Don't let the unassuming road through the heart of Waimea fool you--this drive is pure magic. The…read morelong, winding road delivers one stunning view after another of the mountains and the ocean far below. Once you reach the lookout, parking is plentiful. They charge per person rather than per vehicle, but it's completely worth it. Even better, the parking pass you get at one scenic overlook covers the other nearby lookouts too. There are several different viewing areas, including options that work well for those with limited mobility--perfect for my mom. Locals rightly call this the "Grand Canyon of Kaua'i," and the photos (and selfies) you'll take here will make everyone back home jealous. An absolute must-see.

Photos really don't do this place justice. Waimea Canyon Lookout is a must-stop!…read more Just keep in mind that non-residents pay a parking day fee to see all 5 lookouts in the canyon. (I think it was $10 per vehicle, $5 per person) Just a heads up, depending on the time of day you may or may not get the view of a lifetime. We heard from a few different people that the clouds were too low at different points in the day. We felt like we got the full experience around noon! There are bathrooms at each lookout and plenty of parking. If you want to see the Grand Canyon of Kauai, you've got to stop here.

The Puʻu o Kila Lookouts is located at the mile marker 19, the end of highway 550, within Kauai's…read moreKoke'e State Park, and it offers panoramic views of the Kalalau Valley and the Na Pali Coast. I think it's a better stop compared to the nearby Kalalau Lookout if you're running short on time.

The views were breathtaking!! We were treated by a full rainbow. My only complaint is the cost to…read morepark your car and see the amazing view. It's $10 per car and $5 per person for a spot you're probably going to spend 15-20 minutes.

I'm giving this place only 2 stars. The so-called "arboretum" has a smelly restroom at the top of…read morethe hill, and if you're expecting information about plants, flowers, or trees, you won't find any. It's not really an arboretum in the true sense -- more like a patch of forest with a few jungle trails. We walked up to the nearest trail entrance, but it was overgrown with tall grass, so we just turned back and left. Honestly, this arboretum isn't worth visiting during a week-long trip to Kauai.

If you want to see rainbow eucalyptus trees this is a must go! It's a beautiful area to walk…read morearound. Bring comfortable sturdy shoes. Wear sunscreen and insect repellant. No entry fee and plenty of parking.

You'll definitely feel like you are in heaven if you are able to reach this 2-1/2 mile long beach…read morestate park! First, you need a 4x4 vehicle like a Jeep or Pick-Up Truck and have to drive along a rough 5-mile road with lots of bumps and ruts along the way. But totally worth the time and effort! Make sure you have all the supplies you need and have a full tank of gas prior to coming. As for the beach itself, there are lots of great and spectacular views of the scenery! The Napali Coast, Pacific Ocean, Polihale Beach State Park itself, and so much more. I did a beach stroll from end to end and took me about 2 hours overall. Just seeing this in videos and photos does not do it enough justice; you have to be there in-person to experience the serenity of nature.

Went to a wedding here and it's beautiful. People camp here as well…read more You need an AWD vehicle to go and it's about a mile inward. Usually no signal inside. Lots of bird watching opportunities. We also saw huge boars run across!!!

Beautiful views, but the waterfall was much smaller than I thought it would be. Regardless, if…read moreyou're looking for a view of Waimea, I'd recommend it! I thought the hike was pretty easy. I'd give it a 2.5/5 on the difficulty scale, only because there is a lot of loose rocks and roots. My boyfriend (who is less active than me) a 4/5 on the difficulty scale.

