Kauai - Dream Vacay for a Wellness Girlie

It's time for me to revisit all the warm, tropical goodness as I gaze out the window and see the daunting, gloomy rain clouds descending upon North Idaho. It's been just over a month since we commenced our mid-winter trip to Kauai. 

This years trip to Kauai was nothing less than magical. A true retreat - restorative and revitalizing. I thought I would share why we LOVE going to Kauai so much as health-conscious individuals and our favorite hidden gems that keep us going back year after year. From holistic, sculptural facials to farm to regenerative farm tours to oceanside massages - these are island MUSTS if wellness is your vibe. 

Most of the goodness mentioned in this blog is all about things to do and eat up toward the North end of the island since we love to stay by Hanalei and surf our way through the days. So expect my highlights from Hanalei to Kilauea to Kapa' a and everything in between!

STAY

1Hotel Hanalei Bay - grounded, home-y but certainly a splurge!

First off, we have stayed at the 1Hotel in Hanalei Bay the last couple of years. I can say the first year we went was absolutely exceptional. Totally worth every penny. This year, it seemed that things had nearly tripled in price at the resort - lots of short cuts were made & we barely ate any food at the resort due to the insane prices. Not to mention the pickleball courts right outside my balcony really wrecking the opportunity for a peaceful, ocean view & tanning session. Regardless, 1Hotel is a favorite hotel brand of ours as each one truly feels like home when I arrive. The rooms are spacious and feel like a true retreat to come "home" to at the end of an adventurous day. 

So here's the major Pros + Cons broken down:

Pros:

• a cozy, home-y room that doesn't feel like a hotel, but rather a zen oasis
• awesome spa space with my fav nail tech ever, Dina!! She is like family to me & provides the best non-toxic Dazzle Dry manicure & pedicure - highly recommend seeing her even if you aren't staying at the 1Hotel! 
• it proved as a gorgeous location for an updated branding shoot for Haren Holistics - private beach, amazing pool access, great amenities! 
• bomb.com breakfast buffet (super bougie/pricey, but worth it to at least try for a day) 
• great gym & workout classes!

Cons:

• $$$$$
• the food went up in price 50-75% this year & quality seemed to go down - this ended up being a silver lining though, because we were able to discover some new amazing food spots that became our go-tos on the island (like SushiGirl, Kauai Juice Co, The Kilauea Bakery and so many others I'll dive into in a bit!)
• the constant pickleball court ping outside my room's balcony
• the quality of everything just seemed to go down immensely this year - they use a lot of natural fibers, wooden fixtures and beautifully curated decor & furniture, but with that also comes a lot of rapid wear and tear, especially with the island storms - for example, the pool cabana we were laying on one day just collapsed while we were laying on it! it took us all by suprise! 

Would I stay here again? Probably so, just because it feels like home and booking through Costco Travel actually makes staying at a place like this super realistic as you can pay small amounts every month up until your trip to pay it off. We would simply plan on eating elsewhere for every meal next time! Also, we didn't realize our Costco Travel package came with a $300 daily resort credit - LOL. Rookie mistake. So that could have really offset the food costs and would have been AMAZING to know about ahead of time so we could have made the most out of it! 

EAT

I promised I would talk about my favorite places we ate. And let me tell you, I am celiac, so finding good GF food while traveling is always a struggle for me. I swear by my FindMeGF app and just LOVE that most food around the island is already healthy and gluten free naturally!! A huge relief for a GF girlie like me. So lets dig in . . .

Kauai Juice Co - soursop lemonade magic & whatever grapefruit + salt + lime goodness is pictured below!

I am still dreaming of the incredible Soursop Lemonade I got in my reusable glass tumbler from Kauai Juice Co. It's something I wish I could bottle up and save for a rainy day because it just was so dang tasty. Not to mention all of the other rotating seasonal juices that seemed to change almost daily. Also the GF banana bread from here, with the cream cheese . . . truly chef's kiss!

