Holoholo Hawaii

March - April 2017
A 38-day adventure by Betty
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  • 2countries
  • 38days
  • 164photos
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  • 6.5kkilometers
  • 6.1kkilometers
  • Kapaa, Kauai

    March 3, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Holoholo is an Hawaiian slang term meaning "travel for adventure and fun" and that's exactly what I plan to do on this 5 week trip to the islands. Travel day, February 28th, involved a 6 a.m. flight from Winnipeg to Vancouver; a 9 l/2 hour layover; and a 6 l/2 hour flight to Lihue, which meant that I was awake for 24 hours. First I had to pick up my rental car, a black Chevy Cruze with black leather heated seats....bizarre in Hawaii....and I couldn't figure out how to turn off the heat to the seat! I also had trouble figuring out how to start the vehicle with the push button ignition. It was raining heavily and pitch black as I drove the 13 km north to my resort, the Pono Kai, just another challenge for my exhausted brain.

    I've spent these first 3 days recovering, walking on the ocean front path behind the resort, and enjoying the view and birds from my lanai. The chickens and roosters that Kauai is known for are plentiful, as are the tropical flowers. I saw an Hawaiian monk seal, one of the most endangered mammals in the world as it is estimated that there are only 1200 of these rare seals. The temperature has been around 27 C during the day and 12 C at night. My walks have been limited to 2-3 hours because of the heat and high humidity. It has been mostly sunny with occasional cloud bursts of rain, which is why Kauai is known as the Garden Isle. It's very tropical and has always been my favourite.
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  • Day 1

    Lihue

    March 4, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 22 °C

    Today was moving day to Kauai Beach Villas, 9 km south. I was very close to being homeless as I booked this condo less than 24 hours before check-in. At $800 it was my most expensive week but the regular rate was $1900, which is typical for a mid-range condo in Hawaii. The canopy of banyan trees creates a natural gateway to the resort. This is a large resort with several buildings so I was shocked to be assigned an ocean front deluxe unit as only 2 of the 8 buildings are on the ocean. It's spacious at 900 sq ft and has a large lanai with a nice view of the grounds and ocean. The beach is perfect for long walks but it's not swimmable because of riptides. There are no stores or restaurants within walking distance so I had to drive into town to restock food & wine supplies. I'm enjoying the pretty and peaceful location.Read more

  • Day 3

    Kauai Beach Villas

    March 6, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    This rooster reminded me of Alyssa.....the feathers are the colour of her hair and the rooster is very chatty! Except the rooster crows at 5 a.m. every morning and I don't think Alyssa is very coherent at 5 a.m. when she has to get up for her day shift.

    I had to take a selfie of my best Hawaiian tourist impersonation. The leis has to be refrigerated to keep its freshness so it's always a nice surprise when I open the fridge door.
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  • Day 5

    Eleele

    March 8, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I was getting too comfortable staying at the resort every day so it was time to venture out. I decided to head West to look for the setting sun. My goal was to find Glass Beach and a black sand beach, which I never did find. I ended up at Salt Pond Park just as the sun was going down. This park was filled with local young people and their coolers of beer and families with their BBQs. It was a very happy place for a Wednesday evening. The hour drive there was pretty and scenic but driving back in the dark was less exciting. The 2 lane road is heavily trafficked, narrow, winding, and hilly with a max speed of 80 km/h but I seemed to be the only one obeying the law.

    Some observations from my first week in Kauai. They drive fast and get in accidents which can potentially shut down the main highway for hours. Two MVA deaths this week. Also two helicopter crashes this week with fatalities. Groceries are very expensive. For example, chicken breasts $10/pound; romaine lettuce $4; cucumbers $2/pound; tomatoes $4/pound; white mushrooms $7/pound; a small bunch of green onions $2.50; and one yellow onion $2. I've been eating mostly pasta and stir fry, although Canadian farm-raised salmon was a steal at $8/pound. The locals are very polite and friendly, as are the other tourists I've spoken with. Kauai is lush and green so it goes without saying that there will be rain....fortunately most of it has been in the evening and night. The temperatures have been 24-27 during the day and 19 at night.

