Hawaii – Kauai
Kaua’i is also known as the “Garden Island” due to its extremely lush vegetation. The island offers one of the most spectacular and pristine landscapes in the archipelago. There are still impassable jungle areas here that are completely undeveloped.
The island has desert-like plains, deep gorges and cliffs that rise up to 1000 meters from the sea. In general, Kaua’i is full of superlatives. Here you will find the most beautiful beaches, the most lush tropical flora and the largest coral reefs of the archipelago. Kaua’i is located at the northwestern end of the island chain. Erosion has created dramatic cliffs on the north coast. Huge canyons have formed inland. At the 1500-metre-high Wai’ale’ale, the trade winds are caught and discharge their water masses with 12 metres of precipitation per year. The soft volcanic rock is washed out by these masses of water into bizarre formations. We had the feeling that Kaua’i has the lowest number of tourists. There is still a lot of original information to learn here. This is probably also due to the fact that the island is often hit by tropical cyclones, which apparently deters investors from building more hotel complexes. In 1992, Hurricane “Iniki” razed large parts of the holiday centers to the ground and destroyed 10,000 houses. Strangely enough, nature recovered quickly, because just one year later the damage was hardly visible. Kaua’i is one of the few islands that cannot be completely circumnavigated by car, as the entire area around the Na Pali Coast does not offer any passage.
After a short flight with a twin-engine propeller plane, we land at Princeville Airport in the north of the island. The runway is just enough for the prop planes and the small building for handling at the edge of the runway already conveys a South Seas feeling. We haven’t pre-ordered a rental car yet and have to organize a taxi first. The drive to the Sheraton Princeville Hotel, which has already been pre-booked, takes ten minutes.
Located on Hanalei Bay, it has recently been completely restored. The entrance is dominated by an impressive huge lobby with a fantastic panoramic view of the bay and the neighboring Na Pali Coast. It is said that this is arguably the best location in all of Hawaii. The ambience is dignified and modern. The reception hall is furnished with antique furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Of course, the hotel has all conceivable amenities such as swimming pool, sauna, fitness center, several restaurants etc. It is located directly on the fine sandy beach. We have booked our base a week in advance and want to explore the island from here. The hotel is not completely booked despite the Christmas and New Year season and so we get an extra large room with a view of the Na Pali coast after a long and tough negotiation. Brigitte is thrilled. The bathroom has a panoramic window, so that you can enjoy the view of the Na Pali coast while bathing.
But now enough of so much enthusiasm, after all, we want to discover the island of Kauai with its many secrets. However, the self-imposed and completely voluntary program is not scheduled until the next morning and so we end the evening comfortably with a glass of wine with a view of the typical Hawaiian sunset. It is a beautiful spectacle when the huge fireball of the sun sinks into the sea and illuminates the Bali-Hai rocks of the Na Pali Coast golden.
