Kauai: Sea Turtles, Secret Falls & a Broken Thumb – A Week in Paradise
- Chelsea Edmiston
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Let me start by saying: if you’re looking for a relaxing beach vacation and the kind of chaos that only happens when you mix hiking trails, sea turtles, and multigenerational travel—Kauai might just be your perfect match.
We spent a week based out of Lawai Beach Resort in Poipu on the South Shore. It was me, a fellow adventurer, and my 72-year-old mom, who can rock a beach chair like nobody’s business. Our trip was part mellow magic, part muddy mayhem, and part “I definitely should’ve worn hiking boots.” Here’s how it went down:
Day 1: Arrival + Poipu Beach Welcome Committee (AKA Sea Turtles)
We landed mid-morning, grabbed our rental car, and made a Walmart grocery run before heading toward the coast. Our “welcome to paradise” moment? Watching sea turtles haul out of the water at Poipu Beach Park just as the sun began to dip low. It felt like Mother Nature knew we needed a hug.
We had dinner at The Beach House, which is basically the prom queen of south shore restaurants. Sunset views, cocktails, and the sound of waves crashing just beyond your table—highly recommend.
Day 2: Açaí, Anini, and a Sea Turtle Swim (Plus Rescue Dogs!)
We left Poipu around 8:45 AM and made our way up to the North Shore for what turned out to be one of my favorite days. First stop: Hanalei Post Office to send postcards, followed by açaí bowls from Aloha Juice Bar (yes, it’s as good as they say—basically a tropical fruit explosion in a compostable bowl).
Then we spent the rest of the morning at Anini Beach, which is perfect for snorkeling, even for beginners. The water is shallow and calm, and the reef stretches way out. Best part? I snorkeled with a sea turtle, who casually swam by like we were old friends. Pure magic.
We wrapped up with an early dinner at Lava Lava Beach Club, which has toes-in-the-sand vibes, live music, and strong mai tais. Bonus points: they sell shirts that benefit the local animal shelter, so obviously I bought one because… dogs. (And travel shirts are my love language.)
Day 3: Na Pali Coast Cruise – Dolphins, Snorkeling & Mom's Wine Time
We drove over to Port Allen to board a catamaran with Blue Dolphin Charters, and wow—the Na Pali Coast is a total show-off. Towering cliffs, waterfalls, and pods of dolphins that look like they’re auditioning for a nature documentary.
My mom joined us on this one, opting out of snorkeling in favor of lounging on deck with wine in hand, which honestly might’ve been the smarter choice. Meanwhile, we snorkeled in turquoise water that looked fake and felt like silk. It was one of those “how is this real life” days. Note - bring dramamine.
Day 4: Waimea Canyon – Grand Views, Good Coffee, and a Thumb Situation
So here’s where things got interesting. We took a beautiful drive up to Waimea Canyon, stopped for some photo ops, and then set off on a hike that was labeled “easy” but… was not.
We chose the Canyon Trail to Waipo‘o Falls, and spoiler: I broke my thumb. Somewhere between the steep roots, rocky drops, and slick patches, I lost my footing. Lesson learned: hiking boots > sandals, and “easy” in Kauai = “moderate at best.” Poles would’ve helped too. But hey—great views, solid story.
While we hiked (and I discovered I had a new finger angle), my mom hung back at Koke‘e Lodge, sipping coffee and enjoying the forest air, which in retrospect, sounds like the smarter plan.
We made it back to Poipu in time for our 5:30 PM reservation at RumFire, where I iced my thumb with a mai tai and had the best popcorn of my life.
Day 5: Kayaking to Secret Falls – Mud, Waterfalls & Pure Joy
This was one of my favorite days, even with a bandaged thumb. We paddled up the Wailua River with Ali‘i Kayaks, then hiked a mile through mud and roots to reach Secret Falls. It was stunning. Like, movie-scene stunning.
It wasn’t an easy trek, especially post-thumb-break, but it was absolutely worth it. We swam under the falls, laughed a lot, and tried not to slip in the red clay. (Spoiler: we definitely slipped.)
Day 6: Kalapaki Beach Lounge Life + A Final Feast
Originally, we were planning to tackle the Kalalau Trail on this day. But with a healing thumb and a much stronger pull toward piña coladas than blisters, we rerouted to Kalapaki Beach—and it was everything.
We rented beach loungers in front of Duke’s Kauai, which quickly became our personal VIP section. The beach is beautiful, the waves are calm, and the people-watching is elite. We swam, sunbathed, and fully embraced the “doing nothing is the whole plan” energy.
No hiking. No mud. Just sun, sand, and that one friend who always brings snacks.
We headed back to Poipu with enough time to clean up for a proper send-off dinner at (you guessed it) The Beach House, where the sunset showed up big for our final night.
Day 7: Departure – One Last Walk and a Latte
We wrapped things up with a slow morning at Lawai Beach, a visit to Little Fish Coffee, and some final waves goodbye to the turtles.
Takeaways from Kauai:
Poipu is the perfect base—central, sunny, and full of sea turtle energy.
Book excursions in advance, especially Na Pali and kayak tours.
Bring hiking boots, even if a trail says “easy.”
Build in downtime—a lounge chair and ocean breeze might be the best part of your trip.
Eat the açaí. Send the postcard. Swim with the turtles. Don’t wait for someday.
This trip reminded me that adventure doesn’t have to be perfect. Sometimes it’s snorkeling with turtles, sometimes it’s a broken thumb—and sometimes it’s both. But that’s the beauty of wanderlust: it makes even the messy moments magical.
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