While you image Hawaii what involves thoughts? For me, it was busy seashores and towering resorts.
Then I visited Kauai, the oldest main island within the Hawaiian chain.
That age is the important thing. It means Kauai has had the longest period of time to turn out to be probably the most stunning of the already gorgeous Hawaiian Islands.
It is often called the ‘Backyard Isle‘ for a motive! However that is an understatement. It isn’t simply stunning; it is uncooked.
As a substitute of loopy vacationer buzz, there is a profound quiet. As a substitute of a skyline, there are 4,000-foot cliffs. And sure, I’m a little bit biased now… however after at some point there, I knew I had discovered it: what felt just like the actual Hawaii.
Paradise Discovered: Sheraton Kauai Coconut Seashore Resort
I had the pleasure, no, the privilege, of staying at Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort proper alongside the Coconut Coast in Kapa’a.
As quickly as I bought there, I knew I might by no means need to depart.
As you stroll previous the foyer, you’re greeted with a ravishing pool that offers tropical oasis vibes and a surprising view of the seashore and ocean which can be straight in entrance of you. Should you didn’t assume being proper on the seashore was sufficient, then don’t have any worry.
The spectacular formation of the Sleeping Big, or Nounou Mountain, is true behind you when you stand on the seashore. Nounou Mountain is named Sleeping Big as a result of it truly seems to be like an individual sleeping on their aspect, however you recognize, in large kind.
When you get to paradise, what do you do? Let me inform you a couple of of the issues that I did and why I cherished each second of my time in Kauai.
Getting Settled In
To begin with, I can’t inform you what a reduction it was having solely quarter-hour from the airport to Sheraton Kauai Coconut Seashore Resort. I LOVE a brief commute from the airport after a protracted day of touring.
And despite the fact that Hawaii appears like a completely totally different nation with its personal stunning tradition, it’s nonetheless a part of the U.S., which suggests you don’t want a passport and also you don’t must undergo a loopy lengthy customs line while you land!
After I arrived on the resort and made my solution to my room, I used to be afraid I wouldn’t need to depart my room for the remainder of the day.
Positive I used to be drained from my lengthy journey day, and the loopy comfy mattress was calling my identify, however the room décor made it really feel like I used to be IN the ocean already. To not point out the unbelievable view of the ocean proper from my non-public balcony.
@traveloffpath Welcome to our room on the Sheraton Kauai Coconut Seashore Resort! 🌴 Come on in! We’re providing you with the complete tour of our residence base on the Backyard Isle. From the views (good for that morning espresso ☕) to the post-beach-day vibes, see precisely what it is like to remain at this spot. Would you make this your own home base in Kauai? Tell us! 👇 #SheratonKauai #Kauai #Hawaii #RoomTour #HotelTour ♬ Hawái – Maluma
Nonetheless, I wasn’t going to let jet lag and an unbelievable room cease me from exploring this stunning property. I used to be additionally ravenous after my lengthy journey and desperately needed some wonderful seafood, and I used to be not dissatisfied!
Crooked Surf is the resort’s poolside and oceanfront restaurant, they usually had precisely what I wanted: Contemporary fish tacos that had been so good that I needed to get them organized once more after I went again for dinner later that evening.
A Good Poolside Afternoon
Fueling up with fish tacos made me able to benefit from the proper climate. So I grabbed my guide and headed over to lie by the pool.
Little did I do know, I used to be there on the good time for poolside BINGO. I completely joined in on the enjoyable and performed BINGO whereas I soaked up the Hawaiian solar.
After an ideal poolside afternoon, I met up with my group for dinner at Crooked Surf. Regardless that I used to be tempted to get the fish tacos once more, I made a decision to broaden my horizons and check out one of many different delicious-looking dishes: the Dynamite Bowl with tofu drizzled in Pineapple Teriyaki — YUM!
The meals was wonderful once more, however I might be remiss if I didn’t inform you to get the Coconut Seashore Mai Tai. That is truly one of the best Mai Tai on the market and one of the best I’ve ever had. You’ll be glad you took my phrase for it while you order this drink!
Exploring Kapa’a City
Since my inner clock was nonetheless anticipating East Coast time, I used to be prepared to start out the following day vibrant and early with a dawn run on the seashore, adopted by hitting the health club (gotta keep able to eat all of the native meals, am I proper?).
Actually, what a improbable solution to begin the day! I’ve been recognized to secretly choose a resort or lodge by their health club, and I’m comfortable to report that Sheraton Kauai Coconut Seashore Resort didn’t let me down.
They’ve an amazing number of health club tools, and I used to be capable of get a full exercise in earlier than our group biked to downtown Kapa’a for breakfast at Java Kai.
