Kauai: Poipu and Weimea
The Grand Hyatt Kauai
Our honeymoon ended with several perfect days at The Grand Hyatt Kauai in Poipu, which is in the southern part of the island. The hotel is huge and when booking, we were drawn in by the photographs of the open air lobby and of the pool- both of which were amazing in person! There were also fancy touches that were just fun- leis when we arrived, fruit-infused water dispensers all over the property, champagne upon check in, opportunities to hold toucans (!).
We fully took advantage of the pools, some of which are adult-only, and were glad we set aside days specifically for reading, lounging and swimming. The fancy pool cocktails were so expensive and so worth it- the Pina Colada and Lava Flow were both delicious. We also appreciated that on the day of our departure, we were allowed to store our bags at the front desk, use the pools all day, then shower and change in the spa before we left. We had initially assumed that they would be strict about check out being the end of our time on site, and it was a great surprise that they were generous with the space.
The only thing we’d suggest to steer away from would be the hotel’s restaurants. While lunch at the pool was good, all the other restaurants serve expensive, mediocre food.
Grand Hyatt Kauai’s open-air lobby
The most lovely spot for coffee in Poipu
Other Poipu favorites
Make a point to pick up Makai Sushi (located in a nearby grocery store) for their “gorilla bowl,” which is some of the best poke we’ve ever had. Drew returned several times. Go as early as you can, as they do sometimes sell out before their listed closing time.
Aloha Roastery is absolutely worth a visit; the latte was great, but how beautiful is their cafe, tucked into a sprawling tree? The modern decor inside is great, too; we went early and relaxing outside with our coffee.
We also visited The Fresh Shave. Their truck, seating area, and branding were all really cute, and the cold brew shave ice was delicious.
Cold Brew Shave Ice at the Fresh Shave
The Lava Flow (a Pina Colada with Strawberry Puree) at the pool
The view from the Kalalau Valley Overlook, located at mile 18 of Weimea Canyon State Park
Weimea Canyon and Weimea town
We spent a morning at Weimea Canyon, a vast, dry contrast to the lush green we were used to seeing all over the rest of the island. The canyon was impressive, but the real gem here is the Kalalau Valley Lookout point (located at a pullout at mile 18), with an incredible view over the pali and the turquoise ocean. It took us awhile to pull away from this view, which is reinforced by the nearly one hundred photos I took of it. Pu’u O Kila Lookout, just one mile away, offers aother lovely view, but Kalalau is the star vista.
In small, compact Weimea town, we ordered poke from Ishihara Market and ate it outside on picnic benches.
A view over Weimea Canyon
A view of the Napali Coast from our trip with Blue Island Adventures
The Napali Coast with Blue Island Adventures
As a sequel to our hike on the Kalalau Trail, we signed up for a boat trip to see the pali from the water. Blue Island Adventures uses Navy seal-style boats to tour the coastline with a small group (there were about 10 guests on our trip), and it also makes stops for swimming, snorkeling, touring the sea caves. It also provides sodas and snacks throughout the 4.5 hour trip, including fresh pineapple. It was a beautiful sunny day and the tour was really well done- we liked our guides.
While I loved the scenery, Drew enjoyed the ride itself more than I did. The waves were really strong, so it was bumpy and a bit scary for me. The guide mentioned that the morning trip is more calm, so I think I’d do that instead.
The unexpectedly large flight at Kauai Beer Company
Loved this mural at the airport
Lihue
We did not spend much time in Kauai’s biggest city. Once we arrived, we went straight to Wal-mart to buy a few things for the week- gatorade and LaCroix, extra sunblock, alcohol, and a few snacks. We were happy to have stocked up right away.
On our way from Hanalei to Poipu, we stopped for at Koloa Rum Company, which was great. It’s free, are we got to try 5 different types of rum.
However, our favorite stop in Lihue was Kauai Beer Company, which was full of locals meeting up after work. The service was friendly, the beer was good, and it was fun to be somewhere so lively. Noticing how many customers were ordering from Kickshaws, which was parked right outside, we decided to try the intriguing “Hot Totty,” which was a waffle made of tater tots, covered in cheese sauce. It was delicious, and as a whole, this was the perfect place to stop before our 10p flight (the airport was ten minutes away).