For our 25th Anniversary we decided to spend a few sunny days on the Garden Island. We hopped a flight and headed for the Island of Kauai. We spent a few nights at the Marriott Resort, which was in a great location within walking distance of some shops and restaurants. Then, we moved further up the road to the DoubleTree. The hotel was ok, but it was a fantastic spot with a nice beach and some bikes available to guests.
It’s definitely a different type of vacation. The island is still very natural and commercialism is kept at a minimum. You won’t find a Cheesecake Factory or Olive Garden, the best you’ll do for a “chain” restaurant is Burger King or Subway. Most restaurants are locally owned, so if you are interested in immersing yourself into the culture, this is the place to do it!
Kauai is perfect for the outdoorsy person – someone who likes to hike, bike, kayak, or go river tubing. I prefer the beach and an occasional bike ride. I’m not much of a nature girl, there are creatures out there!
A helicopter ride is a must do while in Hawaii. I was a little apprehensive because the guide who was explaining the tour to the group was a bit goofy and seemed like he’d smoked a lil too much weed in his day so I wasn’t sure I wanted him flying me anywhere. Turns out, he was just the sales dude enjoying life in the islands, so it was all good. I was pretty thankful, because it started raining while we were in the air, which is a little creepy. Flying into and out of clouds was a little frightening when we couldn’t see where we were going.
