One of the reasons Luaus are something that most people want to go visit is for the food. At many Luaus you attend you can actually watch them take the pig out of the ground. You can’t find food that gets fresher than that. All of the food tastes amazing and represents Hawaiian culture. Whether you’re a picky eater or an adventurous one you are sure to leave a Luau feeling full and satisfied.

At some Luaus you also have the option of skipping the food and just watching the show, this is very appealing to many with a larger family and or people who just want to experience the show. The show is more than just some people waiving fire; it is an expression of Hawaiian culture. If you don’t know too much about Hawaiian culture than going to a Luau is probably one of the most fun ways to learn more about it. Many of the people who are in the Luau started training for it when they were only kids. They take pride in their culture and make sure that everything is authentic in the show.

Going to a Luau in Hawaii is about more than just going just because it is so popular it is about going and experiencing Hawaiian culture. It also makes for a great night out, dinner and a show makes for an enjoyable night for anyone. Going to a Luau is a nice change of pace than the normal same night out after night, it allows you to go back in time a little bit to experience history that even the kids will enjoy learning about. So if you are in Hawaii, go and check out a Luau not because everyone says you should but because it will be an amazing night that you will never want to forget.

The Waimea Canyon is said to be the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific”. Of course it isn’t quite as large as the Grand Canyon, or old as the Grand Canyon it still is beautiful. It is about fourteen miles long, and 1 mile wide, stretching as deep as about thirty–six hundred feet. It is certainly a site that everyone should see. Depending on where you are at on the island it can be a bit of a drive so usually it is best to plan a day of it. You can decide to just go to a few different look out places, and have a picnic on a lookout spot and just enjoy the site or you can choose to be more adventurous.

What is great about the Waimea Canyon is that you can explore it if you choose too. You would walk along the Kukui trail, and unlike the Grand Canyon where you would probably only see more sand on the Kukui trail you can expect to see different waterfalls and different plants and animals. The kukui trail is a great experience for anyone who is interested in making a serious hike. If you are thinking about camping in the canyon make sure that you get a permit as you can only camp there if you have been approved a permit. Although, beware that it is not the easiest hike, it will be a hot dusty trail and one that should only be attempted by serious hikers who are willing to put in the effort.

So the next time you are deciding where to take a vacation, think about taking a vacation where you can enjoy a natural wonder like the Waimea canyon and yet still be able to enjoy the ocean and many other wonderful sites. You work hard all year long and deserve a vacation that you can get the most out of. When visiting Kauai you will quickly learn that you can never accomplish all the activities and see all the sites that it has to offer.

First lets talk about what you can expect if you decide to take a helicopter tour. Deciding on the company you go with you can have a helicopter that just fits you and your spouse or go with a larger one so you can fit your whole family, some companies allow you to have up to six people. Helicopter tours take you all over the island, they are usually a little over an hour long. Many companies will give you a DVD to take home with you too so that way you can remember your vacation for the rest of your life. The nice part about them giving you the DVD is that you don’t have to worry about taking pictures the whole time and forget to enjoy the trip yourself.

Helicopter tours take you to places that you probably wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise, whether it’s due to time or just the places they go that you can’t really get to by foot. Helicopter tours allow you to see the island in a whole different light. Being able to see Kauai from the air is an amazing experience that you certainly wouldn’t regret if you did it.

So should you go on a helicopter tour? Well, that is really up to you to decide on. Everyone is different and think certain things are important that others don’t. If you want to truly appreciate Kauai in all of its beauty than you should go for it. If you are just hesitant because of the price, remember it is your vacation; you deserve to enjoy it to the fullest. Visiting Kauai is time for you to relax and do what you have always wanted to do. Decide when you come to Kauai that you are going to enjoy yourself whether that means taking a helicopter tour or just enjoying yourself on the beach.

One of the many options is golfing, whether you are a beginner or an expert, you will be sure to enjoy Kauai’s golf courses. Some PGA pros designed a couple of the golf courses themselves. In fact you may actually get to see a PGA golf pro out on the links some days. If you are a beginner you can take a lesson to learn a little more about golf or to just better improve your swing.

