Where We Be
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| Kauai -- Na Pali Coast Cruise |
| The southern coast certainly has its share of gorgeous beaches |
Na Pali literally means "The Cliffs," and they
ain't kidding. This 15-mile stretch of rugged
coastline on the western side of Kauai is often
described as one of the most beautiful places
in the world. It remains pristine because of its
remote location, and in fact it's only accessible
by hiking, boat, or helicopter. Our hope during
our time on Kauai is to see it in all three ways,
and today was our day to see it by boat.
We booked our five-hour tour with Catamaran
Kahanu, which left Port Allen (on the south
side of the island) at 8 am. An early highlight
was seeing a large pod of porpoises that swam
and somersaulted with our catamaran for a
good ten minutes or so. Eventually we rounded
the western edge of Kauai and began heading
north past Polihale Beach -- the same beach on
which we stood awestruck yesterday.
The swells turned much bigger once we hit the
western side of Kauai -- which isn't uncommon
in the winter months from November to March.
When the captain gave us the go-ahead, we
and a few other adventurous nutcases moved
to the front railing of the catamaran and had a
tremendous time riding the waves and getting
completely soaked in the process. All the while
we got to watch some of Hawaii's most jaw-
dropping scenery pass us by. The “Jesus light”
shining down on the cliffs looked gorgeous to
the human eye but was difficult to capture with
a pocket camera, so my apologies for not
having better photos to share. I was too wet
most of the time to think about taking photos
anyway. But it would be a real treat to return
someday and capture these west-facing cliffs
on a calmer day towards sunset.
ain't kidding. This 15-mile stretch of rugged
coastline on the western side of Kauai is often
described as one of the most beautiful places
in the world. It remains pristine because of its
remote location, and in fact it's only accessible
by hiking, boat, or helicopter. Our hope during
our time on Kauai is to see it in all three ways,
and today was our day to see it by boat.
We booked our five-hour tour with Catamaran
Kahanu, which left Port Allen (on the south
side of the island) at 8 am. An early highlight
was seeing a large pod of porpoises that swam
and somersaulted with our catamaran for a
good ten minutes or so. Eventually we rounded
the western edge of Kauai and began heading
north past Polihale Beach -- the same beach on
which we stood awestruck yesterday.
The swells turned much bigger once we hit the
western side of Kauai -- which isn't uncommon
in the winter months from November to March.
When the captain gave us the go-ahead, we
and a few other adventurous nutcases moved
to the front railing of the catamaran and had a
tremendous time riding the waves and getting
completely soaked in the process. All the while
we got to watch some of Hawaii's most jaw-
dropping scenery pass us by. The “Jesus light”
shining down on the cliffs looked gorgeous to
the human eye but was difficult to capture with
a pocket camera, so my apologies for not
having better photos to share. I was too wet
most of the time to think about taking photos
anyway. But it would be a real treat to return
someday and capture these west-facing cliffs
on a calmer day towards sunset.
| After our Na Pali cruise we visited Salt Pond Beach Park, another curvy stretch of beach on Kauai's southern coast |
| "Jesus light" descends on the Na Pali coast in the early morning -- for the best photos, we'd recommend an afternoon cruise instead |
| Even the lifeguard station looks picturesque |
| Here's a beach most of us wouldn't mind being shipwrecked on! The picturesque cliff at its eastern end is known as Makawehi Point. |
| A short trail leads to the top of Makawehi Point for views of Shipwreck Beach |
| A scenic trail continues along the shoreline heading east from Makawehi Point |
| Many locals have offered to take our photo during this trip -- maybe it's the aloha spirit in action |
| Days like these are good for the soul |
| A boat tour is the easiest way to see the Na Pali coast up close |
| Salt Pond Beach Park |
| Shipwreck Beach |
| We had a blast getting soaked by the waves while soaking in the scenery |