This espresso store is so well-known for being one of the best that I had a number of family and friends telling me to go to Java Kai and the way jealous they had been that I used to be there.
In actual fact, it was so good that we went again the following morning to strive their pineapple French toast on Hawaiian bread and get extra Chai Anu (which was mainly like a chai icee and it was SO GOOD).
@traveloffpath Do you know Sheraton Kauai Coconut Seashore Resort has free bikes you’ll be able to journey to downtown Kapa’a in Kauai, HI? 🌈 #sheratonkauaicoconutbeach #kauai #hawaii #traveloffpath #travel ♬ Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride – Mark Keali’i Ho’omalu & Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus
Fueled up with caffeine and good meals, we had been prepared to walk across the tremendous cute city of Kapa’a and get some procuring in on the market. And oh boy did we!
We shopped and shopped and shopped some extra! There have been so many cute native shops to sift by way of, together with a store the place you’ll be able to design your individual hat! I’m a sucker for these sorts of shops and ended up spending a very good portion of the day having fun with Kapa’a.
In spite of everything that procuring, we would have liked to gasoline up once more at one of many contemporary fruit stands. We tried a number of distinctive Hawaiian fruits, tiny little bananas that had been so tasty, and naturally contemporary pineapple! So mainly I ate my weight in fruit. What higher solution to wash all of it down than with contemporary coconut water straight from a coconut?!
I assumed I couldn’t eat anymore, however then we discovered a chocolate store that does free chocolate tastings the place you’ll be able to strive one of the best native chocolate. Simply after I thought I couldn’t get any fuller, that’s once we discovered the macadamia nut retailer simply down the road. Guess what, additionally they have free tastings! Hawaii is known for its macadamia nuts, so after all I couldn’t say no to that both. They had been so good that I purchased some to convey residence for my household.
The ethical of the story is: be ready to buy until you drop and are available hungry to Kapa’a!
Coastal Rides and Tropical Treats
The bike journey to and from downtown Kapa’a and Sheraton Kauai Coconut Seashore Resort is not like any bike path I’ve ever seen. Many of the quick journey is true alongside the coast and the view of the ocean seems to be fully unreal. The water appeared so contemporary on the way in which again that I jumped off my bike and ran proper in. (The present could be sturdy although, so watch out the place you swim!*)
I spent the remainder of the afternoon ingesting tropical drinks and studying by the pool once more. The resort even has free shaved ice by the pool from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. I dare you to call a extra good day.
An Genuine Hawaiian Luau
What’s the easiest way to finish an ideal day in Hawaii? An genuine Hawaiian Luau! We attended Luau Ka Hikina proper on the resort’s open-air pavilion and the ocean proper behind us. Earlier than our Hawaiian feast formally began, we had a hula lesson from the well-known Leilani Rivera Low!
The remainder of the night was spent consuming an unbelievable Hawaiian feast with all the normal favorites —I even tried poi! (For many who don’t know what that’s, it’s a paste from the taro plant — very Hawaiian) Whereas we ate, Leilani and her college of proficient hula dancers carried out with stay island music.
This was considered one of my favourite experiences to date since you actually felt the soul and fervour behind this stunning tradition that’s been handed down for a lot of, many generations.
As if everybody there wasn’t already completely amazed by the expertise of those dancers and musicians, they introduced out the insanely spectacular Samoan Fireplace Knife Chief.
This was completely one of many coolest and most extraordinary issues I’ve ever seen.
The expertise, talent and bravado that goes into fireplace knife dancing is unfathomable. A number of of us had been fairly presumably fan-girling over the hearth chief and Leilani after the performances.
Conscious Mornings and Mountain Adventures
Even after a fun-filled conventional Hawaiian evening, I needed to benefit from the dawn with the dawn breakfast menu (together with contemporary fruit and an acai bowl). How may you not with the solar rising over the ocean straight in entrance of your resort?!
Sheraton Kauai Coconut Seashore Resort provides beachside morning yoga that I clearly needed to benefit from after watching the dawn. I like the thought of seashore yoga, however generally the sand turns into an excessive amount of of a trouble for me.
However the yoga truly befell on the garden proper subsequent to the seashore. So you continue to had the ocean proper subsequent to you and all of the beachside vibes with out worrying about getting sand in your eyes throughout downward canine.
A straightforward, peaceable morning with a very good stretch meant that we had been prepared for our subsequent massive journey. One of many best adventures on the market to be precise! Mountain tubing with Kauai Backcountry Adventures the place you float down canals from an outdated sugar plantation and tunnels main below the mountain.
