travel
from Poipu you can make it to the end
of the road on the east side in about
one and a half hours. The village of
Hanapepe is the inspiration for the
setting of the Lilo and Stitch movie, and
though the movie theatre is no longer
in operation, there are an assortment
of cute cafes, an excellent bookstore,
and several trendy art galleries including
one where you can buy second-hand
Hawaiian floral shirts at US$10 a pop.
And of course there are wild chickens
everywhere, just like in the movie. This
is a good place to fortify yourself before
you head up to see the canyon, and
on the way back be sure to explore
the enormous Kauai Coffee Company
plantation which has its own museum
and train trip through the rows of coffee
bushes. There are varieties of coffee to
sample and lots of coffee ice cream.
Driving in the other direction north
from Poipu, explore Wailua River State
Park, with waterfalls, and kayaking and
stand-up paddling on the river of the
same name. There are trails to hike in
the many forest reserves in this north-
east quadrant. And don’t forget to
check out the Kilauea Lighthouse with
nearby bird sanctuary and botanical
garden (with mini golf). Hanalei Bay and
Waioli Beach Park are near the end of
the road just beyond Princeville and are
a must-see. The town of Hanalei has a
lovely assortment of small hotels, shops,
eateries and food trucks.
Polynesia on the beach
If you never expect to visit Polynesia you
can still experience something similar in
Kauai. Book early if you want to go to
a luau, with hula-dancing, grass skirts,
ukulele music, fire-juggling performances
–and, of course, feast on succulent roast
pig baked in the ground. Other local
edibles include poi (a purple paste made
from ground taro root), lomi salmon,
papaya, pineapple, and the shellfish opihi
-considered Hawaii’s own ‘superfood’.
Aloha… till next time
As the plucky Kauai native, Lilo, foretold
in the Disney movie that bears her name,
“if you want to leave, you can…”. But
you won’t want to. Of course, the need
to get the kids back to class will help
you resolve your dilemma, so you will
eventually be saying ‘aloha’ (which means
‘goodbye’ as well as ‘hello’) to Kauai.
You’ll remember it though.
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How to get there:
You can fly United Airlines via Guam
to Honolulu, then onwards to Kauai.
But we recommend flying direct to the
garden island via a pit stop in Tokyo.
Why not take the chance to spend a
night in Roppongi district, or even walk
the streets and samples the restaurant
scene in and around Narita. You’ll find
that Japan and Hawaii have a shared
history; so you may as well explore
as much as you can. If the streetlife
of Tokyo tires you out, remember you
will have plenty of time to sleep it off at
the beach.
Where to stay:
Many options abound, from Air BnB,
to guesthouses, to Sheraton-type
hotels and Marriott Vacation-club
resorts. Book ahead for holiday
periods, of course.
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