Small little pull out in Kauai. Not too much to see but still a nice pitstop if you're looking for…read morefree activities. Tons of chickens and dirt parking enough for maybe 6-8 cars.

Quick drive up and park to check out the Wailua River from above. You can usually see lots of…read morechickens hanging out here as well. Drop by when you are going to check out the Fern Grotto or Wailua Falls.

A place of reverence. Sacred. Tread lightly there & rest. I could have stayed there for hours!read more

While researching things to see on Kauai, I came across the Kapaia Swinging Bridge. But it wasn't…read moresomething I found right away. It took me a while to find it which is great because that means not too many other tourist know about this. So the day we fly to Kauai was a holiday. As soon as we got the car, we headed straight to Waialua Falls. Once done there, we made our way to this swinging bridge, less than 10-mins away. It's in a small neighborhood. And parking was nonexistent. So I pulled into a business' parking lot and told my family to go look around and I'd stay in the car and wait for someone to tell me to move. But I got out of the car for a bit just to look around real quick when I noticed the sign on the business said they were closed for the holiday. Then I realized, that day WAS a holiday. And so I was able to enjoy the grounds with my family. And, no other tourist were around. Just a homeowner working on his surfboard. The surroundings are beautiful. Super quiet. Bridge was a bit shaky. And then I walked up the stairs at the end of the bridge where it took us to the church where there's plenty of parking. So if you plan on visiting, park at the Immaculate Conception Church. Yes, highly recommend.

You can easily miss this hidden gem. Right off the highway…read morebut you'll feel like you walked into a little serenity spot. Beautiful place and well maintained. Not clear where to park so we just pulled in where it seemed likely. Once you cross the bridge you can follow the path up the hill to an old church and you can read a bit of the history behind this area. Short bridge but a quick fun stop. Love the swaying motion of the bridge.

Beautiful tropical paradise! Arrive early to the luau for the tram ride that takes you completely…read morearound their facility and grounds! The tram ride is very quick. Not sure if they're just trying to get everyone in and out to prep for the luau, but I would have loved a more relaxed pace. We are, after all, on island time! LOL! To the left you'll see this, to the right you'll see this...it was a lot to see in a short amount of time. It's also fun to walk around the grounds a bit and see things on your own. It's all beautiful, so take it all in before the luau!

Excellent food and beauty all around in this gorgeous garden setting. They make you feel like part…read moreof the family.

What a killer view! I spent 10 minutes just absorbing the view! Please make sure you add this to…read moreyour adventures. It added a year back to my life, I'm sure!

08/22/2017 Wailua River & Heritage Trail Overlook. This overlook is directly across the street from…read morethe Opaeka'a Falls rest stop. The Wailua River is 20 miles long and is Hawaii's third longest river. It's also the only navigable river in the Hawaiian islands. It's popular for boat tours, kayaking and water skiing. Numerous points of interest include; Huleia National Wildlife Refuge, Kamokila Hawaiian Village, Uluwehi Falls otherwise know as Secret Falls, Opaeka'a Falls and Fern Grotto known as Ma`ama`akualono. Hikinaakala at Hauola is part of the Wailua Complex of Heiaus. Holoholoku and the Royal Birthing Stones is one of Hawaii's most sacred sites. Nounou Mountain or Sleeping giant has three mountain hiking trails. Wai`ale`ale mountain peak is the highest point on the island at 5,243 feet.

We got here on a very rainy day. Nonetheless, the boat tour was good, the driver had interesting…read morestories, they had some live music and some native dance routines. The river cruise to the fern grotto was good and would have been great had the weather cooperated.

This is one of the places our friends recommended we check out on our trip to Kauai. We really…read moreenjoyed it! It's a perfect rainy day adventure (or when it's clear out). It was raining when we had our tour. The boat is covered and when you're in the fern grotto there are so many overhanging trees that we didn't even feel the rain. This boat tour was very relaxing and informative. The boat moved at a slow pace - even my husband who has motion sickness was able to enjoy this boat ride. On the way to the fern grotto there are stories of places you're passing as well as Hawaiian and festive (it was the holiday time) songs. It's a family run organization and many generations are involved in this tour. On the way back home there are more songs and dances and everyone gets to learn how to dance the hula. You get to disembark the boat and take a short walk to the fern grotto. What a beautiful place! So much greenery. The only way to get to this grotto is from this boat tour, so it is a peaceful and uncrowded place. We're glad we took this tour and recommend it as a fun and low stress activity on the island. It's good for all ages. There is plenty of free parking. Free cold water is available on the boat.

