Where we stayed: On our honeymoon we stayed in this gorgeous rental home just 10 minutes from Poipu. It was huge, beautiful and really relaxing. I would definitely recommend the Hale o Ani house for a vacation (especially if you're going with another couple - there are two master bedrooms and they're on opposite ends of the house), but I think if we were to do it over we would've stayed in a nice hotel in Poipu. While having this much space and privacy was awesome, we lacked the room service, pool and close proximity to a beach!
What we did: We did a lot of adventuring on our honeymoon! Here are some of my favorites.
Shipwreck Beach: This beach is right outside the Hyatt in Poipu and a very popular spot. It was named after an old, wooden shipwreck that has long since disappeared. Brave souls will hike to the top of that cliff and jump off! Can you spot the guy jumping in the picture below?
Maha'ulepu Beach: This beach is a bit further off the beaten path. We wanted to go somewhere a little more secluded and private, and we found it! It was super beautiful, but to warn you, it's a bumpy car ride and quite the trek! But well worth it in the end.
Tunnels Beach: On the north shore of the island, this two-mile long beach is famous for its snorkeling. We didn't have time to snorkel, but stopped by here after our ziplining adventure!
Ke'e Beach: This beach is literally the end of the road. We heard the sunsets here are incredible, so we headed north and kept going until we couldn't go anymore. There were tons of people sitting out ready to watch the sunset!
On the way there, I highly recommend you stop at this lookout. Insanely beautiful!
Hanalei Bay Beach & Sunset Cruise: This is the way to see the incredible Napali Coastline up close and personal. It is breathtaking.
Ziplining: Corey and I ziplined for the first time in Costa Rica and loved it, so we decided to do it again on our honeymoon. While it was still fun, the experience in Costa Rica was much better. So, if you've never ziplined, I recommend you try it out, and if you have before, you could probably skip it in Kauai! P.S. Didn't have my camera with me when we did this, so these are from my iPhone!
Door-Off Helicopter Tour: Holy moly was this an experience!!! We'd never been in a helicopter before, let alone one without doors! It was an amazing way to see the island. This wasn't cheap - but it was totally worth it! It was the perfect honeymoon splurge!
Waimea Canyon: This is a must-see!! Pictures don't begin to do it justice. The drive up is pretty long and windy, but worth it! Also, once you get up there you can hike around and there are so many gorgeous views!
I forget where this was... Somewhere in Poipu!
Where we ate: We had quite a few great meals during our honeymoon! Sadly, I don't have pictures of many of them, but here are some that I do have photos of.
Tidepools at the Hyatt in Poipu: I'm kind of, no really, obsessed with this restaurant. We actually went twice during our week in Kauai. It was that good.
Jo Jo's Shave Ice: This little shack doesn't look like much, but it's the famous spot to get shave ice on the island.
Some other places we liked, but didn't take photos of: BarAcuda in Hanalei**, Shrimp Station in Waimea, Brick Oven Pizza in Kalaheo** & Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee Company in Kalaheo**! *Stars indicate must-go!
Man, writing this post really makes me miss Kauai! Can't believe we're already nearing 10 months of marriage!! This year has seriously flown. Hope you enjoyed this travel post. I'm hoping to write many more in the near future...
Have a happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone! We'll be enjoying a staycation in Portland :)
