Kauia's Paradise: The Na Pali Coast

No words can describe exactly what Kauai's Na Pali Coast looks like!  No photos can capture it's true grandeur beauty!  That's how mysterious this place is!  How can one place be so magical?  I get goose bumps!  Is this paradise? Are we dreaming?

This is exactly what goes through my mind as nature reveals the more than 6000-acre stretch of mountains so uniquely represented by its razor-sharp jagged giant cliffs towering 4000 feet up high, right from the blue ocean water below.  Barely any flat shores where one can land on except for a few sea caves, this place can only be seen from the sea or air, and by the adventurous heart by foot.  Even an experienced hiker will need to thread the 11-mile (each way) goat trail over valleys after valleys from Ke'e Beach to Kalalau Beach, camp out and return the following day.

Rainbow to welcome our visit

Getting Lost in Magical Kauai: Kalapaki Beach and Nawiliwili Harbor

We had a couple morning hours before leaving Kauai, and we didn't want to waste an opportunity to see more of Kauai, even if it's just staying near the port area.

We heard about Kalapaki Beach which people claim is a nice beach.  We've been disappointed in previous Hawaiian ports where claims to have a nice beach turns out to be a small dirty shore area with some sand.  Coming from a tropical country which boasts of having the best beaches and having seen the beaches in Kauai's North and Eastern coastlines, I am of course bias, but even compared to our city beaches back home, beaches near the ports of Hawaii are often subpar.  Kalapaki Beach on the other hand, is a pretty decent one, given that it's also the beach area outside the busy Kauai Marriott Resort.

Near the harbor are small shopping malls offering specialty products like the Harbor Mall and the Anchor Cove Mall.  From here, access is available to the nearby Kalapaki Beach as well.

Harbor Mall

Moving Toy Train Set from the nearby Hobby Shop

Getting Lost in Magical Kauai: Hanalei

Getting lost in a magical island sounds like a great adventure!  Not that we got lost physically, but we fell into its magical spell.  To me, Kauai is the most beautiful island in Hawaii.  It sits in the Northernmost part of the group of Hawaiian islands.

Instead of going the usual touristy thing to visit Waimea Canyon, which is the popular Grand Canyon of Hawaii, we ventured out into the more rugged and off the beaten path Kauai with a lovely local couple, Karen and Jay, both Kauai guides, who brought us around.  We are not hikers but we love the secluded outdoor nature sceneries that simply take your breath away, where the mountains meet the sea.  And that is why Kauai is popular to moviemakers who have ventured to for those perfectly breathtaking backdrops for movies like King Kong, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Jurassic Park.  More recently, movies like Lilo and Stitch, Catching Fire, Six Days and Seven Nights, and Soul Surfer, amont many others, have continued to be added to the list.

Kauai's charm is brought about by the successful preservation of this natural beauty.  Quaint charming houses and shops line Kauai's beautiful little towns tucked between valleys.  Our favorite was of course Hanalei, which is sort of an artsy sleepy town graced with timeless beauty, with population of 450.  It's popular for its art galleries and famous beaches.  Hanalei was also supposedly referenced in the song, Puff the Magic Dragon, despite no proven acknowledgement of this interpretation by the song writers.  Although from the Hanalei Pier, we can imagine the exact scenery painted by the song, complete with the autumn mist that covered the mountains shaped like a dragon which lived by the sea.

View from Hanalei Pier on a rainy afternoon

Getting Lost in Magical Kauai: Kilauea Lighthouse, Kong Mountain, Coco Palms, Nawiliwili Harbor

Topping off Kauai's North Shore was a visit to the Kilauea Lighthouse, located at Kilauea point, which is in the northernmost part of the main Hawaiian islands.

Deep blue seas, rugged mountainous coastlines, cool ocean breeze, flying seabirds such us frigates and shearwaters from the nearby National Wildlife Refuge, a tiny lighthouse out of the cliff, this is one of my most favorite sceneries where I get lost in the beauty of God's creations.

Kilauea Lighthouse, Kilauea Point

Getting Lost in Magical Kauai: Princeville, Hihimanu Twin Peaks, Anini Beach

As we approached mid day, we made our way from Anahola further up north.  We get a glimpse of the Hanalei Mountains and specifically Twin Peaks as Jay pointed out the perfect timing to take the photo as we drove by.  I can't get over the sharpness of the edges of these mountains.  It's almost like asking a small kid to draw their first mountains.

Hanalei Mountains

Twin Peaks, 2400-foot Hihimanu Ridge (Hihimanu means beautiful)

Getting Lost in Magical Kauai: Wailua Falls, Kealia Beach and Anahola Beach

As we ventured out from the Nawiliwili Port for a day of rugged and off the beaten path Kauai with a lovely local couple, Karen and Jay, both Kauai guides, who brought us around, we were met with a smashing first highlight at the Wailua Falls.

Ever watched the TV series "Fantasy Island"?  If so, you're probably old enough to remember stories of visitors being flown each week into a hidden magical island resort.  At the start of every episode, the character of Tattoo would ran up the bell tower and shout the popular catchphrase, "The plane, the plane" to announce the arrival of the new guests. The shows were filmed with the gigantic 113-foot Wailua Falls as a backdrop.

Wailua Falls