Updated July 1, 2021.
This Flyaway Friday is all about my favorite island in the world–so far! My sweet husband and I went to Kauai for our second anniversary, and it was the most beautiful, majestic place I’ve ever seen. Here are a few reasons why!
10. The Glass Sand Beach
Kauai’s unique glass sand beach is an example of beauty from the unbeautiful. The grains of “sand” were not formed by a lightning incident or any other scientific reason. This used to be a dumping ground! Other garbage washed away or has been cleaned up, but the glass from bottles and other trash got beat against the rocks and smoothed over by the salt water, so now it looks like sand. It’s pretty!
Read next: The Best Hawaiian Souvenirs
9. Free-range Chickens
These little guys are truly free-range! They’re just about everywhere, but surprisingly we didn’t see too much poop around, and they were friendly to people. Having grown up with some angry roosters on a farm, this was a pleasant and entertaining surprise!
More here: What to Eat on Kauai
8. The Sound of the Shore
Looking for a peaceful place? Kauai is it. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore, whether rocky or sandy, is just the sound I love to hear while I’m relaxing on an island.
Read on: What to Know Before You Visit Kauai
7. Flowers
Kauai is called the “Garden Island” for a reason! Everywhere we looked, we saw natural beauty in vibrant color.
More here: How to Spend Your Last Day in Hawaii
6. The Rainbows
The rain that makes the flowers so bright and beautiful also brings beautiful rainbows. They pop up quickly and are gone almost as fast, so be watchful!
More here: What to Read Before You Trip to Hawaii
5. Kauai Coffee Company
I need my coffee every day, but I don’t consider myself a coffee connoisseur. However, Kauai’s coffee is smooth, not over-powering, and smells incredible! The Kauai Coffee Company plantation and museum are open for tours, and you can try every variety while you’re there! I bought some to being home, and every time my husband brings it to me in bed (because he loves me), I’m reminded of my favorite island!
This plantation was featured in my book, Paradise Lost and Found!
4. Waimea Canyon
Known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” Waimea Canyon is vast and stunningly beautiful. The hiking trail is popular, but was not over crowded when we hiked it. It’s pretty impressive!
Essential info: The Ultimate List of Hiking Tips
And there’s a little surprise on the hike, which leads me to #3…
3. Waterfalls
We love waterfalls! And Kauai has more than its fair share os beautiful ones. Here’s a sampling:
More here: What to Know Before You Visit the Hawaiian Islands
2. Kalalau Trail
This is possibly the most popular hiking trail on the island. It follows the Na’Pali Coast, and while it’s quite long and some places are treacherous, the views are worth the effort!
More here: 5 Things You Forgot to Pack for Hawaii
1. The Na’Pali Coast
This is, by far, the most majestic, stunning, and beautiful place I’ve ever seen in my world travels. We took a small plane tour for a 1-hour tour of the island from the air, and it was the perfect way to start our trip. The North Shore’s coastline looks like a movie set, as if it couldn’t possibly be real, but it is! The Na’Pali Coast is sacred to the native Hawaiians, and they’re protected from development so they will remain just as beautiful for generations.
More here: Epic Landscapes of the World
So what do you think? Is Kauai on your travel bucket list? Let me know in the comment section! And check out my Hawaiian Islands Page for all my Hawaii planning posts!
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Would love to visit Kauai! Definitely one of the most beautiful islands of Hawaii. Thanks for the great post.
Thanks for reading! I definitely recommend a small plane or helicopter ride first thing if you go!
Great post! Heading there soon, so this made me very excited. 😜
I’m so glad! Kauai remains my most favorite island in the world!
The Napali coast is legendary
100% agree! It literally brought tears to my eyes. I can’t wait to go back and get even more and even better pictures!
We’ve hiked in and camped it a couple times. But I would really like to kayak in next time, so we could get a different perspective from the water…
Yes! We saw it from a tiny plane and it was the most breath-taking thing I’ve ever seen. Next time we go, we want to see it from the water!