This is the remains of a small heiau, an ancient sacred site, which one may freely explore. It…read moreconsists of the remains of a small stone wall enclosing a grassy platform. The location is on a promontory on the beach in Kapa'a, with some nice views along the shore. It is reached by a footpath along the beach. At the southern end by the Kaui Shores Hotel, the path goes through woods and vegetation to the Lae Nani beach and resort and the path to the heiau is in the woods. There was nobody else there when we went and it was a peaceful spot to contemplate and take in the area. It is, as the sign says, sacred, so one should respect that but is it an interesting, peaceful and scenic site.

This ruin is unlike any other on Kauai…read more It's different because you can actually walk into it. This is really cool. It is forbidden to walk on any other heiau and considered disrespectful to ancient and current Hawaiians. It's ceremonial site, a place for worship, and is very well kept, landscaped with retaining walls and offers a nice view of Wailua Bay. I dare say beautiful. It is nice to just stand here. Canoes would find the safety of Wailua River because of the Kukui nut oil candles burning here. It was built nearly 500 years ago and once stood 230 feet long. It still has a great presence.

Initially coming here to kill a little time before a reserved tour, my wife and I really admired…read morethe planning and execution of the building/landscaping of this family park. Named after a pillar in the community who came to Kauai in the late 19th century, Lydgate Beach Park is 62 acres, with the Lydgate Park pathway encompassing 2.5 miles, a small part of the much larger Ke Ala Hele Makālae costal trail. There is plenty of parking, with both dedicated surface lots and street parking on the paved road. We immediately noticed surfers on electric surfboards out pretty far, even on this windy day. At the northern part of the park is where most people gather, close to modern facilities and a manned lifeguard station and a large covered event area with plenty of parking. Closer to the shore, we saw a seal just lying on the land, bathing in the sun, completely ignoring the people milling by. The very large safe man-made swimming/tide pools are great for the kekei and others, with constant refreshing of sea water over the lava rocks. There are picnic tables nearby as well with a lot of green space. My favorite feature are the man-made protected swimming pools, What I loved about it was how spread out everything was, with so many amenities. It just never felt crowded, even if a lot more people came. As we were leaving, my wife mentioned that Lydgate Beach is one of those rare parks where an ocean-loving family would intentionally live close by, just to be near this park.

Hands down probably the best Beach park and kids playground in the world with both combinations…read more Has a very large covered area for groups and events. Smaller covered area for public rental and reservations. 2 playgrounds next to each other. One very extensive and large playground mostly wooden and older. The other one is more modern, "smaller". Recently they added more shaded areas over parts of that playground. Lots of parking, great beach area.

10/18/23 Another must stop when in Kaua'i...Kadavul Hindu Temple. It gives me an overall sense of…read moresolace. A few years ago, I managed to attend a meditation session presided by the monastery's guru & abbot Satguru Bodhinata Veylanswami. It was a solemn ritual that was both spiritual & inspirational. He led the meditations in a rhythmic & transformative fashion. It was mesmerizing to feel & hear. The way the temple was architecturally designed, it reverberated & I felt it touch my soul to my very core. You have to experience it for yourself to understand what it is all about. The grounds are well maintained by the monks & people from the community (volunteers). It is a lush landscape in a prime property of Kaua'i. Through the years I have seen how the main temple has been constructed. As you enter, there is a gazebo at the entrance where sarongs are provided for visitors. These are provided to have guests dress appropriately for respect before entering the temple. Additionally, there is a round stone hearth to "burn" your troubles away. Pieces of paper & pens are provided for you to write your "troubles, challenges, problems" and a couple of lighters so you may burn it to ashes. As i may have written in the past, it is a cathartic experience as you watch it burn away, and up it goes in smoke. Experience it....

I can't believe how beautiful this place is. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into when we…read morecame here, but overall, it was very majestic. The grounds are large, but you can't see it all, unless you make an appointment. Still, what you see is amazing. I don't want to spoil much, but I HIGHLY suggest visiting this location while in Kauai.