Pro tip: follow them on Instagram @kauaijuiceco for all their specials at each location. 

SushiGirl Sushi - poke bowl of my dreams!

Yes, this place is absolutely worth the hype & yes everyone else knows that too. So, if you decide to go here, 1) be prepared to wait a decent amount of time for your food AND 2) go right when they open to secure the goods before they sell out. My fav was the Ha'ena poke bowl with Salmon. Writing this out right now is making me drool!

Pro tip: follow them on Instagram @sushigirlkauai for hours of operation and specials! 

Avalon Gastropub - charred caesar & exceptional cocktails/mocktails!

We felt like we stumbled upon a goldmine when we found Avalon Gastropub. It's definitely a reservations-needed type of place - with great vibes!! If you like a nice cocktail defnitely try this place out. But the food is also notable. Lots of locally sourced ingredients and gf options. This charred caesar was exceptional! 

Tiki Tacos - the best fish tacos + they're gluten free!!

I need a short but sweet little plug for Tiki Tacos in Kapa'a as it's a primo lunch spot. The perfect spot to stop right after you get off the plane and after grabbing a juice from just down the street at Kauai Juice Co. These fish tacos were dang good. They homemake their tortillas and just taste so fresh. Make sure you add their homemade sauces to your tacos to really escalate their potential!

Common Ground - farm-to-table experience!

This was our second year returning to Common Ground Kauai and it was even better than the first! The farm has made some incredible changes including a new visitor center and pavillion for eating dinner.

We started our evening experience by grabbing mocktails in the welcome center and proceeded to enjoy the educational farm tour - learning about native plants, regenerative agricultural practices and truly getting an essence as to what a small farm like this is truly capable of providing a community with. It really is an eye-opening experience that I recommend to everyone.

The tour concluded with us walking down to the pavilion for our coursed out dinner. Half of the food I ate, I didn't even know what I was eating, but I can certainly tell you that my tastebuds were delighted. This was HANDS-DOWN the best meal we had on the island. And I was thrilled to hear that they have a restaurant in the works where you will be able to dine there for dinner without doing the whole farm tour experience at some point in the very near future (I know where I will be eating every meal next time I'm on island!)

SPA

Hanalei Day Spa - beachside couples massages!

Pro-tip book your massage appointments for the day after you arrive on island and for the day before you leave! It's the perfect "night-cap" for an island visit. Don't spend your money on the expensive resort spas for a solid massage, book with Hanalei Day Spa and get a truly soul-reviving experience. Tell Darcy that Lexie with Haren Holistics sent you :) 

1Hotel Spa - non tox mani/pedi by Dina!

If you are looking for a non-toxic manicure or pedicure that will last throughout your trip, book with my girl Dina at 1Hotels! She is the Dazzle Dry rep for the Hawaiian Islands and does an amazing job. Just check out my raspberry sherbet manicure in the photo below (and that's after a whole week of surfing with the manicure!!) Tell Dina I sent you and I say hi and big hugs :) 

Pro tip: show up to your mani/pedi at least an hour early to take advantage of the spa amenities like the sauna and steam room, tea, snacks and meditation room!

PS - if you tend to get travel anxiety or hate flying, our homeopathic Anxiety Blend remedy is a MUST. It's well indicated for acute bouts of anxiety, like anticipatory anxiety, racing thoughts and travel anxiety! Grab it here for your next trip.

Honest Rituals Spa - sculptural/buccal facial!

Now, this was definitely a highlight of the entire trip - a sculptural and buccal facial from Honest Rituals Spa in Princeville! In fact, I've been on a mission to find more sculptural facials ever since I've been back in the mainland - and I've found an awesome gal in Bozeman!! So if you want her details, let me know!Now here's the thing about Honest Rituals, the experience is far more than just another facial or just another massage. It truly is a ritual to celebrate yourself and slow down. I started my ritual with a slow down card. I read a little excerpt and was gently reminded that not everything in life needs to be accomplished at urgent pace (which is a truly difficult thing for me to embrace). In fact, slow has been a key theme ever since I've gotten back from Kauai and it's been remarkable to see the fruit of continuing this ritual far beyond my sculptural facial.  