If you aren’t into golfing but your husband is don’t worry there is an activity for you too, one that every woman will enjoy–shopping. Kauai offers many beautiful shops that will keep you busy for the whole day. You can also explore the many art museums, which offer some very unique art. If you still have time consider stopping by a few local farmers markets.

The next activity you can look at is exploring the fern grotto, this adventure will keep you perfectly dry and sand free. You can first explore the beautifulgardens and then take a boat tour to the fern grotto, and on your way you will be sure to see many other beautiful flowers. The fern grotto is perfect if you love nature and want to explore it a little more, yet not have to worry about getting too dirty.

Kauai has more than beaches to offer you, so don’t be weary if you are tired of the beach. In fact you may find that your vacation really starts once you are outside of the beach, because than you can explore all the different shops and local cuisine that makes Kauai so special. Whenever you go to a new place one of the best things you can do is to just take in the culture. By visiting all the different places of Kauai you can learn more about the people and the history of the island and come into a new appreciation of the island.

The thing to remember when you are exploring Kauai looking for movie locations is that there usually isn’t one specific location where the movie was filmed. Many times the whole island is used to get different shots. What you can look for is specific scenes that are more momentous than others. One scene you will want to visit is Jurassic Park, the one scene you can be sure to see are the doors. The doors that opened up to a magical world that was Jurassic Park, you can see these doors by visiting the town of Kapaa, what is great about this location is that you can also go tubing down the river too so that you don’t just make the trek to see the Jurassic Park scene and that’s it.

Some movie locations you can only see by air, such as the movie To End All Wars, and Hawaii, Hook, Six Days/Seven nights. These movies were filmed on the South Shore and most companies should be able to take you to see these spots normally or if you ask specifically. You can also see the waterfalls used in Jurassic Park by air.

If you are looking to maximize your time its probably best to visit the North shore, where you can see movies such as Honeymoon in Vegas, Lilo & Stitch, South Pacific, Lord of the Flies, and of course you cannot forget King Kong. You can see the lighthouse that was used by visiting Kilauea Lighthouse on the North Shore. One of the best ways to ensure that you see all the movie spots is by taking a movie tour, let a professional take you around the island to make sure that you don’t miss a single spot where your favorite films were shot. The quickest way is to take a helicopter tour, and see them by air if you are looking for a general over view and don’t want to see all the details of specific ones.

Hanalei Bay

Ke’e Beach Park, Kauai
Ke’e beach is perfect after a long day at work or touring the island to go and watch an amazing sunset. Nothing is better than watching the ocean set over any ocean, but the beauty of this beach makes the sunset ten times better than anywhere else. This beach is also great for snorkeling during the day time; you will most likely see many colorful different reef fishes and some turtles.

Poipu Beach, Kauai
Poipu beach is perfect for a family with small children as it has an area with rocks that make a pool area which is not too deep, and you do not have to worry about heavy waves. Poipu beach is also perfect if you are just starting to snorkel and want to get a feel for it before you go out into the unprotected ocean.  If you are there long enough you may be able to site an endangered monk seal that occasionally comes up to the beach for a nice nap. Poipu beach is also said to be one of the most romantic spots on the island, and once you step on it you will see why, as it provides a majestic background perfect for any wedding or romantic getaway.

Hideaway beach, Kauai
Hideaway beach is one that you will have to do a little more work to get too, but will be well worth it when you get there. To get to this beach you have to go down a long steep path and a staircase, you will want to note that it may be hard to navigate for children or for people who have mobility problems. What makes this beach so great is that it is a little out of the way and that it is a smaller beach than the others. Having so much greenery in the background really makes this beach stand out more so than other beaches. It is also another great area to snorkel as there is a break in certain areas which block the waves.

Lydgate Beach

Poipu Beach
Poipu beach is the next step up from Lydgate; it still has protected parts for the beginner, and has a lifeguard if you choose to venture out of the protected area. You will be sure to see more fishes than at Lydgate beach but not as many than other beaches. However, anytime at Poipu beach is time well spent, you can improve your snorkeling skills with knowing that you have someone watching over you and enjoy seeing some beautiful fishes.

