This ruin is unlike any other on Kauai…read more It's different because you can actually walk into it. This is really cool. It is forbidden to walk on any other heiau and considered disrespectful to ancient and current Hawaiians. It's ceremonial site, a place for worship, and is very well kept, landscaped with retaining walls and offers a nice view of Wailua Bay. I dare say beautiful. It is nice to just stand here. Canoes would find the safety of Wailua River because of the Kukui nut oil candles burning here. It was built nearly 500 years ago and once stood 230 feet long. It still has a great presence.

This is the remains of a small heiau, an ancient sacred site, which one may freely explore. It…read moreconsists of the remains of a small stone wall enclosing a grassy platform. The location is on a promontory on the beach in Kapa'a, with some nice views along the shore. It is reached by a footpath along the beach. At the southern end by the Kaui Shores Hotel, the path goes through woods and vegetation to the Lae Nani beach and resort and the path to the heiau is in the woods. There was nobody else there when we went and it was a peaceful spot to contemplate and take in the area. It is, as the sign says, sacred, so one should respect that but is it an interesting, peaceful and scenic site.

The Wailua Heritage trail lookout is right across from the Opaeka'a Falls lookout…read more My mom is physically limited but the Secret Falls Hike was highly recommended by a local which includes hiking and utilizing a stand-up paddle board which we were not able to do due to my mom's limitations. From the lookout, kayakers and hikers could be seen along the trail. It's a gorgeous view. It's perfect for people to visit who have physical limitations. There are areas to picnic and a public restroom as well. Not too far from the Lihue airport and it's a short stop too. You definitely can plan time to see this before you go to the airport. You can't argue with free!

Nice view. Terrible pricing to park and walk 100 yards. $10 per car and $5 per person. $30 for a…read morefamily of four.

On our last day on Kauai, we stayed near the airport area and decided to drive up into the…read moreneighborhood in Kapaa and visit the fall and see where the road takes us. Initially we drove past the sacred temple and thought it was the neighborhood park. Coming back down, I saw the sacred temple sign and turned in. I didn't expect this. There's a small area with a beautifully maintained garden with the statue of Hanuman (looks like a monkey). While my sisters were exploring, my sister told me to follow this path as. It came up and walked through the bamboo tunnel that was called entrance to the First World. Very tranquil. And that's it. However, the temple itself is elsewhere that we did not have time to visit. I've seen other people's photos and it looks amazing. Free entrance and free parking. I would recommend seeing it for yourself.

Amazing stop along the road coming back from a hike. Very peaceful and spiritual. We did not…read morewalk all the way to the temple, just enjoyed the walk through to the First Realm. Enjoy!!!

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.

We didn't realize it was down the road right after you take the turn, but it was super easy to…read morefind! Parking was easy. It was just the two of us which was nice to explore the bridge for a bit.

This is a nice ruin in really cute Prince Kuhio Park, just in the back. Like a lot of the heiaus…read moreon Kauai, it's not that grand, but it's filled with history. The Prince Kuhio was born close by and his home was here. Kuhio would be the first native Hawaiian to serve in the US Congress. There is a large, great bust of him here. The site has five raised platforms, a fishing shrine, a rock lined fish pond and a low flat stone that may have been an altar. This was a place for a king. It's another of Kauai's unassuming spaces that speaks of a rich history here. Stop by.

Don't go out of your way just to see this road. We only went here because it was a quick detour…read morecoming back to our hotel. The scenery is pretty nice but not worth making your way here.

It's a quick drive through. Cool, but not worth it. Don't make your way out. Once you drive…read morethrough, you have to drive almost a mile out just to make a U-turn. This was my first time and will be the last (unless I'm just needing to take this route lol but I would not come again just for the tunnel lol)

This is a great view IF you can find it. It's not easy to spot the arch because unless you know…read morewhere the narrow trail pathway is and walk toward the cliff, you don't see the arch at all even though it's not that far from the Makahu'ena Condos near 1661 Pee Road or the Makahu'ena Light near 1645 Pee Road. And the main roads close to the trail are blocked off due to the construction at the Makahu'ena Estates lots for sale. But if you are able to find it, it's an awesome sight. If you follow the trail toward the Grand Hyatt, you will find salt deposits along the way toward the cliff and will get to Shipwreck Beach at the end.

We visited Makahu'ena Arch while on a weekend trip to Kauai. It was something that I came across…read morewhile researching our trip. It sounded cool and easy to get to, so we decided to check it out. The arch was pretty cool. It's on a rocky section of the coast and it's a natural arch. Before the waves crash against the rocks, they go under (through?) the arch. So it's a cool thing to see. It only takes a few minutes. If you like the area, its just steps from a path that goes along the coast, so you can walk a bit along there.

