Ok loves, let’s go over a quick run down of the sites we stayed in, hopefully this will give you future travelers at least a jumping off point.
First stop, Lydgate Camp Ground. This campsite was truly amazing. The campground was beautiful and complete with running water and even showers! Our site was right on the beach with a view of the entire bay! We set up the tent and headed right to down to the water where we spent the afternoon snorkeling, that night we toasted our first night in Hawaii with a bottle of champagne on the beach! We stayed at this spot for three days and two nights and no complaints, it was really the best spot on the trip, especially if you prefer to have amenities like running water and want to be close to a town.
Next up we head north to Hanalei Bay and Anini Park. While this site was great, it was a little more off the beaten path, took us about twenty minutes to get there, and it is a really popular local spot. We were warned by a few fellow travelers that this is a place that lots of locals go on the weekends and while everyone we encountered were really nice, there is an amount of respect that one needs and should show for visiting their island and home. So be nice, be respectful and you’ll be totally fine here!
From there we venture to the west coast , this was the most remote of all our stops, but due to that fact we liked it the best. We made the mistake of waiting too long to make the drive in, it’s pretty far out there and you drive about forty-five minutes on dirt rutted roads. Since we were a little tardy, we got there at night and didn’t know where to go, this is another spot that we were told is really protected and beloved by the locals so you need to be respectful of their turf, and we didn’t want to step on any toes. While the first night wasn’t the greatest since we just staked up a tent next to the car in the parking lot, but the next day and second night were well worth it. This spot is about as far north as you can get in Kauai without hiking from the top down the Nāpali Trail (which sadly was closed while we were there) so the view and the location in itself are breathtaking. Like I said, it’s remote so plan accordingly but once you’re there you’ll fall in love! We met some great people and completely got to disconnect.
And finally to the south, well, sort of. Ok this is the story; after spending the day in Poipu Beach swimming with turtles (yes I almost drowned in my snorkel mask I was so excited) we were heading to a super cute little bed and breakfast that Will had found. But when we arrived the owner had mistakenly double booked the room, so they graciously made other accommodations for us, in a four star resort. So there we are, Will and I both borderline filthy (I think I actually had mud from our morning hike still splattered on my legs) checking into a four start resort, needless to say we stood out a bit! This place was beautiful, we had a balcony, robes and complementary mai-tais, the works! We spent the night, post showers of course, chilling in the hot tub in the rain drinks in hand, it was a magical last night of the most amazing trip! While a four star place might not be on your agenda, definitely check out some of the smaller hotels or bed and breakfasts in this area, it’s a great way to wrap up any Hawaiian adventure.
Check out this site for more info, they’re great about getting back to you via email with questions as well: https://www.kauai.gov/Camping
