Captivating Kaua'i - Day 3 ( Hindu Monastery - Kilauea Lighthouse )

Kauai Hindu Monastery:

When you think of "Kaua'i Vacation", Hindu Monastery isn't usually the first thing that comes to your mind. However, having been there, I can surely say its well worth a visit.

The Monastery is situated on more than 300 acres of land, with amazing views overlooking Wailua river. It doesn't take much time for anyone to realize that this place reflects spiritual energy. 

A small gazebo near the entrance gives visitors a brief explanation of Hinduism, and of the 
grounds and temples which were established on Kaua'i in early 1970s. 

Temple Entrance

Kadavul temple is a traditional south indian style Shiva temple. front monastery area, including Kadavul temple, is open daily from 9am to noon. There is a guided tour once a week so make sure you call them before planning your visit.

Kadavul Temple

The Iravian temple is being hand built and carved - absolutely stunning. The grounds are lush and green , abundant with plant life. It is the most amazing property with water,mountain and unique flora and fauna. When you've finished touring the grounds take to minute drive to Rudraksh forest - on Hwy 580. Its the only stand of Rudraksha ( Blue marble ) trees in US.

This is definitely the hidden gem on Kaua'i island. Highly recommended. Enjoy the slideshow  !

  Tips:

• Clothing - Hindu guests are encouraged to dress in traditional Hindu clothing when visiting. Alternatively, modest clothing is permitted. No shorts, short dresses, t-shirts or tank tops. Polo shirts are okay.
• Video and photography is not allowed inside Kadavul temple. All other areas can be photographed.

Kilauea Lighthouse : One of a million breathtaking views.

The second destination of the day was Kilauea Lighthouse. It is the northernmost point of the main Hawaiian Islands. This lighthouse was built in 1913. 

Directions :
If you are coming from south shore, take Highway 56.. Turn right onto Kiauea Road after mile marker 23. Follow the road to the end. You will see the lighthouse.

View of lighthouse from a Lookout 

Along the way, we gazed onto the beautiful view of the ocean, watched the egret birds and waves that crashed against the shore. In the winter months you can see whales as well.

View on the way

This is an old lighthouse. The entrance fee is $5. You get to see the lighthouse up close and go in only base portion of it. Binoculars are provided at no cost, they are must to view the nesting birds year round and whales in winter months.  One of our favorite picture taking spots on the island!

Tunnels Beach ( Makua Beach ) :

Tunnels Beach, also known as Makua Beach, is one of Kauai’s most exciting spots for swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. What makes it so great is its large lagoon and its massive hook-shaped reef that provides protection from the surf. The reef here is so big, it can actually be seen from space. According to divers, it’s called “Tunnels Beach” because of all the tunnels and arches in the reef. But surfers often say it’s from the tubular or tunnel-shaped waves that are frequently found at this beach.

This is the superb snorkeling spot on the North Shore. The beach is 2-miles long, running from Hanalei Colony Resort to Ha'ena Beach Park. The center portion has a huge half-moon shaped reef just 1/8 mile offshore where snorkeling is the best. Deep water caversn are located close to shore making it a great dive site, too. Swimming is often good here with shallow, sandy and calm areas.

Tips :

• Great swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving during the calm summer months.
• Great place to view sunset.
• While planning a visit in winter , only go at low tide and when sea is calm.
• It rains often in Kaua'i North shore , so if it starts raining take a shelter and wait for it to pass. Most showers only last for a few mins.
• Bring some food and beverages as there is no food nearby. 
• There are two small dirt roads where you can park to get to this beach; the rest of the roads are all private roads or people's driveways. If you manage to find the first dirt road, it is the best one for parking, as it leads directly to the center of Tunnels beach. The 2nd road drops of you off away from Tunnels, but is nearby. If you end up at the 2nd road, you need to walk to the right of the beach.
• The waves are crashing close to shore and there is no lifeguard. So swim at your own risk !

