Daily Bruin Abroad: Kauai
By Daily Bruin Staff
Oct. 7, 2017 2:07 p.m.
The Nāpali Coast’s massively tall and sharp ridges were formed from past lava flow. The coastline is Kauai’s centerpiece with its pristine beaches and sacred burial grounds that are only accessible by boat or kayak.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Locals find as many things to jump – specifically backflip – off of as they can. The first tier of Ho’opi’i Falls is a popular spot to cool off; the rushing water has created a bowl that people can sit in.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
A pocket of Kauai’s green landscape peeks through the walls of fog that roll through Kalalau Valley.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Wailua Falls tumbles down 170 feet and has the most flow of all the waterfalls. Like most trails in Kauai, the path to the waterfall includes a fence to hop over, ropes to hold onto because of the mud, and plenty of slippery rocks.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Spinner dolphins play around the catamaran sailboat and frequently jump and spin into the air. This smaller breed of dolphins mate often and the baby dolphins, which can be the size of a football, are often seen jumping.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Kauai gets some of the highest amount of rainfall in the world. Due to a rather strong storm, several trees have fallen down over hiking trails and creeks, including the river leading up to Ho’opi’i Falls.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
On the way to the third tier of Ho’opi’i Falls, massive trees with long vines tower over the path. Kauai’s nickname, ''the garden island,'' lends itself to the lush environment.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
The Milky Way, visible every night, stretches across the sky as the backdrop for countless meteors. Shipwrecks Beach in Poipu and Polihale State Park on the west side seem to constantly have meteor showers.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Koke’e State Park is home to numerous plants and the park has many lookout points to Waimea Canyon, nicknamed the ''Grand Canyon of Kauai.''
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
The Kalepa Ridge Trail has the best view of Kalalau Valley’s ridges and sheets of fog. Koke’e State Park rises up 4000 feet and has crisp mountain air, completely unlike the humidity in most of the island.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
At Shipwrecks Beach, a few daring locals take boogieboarding to a new level. They run to the shore break and use the wave as a ramp for a gainer, a flip. Shipwrecks is also known for its 40-foot cliff, where many try to avoid belly flopping.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
The hike to Hanikapi’ai Falls starts at Ke’e Beach, the northernmost point people can travel to by car. It winds for two miles down to a gorgeous beach with a cove to swim to on the side. Then, after crossing the stream multiple times, the trail is two miles to the 300-foot waterfall.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
The Nāpali Coast and the island’s various scenery has been used in many movies, most prominently Jurassic Park.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
A sprawling monkeypod tree, one of Kauai’s signature trees, completely covers a creek in Kapahi. Tables made from the wood are incredibly valuable.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
The Kalepa Ridge Trail gets rather dangerous near the end, where the path is less than a foot wide at some points and very slippery.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Tall catamaran sails swell in the wind as the boat turns on the Nāpali.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
When snorkeling in the island’s clear and warm water, it is common to find gentle sea turtles, octopi and many bright, tropical fish.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Kilaeua Falls looks so perfect that it seems manmade but it is not. It sits between private properties, whose owners have the luxury of having a waterfall as their backyard.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Dragon’s Breath, located on the north shore, has several natural rock formations. The inner cave is past the slim opening in the center and inside, there is another cave that people can reach by diving down first. The place is called ''Dragon’s Breath'' because when a wave enters the inner cave, the water gets sucked into a small hole and sprays out.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
The neighboring island, Ni’ihau, is owned by the Robinson family. The family also owns a good portion of Kauai, specifically the Jurassic Falls. Ni’ihau only has around 100 people who all speak the native Hawaiian language and it is nicknamed ''The Forbidden Isle'' because no one is allowed to step foot there. People can only leave the island, but once they do, they cannot return.
