For Labor Day weekend this year, I had the great joy of traveling to Kauai for the first time. I had a really beautiful time exploring the natural beauty and local delicacies of this memorable Hawaiian island with my partner. For this post, I thought I’d share how I put together my itinerary for a trip. I start with places that require reservations (for Kauai this was mainly meals) and then add in additional activities from there. Although we still had plenty of time for some unexpected adventures, our Kauai itinerary looked like this:
Friday (Sept 3)
| Time | Activity | Location | Notes |
| 9:00AM-12:00PM | Lydgate Farms Chocolate Tour | 5730 Olohena Rd, Kapaʻa, HI 96746 | Reservation for 2 |
| Afternoon | Puka Dog and Beach | ||
| 4:45PM-8:30PM | Luau Kalamaku Hawaiian Package with Train Ride | 3-2087 Kaumualii Highway, Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii 96766 | Reservation for 2 |
Saturday (Sept 4): North Side of Island
| Time | Activity | Location | Notes |
| 11:00AM | Duke’s Kauai | 3610 Rice St, Lihue, HI 96766 | Reservation for 2 |
| Afternoon | Kilauea Lighthouse | ||
| Afternoon | Beaches: Hanalei Beach Park & Bay, Makua ‘Tunnels’ Beach, Kee Beach | ||
| 8:30PM | Hukilau Lanai |
Sunday (Sept 5): West/South Side of Island
| Time | Activity | Location | Notes |
| 10:00AM-11:00AM | Kauai Coffee on the Brain Tour | 870 Halewii Road, Kalaheo, Kauai | Reservation for 2 |
| 11:30AM | Keoki’s Paradise | 2360 Kiahuna Plantation Dr, Koloa, HI 96756 | Reservation for 2 |
| 12:30PM-4:30PM | Waimea Canyon | Waimea Canyon Dr, Waimea, HI 96796 | |
| 8:30PM | Eating House 1849 | 2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka Rd A-201, Koloa, HI 96756 | Reservation for 2 |
By having our dinners later in the day we had more time in the afternoon for exploring (and occasionally a nap!). I would highly recommend the Lydgate Chocolate Tour, it was by far one of my favorite experiences on the island. The Koloa Rum Tour (not listed, done before flying home on Monday) was also awesome and featured a chocolate rum made using Lydgate cacao nibs. I totally recommend this itinerary for anyone excited about food and beaches with a healthy dose of natural beauty. Given the time (and budget $$$), I think it would have also been super cool to take a helicopter tour of Kauai (which was apparently part of the filming of Jurassic Park).
I like to end my trips by making a montage video of the experience using the Quik app on iPhone. I use a song that we listened to during the trip as well as photo and video highlights. I love doing scrapbooks and photo books but videos (including a memorable song) also make for a really special means of capturing memories.
Millennial's Delight 