The Garden Isle features lush foliage, dramatic cliffs and luxurious resorts.

Kauai is often called Hawaii’s most beautiful island. It has been the location of countless movies, from “South Pacific” to “Jurassic Park.” The most northern of the Hawaiian archipelago and the oldest geologically, it is nicknamed the “Garden Isle” because of its lush tropical foliage. On the far north side, where the road can go no further, the dramatic Napali Cliffs plunge 3,000 feet into the sea; their foliage-covered folded rock is like no other landscape on earth. 

To the west is Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon in miniature. The North Coast, site of Princeville and Hanalei, is the lushest and wettest part of the island, with stunning views of mountain, jungle and sea. In the south, sunny and lovely Poipu Beach attracts the largest number of visitors. In the middle of Kauai are inaccessible mountains, with the wettest spot on earth – Mount Waialeale – at the center. Nearly every inch of the island is scenic. This year, readers of Travel + Leisure voted Kauai the world’s second-best island.  (Bali was first.)

With only 62,000 inhabitants and no new building higher than a coconut palm, Kauai still has the charm of a small island and exudes the “aloha” spirit. Half of the island is protected parkland, 97 percent is still undeveloped except for agriculture, and the interior and Napali Coast can be reached only by intrepid hikers. About 20,000 tourists arrive each day, in addition to cruise ship passengers.

Most American visitors rent cars and explore the island on their own. It’s easy to get around and difficult to get lost, with only a few roads, good road signs and courteous, easygoing drivers. Visitors experience sticker shock on food and activities, though. Those amenities command premium prices on this remote island.

Kauai is a popular choice for destination weddings and for honeymooners, couples, families and extended families. In fact, grandparents, parents and grandkids traveling together are common.

“We told our travel agent we wanted beach, quiet, no tall buildings, no challenges, a safe place that was easy to get around by car,” one honeymoon couple at the Sheraton Kauai Resort said recently. “She recommended Kauai. We’re going to buy her a nice present – and we’ll definitely use her for everything from now on.”

Attractions
Among the activities available on Kauai are not-to-be-missed helicopter trips, the only way you can see the center of the island and the best way to see the Napali Cliffs. Several helicopter companies offer hour-long flights that sweep along the Napali Cliffs and dip into Waimea Canyon for a close look at its tallest waterfall. Among them is Jack Harter Helicopters (888-245-2001), which flies with aircraft doors removed so passengers have clear views of the scenery. The company also flies a customized, enclosed six-seater. All companies fly basically the same route. Prices start at $229 per person. 

Another way to see the cliffs is via a catamaran ride. Several companies offer this trip, all with essentially the same five-and-a-half-hour route, featuring light breakfast, buffet lunch and snorkeling. There’s an excellent chance of seeing turtles and dolphins along the way.  Prices start at $130 per person.

For a thrill-a-minute adventure, Outfitters Kauai (888-742-9887) runs a $155 zipline safari tour through which travelers swing through the tree canopy and rappel down a rope to waterfalls for a secluded swim and a hike through the jungle.

Not all of the enticing beaches are safe for swimming. Visitors should swim only where lifeguards are present, which indicates a swimming beach. Scuba diving and snorkeling quality varies with the season, with the best visibility and smoothest water during the summer season (April through mid-September).

The island offers 11 golf courses, including five of Hawaii’s best; and no resort is far from a course. There are three National Tropical Botanical Garden  (808-332-7324) sites to tour:  Allerton and McBryde in Poipu (808-742-2623) and Limahuli (808-826-1053) in the north.  

It costs nothing to drive to the 3,567-foot deep, 14-mile long Waimea Canyon and enjoy the views of the canyon and the start of the Napali Cliffs.  The drive to the end of the road past Hanalei and over old, one-lane bridges is also spectacular.  The natural geyser of seawater at Spouting Horn near Poipu is also worth a visit.   

