Kauai, the Garden Island

Spending 10 days in Kauai、I felt like it was time warp 20 years back. Maui has changed so much over the years and I expected Kauai to be the same. I have been there 20 years ago but I didn't think it would be as mellow or laid back any more.But everywhere we went, I felt filled with aloha and mana , people were friendly and helpful as well. And the surf was amazing.

During the stay, surf forecast was calling for one of the biggest swell of the season. I was afraid that we wouldn't be able to play in the water because it would be too big. ( Kauai is known for the heavy surf) but there are so many different spots and if you look for it, there were plenty of uncrowded places.( this was the view from the place we stayed!)
People in Kauai try really really hard to keep this old hawaii feeling of the island. They don't want to be lik e"MAUI" where it has lost many of the beauty and aloha, they want to keep their home as it is and don't get it developped. When super ferry started , so many people on Maui were against it but still police and county could control the people and get the ferry running. In Kauai, people united and surfers and kayakkers stayed in the water at the harbor and blocked the ferry from anchoring, it was dangerous but there were so many of them that they couldn't control and ferry eventually had to leave and go back to Oahu without anchoring. that is the difference between Maui and Kauai.Sure it has some developments but people try harder here, it seems. even in Hanalei, main town is still small and houses are lowkey, even on ocean front, ( they must have strict regulation on what they can build) and all the condominiums and hotels are at Princeville, outskirts of the town and you hve to get out of town to go there which totalluy separates the two. I think that was a brilliant idea.
I got to see some of my old friends I haven't seen and surfed with them. got to experience some of the heavy reef breaks and got humbled. got to enjoy real fun clean waves with handful of friendly locals. SUP, regular surf, even tried shortboard which I never do on Maui ( shortboard spots are always crowded)
I totally felt like I could live here , sure it may not get as windy as maui and kiting is merginal but I would surf a lot more here since there are so many uncrowded spots . I got to know Andrew's parents and we all had such a wonderful time! Thanks to John and Kate for taking me for their family trip!
Everyday was amazing experience and I cannot wait to go back there again already!