When I have to start a blog with “Back in [insert month],” that is when I know I have fallen behind on my posts. You might recall that the reason I started this blog was to better remember and reflect on my trips, but if I am writing posts several months later, I have probably already forgotten some details! Here is my commitment to being more timely with my posts.
Back in March, Justin and I travelled to the island of Kaua’i, Hawaii for our honeymoon. While I love to travel and explore, by the end of a trip, I usually feel like my cup is full and I am ready to go home. But at the end of this trip, I was not ready to leave and I felt we had “unfinished business” in Kaua’i. Nevertheless, we maximized the time we had, and are looking forward to a trip back in the future ツ.
Our primary reason for choosing Kaua’i for our honeymoon was because of all the amazing hiking opportunities available on the Island. In this post, I will discuss all the trails we completed in detail, and I will publish a “Part 2” that will cover our other activities, food and accommodation. I am hoping that writing shorter, more focused blogs, will also help me to publish posts more frequently ツ.
Anyway – while our trip to Kaua’i was only a week long, we managed to complete six hikes, and they are discussed below in order of completion!
Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail:
The Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail was the first hike we did in Kaua’i. This hike is classified as moderate on AllTrails – it is 6km long, and has an elevation gain of 122m. The trail is located along the southern coastline of the Island, providing beautiful views of the ocean and coastal cliffs all throughout. The trail ends at Gillin’s Beach, but you will pass several other sights along the way including Poi’pu Bay Golf Course, as well as the biggest limestone cave and fossil site in Hawai’i – Makauwahi Cave (although, we only encountered the Cave because we took a “scenic detour”). If you are looking for a fairly easy and peaceful walk near the ocean, I would definitely recommend the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail.
Sleeping Giant (Noun Mountain) East Trail:
The Sleeping Giant East Trail was my second favourite hike that we did in Kaua’i. This hike is approximately 5km long, and it gets its name from a local legend, which tells of a “giant who feasted so much at a party in his honour that he laid down for a nap and never awoke” (as per AllTrails) – and I can verify that from a distance, the Sleeping Giant actually looks like a face! What made this hike a bit challenging was the fact that we did it right after it rained, making the trail slippery, and there is also a rock scramble near the end. However, the panoramic views from the top were worth it – we could see the nearby towns of Kapa’a and Waliua, as well as the Pacific Ocean. We found out after-the-fact that there are apparently caves you can explore right under the main viewpoint – if you end up at this trail, make sure you do not miss them like we did. But in the end, I am happy to report that we successfully completed the hike without waking the Sleeping Giant ツ.
It is also noteworthy that there are two Sleeping Giant trails – the one we completed was on the east, but there is also a west trail that is shorter – it is only 2.7km long. We did not try this option, but basic math tells me that you should be able to get to the views faster, although it will be a steeper climb over a shorter distance.
Ho’opi’i Falls Trail:
The Ho’opi’i Falls Trail is an easy walk we completed after conquering the Sleeping Giant. We felt we had some energy to keep going, but we were not looking for anything too strenuous as it was starting to get warm, and we were starting to get hungry (or “hangry” in my case ツ). This is an out-and-back trail that is mostly flat (64m elevation gain), ending at a beautiful little waterfall with a swimming hole. The hardest part of the trail was getting down to the waterfall, but there are lots of trees you can use to support your descent. This was the perfect way to end our hiking/walking activities for the day before heading back to our hotel to relax by the pool.
Hanakapi’ai Falls:
Hanakapi’ai Falls was my favourite hike of the trip, but was also the hardest and scariest, as well. This hike is located along the Nā Pali Coast in Haena State Park, and visitors are required to make reservations in advance. We tried making vehicle reservations on multiple occasions – staying up late as reservations are released 30-days in advance in HST – but we were not successful and had to opt for the shuttle option, instead. When we arrived at the park and saw that the parking lot had room for less than 10 vehicles, we were not surprised that we were unable to get a vehicle reservation!
Anyway, the Hanakapi’ai Falls trail is rated as hard on AllTrails, as it is 12.2km in length and has an elevation gain of 726m. Most of the elevation gain is at the start, before crossing the first stream crossing, and then a gradual incline for the remainder of the trail. When we first arrived at the trail head (via shuttle), there was a Haena State Park employee who greeted us, advising about the Hanakapi’ai Falls trail and conditions. When she told us that we would have to cross the “stream” five times before getting to the falls, I imagined a little bit of water, where the bottom of my hiking boots might get wet… but I was very wrong. In this case, the stream went part way up my thighs, and I am nearly 5’8” tall! Because it was raining, and had heavily rained during previous days, the stream was rising and moving very quickly, making it hard to get across. Luckily, we had hiking poles to help with stability and water resistance, but it was still difficult to walk through the stream, nonetheless. It was a bit funny how concerned I was about getting wet during the first crossing, but forgot all about it by the third time ツ.
