I visited the Wailua Falls in Līhuʻe, Kauaʻi, Hawaii [Maalo Rd; Hwy 583] on Saturday, 01/24/26,…read morearound 3:30 PM. Wailua Falls offered an incredibly close view, which made the experience feel special. I was able to truly appreciate the waterfall's beauty up close. One fun highlight was spotting a rooster sitting right near the edge, which was such a classic Kauaʻi island moment because roosters are everywhere on the island. I also noticed a touching memorial sign dedicated to Kavika Luna, "Mr. Aloha" - The Flying Hawaiian (May 1960 - September 2024). The message spoke about rainbows appearing as he chanted and the magic of Wailua Falls coming alive. It felt meaningful because I actually caught a mini rainbow during my visit, which made the moment even more breathtaking and memorable. Overall, I was very pleased with this stop. Wailua Falls is absolutely worth checking out for its natural beauty and history.

Located at the end of Maalo Road, this beautiful double waterfall cannot be safely or legally…read moreaccessed due to the notoriously steep, muddy, and very slick unmaintained trail down. But you can however view it safely from the designated roadside lookout. The parking lot here, although free, is very small and often filled to the brim with cars. The lot itself is also in desperate need of maintenance as it is filled with potholes, so getting in and out may be tricky. There are also vendors who fill up the front part of this lot, which further add to the chaos. Located in a sacred royal valley once known as the capital of Kauai, ancient Hawaiian chieftains and warriors use to test their bravery by leaping from the top of this nearly 200ft tall waterfall. There's not a lot to do once you get up to the top of the lookout except to snap a few photos. So it is debatable if it is worth the drive all the way out to here and dealing with the whole parking lot situation.

While researching things to see on Kauai, I came across the Kapaia Swinging Bridge. But it wasn't…read moresomething I found right away. It took me a while to find it which is great because that means not too many other tourist know about this. So the day we fly to Kauai was a holiday. As soon as we got the car, we headed straight to Waialua Falls. Once done there, we made our way to this swinging bridge, less than 10-mins away. It's in a small neighborhood. And parking was nonexistent. So I pulled into a business' parking lot and told my family to go look around and I'd stay in the car and wait for someone to tell me to move. But I got out of the car for a bit just to look around real quick when I noticed the sign on the business said they were closed for the holiday. Then I realized, that day WAS a holiday. And so I was able to enjoy the grounds with my family. And, no other tourist were around. Just a homeowner working on his surfboard. The surroundings are beautiful. Super quiet. Bridge was a bit shaky. And then I walked up the stairs at the end of the bridge where it took us to the church where there's plenty of parking. So if you plan on visiting, park at the Immaculate Conception Church. Yes, highly recommend.

Don't miss this quick stop for a beautiful view. We loved the gorgeous scenery and photo stop.read more

The public beach of Lihue in Kauai, it also serves as the easily accessible beach for the Marriott…read moreVacation Club and for cruisers coming off of ships at the nearby Port. The crescent shaped area has distinct edges/ends, and the flat sandy beach is easy for short walks on the water (the beach is about a quarter mile in length). The water is protected by the bay and its calmness and easy entry encouraged paddleboarders and swimmers. As for the beach, it has calm, clear, no-debris waters and the water was warm during our day visit. The golden sand didn't get too hot, even under the afternoon sun. It had a lot of unused loungers for the guests of the hotel, which slowly filled up as the afternoon went on.

Great little calm beach with shopping and eating. We walked here from The Pride of America cruise…read moreship on our last day of cruising and had a blast.

