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Fit Bottomed Tour: The Hawaiian Island of Kauai

It’s Fit Bottomed Vacay Week — and today Kristen is sharing her Fit Bottomed Tour of Kauai. Check out all of our fit travel posts here!

Kauai - Na Pali CoastMy time in Hawaii was absolutely surreal — partly because my husband and I had been planning and saving for a solid two years, but also just because it was such a departure from where we live (yes, Hawaii is entirely unlike North Central Florida). The only part of it that I could even attempt to classify as a slight bummer is the fact that, because we went to so many islands, we didn’t get a huge amount of time on any of them.

Still, we spent enough time on Kauai, our first stop, to get a pretty decent feel for it, so while my Fit Bottomed tour is certainly far from exhaustive, I think it’ll give anyone who’s considering a visit to the Garden Island a few fantastic and fit ideas.

6 Can’t Miss Ideas for Your Kauai Vacation

kauai coffee

1. Sipping Kauai Coffee. Let’s face it — you’re going to be jet lagged, so why not treat your sleepiness with a tasty solution? I loved the Vanilla Macadamia Nut Kauai Coffee so much that I brought some home with me. But, if you’re into learning more about it while you’re on the island, you can take a walking tour of the coffee plantation.

na pali coast hike

This? Is just the beginning.

2. Hiking the Na Pali Coast. Kauai offers plenty of options for hiking, but one of the best known is the Na Pali Coast Trail. Yeah, that’s the one I didn’t quite conquer. It’s pretty challenging, although, from what I understand, it’s considerably more manageable when it’s not raining. Even if you only plan to go a mile or so in, you’ll still get a nice climbing workout, plus you’ll be treated to seriously spectacular views.

rainbeau jo's

3. Checking in at Rainbeau Jo’s in Lihue. What? You don’t search out food trucks on vacation? We knew that many of our meals would be pricy, so when Yelp showed Rainbeau Jo’s as a top pick, we made plans to grab breakfast there … twice. The smoothies were fantastic and filling, the coffee was delicious (and, one morning, bulletproof!), and Beau? He’s a totally friendly trip. Plus, they’re big on social media, so it’s fun to literally check in there and share your awesome eats via Instagram.

secret falls kauai

4. Kayaking the Wailua River to Secret Falls. While there’s plenty of sea kayaking available in Hawaii (and, in fact, you can sea kayak along the Na Pali Coast, which I hear is freaking incredible), I believe this is really the only opportunity to river kayak there, which is a much easier option for inexperienced seafarers.

But, what makes the river kayaking experience truly exceptional is where it takes you. Our tour (which we did as a tour through Kayak Kauai — we not only had someone helping us navigate the tricky terrain made even more difficult by the rain, but our guide also gave us quite the history and nature lesson as we walked) took us across a river, into the forest about a mile and to a completely breathtaking waterfall. We swam a bit in the chilly water, ate some lunch, and took in our surroundings. It was a busy area, but should we go back, we’d make plans to spend more of the day there. It was that cool.

soup and salad

The soup and salad was pretty much to die for, and the entree was even better!

5. Enjoying the sunset at The Beach House in Poipu. Want to enjoy a quintessential Hawaiian sunset while dining on locally caught seafood? Make reservations at the Beach House restaurant. This was a recommendation from Jennifer over at Fit Bottomed Mamas, and she was not joking when she said it was a must. It turned out to be one of the top meals not only of our trip, but our lives.

sushi in hanalei

I pretty much consider this sushi roll to be a work of art. Delicious, delicious art.

6. Soak up some local artist culture in Halalei Town. You know how Puff the Magic Dragon frolicked in a town called Hanalei? It exists, and it not only has a great view of Puff on his mountain, but it’s a bit of a mecca for local art. It’s not far from the Na Pali Coast, so you might even want to use it as an excuse to stretch out your legs post-hike. Hey, being an FBG is about taking care of your mind and soul along with that booty, right?





I have no doubt I left off some really amazing adventures, but that’s where you come in. Have you been to Kauai? What have I missed? —Kristen

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Comments

4 Comments
  1. We went to Hawaii seven years ago. We spent a week in Hanalei, Kauai and a week in Honolulu. Kauai was my favorite by far! I have to go back someday!

  2. Tahleen says:

    Don’t forget the snorkeling! Tunnels Beach is a great place to snorkel, and the views are incredible. I love Kauai, and I hope I get to go back someday.

    I would also highly recommend doing a catamaran tour of the Na Pali Coast, especially since the one we went on (Blue Dolphin) gave us breakfast, lunch, and an open bar with the cost of the ticket. We got to do more snorkeling on this too! Lots of fun.

  3. Mark says:

    Kauai is such a wonderful and unique place to be……..some stunning landscapes and exciting things to do….I am yet to visit this cool island…but after reading your post, I am sure it will be a great one…I will try to plan a trip to Kauai soon 🙂

  4. Donna K says:

    Did The kayak trip….an experience that will always be remembered…..especially the chickens!!!
    Have been to Kauai four times…looking forward. To going back….love everything about the island….amazing place!

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