We are headed to Hawaii for 2 weeks next month. We have been to both islands previously, but had our kids with us. I’m looking for ideas that might not be in the travel books, for example, somewhat off the beaten path. We have the blue guidebooks, but they can’t tell us everything. We like to do active things. We are saying in Kihei, right next to Wailea, on Maiu, and in Poipu on Kauai. Last time we were on Kauai we stayed in Princeville, and kayaking the Napili Coast was the highlight of our trip. We’ve driven to Haleakala, done the Highway to Hana, hiked Waimea canyon (but if you are aware of great hikes there or other places I’d like to know about them. Any good recommendations for whale boats or kayaking trips to see the whales? TIA
When you did Haleakala, did you go at sunrise? And ride a bike down the mountain? We did a tour of that and had a blast. Granted you have to get up at some ungodly hour of the morning to catch a shuttle up there, it was well worth it. We also did zip lining in Maui, and did a sunset ‘booze’ cruise, where they served Mai Tais (they don’t promote it as a whale-watching trip, but we saw some whales). It was Christmas Eve and I think there were less than a dozen of us on the boat. If you’re interested, I can try to find the name of the outfitters we used. We also did horseback riding from the Mendes Ranch which had some beautiful scenery!
We went on Señor Frogs for whale watching in 2008 or so. We saw lots of whales and no one got sea sick. There were some discount coupons that made it quite reasonable. We did horseback riding on Maui, through a gentleman farmer’s estate and on a bluff overlooking the ocean. It was gorgeous and we weren’t nose to tail. It was in the Princeville area, tho can’t remember name of stables.
Not active, but Warren and Annabelles in Lahaina is a fun dinner/magic show experience. Shows are for 21 and over. Really fun after a day of outdoorsy stuff. Highly recommend.
This:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g29218-d102945-Reviews-Kalalau_Trail-Kauai_Hawaii.html
You can hike as far as the end of the 12-mile trail, or you can turn around at some point to make it a day hike.
We did the sunrise and bike ride down, and it was amazing! I rode behind the leader, so I couldn’t see my son weaving along behind. His poor father, who rode behind him, did not enjoy the experience nearly as much as I did 
We really enjoyed the time we took an all day snorkling trip around Lanai. These are done on rafts and you get to go to the back side of Lanai where other trips don’t go. http://captainsteves.com/deluxe-dolphin-lanai-snorkel-adventure/
I did the sunset bike ride down Haleakala - it was the most exhilarating and scary thing I’d done (up to that point) - I loved every second. I also did the snorkeling trip (via catamaran) to Lanai - just beautiful (not quite as “active” until you get to Lanai) -
We went to Poipu, Kauai last summer and adored it! We rented a condo right next to The Beachhouse restaurant and it was perfect. Some highlights for us were the Wings Over Kauai plane tour (we didn’t do a helicopter since we were a group of 5–in the plane we all had a great view and I’d read that wasn’t possible in the helicopter) and perhaps most of all, a hike to Wailua Falls (and a swim!) with our guide Eric. His website is called Hike Kauai With Me, and he will tailor the hike to your needs and desires (difficulty, length, etc). He also has some trails he has forged himself that aren’t in the books. Eric is a bit pricey but we thought he was totally worth it with the stories and facts he passed along, as well as the fact we never would have found our way there without him!
http://www.wingsoverkauai.com/
http://www.hikekauaiwithme.com/
Other things we did: surf lessons and board rentals, and a lot of snorkeling. We made the drive to Tunnels, but the kids enjoyed Poipu National Park and the beach right by the condo even more. We also drove up the mountain and started to hike the swamps, but we weren’t well prepared for the rainy slippery conditions and so didn’t make it very far.
Please have a Puka Dog for my kids, they really miss them! 
I have lived on Kauai for the past 6 years, and I think most of the best things are at least mentioned in the blue book. The tunnel to the north shore sounds great, though I’ve never done it (soon!). Ho’opi’i, Kuilau, Sleeping Giant, and the Okolehao trails, are all faves. If you’re a strong swimmer and the surf is LOW and CALM on the north shore (summer, usually), snorkel out to the outer reef at Tunnels.