Would absolutely LOVE to camp here... Unfortunately arrived…read moreafter the museum and restaurant closed (-after 4). But this looks like a great place to camp. Did go into the lodge for a bit ( where the restaurant is), saw some beautiful trees and flowers. Did not explore the nature trail this time.... Drive a bit more to the Kalalau Lookout where one can see the Napali coastline and Ni'ihau in the distance. And did I mention chickens? A must see!!!

Koke'e State Park. It is "partners in crime" with its brother/sister Waimea Canyon State Park. When…read morevisiting Koke'e, you must first drive through Waimea Canyon along the 23 mile Koke'e Road. So for visitors, plan to combine both parks into 1 long day trip. You can actually take 2 days to explore the parks, especially if you plan on doing hiking. During my 1st day here, it rained for a majority of the time. Welp, that sealed my fate and I knew I'd have to allocate a 2nd day towards returning. And that's fine because Koke'e and Waimea Canyon are two of the major highlights when visiting Kauai, Hawaii. In fact, there's a sign saying..."Waimea Canyon and Koke'e State Parks" paired together, like joined at the hip so to speak, lol. Pretty much, they're telling you how connected both parks are to each other. What I found interesting (and now I'll solely focus on Koke'e SP) is that there's not as much to do here as I anticipated. I was a little letdown when reflecting back on the experience. Especially the two primary overlooks, Kalalau Valley Lookout and Pu'u o Kila Lookout (near Mile 23), weren't nearly as fulfilling as Waimea Canyon Lookout located at Mile 10 of Koke'e Road. Kalalau Valley Lookout and Pu'u o Kila Lookout both offer similar perspectives of the Na'Pali Coast. They're located within maybe 2 -3 miles of each other at the end of Koke'e Road. In my opinion, the best you can do is take a selfie picture while at each of them. I'd rather just snap a landscape picture and be content with that. It's just a difficult family photo moment from each lookout especially with guardrails blocking the backgrounds. What I did discover was...if you walk off to the right hand side of the Pu'u o Kila Lookout, you can get a better glance at the Na'Pali Coast that makes for an undisturbed setting. Because, you eliminate the guardrails and forest growth proponent from the lens and allow a more panoramic backdrop. While at Pu'u o Kila Lookout, I hiked the Pihea Trail 1 mile (each way) to and from Pihea Vista and it was a waste of time. I regret it just thinking about it now. There was nothing to see. Back within Koke'e SP, everyone stops by the Koke'e Museum to purchase gifts and souvenirs. I grabbed a couple of knickknacks like a magnet and keychain. Next to the Museum is the Koke'e Lodge. Here you can also find small trinkets but more frequented is the Cafe to sit down and eat a snack/meal. There's a coffee bar as well along with tables and chairs. During my visit, it was the perfect time to stop at this Lodge because of the rain, but the crowds were too large and I had to steer clear of the hectic activity. Outside of the Koke'e Lodge and Museum, you will encounter an abundance of chickens and roosters who beg for food. They'll chirp and cock-a-doodle away (like typical roosters do, lol) but tourists take an opportunity to feed them. If you have leftovers, they'll gladly eat out of your hands or however you may feed them. And overall on the island of Kauai, it's rooster planet, filled with birds in almost every single commercial parking lot! Lastly, I'd like to talk about Awa'awapuhi Trail. This hike was recommended to me by a local. It's 6 miles roundtrip and I guess you could categorize it as strenuous. The 3 mile trek down through the jungle wasn't hard. But, you see nothing. I started daydreaming along the way. Finally at the 360 degree viewpoint, many people say it's a stunning, unreal glimpse of the Na'Pali Coast. I arrived at 11am just as clouds rolled in and wouldn't leave. I waited and waited and sat and sat still waiting for the skies to clear, but they never did. The 3 miles back uphill to the trailhead were hard, but if you're in no rush, it's no big deal. When speaking to others after the hike, it was recommended to me that you must attempt this Awa'awapuhi Trail first thing in the morning to avoid those clouds. Had I known this ahead of time, I would have altered my itinerary to start hiking during sunrise. Btw...when at the Awa'awapuhi vista, you stand on a cliff's edge overlooking the coast. If you have a fear of heights, there may be only so far you can go. Still, it's good enough to witness for everyone. Koke'e State Park was okay. I wanted to connect with it on a magical level so I could be glowing afterwards. Instead I never got what I came for. Regardless, when pairing with Waimea Canyon for the day, it's a top attraction and Must-Do visit while on the island of Kauai.