Semi-Private Tour with Hob Osterlund. Hob is the founder of the Kaua’i Albatross Network. She also wrote the book Holy Mōlī: Albatross and Other Ancestors and produced the award-winning documentary Kalama’s Journey. She is a top expert and steward of Kauaʻi bird population and has lived on Kauaʻi for decades. She offers small tours which are an excellent opportunity to learn about Kauaʻi native birds and the island’s culture and community. Because her tours are small, her calendar books up quickly. Contact her directly via email: hob@hawaii.rr.com

Golf Courses

The Ocean Course – Lihue

Pua Kea Course – Lihue

Poipu Bay Course – Poipu

Kiahuna Course – Poipu

Helicopter Tours: 

Tip: For the best view and experience, pay the premium for the “doors off” experience. Where possible, pay the extra fee for the seat in the front right.

Blue Hawaiian– Lihue

Jack Harter– Lihue

Hiking/Camping Information/Permits

Division of State Parks  Refer to this website when planning a hike to one of Kauaʻi’s state parks. For some parks, like the popular Ha’ena state park where the famous Kalalau trailhead is, you must reserve an entrance permit in advance. For other parks, you will purchase a parking pass upon arrival. Refer to the website before you go to review the most current access information.

We have 2 great guide books in the condo on Kauaʻi hiking:

• Best Easy Day Hikes Hawaii: Kauaʻi (Best Easy Day Hikes Series) by Suzanne Swedo
• Kauaʻi Trailblazer: Where to Hike, Snorkel, Bike, Paddle, Surf Paperback by Jerry Sprout

Hiking Tours

Kauai Photo Tours  Check out hidden hiking and beach spots around the island. Great for photographers and nature buffs alike.

Hiking Kauai A few of our guests took a hike with this company to the Blue Hole/Weeping Wall and loved it. We’ve heard this is a difficult hike.

Horseback Riding

CJM Country Stables – Koloa

Kayaking & Stand Up Paddling – River

Kayak Kaua‘i  – Wailua

Kauai SUP – Wailua  We recommend this outfitter if you prefer to paddle board the Wailua river on your own without a tour.

Wailua Kayak Adventures – Wailua. We really like this outfitter because they offer a service to deliver the kayak to the water’s edge for you. They also offer tours.

Wailua Kayak & Canoe – Wailua

Ali’i Kayaks – Wailua

Kayaking – Ocean

Napali Kayak – Haena

Outfitters Kauai – Koloa

Luau

Smith’s Family Luau – This luau is close to the condo and they offer a pick up and drop off service from the Islander.

Massage

Aloha Massage – Enjoy a massage in the privacy of the condo while listening to the soothing ocean sounds. They offer a full range of massage styles.

Kauai Face and Body – A hidden gem 15-minutes away in Wailua, just past Opaekaʻa Falls. Natalie’s private tropical hale is nestled in a quiet, rainforest-like residential neighborhood, offering a chance to experience a real slice of Kauai life. Her massage and facial treatments are deeply skilled and intuitive. Kayaking routes and lush hiking trails are minutes away, and an on-site shower makes it easy to rinse off red dirt before settling in. A perfect post-adventure reset.

Mountain Tubing

Kauai Backcountry: Try tubing through Hawaii’s old plantation irrigation system. A popular experience for many!

🏄🏾‍♀️🌊🤿 Snorkeling, Scuba, Surfing🪸🐢🦭

During your stay, we invite you to practice kōkua — to pitch in, help, and show consideration for others. Here are a few simple ways your kōkua can help mālama Kauaʻi — care for this beautiful and fragile island:

🪸 Kōkua for the Reefs — Mindfulness
Most Hawaiian reef-building corals grow only about ½ inch per year. Please never stand on or kick the coral. A single accidental step can erase decades of nature’s growth in a split second. Float horizontally, keep your fins up, and rest your feet only on clear, open patches of sand.

🐢 Kōkua for the Honu — Respect
Honu is the Hawaiian word for our beloved green sea turtles. One way to practice aloha is by giving our native wildlife plenty of space — both on the sand and in the water. Please stay at least 10 feet away from honu. When swimming near them, never float directly above or crowd them; they need a clear, unblocked path to the surface so they can breathe freely.

🦭 Kōkua for the Hawaiian Monk Seals — Compassion
Hawaiian monk seals are endangered and found nowhere else in the world. Only about 1,600 remain.

If you see one stretched out on the sand, it is usually doing exactly what it needs to do: resting, recharging, and sleeping after hunting in the ocean. Giving monk seals quiet, undisturbed rest is one of the simplest ways we can help protect them.

Please admire them with quiet awe and stay at least 50 feet away, or 150 feet from a mother and her pup.

Bonus Kōkua: Spot a monk seal? You can report your sighting to the Kauaʻi Conservation Hui at 808-651-7668. Their dedicated staff and volunteers help monitor individual seals and protect resting areas when needed.

Scuba

Fathom Five – Poipu

Bubbles Below – Eleele

Snorkeling: Below are our favorite snorkel spots. There are dozens of additional great snorkel spots all over Kauaʻi. It all depends on the wave and wind conditions that particular day, as well as recent storm patterns.

We recommend swimming and snorkeling at lifeguarded beaches as conditions can change hourly. You can find these beaches here.  Here are some good sites for checking current ocean conditions:

• Kaua’i Safe Beach Day
• Snorkel Bob’s Ocean Report

Lydgate Beach Park – East Shore. This is the closest lifeguarded beach to our condo. A 2-minute drive or a 2-mile walk. It’s perfect for beginners as it’s protected and calm all year.

Hideaways – North Shore (Best in the summer months)

Poipu – South Shore (Best in the winter months)

Holo Holo Charters – This is our #1 recommendation for snorkel tours or sunset cruises. We especially love them because they are environmental stewards and have done great work helping to remove dangerous nets from the ocean that could entangle whales and other marine life. We recommend the “Super Tour” which includes an unbelievable snorkel off Niʻihau and a cruise along the gorgeous Napali Coast.

Snorkel Rental Stores

Snorkel Bob’s– Kapaʻa  Our #1 recommendation for snorkel gear. Snorkel Bob also works to protect our beautiful and delicate reef system through educational programs and resources.

Boss Frog – Kapaʻa

Surfing 

Kauai Beach Boys – Kalapaki Beach in Lihue. This is the beach in front of Duke’s restaurant and the waves are pretty much consistently calm. Great spot to learn how to surf or paddle board.

Hawaiian Surfing Adventures – Hanalei .  An epic location to learn how to surf in world-famous Hanalei Bay.  The waves can be a bit bigger here at times, but it’s still a good beginner’s spot to learn.

 

Yoga

Kauai Yoga On The Beach – next door at the Kauai Shores Hotel

Zipline

Koloa Zipline – Koloa

Outfitters Kauai – Koloa