Aloha!
Chrissy and I just got back from a 10 day adventure on the island of kaua'i! The island is incredible and the landscape, especially the Napali Coast, was unlike anything we had ever seen.
Over the ten day trip we got to go kayaking, take a catamaran to the Napali Coast, ride in a doorless helicopter around the island and go on several of the most phenomenal hikes we've ever done. There was also much relaxing and delicious food eating.
The trip started off with shaved ice and walks along the coastline. The top of that rock in the background was the perfect spot for whale watching! We saw several humpback whales during the trip!
There were very interesting lava formations all over the coastline.
The following image is of an area called Spouting Horn. The ocean water flows in through a tunnel in the lava and spouts up through the top! I also saw a monk seal playing at the waters edge.
The following day started with lots of floating around in the salt water lagoon.
Shortly after we went on our favorite hike of the trip. The Alaka'i Swamp Trail. This trail is 10 miles long and started off sunny and 80 degrees, which then turned into a 50-60 degree rainforest swamp. Here is an image at the beginning of the trail.
About a 1/2 mile in, looking back at toward the beginning of the trial. You're literally hiking along the ridge of a mountain.
This is what the trail turned into about 2 miles in! So crazy how the climate changes so much in such a short distance. Kaua'i has some of the wettest spots on Earth, and the Alaka'i Swamp Trail is one of those spots. Most of the trail is covered in these rotting wood planks so you can avoid stepping in the waist deep swamp water. Chrissy still managed to fall in though.
After competing the 10 mile hike, we stopped and enjoyed some of the amazing lookout spots of Wiamea Canyon.
Kaua'i is also known for its red dirt. They color t-shirts using this dirt which creates a really cool permanent reddish orange color!
After a long day of exploring, we went back to the town of Poi'pu and ate a delicious sunset dinner by the ocean.
I think my favorite event of the trip was the doorless helicopter ride. I have never experienced anything so cool! We flew all over the island. Here are some photos from that ride.
As we started to fly closer to the center of the island, the fog started to roll in.
Here we are inside of the caldera of the extinct volcano that formed the island of Kaua'i about 6 million years ago. The average rainfall in this area is roughly 374 inches per year. So basically it's raining all the time. Needless to say, we were pretty chilly in the doorless helicopter while flying through here.
We saw so many waterfalls as well! Some of them were used in the filming of Jurassic Park! Kaua'i was also the filming location of an Indian Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean movie!
We then proceeded to head towards the Napali Coast. The image below is of the area where they filmed a scene for Pirates of the Caribbean!
Here we are checking out the "cathedrals" of the Napali Coast.
Don't forget to check out my Landscape Portfolio for more images from Kaua'i!
mXa