We were told that Aloha means Hello, Goodbye and also Love, by the lady at Kauai Food Truck who promised our food would be served with Aloha. As we get ready to leave Kauai, I would have to agree….there is something special about the Hawaiian Islands that we simply love and haven’t been able to find anywhere else. It is that feeling of Aloha and being welcomed.
We spent our last days exploring a bit more of the island. I had heard the best time of day to visit Spouting Horn was Sunset, but that Sunrise was almost as good and there would be a lot less people to block your view. As we were always up well before dawn, we decided to take in sunrise at Spouting Horn – a short 5 minute drive from our hotel. It was very pretty and worth seeing. Spouting Horn is a cavern through under the lava rock and the waves spout out a hole in the top. It can be quite spectacular when there are big waves coming in.
We took in the Kilohana Plantation which is home to the Kauai Plantation Railroad. It was about $80 USD total for 4 adults, a child and two infants and the train ride was about 40 minutes through different kinds of fruit trees, sugar cane, hardwoods, flower gardens and more. It also stops halfway and the kids can feed the goats, roosters and wild pigs. In and of itself, it’s probably not worth the drive (about 20 minutes) and cost. However, in the same plantation is the Kauai Rum Factory, with free Rum tasting, there is a pottery store, several gift shops, a day spa and a nice restaurant and the setting is beautiful. If you were to take a half day and take in the rest of the Plantation, it would be well worth it!
We took a leisurely drive up the North Coast to Hanalei Bay – about an hour and a half drive from Poipu. We stopped at the beach at Hanalei Bay, but it was a rough water day, so we didn’t venture in. We had lunch at a local rib and chicken stand and Sydney had a hot dog from the famous Puka Dog stand – best hot dog ever – worth the $6.45! We meandered our way back down the coast, stopping at a few beaches along the way. The scenery on the North Coast is quite different from the South Coast where we are staying. It looks like you stepped into Jurassic Park with towering mountains, waterfalls and rainforest. It was definitely worth the time, but we decided we like our sunny, calm South Shore as a place to stay.
We had seen a write up on the Kauai Food Truck, which is located near us in the town of Koloa, so we gave it a try for lunch one day and the food was really good – lots of local flavours with Kalua Pork, Shrimp and Fish Tacos, and lots of other great dishes. The staff was incredibly friendly and outgoing and our kids got a free cold coconut to drink which they loved. One other spot we hit up for lunch was Joes on the Green, which had been recommended by a friend and by the hotel. It is a 2-3 minute drive from our Kiahuna Plantation, on the Kiahuna Golf Course ($95 a round inc cart). The menu was extensive and very reasonable with most items being $10-$15. Mark couldn’t fit his mouth around the burger it was so huge and the Coconut Shrimp was as good as any I’ve had. They also mixed me up a special Mimosa with Guava and Mango juice – so good I had to have two!
All in all, we have loved our stay in Kauai and we will definitely be back. I have nothing bad to say about the Outrigger Kiahuna Plantation. We have had great service, our Condo was top notch and had everything we needed. The beach in front of the hotel was as good as any we have seen on the Island and we love the extensive grounds and gardens for walking through. We were able to see Whales and Turtles from the beach most mornings, which the kids loved. It is very kid friendly and was a perfect choice for us. The only small thing I could say is the pool is a bit inconvenient and it would be nice if they had a pool closer to the ocean and right on hotel grounds, but that is a really minor complaint. Thank you to the Outrigger and Kauai for making our stay so delightful, we hope to see you soon!
Now, let’s hope we survive the flight home tomorrow! Aloha!