Wellness Guide To Kauai, Hawaii

8 min readJan 16, 2020

Kauai, also known as the “Garden Island” is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The lush, tropical rainforest paired with the sparkling blue ocean water speaks to my soul. I’ve been to Kauai in January during the wet season when it rained daily + I’ve been to Kauai in October during one of the best months in Kauai… both were very different experiences, but both were magical!

People truly “live outside” in Kauai + I really enjoyed the slow pace of life that the Kauai locals seem to embody. Also, Kauai is kid’s paradise — I highly recommend a family trip here. Noah had a blast chasing around the roosters, eating Acai bowls every morning, + playing in the ocean. I cannot wait to go back!

Stay

We’ve always stayed in Airbnbs/VRBOs in the North Shore — Kilauea, Princeville, + Hanalei. I love the North Shore [that’s where mostly everything on this list is!] + would highly recommend staying there. My absolute favorite is Hanalei! There aren’t really any “must” hotels — other than I would eventually love to stay at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay ($$$$)… maybe for like a 10 year anniversary trip lol.

Coffee + Cafes

Get as many acai bowls as possible when you are in Kauai ; )

#1] Triology Coffee: *MUST. Hands down the best coffee shop in Kauai. They also have fun vegan treats.

#2] Kalalea Juice Hale: *MUST. My favorite spot for acai bowls [all the toppings!]. Also, get the cold brew with house made coconut cream — so good!

#3] Hanalei Market: *MUST. I literally got the cold brew with coconut whip every single day. They have amazing burritos on Fridays + Saturdays too! It’s in the back of the grocery store!

#4] Wishing Well Coffee: *MUST. Great spot for acai bowls + coffee. They also had a great outdoor seating area with kid toys [lots of trucks lol], which was so fun for Noah!

#5] Nourish Hanalei: *MUST. The views here are unreal! Acai bowls, savory lunch bowls, + popsicles.

#6] Java Kai: If you are feeling something other than an Acai bowl for breakfast, go here + get the Surfer Sandwich with pesto aioli [instead of onion jam]. They have 2 locations!

#7] Kauai Juice Co: Great for juice, kombucha, coffee, + bone broth. I wasn’t blown away by their prepared foods, so I wouldn’t recommend a meal here — but the drinks are great! They have 3 locations in Kauai.

#8] Aloha Juice Bar: Get the #11 smoothie! Papaya, banana, coconut, ginger + dates… so good!

#9] Anake’s Juice Bar: Inside the Kukuiula Market at the very back is an amazing juice bar. Their acai bowl ranks as one of my favorites + they have a bunch of fun raw desserts, too.

#10] Hanalei Bread Company: Super popular breakfast spot in Hanalei. Coffee, pastries, breakfast burritos + sandwiches, + a variety of toasts!

#11] Midnight Bear Breads: Get the chocolate croissant! Most days they close at 3pm, but on Fridays they are open until 8pm because of the Hanapepe Friday Art Night + serve pizza. Get the Macadamia Nut Pesto Pizza!

Lunch + Dinner Spots:

#1] Check out the food trucks! There are so many amazing food trucks in Kauai. A few of my fav: Fresh Bite Kauai [salads, wraps, bowls — make sure to get steak!], Da Fazenda [Brazilian food], Holey Grail Donuts [I typically don’t even like donuts, but these are amazing], Cafe Turmeric [incredible Indian food!]

Food trucks that I still need to try that look amazing: Saenz Ohana Breakfast, Wake Up Delicious, Cafe, Hanalei Taro + Juice Co.
Make sure you check the food truck times! Most of them are not open for dinner + have certain days of the week that they are not open.

#2] Kilauea Market + Cafe: *MUST. The best spot for poke in Kauai. + quite possibly the best poke of my life. It’s truly one of a kind. Make sure you go here!

#3] Tiki Tzatziki: *MUST. If you’re a fan of gyros, you need to go here.

#4] Bar Acuda: *MUST. The best tapas restaurant in Kauai. Great for a date night! Every tapas we had was outstanding. I still dream about their passionfruit cheesecake.

#5] Ama: Another great date night restaunt in the North Shore. Go for sunset, as the view is incredible. Get the ramen, bao buns, + ceviche!