With inexperienced tropical vegetation surrounding you and Mt. Wai’ale’ale looming over you it feels such as you’re floating by way of Jurassic Park. It actually felt like a dinosaur may run out from the bushes at any time on the market.
The wonderful journey would have been value it by itself, nevertheless it was made that significantly better by one of the best tour information on the market. Noah was wonderful and you need to completely request him as your tour information while you guide your journey!
Unforgettable Experiences
After the whole lot I’ve already talked about, would you imagine that I haven’t even advised you my favourite factor of all the journey? It’s possible you’ll be shocked after I inform you it was our Ukulele lesson with the resort’s Kumu, Maka Herrod.
One of many issues which can be an absolute should after I come again to Kauai is having one other lesson with Maka. We had a lot enjoyable studying methods to play the Ukulele, and we even sounded fairly first rate in the long run! Maka is likely one of the kindest and sweetest individuals I’ve ever met and I can’t think about there’s a greater Ukulele trainer on the market.
A day filled with journey and studying meant we had been very excited for our goodbye dinner on the resort’s upscale restaurant, Moa Moa. The strawberry moon over the ocean was the backdrop for our dinner, making it the proper setting.
As soon as once more, I ate means an excessive amount of as a result of the whole lot was so scrumptious! The Hawaiian caprese salad was tasty and refreshing and I cherished the tropical twist to the normal caprese salad. For my important course, I had the macadamia-crusted Mahi-Mahi, and it was phenomenal!
To high all of it off, we tried a number of of their scrumptious desserts and severely regretted not saving extra room for dessert. They had been so good that I needed to eat each final chunk – particularly the molten lava cake!
A Breathtaking Farewell Hike
I hate to confess it, however I kind of lied to you earlier. My favourite factor from all the journey was positively the Ukulele lesson with Maka, UNTIL an impromptu hike to the highest of the Sleeping Big the morning of my flight.
The Nounou East Path Head was solely a couple of 5-minute drive from Sheraton Kauai Coconut Seashore Resort and I couldn’t resist seeing the views from the highest that I’d heard a lot about.
So I woke as much as watch the dawn on the seashore one final time after which headed to the trailhead to start out my trek to the highest. I wasn’t even 5 minutes into my hike, and it was already value it. With the lava rocks, vegetation, and bushes, this was positively probably the most stunning I’d ever taken.
@traveloffpath Probably the most stunning hike I’ve ever performed. Sleeping Big: Nounou East Trailhead in Kauai, HI 🌈 only a quick drive from Sheraton Kauai Coconut Seashore Resort! #sheratonkauaicoconutbeach #hawaii #kauai #travel #hike ♬ SOLANA – Alex LeMirage
And that doesn’t even embrace the views but. About ¼ of the way in which up the mountain, I got here throughout a patch of daylight from a break within the bushes. That’s after I circled and actually gasped out loud. I used to be positively not anticipating a full view of the city under me and the wide-open ocean past it.
There was no means the view from the highest was needed if this view was already right here, not even midway up the mountain, proper? Fallacious! Once I lastly made it to the highest, the path changed into a novel rocky terrain. I climbed the rocks and once more had my breath taken away. This was completely probably the most stunning and satisfying hike I’ve ever performed.
On the high of the Sleeping Big, you get a panoramic view of the island and an unobstructed view of the ocean that was getting increasingly more blue because the morning solar rose larger into the sky. That is positively some of the stunning sights on the market. I can’t start to inform you how comfortable I used to be that I made a decision last-minute to make this hike occur. It was greater than value it!
Should you like having a path virtually fully to your self, then you need to begin climbing proper after dawn. That’s what I did, and I felt like I had all the mountain to myself. I didn’t see a single particular person till later as I hiked down the mountain and other people began climbing up. Plus, it wasn’t as sizzling earlier within the morning.
The Good Sendoff
The unofficial theme of this journey was journey, then eat. That’s precisely what I did after my hike. I needed to match one final native favourite meals spot in earlier than my flight out – Holey Grail Donuts.
To be fully sincere, donuts are by no means considered one of my favourite issues, however these “Hawaiian grown” donuts are unbelievable! They use distinctive Hawaiian flavors from native farms and these donuts are so significantly better than anything on the market. These donuts had been the proper send-off deal with.
I actually miss Kauai a lot already. This was one place that I’ve been actually unhappy to depart behind. I can’t wait to return again to discover extra of this beautiful island and expertise extra of the attractive Hawaiian tradition.
**Journey Off Path was a visitor of Sheraton Kauai Coconut Seashore Resort, who helped with the creation of this itinerary by internet hosting a few of our lodging and sights. Our opinions, suggestions, and strategies stay our personal.**
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