In addition, there’s kayaking, horseback riding through forests, jet skiing, waterskiing, kite surfing, parasailing, windsurfing, trekking, sportfishing, whale watching (December through April), rafting, hunting seasons for wild boar and goat, and, of course, the quintessential Hawaiian activity, surfing. 
 
The best luau on the island is the Smith Family Garden Luau (808-821-6895). Clients who arrive early can enjoy the Smith’s private botanical garden. This is also a popular place to hold a wedding. 

Accommodations
One of the loveliest places to stay is along Poipu Beach in the south, the sunniest part of the island. The Travel Channel’s Dr. Beach named Poipu America’s best beach in 2001. Rare Hawaiian monk seals and sea turtles sometimes come up and rest on the sand. 

The 394-room Sheraton Kauai Resort  has snagged the best location on the beach, and has recently completed a renovation. The larger rooms are in the Ocean Wing and the Beach Wing; and the rooms in the Garden Wing are less expensive.  Honeymooners account for about a third of the guests. For them, and ocean-view room in the more-private Ocean Wing is ideal.  Nightly room rates start at $280.

The 602-room Grand Hyatt Resort & Spa, located on the far end of Poipu Beach, has a five-acre lagoon, huge swimming pools with a two-story waterslide, 10 restaurants, a spa and the adjacent Robert Trent Jones II golf course, which hosts the PGA Grand Slam of Golf.  Nightly room rates start at $490.

In the north, the ritzy, 252-room Princeville Resort is built on a cliff with a good beach below, overlooking Bali Hai. The property is part of a large resort community, Princeville at Hanalei, which includes a spa and two Robert Trent Jones II golf courses. Its championship Prince Course is Hawaii’s top course.  Nightly room rates start at $565.

Many visitors prefer to book condos, which sleep a whole family and allow them to avoid restaurant meals. When reviewing condo amenities, remember that, unlike in most tropical destinations, air conditioning is not essential, as the trade winds blow nearly all the time, although there can be a still, hot week every so often. 

One interesting home-rental choice is Waimea Plantation Cottages historic cottages that range from humble to handsome near the down-to-earth town of Waimea, where Captain Cook discovered Hawaii for the Western world.

Dining
For fine-dining restaurants, which are open for dinner only, reservations are needed, especially for the peak dinner hour, starting at around 6 p.m. In all of these restaurants, fresh fish from the area is a highlight, and dress is casual. 

The Beach House (808-742-1424) in Poipu is a favorite with both locals and tourists. Book early to reserve a table at sunset.  Roy’s (808-742-1424), located in the Poipu Shopping Village, is a nationwide chain that claims to have originated Hawaiian fusion cuisine. Plantation Gardens (877-745-2824), located at the Kiahuna Plantation Resort, features a romantic setting in an extensive orchid garden. Tide Pools in the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa (808-742-1234) is set in thatched huts, overlooking the sea. Keoki’s Paradise (808-742-7535) , also in the Poipu Shopping Village, has a tropical ambience and is a bit less costly than the others.

For less expensive, less fancy fare, Brennecke’s Beach Broiler (808-742-7588), situated on Poipu Beach, serves lunch and dinner. It has a relaxed beachy atmosphere, a lively bar and a great salad bar.

For lunch, clients can eat like locals and pick up an inexpensive “plate lunch.” Three of the best are Shrimp Station in Waimea, at the 550A turnoff for Waimea Canyon (808-338-1241); the Fish Express, located across from Wal-Mart in Lihue (808-245-9918); and Koloa Fish Market, across from the post office in Koloa (808-742-6199).

For breakfast, Joe’s on the Green (808-742-9696) at the Kiahuna Golf Club Clubhouse in Poipu, is a reasonable choice.  It also serves lunch and dinner. 

Getting There
United Airlines flies to Kauai’s Lihue Airport from Los Angeles and San Francisco, and American Airlines flies there from Los Angeles.  Several airlines offer the 25-minute flight from Honolulu.