Waipo'o Falls is an 800 foot waterfall and considered to be one of the most dramatic waterfalls in…read moreHawaii. I beg to differ. I believe it's a disappointment for the amount of praise it gets. Although I am just some one person expressing negativity about it, I can try to explain why... Waipo'o Falls is located within Waimea Canyon State Park - known as the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific". And Waimea Canyon SP is the place every tourist visits if you're coming to the island of Kauai. Now...Waimea Canyon offers a bunch of different vista points and observation overlooks of its beautifully colorful canyon landscape. And...at Waimea Canyon Overlook (Mile Marker 10), the most popular of them all, you can see Waipo'o Falls in the distance, but BARELY! I was in disbelief how far away the falls were, like a little blip on the radar. Seriously, bring binoculars with you. That's how far away it is. In reality, Waipo'o Falls is practically nonexistent from any viewpoint within Waimea Canyon. You see a small trickle at best. And yet, Hawaiian Guides who know the island up and down, and back and forth say this Waimea Canyon Overlook is "spectacular" for catching the falls! Are they being fully transparent? Or am I living in an alternate universe? Experts also claim that Pu'u Ka Pele Lookout (near Mile Marker 13) is remarkable for photo opportunities of Waipo'o Falls. Really? It's still the same tiny glance as if you're standing at Waimea Canyon Overlook. Grrr, frustrating. One more thing...according to my research, Waipo'o Falls can actually be reached by hiking the Canyon Trail from Pu'u Hinahina Lookout. And so...when I arrived at Pu'u Hinahina Lookout, everyone seemed prepared to hike the 1.8 mile (each way) Canyon Trail to Waipo'o Falls. At the time, I was excited to do this thinking I was getting to experience a rewarding waterfall moment. 1.8 miles to see it? I was amped up! But of course, Canyon Trail and getting to Waipo'o Falls is not what you're going to receive. Just a fair warning, lol. Along the way, Canyon Trail is a hike through a rainforest setting which would be pleasant for a lot of people. But, here you are...allocating a lot of time out of the day and since Waimea Canyon is connected directly with Kokee State Park (its neighbor), you really need to pick and choose what sights, stops and activities you'd like to make, all within one day, to feel satisfied, from my pov. Unless you're returning for a Day 2, which I'd suggest doing. But regardless, Canyon Trail is all downhill for the 1.8 miles, which means returning back up to the trailhead can be somewhat difficult for casual hikers and obviously all uphill. Finally, going as far as I could (even in a torrential downpour of rain which really muddied up the trail), I still couldn't find Waipo'o Falls. I did arrive at a rock wall with two small waterfalls splashing into a pool of water, but where was Waipo'o Falls? I couldn't find the answer. Eventually, I returned back up towards the trailhead at Pu'u Hinahina Lookout. What a letdown and waste of time. Because along the way on Canyon Trail, there's not much to see. It's boring, especially considering how you get undisturbed views of Waimea Canyon from all the various viewpoints along the main road of the park and now here, you're working hard not to feel rewarded at the end. Here's what I learned about Canyon Trail to Waipo'o Falls... - Speaking with other hikers (and I could be wrong about this), you're actually standing on top or at the beginning stages of Waipo'o Falls. Those two little waterfalls eventually merge into a pool and begin the grand start of the 800 foot drop. - So if you're standing on top of Waipo'o Falls, how then do you get to the bottom of it, to then admire looking up at it? From what I observed, there was no clear marked trail down the side of the cliff. What, you repel? Or, you must be an advanced hiker/climber and continue on what eventually is an unmaintained path through the forest to get a side view of the falls? I still don't understand to this day as I'm writing this, lol. - Lastly, there were no signs about Waipo'o Falls along the Canyon Trail pathway. You're at on your own discretion to discover your way, even if the trailhead sign at Pu'u Hinahina Lookout specifically stated..."Canyon Trail crosses Kokee Stream and ends at Waipo'o Falls". And, there's no Visitor Center at Waimea Canyon to ask questions where you may have gone wrong. In the end, I apologize for being downbeat at Waipo'o Falls. And I guess, I'm writing this to share my confusion and relay to others that you may need to temper your expectations no matter how enthusiastic professionals out there claim Waipo'o Falls to be.

Ahukini Recreational Pier State Park is located about a 5-minute drive northeast along the sea from…read moreLihue Airport. When you go down the slope, you can see a parking lot (like a place). You can park for free, but I felt that the security was quite bad. After all, as soon as I stopped the car, a woman came out of a car and came to sell something in a small bag. Of course I refused, but my husband said, "It's probably drugs." After having such an experience right after arriving, I was quite worried about walking around, so I finished walking early within sight of our car and returned to the car. I really wanted to take a longer and more relaxed walk if I had time. The atmosphere of the pier was as if it had traveled back in time; the pier looked old and almost decayed. According to what I heard, the first people who discovered Hawaii landed here. There was an old lighthouse on the other side of the pier, but it is not certain whether it is still fulfilling its role. Unfortunately, I can't review detailed information about this place at this time, but I want you to take safety measures if you visit here. While we were away from the car for a short time, a Kauai county sheriff's car came on patrol, so I was a little relieved. But I think it's easy to target small groups of Japanese people in this secluded area, so please practice crime prevention when you leave the car; don't forget to prevent theft. It is a peaceful state park with a long history where anglers enjoy fishing leisurely, but it is certainly dangerous because it is difficult to see from the public road. If we have a chance to visit there next time, we would like to send you updated reviews after taking safety measures. アフキニ・リクリエーショナル・ピア州立公園は、リフエ空港から海沿いに北東へ車で5分程度走った所にあります。坂を下り切ると駐車場(らしき場所)が見えます。無料で駐車出来ますが、かなり治安が悪そうに感じました。何しろ車を止めた途端に一台の車から女性が出て来て小さな袋に入った何かを売りに来ました。もちろん断りましたが夫は「おそらくドラッグだろう」と言って居ました。 到着直後にそんな体験をしたので、周辺の散策もかなり不安で、自分達の車が見える範囲で早々と散策を済ませて車に戻りました。 本当は時間があったらもっとゆっくりと散策したかったです。 pierの雰囲気はまるでタイムスリップした様な佇まいで、桟橋も古くて殆ど朽ちて見えました。 聞く所によると、ハワイ先住民達がここに流れ着いたらしいです。 桟橋の向こうには古い灯台が有りましたが、今でも役目を果たして居るのかどうかは定かでは有りません。 今回は残念ながら、この場所についての詳しい情報のレビューは出来ませんが、皆さんが此処を訪れる場合は先ずは安全対策をして欲しいと伝えたかったのです。我々が短時間車を離れて居る間にKauaiの郡保安官(Sheriffs)の車が警備に来たので少し安心しましたが、日本人だけの少人数のグループなどは狙われ易いと思いますので、車から離れる時はくれぐれも防犯、盗難対策を忘れないで下さい。 のんびりと釣り人が魚釣りを楽しむ、歴史ある平和な州立公園ですが、一般道から降りた所で人目につき難い場所にあるので危険であることは確かです。 我々も次回そこを訪れるチャンスが有れば、安全対策を立てた上で皆さんにアップデートしたレビューをお届けしたいと思います。

