Aloha! We just got back from our week-long honeymoon vacation to Lihue, Kauai. We got married last New Year's Eve, but weren't able to take a real honeymoon due to job schedules and busy life in general! Let's just say that this vacation was much needed and well deserved in my opinion. It might have taken 11 months, but holy moly, it was worth the wait. I have never had such a relaxing, plan-free week. Here are some photos of our adventures throughout the week!
We booked our flights with Hawaiian Airlines. I love flying on Hawaiian because they always have the best service! Hubby had downloaded a couple movies for us to watch so we had plenty of entertainment. I love having a good travel buddy! We flew out mid-morning and made a pit stop in Maui before arriving in Lihue. We picked up our rental car which we had for the first few days of the trip. Then, it was off to our hotel! We chose to stay at the Kauai Marriot Resort. I had seen a couple reviews for this resort and heard great comments about it. My best advice when picking a resort you have never been to: read the reviews and do your research! The resort was everything it had said it would be and it was just what we wanted! A beautiful place for us to relax with a private sandy beach and huge pool! I would recommend it to anyone.
We originally booked a room with a garden view, but after finding out that we were on our Honeymoon, the staff upgraded us to a partial ocean view! Our room was spacious with a private deck. The only downside was that the fridge was in the ONLY cupboard I didn't look in, so we went without a fridge for the whole week (I'm still kicking myself in the pants for that one).
The grounds of the resort are beautiful! On the way to the lobby, there is a large koi pond in the garden area. The walkway from the lobby leads out to a gorgeous view of the pool and beach.
One of the perks of staying at the resort was that we were close to so many restaurants! From sushi, to salad, to pizza, we had a good variety of options!
We tried spam masubi for the first time and loved it! I had never had spam before, but we are big sushi fans so it wasn't a far step outside our comfort zones.
The famous hula pie from Duke's. This beachfront restaurant was located on resort property so it was nice and close. They have a delicious menu along with some yummy cocktails! My favorite drink was the lava flow: a pina colada with a strawberry twist!
The second day, we went on a kayaking/hiking adventure to a secret waterfall. We drove over to Kayak Kauai which was located right on the Wailua River. We kayaked about 2 miles in, then walked about 3 miles to this gorgeous 100 ft. waterfall. It was about a 10 mile adventure round trip!
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any pictures from this tour (other than the one above), because the girl who took our photos dropped her phone in the ocean. Note to all: use a waterproof camera if you can, or take your own photos!
The hike was nice and easy. Our guide was born and raised on Kauai so he gave us some great adventure tips! We enjoyed a picnic lunch at the waterfall before heading back to our kayaks.
The next day, we drove up to the north side of the island. It was a dreary morning, but we still managed to enjoy it. After all, we were on vacation!
We stopped at a shave ice stand on our way back down the coast. Hubby had never had shave ice before so it was a must! We also stopped by a local beach and did some snorkeling. Hubby had never been snorkeling before so that was a fun new adventure. I love making new memories with him!
We visited a couple different coffee shops on the island. Hubby knows that coffee is always a "must have" for me so it wasn't a surprise to him that I would want to find some good coffee.
The locals suggested Ha Coffee Bar. It was just a short Uber ride from the hotel (we had already taken our rental car back at this point). We enjoyed some iced coffee and a yummy pesto, havarti pastry before moving on with our day!
PS: He's kind of my favorite view!
The other coffee shop we visited used to be a coffee truck! They are called Rainbeau Jo's and they are Seattle natives like us. I had heard about their coffee shop and knew I had to come meet them. They've been in a food truck for a while but just opened up their shop in their own building in the industrial area of town. They use all organic and local products for their menu and even serve breakfast! I had pesto cream cheese, tomato and black pepper on their everything bagel. It was absolutely delicious and inspired me to try to make my own pesto cream cheese (future blog post?). I'll tell you now, they also make some of the best coffee I have ever had.
The last few days of the trip, we stuck around the resort. We caught up on plenty of television (we had to catch up on the new season of The Great British Baking Show on Netflix), ordered room service, and watched the sunset.
I was so happy to be able to just sit and relax. We spent plenty of time on the beach, but most of all, I was thankful to just spend good quality time with my husband! It was a much-needed vacation, but we were both so excited to come home! We missed our fur and feathered babies so much. The sun, sandals and 80 degree weather was wonderful, but Now, it's back to cold weather, cozy sweaters and getting ready for Thanksgiving festivities! What's been your favorite vacation?