You can ride horses here too, there is a stable on the south shore (on the way to Mahaulepu beach). If you’re into archaeology or history, go to the Makauwahi (not sure of spelling) cave (also at Mahaulepu); Google for times when it’s open. Queen’s Bath - but only in summer when the North shore is CALM! Many have drowned there when conditions were not good.
Not too much “adult only” stuff here, but we do have 2 microbreweries here now - The Kauai Beer Co. in Lihue (yummy food and great beer), and Kauai Island Brewing in Port Allen (also good). The Beer Co. has “truck stop Thursday” when you can get food from 3 or 4 food trucks right at the brewery.
If you dive or snorkel, take a boat trip to Molokini (from Maui). The visibility is awesome! They say 100 feet, and I believe it.
If you have any questions about Kauai, I’ll be happy to try to answer them.
OP here. Thanks everyone. Great suggestions. We did Haleakala at sunrise, but right before sunrise it got cloudy and started raining. I couldn’t convince family to go back again, that trip or the next trip. I would love to do the ride down, and I am a strong biker, but I HATE going downhill fast, so it’s no longer for me. Please keep suggestions coming.
Don’t miss Allerton Gardens! The gardens are much bigger than what you see when you enter them. Take the tour if you like plants and gorgeous gardens (plenty of walking during the tour):
Oh, Allerton and McBryde Gardens are magnificent. Make sure to wear bug repellent, but it’s worth it. Do the guided tour; I thought that hearing about the history of the people who created the homes and gardens added a lot to my appreciation.
Agree on the snorkeling suggestions. Snorkeling in Hawaii has brought some of the peak experiences of my life. Just floating and watching and then a sea turtle came right up…!!! Amazing.
On Kauai there is a beach/state park on the west coast called Polihale. It had the wildest surf we saw anywhere (this was in February). We had to drive about 5 miles on an unpaved road through sugar cane to get there. People camp there so there must be some facilities somewhere but we didn’t see them because we couldn’t stay that long. I heard if you walk south along that beach you will get to the “barking sand” that is along the coast near the military base. This spot is right next to the rocky no man’s land of the Napali coast.
I have gone there with my family for many years. We did an ATV tour last time ([this one](http://www.kauaiatv.com/)), and it was really awesome. I did not drive, but the vehicles are pretty simple, and you see a lot of cool things around the island.
Op,
For Haleakela, there is a company that does semi private tours. We loved this because
- Did not have to go at dawn. We chose the time to depart. For us night owls, noon was a great departure time.
- Ride down without any guide nor crowd. There were 2 other people who we let drive down first. You can go at your own pace. We did 2 tandem bikes with me with DS and DH with DD before they were of reliable biking age. Stopped for drinks at a hotel as we came down the volcano.
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Re: Haleakala sunrise. Once, we camped at a no-permit required campground in the park so we would not have to wake up so early to see the sunrise. The camping was sort of fun! The sunrise, OTOH, was a total bust - as soon as the sun was about to rise, a thick swarm of clouds moved in…
For Allerton/McBryde, make sure you make a reservation–we waited until 3 days before and it was too late.
Will also mention Aunty Angeline’s Lomi Lomi massage in Anahola—steam, salt scrub, and 4 handed massage with chanting. Amazing!
In the late 80’s, we did a Molokini snorkling day trip on the Lavengro. That ship has long since been retired but the company still operates: http://mauicharters.com/wordpress/?page_id=12 While we were in the crater, a mom and baby whale come in and we could see them (at a distance) from underwater.
Oh wow, @Marilyn ! We did the Molikini snorkel trip (w/ the return trip through Turtle Town), and found the snorkeling to be far superior at the Ahihi Kinau preserve near Wailea. THAT is a must do for snorkel enthusiasts. Word to the wise, wear water shoes as the entrance is lava rock.