I Visited The Oldest Hawaiian Island And It Felt Like The ‘Real’ Hawaii

When you picture Hawaii what comes to mind? For me, it was busy beaches and towering resorts.

Then I visited Kauai, the oldest major island in the Hawaiian chain.

That age is the key. It means Kauai has had the longest amount of time to become the most beautiful of the already stunning Hawaiian Islands.

It's known as the ‘Garden Isle‘ for a reason! But that's an understatement. It's not just beautiful; it's raw.

Instead of crazy tourist buzz, there's a profound quiet. Instead of a skyline, there are 4,000-foot cliffs. And yes, I’m a little biased now… but after one day there, I knew I had found it: what felt like the real Hawaii.

Paradise Found: Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort

I had the pleasure, no, the privilege, of staying at Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort right along the Coconut Coast in Kapa’a.

As soon as I got there, I knew I would never want to leave.

As you walk past the lobby, you’re greeted with a beautiful pool that gives tropical oasis vibes and a stunning view of the beach and ocean that are directly in front of you. If you didn’t think being right on the beach was enough, then have no fear.

The impressive formation of the Sleeping Giant, or Nounou Mountain, is right behind you while you stand on the beach. Nounou Mountain is called Sleeping Giant because it actually looks like a person sleeping on their side, but you know, in giant form.

Once you get to paradise, what do you do? Let me tell you a few of the things that I did and why I loved every second of my time in Kauai.

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Getting Settled In

First of all, I can’t tell you what a relief it was having only 15 minutes from the airport to Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort. I LOVE a short commute from the airport after a long day of traveling.

And even though Hawaii feels like a totally different country with its own beautiful culture, it’s still part of the U.S., which means you don’t need a passport and you don’t have to go through a crazy long customs line when you land!

After I arrived at the resort and made my way to my room, I was afraid I wouldn’t want to leave my room for the rest of the day.

Sure I was tired from my long travel day, and the crazy comfortable bed was calling my name, but the room décor made it feel like I was IN the ocean already. Not to mention the unbelievable view of the ocean right from my private balcony.

@traveloffpath Welcome to our room at the Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort! 🌴 Come on in! We're giving you the full tour of our home base on the Garden Isle. From the views (perfect for that morning coffee ☕) to the post-beach-day vibes, see exactly what it's like to stay at this spot. Would you make this your home base in Kauai? Let us know! 👇 #SheratonKauai #Kauai #Hawaii #RoomTour #HotelTour ♬ Hawái – Maluma

However, I wasn’t going to let jet lag and an incredible room stop me from exploring this beautiful property. I was also starving after my long journey and desperately wanted some amazing seafood, and I was not disappointed!

Crooked Surf is the resort’s poolside and oceanfront restaurant, and they had exactly what I needed: Fresh fish tacos that were so good that I wanted to order them again when I went back for dinner later that night.

A Perfect Poolside Afternoon

Fueling up with fish tacos made me ready to take advantage of the perfect weather. So I grabbed my book and headed over to lie by the pool.

Little did I know, I was there at the perfect time for poolside BINGO. I absolutely joined in on the fun and played BINGO while I soaked up the Hawaiian sun.

After a perfect poolside afternoon, I met up with my group for dinner at Crooked Surf. Even though I was tempted to get the fish tacos again, I decided to broaden my horizons and try one of the other delicious-looking dishes: the Dynamite Bowl with tofu drizzled in Pineapple Teriyaki — YUM!

The food was amazing again, but I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you to get the Coconut Beach Mai Tai. This is actually the best Mai Tai out there and the best I’ve ever had. You’ll be glad you took my word for it when you order this drink!

Exploring Kapa’a Town

Since my internal clock was still expecting East Coast time, I was ready to start the next day bright and early with a sunrise run on the beach, followed by hitting the gym (gotta stay ready to eat all the local foods, am I right?).

Honestly, what a fantastic way to start the day! I’ve been known to secretly judge a resort or hotel by their gym, and I’m happy to report that Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort didn’t let me down.

They have a great variety of gym equipment, and I was able to get a full workout in before our group biked to downtown Kapa’a for breakfast at Java Kai.

