Matt and I we’re pretty much debating between a Caribbean island, Iceland, or Hawaiʻi for our honeymoon, and Hawaiʻi, specifically Kauai, won. I think it came down to a concern about the zika virus and a want for more beachfront. Most, if not all, of the planning fell on Matt’s shoulders, so I can’t speak to the planning process but I can tell you about the experiences!
I kept a “journal” on my phone so that I could look back and remember all the places we went and how we spent our week on the island. A little timeline for you: we were married on Friday, enjoyed a Farewell Brunch on Saturday, we drove our U-Haul packed with decor and gifts back to our house on Sunday (which is when I decided it was a great idea to deep clean the garage for no apparent reason), and we flew out early Monday morning with a layover in Phoenix. FYI, American Airlines has a direct flight from Phoenix to the island of Kauai, which is where we were headed. Amazing.
We landed at Lihue Airport around 2pm with only carry-on bags. Another side note: y’all, these Patagonia Black Hole bags are amazing for air travel. Matt and I use them religiously. Plus, what do you really need for a week in paradise aside from a couple swimsuits, hiking sandals, and a wide brimmed hat?
We left the airport and picked up our rental car for the week—a 4-door hard top Jeep Wrangler (upgraded from the 2-door we had booked). I really had no opinions on what we got, but this guy was great. The back seat gave us some storage for our belongings whenever we took the top pieces off and stored them in the trunk area. Speaking of which, those two roof pieces were pretty easy to get on and off quickly if it started to rain or if someone didn’t want to put more sunscreen on just yet. Hypothetically.
Then, with our bags, rental, and big smiling faces, we drove 30 minutes north to Kilauea, where we were staying on Olana Organic Farm, which Matt booked through Airbnb. It’s essentially a 1 bedroom/studio second floor apartment separate from the main house. The residence was on a working organic farm and the owners were more than willing to share some fresh produce and eggs every morning that we stayed there. The farm hosted WWOOFers (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) as well, so there was a total of 7 people living in various corners of the property, but you wouldn’t know it since everyone was quiet and respectful of the surrounding space. There were cows next door and in the morning I enjoyed hearing them ‘moo’ alongside the active chickens (if you know Hawaiʻi, you know chickens are everywhere). It was excellent.
If I did it again, the only thing I would change about our accommodations, is that I would wait a night or two to check-in. There are so many beaches on Kauai and most allow camping at no charge. Since we were already so active from dawn until dusk every day and basically using our Airbnb to sleep and shower at, I would have been fine saving a little extra cash to sleep on the beach a couple nights. Especially since traveling to the island was a breeze and the weather was so moderate while we were there. I’m sure that’s not everyone’s idea of a honeymoon, but to each their own!
The reason we picked Airbnb was for the cost and the experience. Matt and I have traveled and used Airbnb a lot in the past few years. We haven’t always had a great experience, but I’ve figured out now what to avoid in order to know what to expect—and our less than great experiences were usually shaken up by not having clear expectations. So when we were looking at how much it cost to stay on the island of Kauai, we had a price range in mind. I had hoped to stay in a resort, because we just don’t travel like that and this seemed like the perfect time to. The problem with that was, any resort that was in our price range was quite dated—and I’m okay roughing it or staying in dated places if it suits the need, but this was a special occasion! Then, when we started looking at Airbnb, we noticed that some of the resorts had rooms on there for less (one was just shy of $100 a night less!). So, that was the point when we realized that we could get more bang for our buck going that route. Truthfully, Matt found the place and communicated with the owner, Tim, before our arrival so I can’t take any credit for that. The place was great though and I suggest anyone stay there! Bonus: if you’re with a bigger group, you can choose to rent the main house, or maybe both!
So after settling in, we got a property tour by the WWOOFer in charge—He said his name was Jason but I’m not completely convinced that he wasn’t Paul Rudd in hiding. After hearing Paul Jason talk about the produce that is grown on the farm, Matt and I realized we had gotten quite hungry.
We headed out to one of the nearest restaurants, The Bistro. Because of our travel schedule, we arrived to there before the restaurant portion was even open, instead we were able to sit in a bar setting. Luckily, we could order some food, so we requested some fries with our mai tai and local beer. That was when we discovered what every potato dish was going to look like on this island from here on out—purple! Mmm, it was delicious and hit the spot though. Once the restaurant opened, we migrated in there for a real meal. Honestly though, it was one of the more lackluster dinners we had on the island. Maybe because we were tired and hangry, but probably because it was more of a tourist spot than a place you could find locals (i.e. pricey dishes that are nothing to write to your readers about).
We tried to go to the Kilauea Lighthouse, but soon discovered it was closed on Mondays. So, we joined some kids from the island and parked our car on the road, climbed on top of the car, and watched our first Hawaiʻian sunset.
On our way back to the farm, we decided we should stop for some groceries to save some dollars in the mornings. We came across The Healthy Hut and thank goodness we did! It was a fantastic small grocery store full of fresh, local, and organic items. The prices were pretty steep, but they were only carrying the best brands and, let’s face it, everything on Kauai costs a pretty penny. While there, we talked to a cashier who was kind enough to write down some ‘must-sees’ for us, since his first visit to the island was also on his honeymoon. The Healthy Hut became Matt’s favorite spot to find food and we probably stopped in there every other day for the rest of the trip. For these two special request eaters, their selection of vegan and/or gluten-free was just what we needed.
Day one. Done.
Love, Shauna