Last Christmas Ben and I went to Kauai for the first time. It was Ben’s first time in Hawaii, and both of our first time in Kauai. I’ve been to Maui and the Big Island, but wow. Kauai hits different.
We stayed on the North Share of Kauai, in Princeville/Hanalei Bay. The North Shore of the Island is known as the rainy side of the island, but we are 2/2 with amazing weather! When it rains, it’s typically a “windward shower” which is basically a rainstorm that comes out of nowhere and lasts 10 minutes. Any time there was one we would laugh, because you seriously see blue sky all around while in a moment of downpour.
But hey, it makes for some serious rainbows and lush green land!!
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay
In coming to Kauai, I asked a few friends who I knew had been to the 1 Hotel what they thought of it. When each friend, who are all well traveled, said it was “undoubtedly one of the nicest hotels they’ve stayed at… ever;” I was sold.
We were so excited for our first trip here over Christmas, but no one or no words could have prepared us for how truly incredible our stay was going to be.
We spent 50% of our trip swimming and being active, and the other 50% of the trip eating delicious food while staring into the most picturesque landscapes.
The Beach
The beach and pool grounds at 1 Hotel are absolutely incredible. Each morning we went out early and snagged a beach bed and posted up there for the day.
Ben is a fish, and even though he could spend an entire day in the water, our days were filled with ocean swims, pool hangs, beach lounges, ocean walks, and watching all of the surfers big wave surf.
It’s no wonder why we have such a hard time leaving this place!!
And for those who like an adults only pool kinda vibe, the adults only pool on the main floor of the hotel is chic, quiet, and has quite possibly the most picturesque view of all time. There’s also a hot tub up there and it is one of the most calming places to be.
For a little adventure, I recommend driving through Hanalei Bay town to Tunnels Beach, and checking out all of the secret beaches along the way. They are stunning!!
The Food
It would be illegal if I started the food section of this post off with anything other than the brunch. The brunch buffet at 1 Hotel is quite possibly the biggest and most gorgeous brunch buffet I’ve ever seen. It has the omelette bar of my dreams, every kind of fruit/bacon/sausage/veggie/potato imaginable and THE PASTRIES. All pastries are notated with their allergens, and there are so many GF DF options!! You can also order off the breakfast menu, which I did once or twice when I wasn’t too hungry, and the meal options are endless on the menu, too.
Oh and the VIEW! Each morning we sat outside, watching the surfers and staring at the rainbows. I felt like I was staring at a green screen because I’ve never seen such a beautiful view!
1 Hotel also has a cafe called Neighbors that opens at 6am for coffee and lattes. Ben started each morning here for his morning coffee, and new this April they added a custom juice bar!!!
Because we went so big at brunch every morning, for lunch, we often skipped and indulged in the INCREDIBLE shaved ices at the hotel! A gluten-free, dairy-free, snow cone with organic syrups. I was in heaven! Ben ordered his with ice cream at the bottom of his snow cone; definitely a strong move.
On the days we did want lunch, we ordered at the beach. Waiters bring your meals right to your lounge, or you can eat at the beach restaurant, The Sandbox. The Sandbox menu is filled with all of your beach faves! Tacos, salads, bowls, burgers, and pizza galore for the gluten-eaters. Ben’s favorite was his Healthy Bowl with chicken!
For dinner at 1 Hotel there are two restaurants, 1 Kitchen and Welina Terrace lounge.
As much as we like to adventure, we ate at 1 Kitchen 80% of the time. Why? Well… we fell in love… with Kanpachi. The menu at 1 Kitchen has everything from fish and meat to burgers and pasta, but it was the daily fish that stole our hearts on both of our trips.
Kanpachi was totally new to us, but we had to give the ~15 oz fish a try. I’ve eaten every white fish under the sun but wow this is my new favorite. Soft and buttery with NO fishy taste. Served with watercress and sweet potato, it came out nice and hot. Delicious but so light… I could go on for days about this fish!!
We also loved the avocado spread on the menu and these sweet potato hash browns that may have changed my life.
The Welina Lounge is definitely the vibey place to be, with seating indoors and outside along the terrace. They play live music here several nights a week, and the music + sushi + sunset definitely makes the restaurant a can’t miss experience. Sushi can be tough for the GF crowd, but the menu notes GF, DF, and NF on all items, making ordering such a seamless experience!!
Our favorites were the edamame, brussels sprouts, salmon roll, and nigiri. I highly recommend dining here at least a night or two.
The Wellness
When Ben and I first came to the 1 Hotel in December, we had every intention of shutting off and no intention of working out. That was until we saw the fitness facilities. The most fun gym with stone age vibes and weights on the beach was so hard to resist! And also, when have we EVER done a workout with the most insane backdrop of all time?!
We then learned that 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is working incredibly hard to be a wellness resort. Ask Ben, but the indoor gym is one of the most state of the art facilities we have ever seen. According to Ben, the equipment they had rivals that of serious sports facilities.The training staff, too, is best of the best of Hawaii, and you can sign up for a range of classes and even private training! And to top it off, Ben did a Vo2 max test. I bet there’s no other 5 star resort that offers that! You can see more of Ben’s fitness, here.