This coffee shop is so well known for being the best that I had multiple friends and family telling me to go to Java Kai and how jealous they were that I was there.

In fact, it was so good that we went back the next morning to try their pineapple French toast on Hawaiian bread and get more Chai Anu (which was basically like a chai icee and it was SO GOOD).

@traveloffpath Did you know Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort has free bikes you can ride to downtown Kapa’a in Kauai, HI? 🌈 #sheratonkauaicoconutbeach #kauai #hawaii #traveloffpath #travel ♬ Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride – Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu & Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus

Fueled up with caffeine and good food, we were ready to stroll around the super cute town of Kapa’a and get some shopping in out there. And oh boy did we!

We shopped and shopped and shopped some more! There were so many cute local stores to sift through, including a shop where you can design your own hat! I’m a sucker for these kinds of stores and ended up spending a good portion of the day enjoying Kapa’a.

After all that shopping, we needed to fuel up again at one of the fresh fruit stands. We tried several unique Hawaiian fruits, tiny little bananas that were so tasty, and of course fresh pineapple! So basically I ate my weight in fruit. What better way to wash it all down than with fresh coconut water straight from a coconut?!

I thought I couldn’t eat anymore, but then we found a chocolate shop that does free chocolate tastings where you can try the best local chocolate. Just when I thought I couldn’t get any fuller, that’s when we found the macadamia nut store just down the street. Guess what, they also have free tastings! Hawaii is famous for its macadamia nuts, so of course I couldn’t say no to that either. They were so good that I bought some to bring home for my family.

The moral of the story is: be prepared to shop till you drop and come hungry to Kapa’a!

Coastal Rides and Tropical Treats

The bike ride to and from downtown Kapa’a and Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort is unlike any bike path I’ve ever seen. Most of the short ride is right along the coast and the view of the ocean looks completely unreal. The water looked so fresh on the way back that I jumped off my bike and ran right in. (The current can be strong though, so be careful where you swim!*)

I spent the rest of the afternoon drinking tropical drinks and reading by the pool again. The resort even has free shaved ice by the pool from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. I dare you to name a more perfect day.

An Authentic Hawaiian Luau

What’s the best way to end a perfect day in Hawaii? An authentic Hawaiian Luau! We attended Luau Ka Hikina right on the resort’s open-air pavilion and the ocean right behind us. Before our Hawaiian feast officially started, we had a hula lesson from the famous Leilani Rivera Low!

The rest of the evening was spent eating an incredible Hawaiian feast with all the traditional favorites —I even tried poi! (For those who don’t know what that is, it’s a paste from the taro plant — very Hawaiian) While we ate, Leilani and her school of talented hula dancers performed with live island music.

This was one of my favorite experiences so far because you really felt the soul and passion behind this beautiful culture that’s been passed down for many, many generations.

As if everyone there wasn’t already thoroughly amazed by the talent of these dancers and musicians, they brought out the insanely impressive Samoan Fire Knife Chief.

This was absolutely one of the coolest and most extraordinary things I’ve ever seen.

The talent, skill and bravery that goes into fire knife dancing is unfathomable. Several of us were quite possibly fan-girling over the fire chief and Leilani after the performances.

Mindful Mornings and Mountain Adventures

Even after a fun-filled traditional Hawaiian night, I had to take advantage of the sunrise with the sunrise breakfast menu (including fresh fruit and an acai bowl). How could you not with the sun rising over the ocean directly in front of your resort?!

Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort offers beachside morning yoga that I obviously had to take advantage of after watching the sunrise. I love the idea of beach yoga, but sometimes the sand becomes too much of a hassle for me.

But the yoga actually took place on the lawn right next to the beach. So you still had the ocean right next to you and all the beachside vibes without worrying about getting sand in your eyes during downward dog.

An easy, peaceful morning with a good stretch meant that we were ready for our next big adventure. One of the greatest adventures out there to be exact! Mountain tubing with Kauai Backcountry Adventures where you float down canals from an old sugar plantation and tunnels leading under the mountain.

With green tropical plants surrounding you and Mt. Wai’ale’ale looming over you it feels like you’re floating through Jurassic Park. It really felt like a dinosaur could run out from the trees at any time out there.