Initially coming here to kill a little time before a reserved tour, my wife and I really admired…read morethe planning and execution of the building/landscaping of this family park. Named after a pillar in the community who came to Kauai in the late 19th century, Lydgate Beach Park is 62 acres, with the Lydgate Park pathway encompassing 2.5 miles, a small part of the much larger Ke Ala Hele Makālae costal trail. There is plenty of parking, with both dedicated surface lots and street parking on the paved road. We immediately noticed surfers on electric surfboards out pretty far, even on this windy day. At the northern part of the park is where most people gather, close to modern facilities and a manned lifeguard station and a large covered event area with plenty of parking. Closer to the shore, we saw a seal just lying on the land, bathing in the sun, completely ignoring the people milling by. The very large safe man-made swimming/tide pools are great for the kekei and others, with constant refreshing of sea water over the lava rocks. There are picnic tables nearby as well with a lot of green space. My favorite feature are the man-made protected swimming pools, What I loved about it was how spread out everything was, with so many amenities. It just never felt crowded, even if a lot more people came. As we were leaving, my wife mentioned that Lydgate Beach is one of those rare parks where an ocean-loving family would intentionally live close by, just to be near this park.

This snorkeling spot has tons of parking. We found that the fish were mostly towards the back by…read morethe rocks, if that's what you're there for. We found a spot, setup towels on the sand and headed to the water. The bottom was mostly sand so very "feet friendly."

While on vacation in Kauai, my daughter wanted to go to the park so we tried this park on a Monday…read moremorning . There was no one at the park the entire time we were there there was a class going on at the community center, but that's about it. The park has probably seen better days because there was some wooden boards that look like they kept the sides that used to be open closed off. There's bad words graffiti up on the top near the slide. My 8 year old knew it was a bad word written. There isn't any seats around the playground, but a few benches outside the playground. It's located in town which was convenient for us. There's lots of parking so we didn't have an issue there. But I can see when there's events or games at the park, it might become very busy.

Great place to take our kids to play, nice shaded picnic tables close by. Located in a quiet…read moreneighborhood.

Bathroom smells like spoiled kimchee. So-much-so, that when my 5 year old daughter needed to go…read morebathroom she refused to go to the toilet and went by a tree. Wooden play area can be too big to where you lose visual of your kids but the other area (plastic side) is for the smaller kids. Oldest son saw a rat go into one of the holes of the wooden playground. It's still a fun pitstop to play at.

Cute little playground for your keiki located across the beach. Very clean and spacious for a…read morecouple of hours of play time. Kids enjoyed the swings and slides. Loved the wooden structures which made it so appealing to enjoy. Great park to also have a picnic with your family. If you are looking for a good atmosphere to spend time with your keiki, this is the spot in Kauai.

We've been to the island a few times now and each time, we try something new. Since we were staying…read morein Lihue, we did a satellite view and found Hanamaulu Beach. It is definitely for locals and while there are unhoused individuals that call this beach home, they kept to themselves. We parked under a tree and decided to go for a swim. The water is murky but super calm especially when you compare it to the 10 ft swells Poipu Beach has been getting. The water all around the island has been a little colder than normal, but this beach has warm vents as you swim so the water was warm with a cool layer on top. We stayed for over two hours and everyone kept to themselves. When I threw away some plastic I found on the beach, I was in close proximity to a couple of unhoused in the pavilion and they paid me no mind. The dogs are super social and sweet so they're not a worry either.

This is the place I would never go again! This has become a homeless community/junk car lot. We…read morehonestly felt fear when we pulled in here! Never got out of the car. Turned around and hoped not to have an altercation. This is not a tourist site! Do not go here.

This lighthouse is off the beaten path. In fact, the path…read moreto it is a dirt road that in a few places is a bit beaten! Nevertheless, it is accessible by car. Drive slowly over the few areas that are not smooth. We visit this lighthouse several times a month. Great ocean watching! Fabulous whale watching (when in season)! And over flight of aircraft too! Take some time and visit this point, known as Ninini point, and so is became the name of the lighthouse. While you are there, take your trash out. Like all beautiful places of Kaua'i, leave no trace of your visit. Mahalo!

It may seem like you're driving to nowhere or you're invading a golf course at a fancy resort but…read morekeep going. Once you get close you may want to park unless you have a 4wd vehicle. The road gets pretty uneven at the end. You won't have to walk far. The lighthouse itself isn't large or fancy but the views that surround it are stunning and make it all worth the drive to find it. The volcanic rocks and cliffs against the ocean waves crashing in just leaves you in awe.