Inside at the spa, the wellness situation only gets better. The spa has everything from sauna and steam rooms to a hyperbaric chamber, float tank, and meditation room. You could truly visit the resort for a week of wellness and have different things to do and try every day!
Food in Kauai
Wishing Well Shaved Ice
The 1 Hotel is located just 5-10 minutes from Hanalei Bay town and it’s an absolute must see! It’s the cutest, most casual town, with the BEST food trucks, restaurants, and markets. As you drive through the town you will be drawn to a cute little shack with a line that could be 50 people deep. Welcome to Wishing Well Shaved Ice, home to Hanalei Bay’s most popular shaved ice spot. The snow cone flavorings are all organic, and you can order from a massive assortment of flavors and toppings.
Just behind the shaved ice shack is the Wishing Well Coffee shop, another must try. They made me the most delicious macadamia nut matcha latte, and all drinks and smoothies are served to you in a reusable ball jar. I didn’t have time to try a smoothie, but several of my followers wrote in saying to try their banana coconut PB protein smoothie- I 100% will next time!!
Kauai Juice Co
When I first mentioned to my followers in December that we were going to Kauai, so many people reached out saying we had to go to Kauai Juice Co. There are three locations across the island so you’ll be able to find one no matter where you are staying!
Okay, I get the hype. It’s a mini erewhon meets Earthbar and I couldn’t be more in love! Not only do they sell juices, smoothies, and lattes, but they sell so many of my favorite goods from LA! If you forgot one of your supplements back at home, don’t worry they got you.
We seriously just loved the 1 Hotel restaurants so much that we didn’t venture out much for dinner, but we found out about Bar Acuda on one of our last night’s and will absolutely go next time!!
Hiking
There are SO many hikes and adventures to go on in Kauai! A popular hike in Hanalei is Ha’ena State Park. You buy tickets for a shuttle that leaves out of Hanalei, and it’s about a 20 minute drive on the shuttle to the famous hike.
Okay real talk. I was told this hike was a STROLL. I don’t know WHO told me that but we have to talk, ha! This hike is every bit of a HIKE. Prepare to get dirty, slip around, and climb to new heights. Our goal was to hike the first 90 mins to the beach (the half way point) and then turn around. We made it close, but it was so muddy we had to turn around sooner. There are plenty of brave souls who do the whole hike, 3 hours out to the waterfall and back, and wow. Good for them. This hike was a challenge, but I am so happy we did it for the experience and the views were incredible!!
Lihue & The South Shore
Also known as the “less rainy” side of the island, Lihue/the South Shore is the main/popular place to stay. We ventured to the South Shore on our Christmas Trip to see what it was all about!
Food
The South Shore is about an hour- hour and a half away from Princeville, which is a bit of a bummer because I love it and wish we went more! Mainly because the food! A lot of the famous Kauai restaurants and trucks are on this side of town. The two spots we did hit, however, are probably two of the most famous, and I’m glad to report that they lived up to their hype!!
First, Shaka Burger Truck.
Just 5 minutes outside the airport is Kauai’s famous Shaka Burger Truck, known for their amazing burgers and smashburgers. On this last trip, we landed around noon, but with the three hour time change we were STARVING. Thank god the truck was open and we drove straight there.
When you order at a food truck or a smashburger restaurant, it can be hard to order gluten-free. Not at Shaka! They were super understanding and accommodating. I had my smash burgers with nobread and it tasted amazing!
Right next to the Shaka Burger truck is the Sushi Station truck, which I hear is one of the most famous trucks on the island. Sadly it was closed both times we went to Kauai! But SHEESH the pictures of the sushi look so good! next time 🙂
Speaking of sushi, the next place you must go to is Stevenson’s Library.
Located in the Grand Hyatt Kauai, Stevenson’s is known as the best sushi restaurant in the area. Overlooking the Hyatt’s pools, we enjoyed sushi at sunset and wow was it delish! It was the perfect sushi feast (the menu is huge!) before a nice long drive home back to the north shore.
Also at the Grand Hyatt is their main restaurant, Tidepools. It’s super popular and we’d love to have eaten there, too, but we only came to the South Shore one time. Another restaurant I wish we could have gone to is The Beach House. It’s known for the best sunset dinner so if you are staying on the South Shore or visit this area, please let me know how they are!
Helicopter Ride
For Christmas my parents were so generous and gifted us a helicopter ride! But not just any helicopter ride… the Jurassic Park Waterfall ride.
We booked through Island Helicopters which came highly recommended, and saw they offered two main rides, one 60 min ride entirely in the air, or a 80-90 minute option that was more expensive but included a trip to the actual Jurassic Park waterfall. I highly recommend this tour and this option. I even made Ben watch Jurassic Park before we went to get in the mood, ha!
I’m a nervous flyer, but I honestly felt super safe in the helicopter and let myself relax and have a good time. You cover the entire island, including all of the remote preserved grounds and secret oceans and beaches. Visiting the waterfall was so special, we even took a picture with a “dinosaur” 😉
To do this trip they ask that you wear all black (it helps with the window reflection while in the air), and we wore special shoes on the ground to preserve the land.
It’s crazy that between two trips we have done SO much, but there is still so much I feel like we can explore and do! Kauai, you have my heart. Until next time!
