delicious food this is a absolute fast food service there's even a drive-through so you can call in advance and get your order and pick it up and just head out that's right it's called Diners Drive-Ins and Dives that's true well it's also called right up there driving and you cannot visit Hawaii without having a delicious Shave Ice why Lua shave ice is rated as one of the best on the island each one is like a work of art and equally as delicious as it is beautiful and just remember there is no D make sure to call it Shave Ice as opposed to shaved ice [Music] we're doing one of our favorite things that we love to do when we visit an island or a national park or any major destination and that's doing a driving tour with Gypsy guides yeah we've done it all across the country and actually even in Canada as well there are tons of these excellent it's like having a tour guide in your car with you tons of recommendations turn-by-turn directions you get activity recommendations dining recommendations as well as the back story of the places that you're at it's a really wonderfully done tour and I highly recommend it this is not sponsored in any way we don't get anything at all but you should definitely check out the Gypsy guide app cannot recommend them enough so we're heading to the South today and then we're going to be driving up into Waimea Canyon so to visit wamia Canyon when you arrive at your first Lookout there's going to be a pay station it's ten dollars for the vehicle and then five dollars per person you only pay one time regardless of how many Lookouts you go to so today we will not be hiking and let me tell you why because two nights ago in the middle of the night there was a fire alarm at the hotel and then a fit of desperation to try and turn off an alarm which I cannot turn off in the dark I crashed into the credenza and then fell onto the tile floor and as a result my legs look like this it was a huge bruise up here oh my God yeah so I have that uh what do you call like invisible uh adhesive bandage on it and um that's making it look at least a little bit better but it still really hurts so we will not be hiking unfortunately anymore instead we're gonna be doing a tour of some Lookouts and there are several Lookouts along the way official Lookouts to see the canyon this is supposed to be one of the most beautiful and famous Lookouts on the island but because we're so high and this is like the wettest part of the island a lot of times it can be socked in with clouds and fog and rain and that's what we find today so we'll just have to use our imaginations and probably look it up on the internet it's beautiful isn't it you just gotta look at it Caitlyn we're getting to observe a cloud from the inside [Music] beautiful just look at it the picture [Music] uh Caitlyn this is where we were on the boat right yeah oh so there you go yeah so if you can't see it from Land get on the field get on the boat it really is probably beautiful [Music] so imagine this is there couldn't really see much but now we're gonna go get some lunch yes we're going to I think it's Hanukkah hey pay and it is one of the historic Villages here there's an Artisans area and there's a swinging bridge and we're gonna go walk around and see what we can find for some lunch because we're hungry so I got a patella plate and it's kind of like a tamale but she said instead of like corn Masa it's in a banana leaf and then it comes with Poke Salad and rice so I'm gonna cut this open here stuffed with olives and pork and it is very delicious and now continuing our long-standing tradition of suspension bridges we found a suspension bridge here in Kauai yes the Hana Pepe Swinging Bridge I feel like this one I can handle much better I think it's much lower off the ground there's less less risk involved if you've been following us for a while we seem to collect these we were recently in Canada and we went on one there which Caitlyn was reasonably okay with yeah that one was pretty low too but in past we've certainly been on one's very high off the ground and those are not so Bueno for Caleb a lot of signs up here 15 person limit do not swing the bridge do not jump off the bridge do not pass go [Music] no [Music] that's definitely very topsy-turvy and some of the boards are a little loose but it was not as scary as some of the other ones I've been on good job my love thank you [Music] well this coffee lover is very excited about this stop and as a former coffee lover I'm also excited by this stock because I get to try a little bit of coffee we are at Kawaii coffee and this is the largest coffee estate in the U.S which is amazing why this is the number one export of the island coffee and here we are we can do a little self-guided walking tour through the coffee Farm fields we visited right before the fruit began to ripen which happens in late September harvesting runs from mid-october through December 24 hours a day seven days a week visiting the estate is a great way to learn about the process and Sample seasonal flavors that you can only get right here in Kauai well we got to get some of the pumpkins and of course we had to stock up and bring some back home to the RV [Music] another well-known beverage made right here in Kauai is the famous kaloa rum their location at