My husband and I will be celebrating our ten year wedding anniversary this June so we decided to get away before wedding season started. We wanted to go someplace warm with great hiking trails and boy I’m glad we decided on Kauai! It’s Hawaii’s northernmost island. Called the garden isle because the frequent rain brings out lush greens and waterfalls cascading in every direction! Then the mountains, oh the mountains are incredible! Such stunning formations.

Hikes:

The Kalalau Trail is a must when visiting the island. The trail takes you along the base of the magnificent Na Pali coast through lush forests and across streams while looking out at the ocean. We were fortunate enough to even see some whales playing in the ocean nearby. The trail continues on for nine more miles, but many stop at the beach 2 miles in. However, I recommend allowing yourself the time to continue onward beyond the beach for another two miles to Hanakapi’ai falls, a 300 foot beauty! A truly gorgeous trail.

Another trail that left us breathless, in more ways than one, was the Kalepa Ridge Trail. This one takes you on the top of the Na Pali mountains with incredible views of the very steep valleys and ocean. This one surely was an adventure with the trail getting very close to the edge at times. Not a good trail if you are uneasy with heights, but wow, the views! We stood at the end at the edge of the mountain as the clouds passed over us and were in complete awe.

Those were our two favorite hikes. The west side of the island is a more dry climate and has stunning red soil scattered about. Waimea Canyon is a must see and is just right off the main road. They call it the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. I can go on and on about the sites, but I’ll let the photos speak for it as well.

Tours:

I will mention that if you want to really explore the island, there is a lot of driving involved. A convertible was the perfect way to view the landscapes as we traveled about. We did both a helicopter tour with Island Helicopters and a sunset boat cruise and couldn’t choose a favorite. They were both amazing. We especially loved that Holo Holo Charters brought us right up to the coast allowing us to explore sea caves and we even got to sail underneath a waterfall! The island, of course, has many fantastic beaches to lounge on with amazing snorkeling opportunities as well.

In conclusion, if you are looking for an adventurous place to hold a destination wedding, elope, honeymoon, or vacation I highly recommend Kauai. Hope to get a chance to explore the other Hawaiian islands one day!

A side note to fellow photographers planning a Hawaiian trip, all of these photos were shot with a Nikon D750, a 24mm, and a 50mm. These three pieces of equipment are super lightweight and they went everywhere with me without any trouble. The portraits of ourselves were taken mostly using a Gorillapod and a wireless trigger 🙂

Jurassic Falls

Waimea Canyon

Poipu Bay Golf Course

Kalepa Ridge Trail

Queen’s Bath in Princeville

Open Ceiling Sea Cave

Hanakapiai Beach

Hanakapiai Falls Trail

Sunrise from the ISO Hotel

Click here to view an adventure elopement in Kauai!

Click here to view photos from a winter camping trip in Kauai

Helicopter Tour: Island Helicopters 

Boat Tour: Holo-Holo Boat Tours

Car Rental: Advantage

Airline: Hawaiian Airlines

Hotel: The ISO

White Flowy Dress: Jenny Yoo

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