Other date night restaurants: Postcards [“ocean to table”], 1 Kitchen [for the views], Beach House Restaurant [fine dining + beachfront — in Koloa], Merriman’s [haven’t been to the Kauai location… but LOVED Merriman’s in Maui!], JO2 [Hawaiian fusion]

#6] Kileaua Fish Market: The Ahi wrap is a must!

#7] Little Fish Coffee: The Clubzilla sandwich is a perfect takeaway meal for the beach in Poipu!

#8] Eat Healthy, Kauai: Casual BYOB spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner in Kaapa. Loved the spring rolls + kale salad.

#9] The Hanalei Dolphin: Local vibe, known for its teriyaki tuna + sushi. I loved the riverside seating. They also have takeaway stand Hanalei Dolphin Fish Market with poke bowls + sushi open 10am-7pm.

#10] Wishing Well Shave Ice: *MUST. A classic Kauai spot. Shaved ice is everywhere in Hawaii, but this place is #1!

Wellness + To Explore:

#1] Hike Na Pali, Kalalau Trail: *MUST. One of my favorite hikes in the world with breathtaking views + so much lushness. You need to book reservations in advance! You can do this as a backpacking trip [19.8 miles], but most people hike 2–4 miles.

#2] Go Blue Adventure: *MUST. Hands down my favorite outdoor adventure we did in Kauai — we did the morning adventure tour. It was indescribable to be so close to dolphins, + to see the Na Pali Coast from the lens of the boat.

#3] Hike Waimea Canyon, Kukui Trail: Loved this trail — the canyon is breathtaking [really, everything in Kauai is breathtaking, lol]. It’s known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific!”

#4] Take a yoga class! Black Coral Yoga is my fav!

#5] Get a Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage: Check out Hanalei Day Spa

#6] Spa day at Honest Rituals: My favorite facials ever in Topanga, CA also has a location in Kauai!

#6] Shop at Hunter Gatherer: This home goods shop has so many fun spiritual things — crystals, angel cards, books, etc!

#7] Explore all the Farmers Markets! Have as much tropical fruit as possible while in Kauai. Passionfruit, papaya, mango, guava, coconuts, + more! See the list of all the markets here.

All The Beaches

Did you really go to Hawaii if you didn’t go to the beach? There are so many absolutely stunning beaches in Hawaii — my favorites are on the North Shore!

Hanalei Beach: *MUST. The best views ever ever ever. This is also where Isaac surfed! He rented a board from Hanalei Surf Co.
Kalihiwai Beach + Lumaha’i Beach: *MUST… if you have kids — both have shallow streams that flow into the beach, making it perfect for babies to splash around
Tunnels Beach: Great beach to walk on before or after hiking the Kalalau Trail
Anini Beach: Amazing snorkeling beach
Secret Beach: Drive to the end of “Secret Beach” road for the trailhead to get to this beach — it’s a short, beautiful walk to a stunning beach!
Hideaways Beach: Go early, as parking is limited! A bit of steep trail down to the beach, but worth it!
Haena Beach Park: Beautiful beach in Kaapa
Poipu Beach: Popular beach in Koloa with protected swimming areas + snorkling.
Shipwreck Beach: Has a short .5 mile out + back hike on the cliffs.

Pro Tips:

You will need to rent a car. It’s the only way to get around lol.
Kauai is casual, yet expensive. I pretty much wore my bathing suit everywhere, + that was very normal. However, even at the very casual spots, it’s expensive.
Visit the other islands! Check out my guide to Oahu + Maui.
Keep in mind when the wet season is [November-March], especially if you want to stay in the jungle. Most likely, if you go south [where most of the resorts are] it will be dry + sunny… but my favorite parts were up north + they are RAINY in the winter! Also, many of the trails are likely to be muddy. I would recommend visiting in the dry season if possible [April-October].
Note the food truck times. I already mentioned this, but it’s worth repeating! Everything closes very early in Kauai.
Roosters + chickens roam free throughout Kauai. Don’t be surprised if you wake up at 330am from a rooster ; )
Prepare to not spend time in the towns, instead… soak up the incredible outdoors! Nature is EVERYTHING here. I totally agree with this statement:

“The towns are okay, but that’s not why I’m there. Get out into the jungle + beaches — that’s why you’re there. If you want towns + night life — go to Oahu.”