    As I was finishing my packing the night before my departure, John had a sudden attack of "aloha envy" and asked me to find him a flight to Kauai. Once I arrived here it took several attempts but I eventually got lucky and was able to get him a return flight at a reasonable cost. He arrived safely this evening on the same grueling flight itinerary I was on.....tired but happy to be in Kauai.
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  • Day 6

    Waimea

    March 9, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    After a good night's sleep John was reenergized and ready to explore. I'm not sure why but he has insisted that I do all the driving, which is very unusual. Today we drove nearly an hour southwest to one of the highlights of Kauai and a favourite spot of ours....Waimea Canyon (16 km long, 3 km wide and 3000 feet deep). Driving the 30 km up to the canyon on a narrow, winding road is part of the adventure. Waterfalls, red soil and scenic valleys dot the landscape. At one of the lookouts there was an Hawaiian man dressed in traditional garb who was providing information about the canyon as well as Hawaiian history and culture. We had a picnic lunch and were joined by some curious chicks. This time we didn't do any hiking because the area was muddy from the heavy rainfall this past week. We were fortunate to have such a beautiful day.Read more

  • Day 7

    Koloa - Poipu

    March 10, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We had to check out of Kauai Beach Villas this morning so we decided to spend the day at one of our favourite beaches, Poipu Beach Park. On our way we stopped at Koloa Rum Company and tasted 4 different rums, later buying 2 bottles of John's favourite....Coffee Rum.

    At the beach I witnessed a pregnant monk seal come ashore. She was 400-500 pounds and isn't due to give birth until August. Some tourists wouldn't stand back the recommended 50 yards so the seal became stressed and had to be assisted back into the water. Ignorant tourists! There was another monk seal resting on shore that had been roped off for protection. The water was warm, clear and excellent for snorkelling. There were so many different coloured fish. Snorkelling in Hawaii is always an amazing experience. We shared a picnic table with a retired couple from Boise, Idaho and had an interesting conversation about the immigration issues each country is facing (Thanks to A&J for sharing their knowledge!).

    We spent the night in a one bedroom unit at Kapaa Shores as I couldn't get consecutive timeshare weeks. I used a Bonus Night plan that is offered by my timeshare company, Vacation Internationale, so it was a real deal at $65 per night.
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  • Day 8

    Princeville

    March 11, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    It was only a 35 km drive North from Kapaa to our next home in Princeville so we stopped at the Kilaeua Lighthouse, another favourite as it is also a wildlife refuge for Hawaiian seabirds. We then went to a farmers market in Kilaeua where organic produce was a bit cheaper than in the grocery stores. I liked the Aloha greenery at the entrance. Next was a stop at one of my all time favourite scenic lookouts because of the patchwork shades of green.....the taro fields at Hanalei Valley. Princeville has the highest rainfall amounts on the island so the area is very green and lush.Read more

  • Day 8

    Ka 'Eo Kai

    March 11, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    This is the name of our resort and you have to pronounce every vowel! We were fortunate in getting assigned a one bedroom unit that overlooks the golf course with the ocean in the far distance. It is spacious at 1000 sq ft and has a continuous wrap around lanai. The birds sing and the roosters crow. The first 3 evenings the resort offered free mai tais from 3-6 pm so we took advantage of that. We also get to see colourful sunsets from our lanai. What's not to love!Read more

  • Day 10

    Hanalei

    March 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    There are 3 or 4 Farmers Markets every day in different towns on Kauai. Some are just produce but others, like Hanalei's market, has a good variety of things. We bought some local tangerines and 2 slices of pie.....Mango Lilikoi (passion fruit) and Island Lemon. Both were delicious.Read more

  • Day 10

    Anini Beach - Hanalei

    March 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Yesterday we went to Anini Beach, a few km South. John read his book while I walked the beach and swam. I attempted to snorkel but there was no one else in the water and the reef looked to be quite a distance out. The beaches here all have the warning sign, "If in doubt, don't go out". So I didn't go out! John was so involved in his book that he wouldn't even be aware that I had drowned.

    Today we drove West across several single lane bridges to where the road ends at Ke'e Beach. We had a picnic at Ha'ena Beach; John read his book; and I went for a long beach walk. The sand was soft and I would sink 2-3" with each step, kind of like trudging through deep snow but not quite! It was a real workout. I saw another monk seal with 3 tourists far too close taking photos.

    On our way home we stopped at the Hanalei Farmers Market and at Hanalei Beach. This is the beach where Garrett & Alyssa had their first surfing lesson! Lots of good memories here. Hanalei has the prettiest United Church I have ever seen.
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