Try Kauai for Adventures in Paradise

LIHUE, KAUAI -- If ever an island was made for adventure, it's the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The natural environment is so diverse and so extraordinary that action heroes such as Indiana Jones found challenges here. Ordinary mortals can have extraordinary vacations, picking from a wide range of activities.

The busy harbor at Port Allen is the launch pad for a fleet of pleasure boats that take to the seas for whale watching, dinner sails, dolphin encounters, charter fishing, snorkel and picnic trips and cruising beneath the stunning green palisades of the Napali Coast. There are sea kayaks, rubber Zodiacs, smooth power boats and catamarans that glide across the waves as smooth seabirds on the wing.

Fishing charter captains know all the best grounds around Kauai for the mahi mahi, opakapaka, tuna and the fighting marlin. Seasonly, freshwater anglers can fish for bass and trout.

Kauai is a great place to learn a new sport or hobby, one that may light up a lifetime. There are schools for surfing, SCUBA diving, tennis and golf. You can learn to weave lei, dance the hula, play the 'ukulele, often without leaving your hotel. There are professional photographers who can call for you at your hotel for a photo-safari with hands-on instruction. They know all the best places to shoot.

Golfers can tee off at one of nine golf courses, many of them championship links set amidst spectacular scenery. There are close to 16 tennis courts.

The only navigable rivers in Hawaii flow through Kauai. Paddlers can explore placid river reaches by kayak, gliding silently through sanctuaries for the rarest birds on planet Earth. Less ambitious travelers can go up the Wailua River the lazy way, by boat, with music playing, and maybe a hula dancer swaying.

Hiking trails head into Waimea, the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific," or along the Napali Coast to breathtaking valleys unreachable by road. There are coastal hikes across high sand dunes, and rain forest treks among the oldest flora in Hawaii. Ferns reach up to eye level and tropical hibiscus and ginger blossoms measure the size of your fist. Find waterfalls and cool plunge pools, hidden shoreline coves and glorious mountain vistas. Trails vary from easy nature walks to backpacker treks requiring skill and endurance. Explorers can also choose mountain bike tours or an expedition into the wilds riding all-terrain-vehicles, sometimes called Japanese quarter horses.

Real horseback riding will take you into forests, canyons and mountains for picnics, waterfall swims and glorious ocean vistas.

Much of Kauai's breathtaking scenery will look familiar because you've seen it in more than 75 Hollywood features. Kauai Movie Tours will take you in an air-conditioned van equipped with video screens so you can watch clips from films such as "Jurassic Park" while gazing at the green valley where T-Rex prowled. Or see it all from the air in a narrated helicopter ride.

Other popular options are waterskiing and windsurfing. Bikers can cruise downhill from the top of Koke'e to the ocean in 12 magnificent miles along Waimea Canyon.

Kauai is known as the Garden Isle because it's so green and the flora so profligate. Wander through botanical gardens chartered by the U.S. Congress and encounter some of the rarest living things on Earth. At Limahuli Gardens, native Hawaiian plants are arranged around ancient taro terraces carved into the base of the mountains where the Napali Coast begins. The scenery is dramatic, the air tranquil. Ninety percent of Hawaii's native plants are unique to the Islands and half are endangered. At Na 'Aina Kai Botanical Gardens, the Garden Isle's newest garden, whimsical sculptures and a maze full of surprises are woven into a landscape of ponds, gardens, waterfalls, lagoons and streams.

Some of the most authentic lu'au in Hawaii happen on Kauai. No one should go home without enjoying this traditional feast with Hawaiian food, hula and fun. Between action options, adventure travelers have been known to laze on beautiful beaches, swing in a hammock or sip a Mai Tai poolside. Follow in the footsteps of King Kong and Indiana Jones and discover the stunning natural beauty of Kauai. You can even swing like Indiana over the river on the same rope and drop into the water for memories that will last a lifetime, or at least until the next time you return to Kauai for thrills you couldn't cram in the first time.

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CONTACT:
Emele Freiberg, Senior Account Executive
Yvette Mackler, Account Executive
McNeil Wilson Communications, Inc.
1001 Bishop Street, Pauahi Tower, Suite 950
Honolulu, HI 96813
808-539-3440 phone
808-521-7163 fax
emele@mcneilwilson.com or ymackler@mcneilwilson.com
3/06