The Island of Kaua’i

The island of Kaua’i is the oldest and northernmost of the Hawaiian Islands formed over six million years ago. It covers an area of about 550 square kilometers.

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Video: The Island of Kauai

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General Information

The lush, rural Kauai is beloved by outdoor enthusiasts, especially hikers and kayakers. It’s also a popular spot for honeymooners, ever since Elvis got married here in the movie Blue Hawaii. Don’t look for spa resorts or a bustling nightlife here. Come to Garden Island for the heavenly temple atmosphere that is everywhere.

Other movies filmed here include “Jurassic Park,” the very first “King Kong,” and “Six Days, Seven Nights”. Poipu on the southeastern side of the island is warm and sunnier, while the tropical northern part of the island is often covered in clouds and it rains more often there. The average annual rainfall here is 11,684 mm, which is one of the world records. The Guinness Book of World Records records rainfall on this island for 247 days without a break, from August 27, 1993 to April 30, 1994.

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Kauai is best explored by four-wheel drive vehicle (fantastic beaches at every turn!), and helicopter flights allow you to enjoy the beauty of the islands and ocean from the air.

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Island Shores

The Na Pali Coast is known for its marvelous, postcard-like views. Emerald valleys and rugged cliffs rise above the blue waves of the Pacific Ocean, while caves and pristine white beaches make it one of the most beautiful of all the Hawaiian Islands. A helicopter flight or kayaking trip, as well as a simple walk along the marvelous coastline, will be a memorable experience.

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West Kauai is a place justifiably famous for its enchanting scenery, with Waimea Canyon attracting the most tourists. 16 kilometers long and 1,098 meters deep, the canyon is famous for the iridescent bands of rock on its slopes. The view of the Kalalau Valley is one of the best on the island: at sunset, the walls reflect orange, yellow, red and blue rays.

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Kauai’s south shore on the sunny side of the island is home to the National Tropical Botanical Garden, the only garden of its kind to be established by congressional action, and a nature preserve where water infiltrates lava formations, creating a strange howling geyser effect. The beaches around Poipu near the southern tip of the island are a favorite diving and snorkeling spot.

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History

Kauai was the first island in the archipelago to be landed on by James Cook in 1778. At the time, the island was the center of one of the 4 parastatals that existed in Hawaii.

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In 1816-1817, under the leadership of George Schaeffer, representing the Russian-American Company, in order to establish a Russian colony on the island was built Elizabethan fortress. However, already in the summer of 1817 Kauai was abandoned by the Russians. In 1835, a sugar refinery was built in the town of Old Koloa.

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Fauna

Kauai is inhabited by thousands of feral chickens, which have virtually no natural enemies here. They can be found anywhere on the island, including in populated areas.

The Hawaiian monk seal is occasionally seen in coastal waters and on the island’s beaches, and is found around the northwestern small islands of the Hawaiian archipelago and is very rarely seen on the other islands of the main group, with the exception of Kauai and Ni’ihau.

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Transportation

Regular flights between the islands and limited flights from the continental U.S. are via Lihu’e Airport (LIH; http://hawaii.gov/lih), where car rentals are available and cab service is available. The Kaua’i Bus shuttle (Tel: 808-241-6410; www.kauai.gov; $2 there), with limited service on weekends, goes to most towns but does not stop at many tourist spots.

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