"The Cool Northern-Most Island" Kauai by atufft

Kauai Travel Guide: 952 reviews and 2,521 photos

Cool Waters and Northern Cliffs of Kauai

The North Shore Beaches mix cool and warm waters

At the northern coast of Kauai, at Haena State Park, the cool waters begin to mix around July, informing one that only the forbidding Pacific expanse separates Kauai from Alaska. This is the forbidding end of the Hawaiian chain. A jaggedly mountainout shoreline on the north end is constantly eroding, dropping the island chain back into the sea for where it came. So while the Big Island at the south rises and expands, the northern islands drop and erode away, something that is very evident by the steep cliffs at the northern edge of Kauai, around which no road passes.

A Popular Wedding Spot

Wedding Party at Princeville Hotel

Kauai is beautifully green and slightly less touristed than some of the other islands. It makes a great place for a wedding. Belinda and I attended a lovely wedding at the Princeville Hotel, which has the beautiful backdrop of Hanalei Bay.

The East Side of the Island is Green...

My Dad and Belinda at Hawaii's Grand Canyon

while the West side is Dry. The east side is a virtual tropic rainforest paradise, the west side is a virtual desert. The high mountain range in the middle produces a rain shadow effect, pouring rain on the east side in buckets, while leaving the west side, and even Niiahu, the tiny neighbor to west, almost entirely barren of any vegetation. On the west side, of Kauai however, there is a rather large canyon, frequently referred to as the Grand Canyon of Hawaii. It's certainly not comparable in size to the Arizona traveler's favorite, but it is nevertheless quite stunning in its beauty.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Kauai is green and has many beautiful beaches
Cons:Like any of the Hawaiian Islands it's an endangered ecosystem
In a nutshell:Kauai is an important stay for any Hawaiian tour

Last visit to Kauai: Jul 2003
Intro Updated Dec 31, 2007
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Comments (2)

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SLLiew Dec 27, 2007 at 10:19 AM

Hawaiian luau sounds like a lot of fun - wish I had tried it. I only ate Polynesian Center buffet and Japanese cold noodles and home cooked Thai curry while in Hawaii.
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Vulindlela Mar 9, 2007 at 9:18 PM

Gorgeous pics and great tips! You have me wanting to go!