There’s one thing magical about Kauai.
It is not the journey—New York Metropolis to Kauai isn’t any simple journey, as there is no direct flight (flying by Honolulu is your greatest wager). It is not the billionaires—Mark Zuckerberg and his spouse, Priscilla Chan, have greater than 1,500 acres on the island (a lot to the frustration of locals). It is not the chickens, both—because the story goes, in 1982, Hurricane Iwa destroyed hen coops and now tons of of 1000’s chickens roam freely on the island.
It is that after you get to the luxurious island, coated in waterfalls, situated in the midst of the Pacific Ocean… all of your woes disappear.
The place to remain
The acutely aware selection is 1 Resort Hanalei Bay, a sustainable wellness resort. While you arrive on the resort, situated on the north shore of Kauai, you’re feeling instantly comfortable. The property appears out over the huge Pacific Ocean, Hanalei Bay, and Kauai’s Mount Makana, and is designed to be in concord with its surrounds—and have as small an environmental impression as potential.
The sundown views are significantly out-of-this-world. I even woke as much as this double rainbow one morning throughout my keep there on the finish of November:
A double rainbow.
What to drive
Audi and 1 Resort have a partnership.
Should you’re staying at 1 Resort (you must), the Audi e-tron is the official automobile of the property. “Our friends are journey seekers,” Alexis Eaton, the Director of Advertising and marketing, Public Relations & Programming at 1 Resort Hanalei Bay, tells City & Nation. “They’re electing to return to Kaua’i and keep right here on the north shore, they’re seeking to see and do some bit extra.” Should you’re a visitor, completely see and do extra—go for a drive within the e-tron. I had by no means pushed a completely electrical automobile earlier than, and it was a clean, simple journey. A word: Be careful for the chickens that roam the island. They’re all over the place, and since these automobiles are so silent, they will not hear you approaching.
What to see
A view 0f Hanalei Pier at sundown.
A couple of can’t-miss spots:
Hanalei Pier: Drive into city to your memento buying, and take a stroll out on the pier. (Should you’re driving into Hanaeli, word, the one lane bridge inbuilt 1912 continues to be the one approach into city, and if there’s heavy rainfall, it closes down. So test the forecast!)
Lydgate Farms, the place you possibly can take a tour of the chocolate farm and do a chocolate tasting. Do the tour—it is definitely worth the three hours, I promise.
Wailua Falls: actually only a sightseeing spot proper off the primary highway. It’s kind of overgrown, however you possibly can nonetheless see the roaring falls.
Limahuli Backyard: the botanical gardens on the north shore of the island are lovely. (Make a reservation prematurely!)
Should you’re a film buff, quite a few movies (together with South Pacific, Jurassic Park franchise, and extra) have filmed on the island. This is a location information to the place they filmed.
The place to eat
Nourish Hanaeli is small meals truck on a lifeless finish highway—however it’s one of the best spot for breakfast or lunch, particularly in the event you get the traditional Açaí bowl.
Welina Terrace is a scrumptious Japanese spot—get there earlier than sundown and snag a seat on the terrace.
Bar Acuda is in Hanalei city, and makes use of recent elements from native fisherman and farms, so the menu adjustments usually.
The Hanalei Dolphin Restaurant is an off-the-cuff favourite of locals and vacationers alike, that includes seafood and sushi.
Holey Grail Donuts: I imply, it is within the identify!
Emily Burack (she/her) is the information author for City & Nation, the place she covers leisure, tradition, the royals, and a spread of different topics. Earlier than becoming a member of T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish tradition website. Observe her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
