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From start to end, Hanalei and the area around it is rich in natural beauty. The small town itself is backed by tall, lush, green mountains with waterfalls cascading down...

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USA TODAY 10Best

10 Sensational Kauai Fun Facts for You to Learn

Get to know this must-visit destination in a whole new light
Corinne Whiting

July 22, 2015 // By Corinne Whiting

By Corinne Whiting
Seattle Local Expert July 22, 2015

 
  • slide 1

    Lay of the Land

    Kauai boasts 50 miles of beaches, more beach per coastline than the other Hawaiian islands; coastline sets the scene for beautiful resorts like The Westin Princeville.
    Topographical diversity here ranges from the 3,567-foot deep Waimea Canyon (AKA “the Grand Canyon of the Pacific”) – stretching 14 miles across the western end of the island – and the 3,000-foot-high cliffs that rise from the ocean floor to the magnificent, unspoiled Napali Coast.
    Since 90 percent of Kauai is inaccessible by road, hiking (and helicopter rides!) prove a wonderful way to see the island's natural splendor. Although countless trails exist for exploring this lush and varied land, many come for the most popular: the challenging 11-mile Kalalau Trail along the Napali Coast.

    Photo courtesy of The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas

  • slide 2

    Unique Flora and Fauna

    The Hawaiian islands are the world's most remote archipelago; as the oldest, Kauai features an especially diverse array of flora and fauna. Over the centuries, trade routes and tourism have ushered in hordes of foreigners, in turn introducing new plants, animals and insects that have mingled with the island's unique, pre-existing plant life and wildlife. Countless endemic plants and birds can be found only here, and nowhere else on earth.
    Many endangered species have found refuge on and off of Kauai’s shores, too. More than 80 different species nest on the island – 21 of them exclusively native to Kauai, including the nene goose, which is the state bird. The lack of predators (no snakes!) allows birds to thrive (including “wild” domesticated chickens), as well as endangered species like Hawaiian monk seals, humpback whales, the Hawaiian bat and three of the world's seven species of sea turtles.
    These days, residents diligently avoid the introduction of new invasive species, so visitors should be prepared to declare any produce or living organisms at the airport. 

    Photo courtesy of Corinne Whiting

  • slide 3

    Going Green

    Residents of Kauai place an emphasis on wellness, taking into consideration the health of the island's people and its surroundings.
    As one example of how some hotels have decreased their environmental footprint, Grand Hyatt Kauai has converted one of its 4,000-square-foot tennis courts into a hydroponic greenhouse, where they grow six different types of lettuce to be used by on-site chefs.
    The owner had the vision for this forward-thinking sustainability model, and University of Hawaii interns from the Department of Tropical Agriculture have assisted in tending to the unique garden.

    Photo courtesy of Corinne Whiting

  • slide 4

    Hip to Zip

    Thanks to the Kauai-based filming awhile back of the popular reality TV show The Amazing Race, six zipline companies – and counting – now operate on the island, offering adrenaline rush options like flying by moonlight and soaring in Superman-like formation.
    Princeville Ranch Adventures, for example, allows participants to sail high above the lush canopy via the “King Kong” – two side-by-side ziplines – or to combine the high-flying adventure with horseback rides and swimming hole dips.

    Photo courtesy of Corinne Whiting

  • slide 5

    On Location

    Lights, camera, action! Movie producers love making this beautiful place the backdrop for their films. We’re talking South Pacific; Blue Hawaii; Raiders of the Lost Ark;Tropic Thunder; Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides; The Descendants; and the Jurassic Park films.
    Island Helicopters' tours have flown passengers high above the rainbow-dotted canyons and dramatic cliffs of the Napali Coast for many years, but the company recently launched an exclusive tour to the 400-foot Manawaiopuna Falls of Jurassic Park fame. (They're the only ones currently permitted to land at the foot of these powerful cascades.)

    Photo courtesy of Kauai Visitors Bureau

  • slide 6

    Island Fare

    Sixty-two percent of Hawaii’s taro production grows on 200 acres in the North Shore community of Hanalei. At the foot of the misty green mountains, visitors can find fields of taro (kalo, in Hawaiian). These heart-shaped, intensely green plants are used to make poi, a Hawaiian staple starch served at any Kauai luau.
    Other culinary loves here range from bountiful seafood dishes, shaved ice and anything including Spam. An affordable must-try is Hawaii's famous "plate lunch," which typically consists of potato or macaroni salad, "two scoops rice" and a meat entree. 

    Photo courtesy of Julie Arnan

  • slide 7

    Totally Tubular

    This island has the only navigable rivers in Hawaii, meaning visitors here can kayak, paddle board and enjoy other inner-island water sports.
    One unusual way to enjoy a water excursion: cruise down winding irrigation ditches with Kauai Backcountry Adventures! Tour-goers head 8.5 miles into backcountry terrain before hopping into colorful tubes and meandering through a series of five tunnels. 

