Kauai - the Garden Island - share and enjoy photos of this beautiful place

Scottrick, I should add for the record that i have been to Maui - and more than once, I have also been to O'ahu, and to the Big Island, and to Lana'i .. but sadly not to Molokai or Niihau .. yet. So I encourage you to try other islands out to determine if there are any that you might fall in love even more so than Maui

Trees in northern Kauai

Took this during 5th anniversary......it is still one of my wallpapers for monitor A vista across Hanalei Bay looking towards Bali Hai

Hanalei Bay looking towards Bali Hai. I will also post in the general picture thread, with the reference.

Here are a couple from our trip last summer: NaPali coast by air and by sea.

A couple photos from our trip to Kauai in May:

My avatar is from Kauai. I hope Kauai's secret will not be spread too widely.

awesome thread! Keep them coming! These photos helped me make a decision Kauai vs Maui!

Thanks for the great pics. I have been to Kauai once, a long time ago, and I still remember how beautiful it was. We took a boat tour of the NaPali coast... stunning.

This picture was taken on the grounds of Kauai's Hindu temple with the Wailua River in the foreground and some of Kauai's mountains in the background:

Kauai has farmer's markets every day but Saturday. It's a wonderful way to enjoy tropical produce, get some bargains and learn about foods you may not see much back home. Whenever I visit, I get a place with a kitchen, and then I eat lots of veggie salads and fruit salads with fresh produce from the farmer's markets (which move around the island):

Here's a lotus flower:

Wailua Falls:

And here is a beautiful video of Kauai:

In the attached photo, picture yourself in the lowest notch in the ridge, looking toward the camera (taken from my rented Cessna 172). It's the Kipu area of Kaua'i, which was used as the land trust in the movie The Descendants. (In the movie, they reached it by turning inland at Kapa'a, which is geographically impossible.)

HHH, MD

Welcome to Milepoint!
Wonderful photo. Please share some more. A few days ago my Kauai friends invited me to come stay with them. I am very tempted to make another trip there this winter.

how do you define "better"?

-David

Whatever criteria you use. If you had to pick one, which would you visit? I think we know your answer, but other people probably visit several Hawaiian islands and have one or two they head to more often.

Really depends on what you like/want from your visit....for example if you like/want nightlife, Maui would be "better" in most people's opinions than Kauai; whereas if you want to get away from it all on a beach where you may be the only person, Kauai would be "better" in most opinions....

Hard to say which is 'better' because we already plan to go back and we're going to visit both Maui and Kauai again.

How do you know my answer? Because I'm the poster child for not using a location based name?

Remember, I live upcountry Maui.

But, yes, for sheer beauty, Kauai is it.

-David

Depends on what you value and prioritize really. To phrase this in terms of Maui, since you've been there - there's no Lahaina or other "town" that's busy at night. Larger areas you would go to as a tourist (e.g. Poipu) are a bit more the size of Wailea or Kapalua. Food wise, Kauai has a bit more smaller detached restaurants (so instead of many larger places, it's a more stand alone experience - generally slightly cheaper and more quiet). There are plenty much more beautiful natural areas in Kauai in both quantity (think more places like Kihei beach or Iao valley) and quality (Western coast of Kuaui is beautiful, Hanelei area, etc are much prettier than the road to Hana). Beaches/snorkeling are better on Maui which corresponds to much larger crowds, you're more likely to find solitude in Kauai.

I think most people would enjoy at least one trip to both island. I lean a tad more towards Kauai, but it's a close call.

Upcountry Maui is also quite beautiful.

I am planning a return to Kauai for February 2013. I haven't been there for five years, so I am getting excited!

Magnificent photos. I am awestruck.