kilohana Plantation offers free daily tastings you do need to sign up and reserve a time slot right on site hey Caitlin and Howard remember here thank you and they pour different rums on different days of the week it was a super fun experience and we learned a lot about the distilling and bottling process we even got to make the cutest teeny tiny Mai Tai all that's missing is a really tiny umbrella and a little piece of the pineapple but that was delicious they not only make the rums but they also partner and make these like fruit infused like cocktail mixes they had one that was guava I can't wait to try that one my favorite was the traditional Mai Thai I love the mai tais we had um too many of them at our last stop so it was very nice to have your own personal small Mai Tai uh to try it out I thought that was still absolutely delicious though we also got to try a coconut and a chocolate rum and I think that the coconut was my favorite it was very refreshing and almost a little minty and I bet if I mixed like the coconut and the chocolate that would be so good after our rum tasting we're going to relax even more on a little train ride great thank you very much so you can purchase train tickets and take an authentic train around the kilohana plantation and we're going to learn all about all the different crops that were grown here and I think we're even gonna feed some baby pigs which I'm very excited about welcome to beautiful and historic kilohana my name is Kai I will be keeping you company oh my gosh this is so fun we're feeding a formerly wild pigs they're so wild even though they live in a fence so you can't hand feed them because they will bite but you can hand feed the donkey and the horse is yeah okay I think the theme of today is waterfalls so we just got back from wailua Falls and it's worth the drive definitely just know that it is a dead end and that is the only thing to see and you can see everything you need to see from the parking lot our Gypsy guide was talking about how people have climbed down to it but it's very treacherous and the county frowns upon it and there's all kinds of fences around and tons of signs that say don't do this road closed path closed they don't want you doing it and so now we're on our way to some other Falls uh I think there's like it looks like from the map there's like two or maybe even three waterfalls all in a row should be fun yeah this island is very teeny tiny it's only I think 30 miles across so you can cover a lot of ground in a day um but because of that like there's a lot of traffic and so they're like you know take your time I'm beyond Island time don't expect to get anywhere fast we are now at the floating shrimp Falls rolling shrimp rolling shrimp false apparently means rolling shrimp that's because there used to be shrimp in the streams here there are not anymore oh that was so pretty and I bet there are so many other hidden waterfalls because of how mountainous Kauai is I can't even access them or can only see them by air oh my goodness we found the motherload of chickens this is like where they all hang out oh watch out oh my god oh look at them [Music] hi guys if you had a chicken phobia I would not recommend this stop there's gonna be a hundred I had no idea there were so many chickens on Kauai like this puts Key West to shame [Music] we just took about a 30 minute shuttle ride here this is something that's new in the past couple of years for hyena State Park you have to have a shuttle reservation or if you get lucky you can try to snag some of the very limited parking but it's rare yeah so hiking the honey copyright Beach it's about three to four hours round trip okay two miles in two miles back out so there is a very famous trail that goes along part of the Nepali Coast a full thing is very intense it takes multiple days to do but you can do a very small portion of it without an actual permit and without needing to train and stay overnight and do all of that stuff when's the last time we actually hiked like it's just gonna be a little challenging but I think if we go slow we'll be fine he said that he has accidents every day on this Trail so take it slow I don't want to be the accident this is the start of the famous Nepali Coast we are here and we're going to be doing this section right here as you can see it goes look at all those switchbacks wow so it goes 11 miles out 11 miles back so many warning signs after this clip flash flood Falling Rocks everything Caitlyn you've picked the trail whoa proud of myself all right let's go baby [Music] you look so epic with these Palms how you doing so far good the lower altitude really helps I just have to point out that Howard dressed accordingly to match nature so he's got teal on the top with some blue on the bottom we've got teal and blue yeah yeah good job it's by Design I knew exactly what I was doing [Music] how you doing well I was starting to feel some pain and then I saw the beauty and it all went away wow wow [Music] so excited she's got a glimpse of the beach so it's beautiful so now we've reached the exciting point that you wanted to bring water shoes there's the stream Crossing yeah they want our shoes to get wet which is a very dangerous Beach but there are like a couple tidal pools you can walk on the beach and