The amazing adventure would have been worth it on its own, but it was made that much better by the best tour guide out there. Noah was amazing and you should absolutely request him as your tour guide when you book your adventure!

Unforgettable Experiences

After everything I’ve already mentioned, would you believe that I haven’t even told you my favorite thing of the entire trip? You may be shocked when I tell you it was our Ukulele lesson with the resort’s Kumu, Maka Herrod.

One of the things that are an absolute must when I come back to Kauai is having another lesson with Maka. We had so much fun learning how to play the Ukulele, and we even sounded pretty decent in the end! Maka is one of the kindest and sweetest people I’ve ever met and I can’t imagine there’s a better Ukulele teacher out there.

A day full of adventure and learning meant we were very excited for our goodbye dinner at the resort’s upscale restaurant, Moa Moa. The strawberry moon over the ocean was the backdrop for our dinner, making it the perfect setting.

Once again, I ate way too much because everything was so delicious! The Hawaiian caprese salad was tasty and refreshing and I loved the tropical twist to the traditional caprese salad. For my main course, I had the macadamia-crusted Mahi-Mahi, and it was phenomenal!

To top it all off, we tried several of their delicious desserts and severely regretted not saving more room for dessert. They were so good that I wanted to eat every last bite – especially the molten lava cake!

A Breathtaking Farewell Hike

I hate to admit it, but I sort of lied to you earlier. My favorite thing from the entire trip was definitely the Ukulele lesson with Maka, UNTIL an impromptu hike to the top of the Sleeping Giant the morning of my flight.

The Nounou East Trail Head was only about a 5-minute drive from Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort and I couldn’t resist seeing the views from the top that I’d heard so much about.

So I woke up to watch the sunrise on the beach one last time and then headed to the trailhead to start my trek to the top. I wasn’t even 5 minutes into my hike, and it was already worth it. With the lava rocks, plants, and trees, this was definitely the most beautiful I’d ever taken.

@traveloffpath The most beautiful hike I’ve ever done. Sleeping Giant: Nounou East Trailhead in Kauai, HI 🌈 just a short drive from Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort! #sheratonkauaicoconutbeach #hawaii #kauai #travel #hike ♬ SOLANA – Alex LeMirage

And that doesn’t even include the views yet. About ¼ of the way up the mountain, I came across a patch of sunlight from a break in the trees. That’s when I turned around and literally gasped out loud. I was definitely not expecting a full view of the town below me and the wide-open ocean beyond it.

There was no way the view from the top was necessary if this view was already here, not even halfway up the mountain, right? Wrong! When I finally made it to the top, the trail turned into a unique rocky terrain. I climbed the rocks and again had my breath taken away. This was absolutely the most beautiful and satisfying hike I’ve ever done.

At the top of the Sleeping Giant, you get a panoramic view of the island and an unobstructed view of the ocean that was getting more and more blue as the morning sun rose higher into the sky. This is definitely one of the most beautiful sights out there. I can’t begin to tell you how happy I was that I decided last-minute to make this hike happen. It was more than worth it!

If you like having a trail almost completely to yourself, then you should start hiking right after sunrise. That’s what I did, and I felt like I had the entire mountain to myself. I didn’t see a single person until later as I hiked down the mountain and people started hiking up. Plus, it wasn’t as hot earlier in the morning.

The Perfect Sendoff

The unofficial theme of this trip was adventure, then eat. That’s exactly what I did after my hike. I had to fit one last local favorite food spot in before my flight out – Holey Grail Donuts.

To be completely honest, donuts are never one of my favorite things, but these “Hawaiian grown” donuts are incredible! They use unique Hawaiian flavors from local farms and these donuts are so much better than anything else out there. These donuts were the perfect send-off treat.

I truly miss Kauai so much already. This was one place that I’ve been really sad to leave behind. I can’t wait to come back to explore more of this gorgeous island and experience more of the beautiful Hawaiian culture.

_{**Travel Off Path was a guest of Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort, who helped with the creation of this itinerary by hosting some of our accommodations and attractions. Our opinions, recommendations, and suggestions remain our own.**}