    Photo courtesy of Corinne Whiting

  • slide 8

    Weather Patterns

    Lush Kauai hasn't gotten so decadently verdant without a decent amount of rainfall, but the good news is that some parts of the island prove warmer and drier than others (western and southern spots like Waimea and Poipu, for example).
    Helicopter passengers might enjoy checking out the ever-wet Mt. Waialeale, since it's located at the center of a rain forest and breaks records with measured rainfall that exceeds 450 inches a year. The silver lining of all this passing rain over the mountains? Otherworldly rainbows magically arch across the island on a regular basis. (Prepare to be wowed!)
    Locals define time on the island as life "before Iniki" and "after Iniki," referring to the devastating hurricane that blew through in 1992.
    "It changed everyone's life here," says one resident.

    Photo courtesy of Corinne Whiting

  • slide 9

    The Spirit of Kauai

    Some Americans love that travel in Hawaii can feel like an exotic, foreign experience. 
    Many claim that the bookend islands – Kauai, the oldest, and the Big Island, the youngest – resemble one another most closely, culturally speaking. Natives of Kauai often talk about the healing and rejuvenating powers of Kauai and the beautiful "spirit of place" that exists in this land, where the "Aloha Spirit" is alive and well.
    "If the island speaks to you, you’ll get it," says cultural practitioner Sabra Kauka.
    Customs here include taking off one's shoes when you enter a home. 

    Photo courtesy of Julie Arnan

  • slide 10

    Get Jazzed on Culture

    To soak in local culture, visitors check out the island's variety of festivals and events that range from ukulele concerts to sand castle contests. Many hotels offer free hula performances, torch lighting ceremonies and lei-making courses, too, and Coconut Marketplace in Kapa'a and Harbor Mall in Lihu'e present free hula shows every Wednesday.
    One of the island's most anticipated events? The annual Westin Princeville Jazz & Wine Festival, which returns to the extraordinary Westin property on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015.

    Photo courtesy of The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas

Kauai is alive, gently yet steadily streaming noises at all hours of the day and night. Persistent winds whip the palms, waves repeatedly caress the shore and chickens cock-a-doodle-doo.

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Many who live here claim that an element of magic flavors this place – the appropriately named "Garden Island." And before long, you might just believe them.

Perhaps you’ll catch on after a long, solo stroll through a dense grove of trees – just you, bopping birds and that one chicken lackadaisically crossing the dirt path. As otherworldly beams of light slice through a thick green canopy, you can almost hear whispers of the island ancestors' echoing through the trees.

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Yet aside from being the oldest, the fourth largest, the northernmost and the westernmost of the Hawaiian islands, what else defines this stunning and rejuvenating destination? 

Kauai stuns from every angleKauai stuns from every angle — Photo courtesy of The St. Regis Princeville Resort

Kauai boasts 50 miles of beaches, more beach per coastline than the other Hawaiian islands. Topographical diversity here ranges from the 3,567-foot deep Waimea Canyon (AKA “the Grand Canyon of the Pacific”) – stretching 14 miles across the western end of the island – and the 3,000-foot-high cliffs that rise from the ocean floor to the magnificent, unspoiled Napali Coast.

The Hawaiian islands are the world's most remote archipelago; as the oldest, Kauai features an especially diverse array of flora and fauna that cover that large expanse of beach.

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Over the centuries, trade routes and tourism have ushered in hordes of foreigners, in turn introducing new plants, animals and insects that have mingled with the island's unique, pre-existing plant life and wildlife. Countless endemic plants and birds can be found only here, and nowhere else on earth.

Many endangered species have found refuge on and off of Kauai’s shores, too. More than 80 different species nest on the island – 21 of them exclusively native to Kauai, including the nene goose, which is the state bird.

Spinner dolphins play near the spout of a humpback whaleSpinner dolphins play near the spout of a humpback whale — Photo courtesy of Corinne Whiting

Thankfully, residents of Kauai place an emphasis on wellness, taking into consideration the health of the island's surroundings and its people, too.

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As one example of how some hotels have decreased their environmental footprint, Grand Hyatt Kauai has converted one of its 4,000-square-foot tennis courts into a hydroponic greenhouse, where they grow six different types of lettuce to be used by on-site chefs.

Want incredible views of the island's beauty? Thanks to the Kauai-based filming awhile back of the popular reality TV show The Amazing Race, six zipline companies – and counting – now operate on the island, offering adrenaline rush options like flying by moonlight and soaring in Superman-like formation.

For more adrenaline-pumping fun, look into some of the Kauau spots that have been featured in film. Steven Spielberg has brought dinosaurs to life on the big screen with his Jurassic movies four times, each time choosing Kauai as the magnificent backdrop for his tales.

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Now in this summer's hit Jurassic World, Kauai plays a prominent role once again, and scenes showcase sites like the spectacular Napali Coast, Jurassic Kahili Ranch, Kauai Ranch and Valley House waterfall, plus the island's lush tropical forests and mountainous peaks. In fact, in appreciation of Spielberg’s longstanding support of Kauai as a filming location, the Kauai Visitors Bureau (KVB) created a special tribute video called Mahalo Nui Loa Steven Spielberg.

Movie producers have also chosen this special island to shoot works from Raiders of the Lost Ark to, more recently, The Descendants.

But these interesting details are really just the start of what makes this Hawaiian island so special.

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Corinne Whiting

About Corinne Whiting

Corinne Whiting had a blast learning about magnificent Kauai, and she's confident you, will too!

Read more about Corinne Whiting here.

Connect with Corinne via: Website | Instagram


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