Ke’e Beach
Ke’e beach is great if you have finally conquered Lydgate and Poipu beach. It is a little more crowded than some of the other beaches but at the end of the road it has a great lagoon that you will be sure to see lots of tropical fish in. Unlike with some other beaches where you have to search for fishes, here they will come right up to you as soon as you get far enough in.

Tunnels Beach
As with anything else the best has to be saved for last, tunnels beach is known for being one of the best beaches in Kauai for snorkeling. You will also have more privacy than you would have at Ke’e beach. It is not protected, nor does it have a lifeguard so you will want to make sure that you are a confident swimmer or go with a friend. Although, you may miss the lifeguard it is definitely worth visiting to enjoy the variety of fishes that you cannot experience as much with other beaches.

Snorkeling Gear – You will of course want to snorkel in Kauai, but you do not want to take up packing space with snorkel gear. You can rent snorkel gear for about $10 a week, and with the extra space in your luggage you can bring back a souvenir that you can only get in Kauai.

Fruit - When traveling to Hawaii, you will have to declare any fruits and vegetables that you have with you. Bringing a couple apples with you is not worth the extra time that you will have to go through once you to Kauai. Instead forgo the normal fruits from your average grocery store and the buy some unique fruit from the local market in Kauai.

Formal Wear – The most formal wear you will want to bring is a nice pair of pants and a nice shirt. Most of the restaurants you will go too, everyone will be in shorts and slippers (flip flops). Remember Hawaiian culture is more laid back than on the mainland. Going to Hawaii is all about relaxing and leaving your cares behind. So leave your formal wear behind and embrace the Hawaiian culture of being comfortable.

Sun Lotion SPF15 – The sun in Hawaii is much stronger than you are probably used too and you will burn much quicker. You will want to make sure that you wear sun lotion that has an SPF of at least 30 if not higher. Make sure that you also reapply sunblock if you are out in the sun all day, even if the sunblock says it lasts all day, it is best to reapply at least every 4 hours if not sooner. You do want to spend your entire vacation sun burned, so leave your light sun lotion at home and bring the powerful sun lotion so that you can enjoy your vacation.

Nice Shoes – Some may have heard about the red dirt in Hawaii, however, what many people do not think about is how it will stain everything it touches. You do not want to wear shoes that you are not willing to throw away when you get home or to just designate as hiking shoes. Remember when packing for Kauai, to always keep in mind that you will probably get your clothes dirty. You do not want to bring something that you will be upset about ruining. You will have more fun if you dress in clothes that you can get down and dirty with.

The one reason everyone is ready to go home by the end of vacation is that he or she just wants to be in his or her own home, because the stuffiness of a hotel is nothing like home. Thankfully no longer are you bound to being stuck at a hotel that has a smell that you just can’t make out. You can now choose from several different Kauai vacation homes or Kauai Condos. Once you stay at a Kauai vacation rental you will never want to leave Kauai, it will feel like a home away from home.

Vacation homes and condos also give you a better variety of places to stay, whether you want to stay on the North shore or the South shore you can find a perfect vacation rental for you. Vacation rentals also allow you to have access to some beaches that the general public cannot get too because they are private. You can walk outside of your condo or home right on to the beautiful beach without having to travel miles to see the sunset or sunrise.

Vacation homes are perfect for a large family or for several different friends to go on vacation together. You will not have to worry about stepping over each other or fighting to get into one bathroom. You will have room to spread out and be comfortable while still being able to enjoy one another’s company.  They allow for kids to be able to run around and play on those rainy days that Kauai is famous for.

Every aspect of vacation should be enjoyable not just certain hours of the day when you are not in your vacation rental. Find the right vacation home or condo that fits your needs, whether that be more rooms or being right on the ocean, find the one that makes your vacation that much more perfect. The only problem you will run into when staying at a vacation rental is that you will never want to go back to your regular home.