Aloha Friends!
When you go to Kauai you will have many choices of things to do & see. A lot more than you can do in two days. On my previous day's blog I wrote about Day 1 when we decided to 'beach it' and see the island. We picked up a rental car and off we went, it was a great day of sun, sand, swimming & snorkeling. Having made that decision for day one - the only possible choice for our second & last day was the Na Pali Coast.
There are just a few choices to choose from if you want to see the Na Pali Coast. The 15-mile stretch of coastline on the northwest shore of Kauai (Na Pali means 'the cliffs') is mostly inaccessible due to its sheer cliffs that drop straight down in to the ocean. Sailing, hiking or helicopter are your choices to see this spectacular phenomenon of nature.
The most popular hike on Na Pali is to Hanakapi'ai. It is a lush river valley and you can hike about 8 miles round trip to a waterfall or 4 miles to the Beach. Reading up on the hiking conditions, it sounded like a hike for the more experienced. Notes on websites saying 'use extreme caution' and crossing the river can be 'potentially hazardous', was enough for us to decide against hiking the coast!
Another great way to see Na Pali is via boat - there are many charter companies you can book for a 4-6 hour sail that will serve lunch and includes snorkeling stops -- we were tempted, but the final decision was no boat. We knew we would see the Na Pali shore from the Pride of America as we sailed away from Kaua'i later in the day.
So that left us with....helicopter! I was all for it - we had done a helicopter tour to a glacier when we were in Alaska, and I loved it. CJS booked us a DOORS OFF helicopter tour!! I was a little surprised, but I figure if she was in, so was I. (I can hear you readers now saying - no hike, but a doors off helicopter ride was OK???)
Here is a little snip-it from Jack Harter Helicopter tours website:
CJS picked the right company, it was amazing!! Now for just a taste of Na Pali beauty, here are some pics taken by CJS as she was hanging on with one hand and snapping pictures with her camera in the other hand.
I apologize in advance if I have too many pictures here -- it was just too beautiful to describe!
Flying over the Na Pali coast was spectacular. The Waterfalls, Jurassic Park looking cliffs, lush green valleys, mist hanging over the waterfalls and valleys and the amazing Grand Canyon like colors of red and golds and burnt umber! It was an incredible flight, one that I will never forget!
After we returned to base, we got off the helicopter exhilarated by the ride. It is worth every cent my friends! If you have a chance to do it - go for it.
We did not enough time to really take off and explore more of the island, so we returned our car and spent a couple hours lounging at one of the beach front hotels. Our ship was schedule to sail away early, so we would get to see the Na Pali coast as we sailed past. Prime picture taking time for most -- although I think the helicopter pictures were fabulous.
After the Na Pali Coast was in our past, we enjoyed a nice final evening on the ship. But that was not to be our last night in the Hawaiian Islands. No way. Come back and see what we did our last two days in Honolulu as we had two more nights on shore, staying at the beautiful Waikiki Marriott!
Aloha!
Susan
When you go to Kauai you will have many choices of things to do & see. A lot more than you can do in two days. On my previous day's blog I wrote about Day 1 when we decided to 'beach it' and see the island. We picked up a rental car and off we went, it was a great day of sun, sand, swimming & snorkeling. Having made that decision for day one - the only possible choice for our second & last day was the Na Pali Coast.
There are just a few choices to choose from if you want to see the Na Pali Coast. The 15-mile stretch of coastline on the northwest shore of Kauai (Na Pali means 'the cliffs') is mostly inaccessible due to its sheer cliffs that drop straight down in to the ocean. Sailing, hiking or helicopter are your choices to see this spectacular phenomenon of nature.
The most popular hike on Na Pali is to Hanakapi'ai. It is a lush river valley and you can hike about 8 miles round trip to a waterfall or 4 miles to the Beach. Reading up on the hiking conditions, it sounded like a hike for the more experienced. Notes on websites saying 'use extreme caution' and crossing the river can be 'potentially hazardous', was enough for us to decide against hiking the coast!
Another great way to see Na Pali is via boat - there are many charter companies you can book for a 4-6 hour sail that will serve lunch and includes snorkeling stops -- we were tempted, but the final decision was no boat. We knew we would see the Na Pali shore from the Pride of America as we sailed away from Kaua'i later in the day.
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| Girls can do it all! Getting ready for lift off |
So that left us with....helicopter! I was all for it - we had done a helicopter tour to a glacier when we were in Alaska, and I loved it. CJS booked us a DOORS OFF helicopter tour!! I was a little surprised, but I figure if she was in, so was I. (I can hear you readers now saying - no hike, but a doors off helicopter ride was OK???)
Here is a little snip-it from Jack Harter Helicopter tours website:
You will experience a unique and fascinating helicopter tour in our 4-passenger Hughes 500 that we offer. as well as some of the history of the helicopter industry that Jack founded here on Kauai in 1962. Your scenic adventure will remain a treasured lifetime memory.
The Originator of Helicopter Tours on Kauai:
- Four-passenger Hughes 500s flown with the doors off
- Two-way intercom systems
- Informative live narration focusing on Kauai's history and native ecosystems
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| waterfalls like you have never seen! |
I apologize in advance if I have too many pictures here -- it was just too beautiful to describe!
 |
| Jurassic Park? |
 |
| I was not kidding when I say CJS was leaning out, snapping away |
Flying over the Na Pali coast was spectacular. The Waterfalls, Jurassic Park looking cliffs, lush green valleys, mist hanging over the waterfalls and valleys and the amazing Grand Canyon like colors of red and golds and burnt umber! It was an incredible flight, one that I will never forget!
 |
| look at the unbelievable colors! |
After we returned to base, we got off the helicopter exhilarated by the ride. It is worth every cent my friends! If you have a chance to do it - go for it.
 |
| chilling at the pool |
We did not enough time to really take off and explore more of the island, so we returned our car and spent a couple hours lounging at one of the beach front hotels. Our ship was schedule to sail away early, so we would get to see the Na Pali coast as we sailed past. Prime picture taking time for most -- although I think the helicopter pictures were fabulous.
After the Na Pali Coast was in our past, we enjoyed a nice final evening on the ship. But that was not to be our last night in the Hawaiian Islands. No way. Come back and see what we did our last two days in Honolulu as we had two more nights on shore, staying at the beautiful Waikiki Marriott!
Aloha!
Susan
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| taken from the ship by CJS, sail boat on the water in front of Na Pali with a rainbow to top off a perfect day |