Directions:

• Head west [right] out of Princeville on Highway 56 toward Hanalei.  At Princeville Center, the Highway changes to 560.  
• Drive through Hanalei [about mile marker 2 on highway 560] and continue to the 8 mile marker.  0.4 miles further turn right and look for parking [this access is just past the YMCA camp and immediately after the yellow "Narrow Bridge" sign]. 
• If parking is not available here, continue another 0.2 mi for a second access point.  Finally, you can drive to Haena, park by the campground, and walk back [east] to Tunnels Beach.  Do not park along Highway 560.  It is a designated fire lane and you can be ticketed and towed.

Ke'e Beach :
At the end of Kuhio Highway (Hwy 560) on Kauai’s north shore lays an absolutely beautiful beach called Kee Beach. This is the last beach accessible by road on the north shore of Kauai. The last stretch of road from Hanalei is narrow and windy and crosses several one-lane bridges, but it's worth the effort. Parking is very difficult to find, so get there early or be prepared to walk a bit. The water is protected from the big north-shore surf by a coral reef, which permits some great snorkeling.

Located at the start of the Kalalau Trail, this beach offers a spectacular side view of Na pali coast and sunset. All around the beach are palm trees and lush vegetation.

Spellbound and totally fascinated by Hawaii's natural beauty, it was time for us to bid adieu  
to Kauai !

Hope you guys enjoy your trip too ...

-Dhara Desai

Captivating Kaua'i - Day 2 ( Waimea Canyon )

As an oldest of Hawaiian islands, Kaua'i has been mostly changed by the forces of erosion, and that has resulted in natural wonders like Waimea Canyon and NaPali Coast. We had already witnessed the beauty of NaPali Coast. It was a clear day so we decided to go to Waimea Canyon and Koke'e State Park.

Directions :

• From Lihue, drive southwest on Kuhio Highway (HI-56), which turns into Kaumualli Highway (HI-50), into Waimea.Turn right on Waimea Canyon Drive (HI-550).
• The road travels through the canyon area and ends at Pu'u o Kila Lookout.

A long and winding road first leads to the main lookout, Waimea Canyon Lookout. Located on the island’s west side, Waimea Canyon is 10 miles long, a mile wide and about 3,500 feet deep. The canyon was carved thousands of years ago by numerous floods and rivers flowing down from the summit of Mount Waialeale. The scenery was awesome , truly indescribable !

Waimea Canyon

The next stop was Puu Hina Lookout. It offers the best views down the Canyon toward the ocean. The view of Niihau is great on a clear day.

We continued our journey to Kalalau Lookout. Kalalau Lookout is the highest elevation you will reach in Kauai by road. The Pacific Ocean beneath the Na Pali Cliffs - One of the most famous sights in the Pacific.  We were looking down at fluffy white clouds, deep blue sea , ,sky and spectacular dark green cliffs. Can anything be more wonderful than this ?

View from Kalalau Lookout

Well let me tell you this if you are lucky you can get to see the double rainbow as well !!

Located at the furthermost point on the road from Waimea into Kokee State Park, the Pu'u o Kila Lookout offers a jaw dropping panoramic view of Kalalau valley. And if the weather is clear you can see scenic views overlooking the Alaka'i Swamp and Mt. Wai'ale'ale. 

Panoramic view of Kalalau valley from Pu'u O Killa lookout

For detailed information on this drive, please refer :'
http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/drives/kauai/west.htm


Few Tips:

• Try to plan your trip on a clear day, otherwise you'll encounter limited visibility and miss out on the canyon's vibrant colors.
• The elevation makes the air 10-15 degrees cooler than in the valley and by afternoon many areas are often shrouded in clouds.So of possible start in morning.
• No gas stations are located along this road - be sure to fill up before starting the trip.
• Best viewing of the Kalalau Valley is in the early morning.
• Excellent bird watching opportunity in morning at Kalalau lookout
• For those who love hiking, there are some really good hiking trails in Kauai, for more information visit http://www.hawaii-guide.com/kauai/list/hiking_trails .