it's just absolutely beautiful but we made it here in 90 minutes we did we made great time you know with all the stuff yeah we're gonna switch into our water shoes you should probably do the same it's not worth it to slip and fall into the water awesome oh [Music] good job it was much easier than trying to walk across the rock yeah unless we already have our shoes on for the title pool these waves are massive so big definitely incredible and the the Roar from it is so loud I don't know if you can even hear us right now so now we're trying to find a cave that the ranger told us about yeah is this it oh no see okay bye wow this is crazy this is super cool okay the cave is real you ready to go explore yeah where's all this foam coming from is this connected unbelievable they're cool though it's coming in oh this looks even cooler coming back [Music] it took us an hour and 15 minutes to get back not bad that was definitely one of the most beautiful hikes we've ever done it was challenging but not the hardest I will say that I packed tennis shoes because I had seen a lot of people online who did it in tennis shoes we saw people do it in flip-flops so it's kind of whatever your comfort level is now having done it I think I would have packed hiking boots to do it just because there are some rocks and things there's not like loose rocks you're not going to be like super like sliding on that but it would have been nice to have like the extra ankle support but I'm so glad we did it we're back now it's time to go eat feels so good to walk on something flat hot tub is going to feel very good tonight on our legs we earned it we also earned these delicious Mai Tais which you can find at Tahiti Nui a family owned and operated restaurant in Hanalei they have an extensive menu with delicious food and of course these yummy drinks which are also on their happy hour menu this is a must visit spot in Hanalei and everything always tastes better after an epic hike we're back down in Hanalei and we didn't really get to explore the other day because we were so tired from a crazy hike so we're gonna walk around some more and see what we can see here in this cute little town this small town surrounded by beautiful Lush Green Mountains is filled with cute local shops and delicious restaurants we had some of the best poke we've ever eaten and loved visiting the beach with iconic Pier stretching out into Hanalei Bay it's one of the most photographed spots here in Kauai the nearby dry cave and tunnels Beach are both worth visiting in this area if you can snag a parking spot it took us a while but we were successful and enjoyed walking through the cave and snorkeling here on your way out of Hanalei make sure you stop at the Hanalei Valley lookout for stunning views of the mountains and the perfectly manicured tarot fields we're here on there and then going over to there okay Queen's Bath we made it but you should probably not do this in flip-flops before treacherous to come down and you definitely should not swim here there are people that are swimming here right now but my risk is averse self would not recommend well is he swimming but he's diving and he's done it like multiple times yeah I think he's a local I think he does this often yeah yeah but if you're coming down just know that there are about seven or eight parking spots that are at the trailhead and that is it it there are signs everywhere warning you do not park on the sides of any Street when you're down here yeah because it's a neighborhood it's a residential area so I can understand them not wanting cars parked all in their lawns and all over their streets we're finishing up our Gypsy guide and he brought us down this little side street to anini Beach and I wish we had known about this the beginning of the trip because the water is like glass and I bet it's like beautiful snorkeling out there so pretty so if you're coming here make sure you go check out anini Beach hopefully it is as smooth as it is right now for you okay so we're at an airport and I'm pretty sure Caitlyn just booked this on a helicopter tour close but not exactly while helicopter tours are amazing they don't fit into everyone's budget but there's still a great way to take in the incredible bird's eye views of Kauai at a more budget-friendly price point we opted for the Big Kahuna air tour with air Ventures Hawaii their air van planes seat six people and there are no middle seats meaning everyone gets a great view out of the big bubble windows we made a complete circle around the island flying over kauai's coffee Fields down the Nepali Coast over valleys and waterfalls we spent about an hour in the air which was the perfect amount of time for more destination episodes from around the world check out our series from Italy Alaska Canada and more thanks so much for watching we'll see you soon

Channel: Newstate Nomads

Views: 173,135

Keywords: hawaii travel, kauai hawaii, kauai food, kauai food tour, things to do kauai, cheap eats kauai, hawaii vacation, best food in kauai, kauai activities, hawaii travel vlog, hawaii travel guide, hawaii travel tips, new state nomads, kauai hawaii 2022, things to do in kauai, napali coast, waimea canyon, kauai beaches

Id: apfU9Dy3Mhc

Length: 29min 13sec (1753 seconds)

Published: Sun Nov 13 2022