The
western-most
civilized island in the
hawaiian island chain (
Niihau is actually the western-most island, but only
native hawaiians are permitted to set
foot in this island.) Known as the
Garden Island because it is
very green due to the large ammount of rainfall it gets (one point on the island is the
wettest spot on
Earth,
averaging 452
inches of
rain a
year.) The
north shore of the island contains the Na Pali
mountains and
coast, one of the most beautiful things to pass down
my optic nerves. To the west is the
spectacular Waimea Canyon, known as the
Grand Canyon of the
Pacific, as deep as 4000
feet in some places. The main city and county seat is Lihue, on the
southeast shore. The the north is
equally large Kapa'a. The town of Eleele on the souther coast is a good place for
boat tours, going on a day-long
katamaran tour is very
fun, often consisting of
whale watching,
dolphin sightings,
snorkling, Na Pali coast tours, and charter
fishing. The north coast of the island is the most
beautiful, but the
road around the
island ends at Na Pali. Tunnels Beach, about 1 mile from the end of the road, is the best place I have ever snorkled.
If you are planning a vacation to Hawaii and don't know which island to go to, go to Kauai. You will not be disappointed.