The photos posted are from 9/16/21. I have written reviews on Ahukini before. This holds a special…read moreplace in my heart. Aside from the long history of a former shipping port, this is where my mom and dad would come to fish, pick opihi, crabbing, etc. while growing up in the 1970's-80's. Childhood days aside, Ahukini is a great place to take a lunch break with a boxed lunch. Part of the fun is watching planes climb after take off. Planes are still low enough to get a great photo against the tropical sky. Since these photos where taken, my mother had passed in October of 2022. So, yeah...lot of good memories here.

Waimea Canyon is known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. There are various lookout points along…read moreKokee Road (Highway 550) to enjoy the canyon and Kokee State Park. The first major lookout is Waimea Canyon Lookout. It is where you will find the location for most of the iconic pictures of the canyon. In the distance to the left, you will also see Waipoo Falls. If you are looking for a hike, I definitely recommend the Canyon Trail. I started at the Puu Hinahina Lookout, which is approximately at the 13.5 mile marker. There is plenty of parking there. The trail begins at the end of the parking lot. From there, it is approximately 4 miles round trip and takes a little over 2 hours to complete. Parts of the trail are steep but I have been on much steeper hikes. In addition, I found the trails well defined and pretty smooth to hike. There is also a lot of tree cover so I did not feel too hot during the hike. Overall, I rate the hike as a moderate. Near the end of the hike, there is a large clearing where you will be treated to more great views of the canyon. You can also climb down to rocks that hang over the edge. Although I saw other hikers do it, I personally thought they were nuts and reckless. I would advise staying back and being cautious. Any slips will lead to death. The trail ends at the top of the Waipoo Falls. You can only see the top so do not try to climb rocks in attempt to see more of it. Before the final stretch to the Falls to the right, you can also make a left and climb over some minor boulders to see a much smaller waterfall that flows down to the Falls. It provides a small pond where you can go in the water if you like. If you want to cut half and the steepest parts out of the hike, you can drive down Halemanu Road and park in the parking lot that connects to the trail. However, you will definitely need a 4X4 to drive back up the dirt, steep road. If you continue down Highway 550, you will enter Kokee State Park. There are lookout points where you can see lush, beautiful valleys on the Na Pali Coast. I did not get a chance to drive down there. I also saw them via boat and helicopter so I did not feel the need to return to finish the drive. Nevertheless, the views of the valleys are definitely worth it if you have the time. If you are visiting Kauai and looking for recommendations, feel free to message me through Yelp and I can share my itinerary, which includes my Yelp reviews. The information for an electronic copy can also be found in the link via my Yelp profile.

The Puʻu Hinahina Lookout is located at mile marker 13, and it offers a unique view of the canyon…read moretoward the sea and rarely views of the forbidden island of Niʻihau. I think there are quite a few hiking trails you can go through to explore the views, from easy to moderate to hard, and it really depends on your choice.

Beaches aren't my number one choice of activity, but as far as beaches go, I loved this one…read more It's a huge, expansive beach. There were very few people here which was really nice. It's very long which makes it a great beach to walk. They have pavilions with picnic tables providing shade to escape the sun for a bit. The best part of this beach is how big the waves are. I sat and watched them the entire time we were here. The downside of Kauai is that it's not very warm. This means I didn't want to swim at the beaches. It was about 70 when we were here. It was warm enough to enjoy the beach, but a little too chilly to get in the water with the wind. This was my favorite beach that we visited in Kauai.

Definitely my kinda beach! Secluded, white sand beach with big crazy waves. Watch for the rogue…read morewave!