Kauai/Kalalau Trail May 2013 - Exploring Kauai

***This post is part 6 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

Staying for two nights on the North Shore and two nights on the South Shore gave me the opportunity to see most of the island without having to drive very far in either direction. I had visited some of the more popular tourist attractions on previous trips already, but there were still many places that I hadn't been before. On the first full day after I arrived, I decided to visit a couple of spots on the North Shore, including Queen's Bath, a (formerly) hidden spot right in Princeville.

The guide books are all over Queen's Bath these days, and even Google Maps will show its exact location. Unfortunately, the short trail leading to the swimming hole begins in a residential neighborhood, and as such, parking is very limited. There is a small parking lot right next to the entrance, but it was completely full when I arrived around 10:00 am. After circling the streets for a bit, I finally decided to just wait it out. Thankfully, the turnover rate was quite high and people came and left fairly quickly.

Be careful going down the trail as it is very muddy in some sections. Once you reach the ocean, it is just a short stroll to the left along the lava rocks to Queen's Bath. There are warnings posted around the area, including a hand-made wooden sign documenting the number of drownings that have occurred there. Large waves constantly crash over the rocks into Queen's Bath, feeding the pools with fresh ocean water. Because of this, people who climb the rocks at the edge of the baths risk getting swept out to sea.

Queen's Bath

Other than that, I felt like it was a very safe area for sunbathing and swimming. If you can, definitely take a dip in the baths. It's a fun experience when a large wave comes over the rocks... it almost feels like a giant wave pool. You can also swim inland towards a rocky channel to do some exploring. There are multiple pools all along the shoreline in the area, but only Queen's Bath is safe for swimming. The others I saw open directly into the sea and are very dangerous.

Kauai/Kalalau Trail May 2013 - Sheraton Kauai Resort

***This post is part 5 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

I drove halfway around the entire island to get to the small town of Poipu on the South Shore. Exhausted from the two-day hike and covered in mosquito bites, I wearily pulled up to the temporary lobby parking and limped inside. After a brief wait in line, I was helped by an incredibly friendly front desk attendant who took one look at me asked if I was feeling alright. I explained the mud, grime, and bug bites, and mentioned that I had just returned from the most amazing experience on the Kalalau Trail.

Sheraton Kauai Resort lobby

It's funny because I noticed whenever I mentioned Kalalau to any of the locals, their faces always seemed to light up and their first response was always 1) how much they loved doing the hike themselves or 2) how they really want to do the hike someday. The charming lady helping me was in the latter camp, and we proceeded to have a fun chat about my experience.

Often times, I find that being friendly and engaging with the front desk staff can be the ultimate impetus for earning some nice perks at check-in, including the highly-desired upgrade. Not that I was being friendly and engaging merely for an upgrade... I was genuinely excited about the hike, having literally just stepped off the trail a few hours before. But as the agent began typing away at the computer looking for my room, I had a feeling she might be a little extra nice to me. It probably also helped that I told her I didn't care if the room had a king bed, two beds, or no bed at all, I just wanted a hot shower!

A few minutes later, she smiled and told me she had upgraded me to an ocean-front room. I thanked her profusely, and told her how much I appreciated the gesture. Before I left, she stuffed six complimentary welcome Mai Tai certificates into the key holder and told me I looked like I could use a few extra drinks. I had a feeling this was gonna be an awesome stay.

My building

Kauai/Kalalau Trail May 2013 - The Kalalau Trail

***This post is part 4 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

Having been to Kauai a couple of times and done the usual tourist circuit, I wanted this trip to be slightly different. On one of my previous visits, I took a rafting tour of the Na Pali Coast, and besides the beauty of the fluted ridges and unreal experience of snorkeling with dolphins, one of the coolest things I remember seeing was a few hikers high up along the edge of a sheer cliff carefully traversing the Kalalau Trail. It looked absolutely insane, but I knew immediately that I wanted to do it someday.

Fast forward to the end of last summer, when I finally decided to book my trip to Kauai and reserve a permit for the Kalalau Trail. I did some research online and knew it was going to be strenuous, even for people who are relatively fit, but I wasn't too worried. It is highly recommended, however, that you bring along enough supplies to stay at least one night at the Kalalau Beach campsite, unless you are an experienced hiker who is capable of completing the 22-mile out-and-back journey in one day. In case you cannot make it to Kalalau in one day, you can also camp in Hanakoa Valley at the six-mile mark.

Kalalau Trail Map

I left the Westin at 7:00 am and stopped by the local Foodland market to pick up some prepared meals for the next two days. Since I didn't have a filter or purification tablets with me, I decided to carry my entire supply of water into the hike, which was a huge mistake. With five liter bottles in addition to the three liters already in my Camelbak, my legs nearly gave out in just the first few miles. And even with so much water, I actually exhausted my entire supply before finishing the following day. Definitely bring a filter and tablets with you, as there are plenty of water sources along the way!

Kalalau Trailhead

The trail begins at Ke'e Beach, at the end of the Kuhio Highway on the North Shore. When I arrived at the trailhead, there were already a number of people there, most of them day hikers. Since you only need a permit if you decide to go beyond Hanakapi'ai Valley at the two-mile mark, many people opt to do the first section only as a half-day hike. It is moderately strenuous and great for families and those who just want a taste of the Na Pali Coast but are short on time.

