THE OYLER GUIDE TO KAUAI

My husb + I have been together for 5 years — the majority of that time we’ve spent traveling to each other b/c we lived in separate cities. When we were planning our post-ceremony trip we were eager to dream a bit outside of practicality. We waited a little bit longer than comfortable before booking flights and housing b/c we’re suckers for a good deal. Late one winter evening, Adam texted me about great flights to Kauai that he wanted to jump on + that was that. Little did I know how good the Garden Island would be to us. Keep reading for all the goodies | this is the Oyler guide to Kauai.

The Oyler-approved Guide to Kauai

This is our “Oyler approved” list of all the goodies you have to check out if you’re headed to Kauai!

Drinking:

• Kauai Juice Co.
  • I definitely felt super boujee in this store, but we went for it. We even went back a few times b/c we could not get enough of their hand-pressed nut milks.
• Java Kai
  • The best macadamia nut latte we had on the whole trip!
• Trilogy Coffee + Tea Bar
  • Super cool vibes + very strong coffee — delish.

Eating:

• Hanalei food trucks!!!
  • There’s a whole section of Hanalei devoted to food trucks — take some time to explore + eat your way through.
• Fresh Bite Kauai food truck
  • Best steak sandwich I’ve ever had! Don’t even think about sharing this one — you’ll definitely want it all.
• Kalalea Juice Hale
  • THE BEST ACAI BOWLS | this little roadside spot always had a line … after you try their acai, you’ll understand why
• Makai sushi
  • A lil sushi bar inside of a grocery that serves the most decorated and flavorful sushi + poke
• Hanalei Bread Co. + Coffee Roasters
  • Good vibes, drinks + breakfast treats for all
• Holey Grail donuts
  • Probably my favorite food experience over the whole trip. Only open on Sundays — dismiss your sleepiness and get there early b/c their donuts are amazing + a line forms QUICK

Play:

• Kalihiwai Bay
  • We definitely visited this beach multiple times + are still fondly referring to it as “our beach.” Peaceful, quiet + minimal tourism.

• Waimea Canyon
  • Photos nor words can do this one justice. Hang on during the long drive + just enjoy the views.

• Poipu Beach
  • Ugh I wish I could forever engrain the visuals + colors + experience in my brain from this day. The epitome of a beautiful beach. I’ve never seen such blue-er water!
• Jurassic Falls (via helicopter ride)
• Warehouse 3450
  • A cool lil roadside stop with some food trucks, local art and an awesome interior aesthetic
• Spouting Horn
  • Somehow the rocks are formed in a certain way + when the waves come in, the propel the water up in such a way that it looks like it’s coming from a whale’s “spouting horn.” COOL.

This is us after helicopter riding to Jurassic falls — insaneeee

Overlooking Waimea Canyon!!! If you look closely you can see a waterfall, yay

We ended up staying in an Airbnb rather than a resort + I have no regrets about this! Our home had the most beautiful natural sunshine coming in b/c it had so many window, a cute lil kitchen nook + our own tiny pool to relax in when it was too hot for anything else. Beyond perfect.

Kalihiwai bay: a love story.

Fun lil anecdote + tip:

If your Airbnb doesn’t let you extend your check-out time and your flight isn’t until late evening and you don’t want to waste your day waiting, still go play! Adam ended up booking us to do a lil kayak + hiking adventure and we got soooo muddy. We found a YMCA + used their showers before finding dinner and leaving for the airport. Practical, clean and a day well spent!!!

Moral of the story: If you’re ever presented w/ reasonably priced flights to Kauai — gooooo. It’s the best.

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