After the wonderful experience, sadly it was time to go back to hotel. The next day was the last day at Kauai, and according to our plan we were to visit Kauai Hindu Monastery ,Kilauea Lighthouse and few beaches ...Coming up next !!

- Dhara Desai

Captivating Kaua'i - Day 1 (Helicopter Tour )

       Kaua'i - Hawaiian Island with majestic peaks,  burnt orange canyons, lush green valleys, cascading waterfalls and unique flora and fauna ,is truly an "Abode of God". 

Kauai has more of a rural, country feel and a laid-back attitude all its own. The oldest and northernmost of the major islands, Kauai is almost untouched by major development. 

The main Kaua'i Island airport is Lihue Airport (LIH). Accommodations are available in Princeville, Kapaa, Lihue, Poipu and Waimea area.

We stayed here for 3 days and were able to cover major attractions. 

Day 1 : Helicopter Tour..

Our first destination was "Opaekaa Falls", one of Kauai’s best-known and main waterfalls. Best seen from a lookout off  Kuamoo Road. The name “Opaekaa” means “rolling shrimp” in the Hawaiian language. The waterfall was named after the shrimp that were once in abundance in its stream and pool. Interesting, isn't it ?

Opaekaa Falls

Opposite to falls was Wailua Heritage Trail,such a beautiful view it was .

Roughly 20% of Kaua'i is accessible by car or foot. The most beautiful parts of Kauai are unreachable by foot, and can only be explored by hiking, air tour and kayaking. The beauty of the island is best seen from the air tour, that was the reason we decided to go for a Helicopter Tour, and we were really very excited about it.

Everyone On board..Let the journey begin !!

Seen from the air, the island's terrain offers a number of breathtaking views. The journey started with the flight to spectacular Hanapepe Valley. We then flew by the magnificient scenic waterfall,  Manawaipouna Falls, commonly known as "Jurassic park Falls".

Jurassic Park Waterfall

 The helicopter then passed through Olokele Canyon on its way to gorgeous Waimea Canyon.This canyon is a gorge and well known for its similarities to the Grand Canyon.Thats the reason it is also known as " Grand Canyon Of Pacific".

Waimea Canyon as seen from the Helicopter 

Then we saw  Kauai's  epic beauty, Na Pali Coast. It provides you with glimpses of picturesque cliffs, mountains, waterfalls, and secluded beaches. We felt as if we had come to an entirely new world.

Napali Coast

The helicopter also passed over popular destinations like Hanalei Valley, Princeville Resort, and the Lumahai Beach.  It was a thrilling experience to slowly hover past 3000-foot tall cliff. The Helicopter was wobbling due to heavy wind , we got very scared. But when the pilot told us it was normal for helicopter to respond in such a way due to wind, we felt better :) 

Hanalei Bay

The next view took our breaths away!!  The pinnacle of any Kauai helicopter tour is the Mt Wai'ale'ale - the wettest spot on earth with an average rainfall of 450-500 inches annually. We saw island's highest and indescribably beautiful waterfalls.

Wai'ale'ale Falls

On the way back we could not stop thinking about the amazing time we had. That was a remarkable experience !

Tips

• Helicopter Tours are  generally 55 mins long.
• Good companies that offer Helicopter tour are - Safari,Blue Hawaiian,Jack harder, Hawaii Active.
• Check weather before booking. You will not be able to see much on a cloudy day.
• Seating in front seats will give you a great view and a good opportunity to take nice pictures. If possible book front seats.
• If you are prone to motion sickness, take a medicine.
• Discount coupons for Helicopter/Boat Tours are  available in local magazines. Check it out before booking.
• Napali Coast Boat Tours are also available. They are mostly 5-6 hours long and offer breakfast,lunch,soft drinks and snorkeling.

- Dhara Desai