You would think that a trail going along the coastline would be relatively flat and easy, but that's definitely not the case here. There is hardly any part of the trail that is level, and elevation gain/loss totals 5,000 feet from start to finish. I have to admit I underestimated how strenuous the entire hike would be, and wasn't nearly as prepared as I should have been.

Kalalau Trail elevation

Kauai/Kalalau Trail May 2013 - The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas

***This post is part 3 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

After driving up from Lihue, I arrived at the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas around 3:00 pm. Located on the North Shore of Kauai, Princeville is a planned community of resorts, hotels, condominiums, and single homes catering to locals and tourists alike. Although the neighborhood has a very non-paradise feel to it, its proximity to Hanalei and other North Shore attractions makes the Westin a perfect base for exploring the area.

The lobby was elegantly decorated and provided views of the resort grounds behind the main building. There was a separate check-in line for SPG members with status, which was much appreciated. I wasn't given an upgrade despite my Gold status, but it didn't matter since all the rooms were basically junior suites or better. In addition, I was offered a $10 voucher to be used at any of the resort restaurants for declining housekeeping the following day. A welcome amenity of 250 Starpoints was also provided.

The resort was very large, with seven buildings spread out among four different pools and golf courses on either side. I re-parked the car closer to my building and carried my luggage up to the second floor. Upon entering, I was pleasantly surprised at how spacious it was. Practically a small apartment, the room had features not seen in typical resorts, including a washer/dryer and kitchenette with a full-size refrigerator, mini-stove, and dishwasher. The best part was that they even provided detergent, dishwashing liquid, paper towels, and all the utensils and cookware you could ever need. This was definitely the perfect place to stay for families and groups of friends.

Kauai/Kalalau Trail May 2013 - Introduction

***This post is part 1 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

The Kalalau Trail along the famed Na Pali Coast on Kauai is consistently named one of the most beautiful hikes in the world, and even the most beautiful coastal hike period. Although I had already been to the island a number of times before, I knew I had to make another journey there just to see Kalalau Beach at the end of the 11-mile trail with my own eyes.

Luckily, armed with a sizable amount of Avios in my British Airways account and also some SPG points, I knew I could make this trip a lot more affordable than the typical traveler. One of the best uses for Avios are domestic short-haul flights on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines, since the British Airways award chart is now based on the distance traveled. As such, direct flights from the West Coast to Hawaii actually come at a huge discount when compared to the typical number of miles charged by legacy carriers (25,000 Avios vs. 35,000-45,000 miles).

Alaska Airlines has tons of direct flights to many of the islands from the Bay Area, and since I was booking nearly ten months in advance, I easily found round-trip award space for SJC-LIH. Taxes came out to a whopping $5, and I was even able to convince them to waive the phone fee since Alaska Airlines award flights cannot be booked on the British Airways website.

Unfortunately, one of the hassles of booking so far in advance is the likelihood of schedule changes. And about four months prior to departure, I received an email stating that the direct SJC-LIH flight had been canceled, and I was being rerouted through SEA. Even though this increased my travel time by more than two hours, I didn't really mind, as British Airways didn't charge me more Avios or taxes and fees. Luckily, the LIH-SJC return flight remained unchanged.

For lodging, I used SPG points to book two nights before the hike at the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas on the north shore, which is relatively close to the Kalalau trailhead. For the two nights after, I booked the Sheraton Kauai Resort in Poipu on the south shore just to experience a different part of the island. Luckily, I did all of this prior to SPG's major Cash & Points devaluation and comparatively minor category changes in March 2013. The Westin moved up to Category 6, while the Sheraton stayed at Category 5.

Most frustrating of all was the inclusion of the dreaded resort and parking fees, along with taxes on the cash portion of the redemption. I'm glad to say that the Westin still doesn't charge a resort fee, but they do have a $13/night parking fee along with taxes. Sheraton charges a $31.25/night resort fee (including parking) along with taxes. Both provide in-room WiFi, thankfully.

Lastly, in order to camp at Kalalau Beach, you must have a permit purchased from the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources website. The cost is $15 for Hawaii residents and $20 for non-residents, along with a $2 online fee. Permits for the Kalalau Trail go fast, especially during the summer high season, so be sure to purchase them far in advance. In all, total out-of-pocket cost for airfare and lodging came out to $422.82.

Kalalau Beach - May 3, 2013

Kauai/Kalalau Trail May 2013 Trip Report

Earlier this month, I took a quick five-day trip to Kauai. The main purpose was to hike the Kalalau Trail along the famous Na Pali Coast. Kalalau has consistently been named one of the most beautiful hikes in the world, and I was very excited to finally be able to see the spectacular scenery in person after wanting to visit for so many years. Although I was slightly nervous about doing the two-day hike on my own, things turned out alright, and I met some great people along the trail. Read on for all the details:

• Introduction
• Alaska Airlines 321/873 Economy Class (SJC → SEA → LIH)
• The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas
• The Kalalau Trail
• Sheraton Kauai Resort
• Exploring Kauai
• Alaska Airlines 848 Economy Class (LIH → SJC)