Search Holidays
Kauai
The main attraction of Holidays to Hawaii are the vibrant tropical beauty and the laid back lifestyle of the inhabitants. The wettest spot on earth is said to be Kauai's Mount Waialeale with an average rainfall of 485 inches per year - this has resulted in the Alakai Swamp, the highest swamp in the world, and the Waimea River, the longest river in the Hawaiian Islands. It also causes an abundance of rainbows and lush vegetation that has earned it the title of 'the Garden Island'.
Captain James Cook, the English explorer who arrived at the south west coast of the island called Waimea, first discovered Kauai in 1778. There is evidence, however, that he was not the first European in Hawaii; some Spanish sailors may have paid a visit about a century earlier. Today Kauai is popular with visitors, but tourism development is concentrated in just a few prime locations such as the Princeville resort on the north coast. Holidaymakers who opt for Kauai's raw wilderness are rewarded with some of the most secluded, pristine beaches in the Hawaiian Islands and marvellous natural wonders like Waimea Canyon, covering 14 miles (23km) on the west side. There are also some restored historic sites to explore, like the Alekoko Fishpond near Nawiliwili Harbour on the southeast coast, regarded as an engineering wonder of ancient times.