The trail itself is absolutely stunning – the surrounding forest is lush with greenery, and from certain points on the trail, you can see the Nā Pali Coast. The Hanakapi’ai Waterfall, itself, is one of the most impressive waterfalls I have ever seen – the lower falls (where the trail ends) are around 300-400 ft tall, but it is estimated that the entire waterfall is over 1,600 ft! We were able to stand right at the bottom, providing for an amazing perspective of the waterfall – we could feel the mist, and some people were even swimming at the base.
While we did not go swimming at the waterfall, it was raining so hard that it looked like we had gone swimming… I was absolutely soaked, head-to-toe (and to think I bothered doing my hair that morning). It was actually very difficult to get a photo without water on the phone or camera lens. To make matters worse, I had my passport in my Lululemon belt bag which also got wet. When I got home, I had to replace my passport well before the expiry date, and I had to complete a special form which explained how my passport was damaged – lesson learned to leave my passport at my accommodation the next time I decide to hike in a rain storm!
In the end, this trail was quite the adventure – it was slippery and muddy from all the rain, and the stream was more difficult to cross than usual due to the weather conditions – but it was all worth it!
Waimea Canyon Trail to Waipo’o Falls:
This trail is located in Waimea Canyon, which is often referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. Waimea Canyon was created by a volcanic eruption over 5 million years ago, and is 13 miles long, 1.5 miles wide and 2,500 feet deep. While there are many trails to explore at Waimea Canyon, we did not have a lot of time here, as we were heading on a Nā Pali Coast Boat Tour in the early afternoon (which I will tell you about in Part 2 of this post). For this reason, we chose to do the Waipo’o Falls via Pu’u Hinahina and Canyon Trail, as it is a shorter hike – it is 4.2km long and took around 2-hours to complete.
The first part of the trail consists of walking through the forest as you descend into the canyon. I will note that there is a considerable decline on this trail, as it has an elevation gain of 342m (over 2.1km). I was happy to have a hiking pole with me, as there were also a lot of rocks and tree roots to navigate. However, once you emerge from the trees, you will not be surprised as to why Waimea Canyon is referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific – it is truly an impressive sight of red and orange rock, mixed with greenery (much more colourful than the actual Grand Canyon).
I am embarrassed to say that as I am writing this blog post, I am realizing that we did not see (or look for) Waipo’o Falls during the hike. There is a small waterfall at the end of this trail, which I had mistaken for Waipo’o Falls, but it is not the 800 foot waterfall we should have seen. Consider this your warning and reminder to make sure you look for this impressive waterfall (which fortunately, we did see from a different viewpoint in the park).
Make sure to also stop by the swing on the trail (which is located before the small waterfall) for a great photo opportunity!
Moalepe Trail:
The final hike we did in Kaua’i was the Moalepe Trail. Similar to Ho’opi’i Falls, this hike made for a leisurely afternoon walk. The trail is 8km long, and took us around 2-hours to complete.
I will be honest, the first part of the trail is not very exciting – you will walk along a dirt path for approximately 45-minutes without a single view in sight. However, stick to it because around the half way mark (2.5km into the trail), you will encounter a swing (yes, another one) with incredible valley views – a luscious, green canopy of trees. The swing is actually difficult to get onto, as it is quite high – Justin had to hold the swing in place for me, while I climbed onto a nearby stump to pull myself up! But, the struggle to get on was worth it – it was a great photo opportunity, especially with the scenery behind me.
The views at the swing were definitely the highlight of the trail. If you are short on time, you could easily turn around and head back from here. The remainder of the trail is not well maintained – we would recommend wearing long pants as there is a section of “bush whacking” on the trail. Also, the end of the Moalepe Trail connects to another popular trail in the area called Kuilau Ridge Trail. We decided to briefly venture down the Kuilau Ridge Trail (which transition at the bridge), and came across another nice valley view, but it was not as nice as the view from the swing. The more I think about it, the more I would recommend to turn around after you reach the swing to make the most of your time ツ.
Well, I think that covers all the hikes we did in Kaua’i. Which one(s) would you try if you decide to visit this beautiful island? Make sure to keep an eye out for Part 2 of this blog post, which I hope to publish very soon!
Always grateful,
Michelle
Exploring With Gratitude 