So lets get to the nitty gritty of the facial - the scultptural and buccal facial was like a deep tissue massage for my face. It was a very out-of-body experience as we express so much with our face with emotions. It was like muscles in my face that had never released before, finally got to press pause and deeply relax. Not to mention, my face was angelic afterwards, looking like I had recieved botox - but au' natural baby. I'm obsessed, maybe addicted at this point. And I can't recommend booking with Honest Rituals enough. I wish I had booked more services with them on my trip. I can only image what their massages must be like too!! GAHHHH . . . take me back now. 

Pro-tip: follow the spa on Instagram @honest.rituals for the latest appointment openings, specials and behind the scenes footage of the gorgeous space!

ADVENTURE/DO

Hanalei Farmers Market - the freshest coconut milk you ever did taste + luxurious shell jewelry! 

The Hanalei Farmers Market far exceeds your typical farmers market experience. It's like a cultural craft fair and organic market had a baby and I am 1000% here for it. Our only negative experience was this crazy guy by the pickleball court (here we go with the dang pickleball again) in the field by the market just yelling at all these people for parking incorrectly. God forbid, we park how everyone else is parking when there is no direction and no signs saying otherwise. So if you see him, wish him well, smile and wave and just keep doing your thing . . . lol. The market is worth it!

Some of the booths had the freshest coconuts and coconut water, sugar cane juice which is actually an incredibly nourishing drink for the body, the best dang coconut milk of my life and even incredible art and jewelry vendors! I got this gorgeous tiger eye necklace from Kai Essence who had a booth there and could not recommend her jewelry enough.

The Hanalei Farmers Market runs every Saturday from 9:30AM-Noon!

Surf Hanalei Bay - like what more could you ask for in life?!

Another daily ritual of ours was surfing on the daily. We rented our boards from the coolest ma' and pop shop right in Hanalei called Hanalei Surfboard Rentals. They were so kind, generous and helpful in getting us the boards we wanted and securing them on our car. We were able to get our boards for the whole 10 days and just tote em around on top of the jeep with us. I highly recommend getting a hard top board instead of the foam top beginner ones they normally send you out with. We still surf baby waves, but there's nothing quite like watching the sun rise or set in Hanalei bay while sitting on your surfboard and riding a baby wave into the shoreline. PEAK LIFE EXPERIENCE.

Limahuli Botanical Gardens - a truly unique experience!

So if you continue down the road past Hanalei, you will eventually end up near the end of the road in Ha'ena. Here lay the ancient grounds of the Limahuli Botanical Gardens. We've been to almost all of the botanical gardens on the island, and this one was by-far the coolest in our opinion. You go on a moderate hike throughout the ancient burial grounds and eventually make your way up to beautiful overlooks where you can see the ocean and even whale watch if you happen to be in Kauai in prime whale season (usually January-March). We saw a whale breach from the lookout and so many others dancing in the water! I recommend actually going through the guide book they give you - reading the stories of the past and identifying the plants along the way. It really was an awesome way to spend the afternoon (especially after some massages at Hanalei Day Spa) while were so far out the road to Ha'ena. 

Pro-tip: pack some snacks and a cold beverage to take with you - it can get toasty out there. 

Key takeaways: 

Kauai is truly the ideal vacay spot for a wellness girlie. Like true vacation vibes - surf in the morning, drink a juice, eat a poke bowl, adventure through a botanical garden & grab mocktails and farm-to-table cuisine for dinner! What more could you ask for?! For me, this trip was immensely grounding. We didn't have a strict daily schedule and truly made an effort to surf as much as possible, nourish our bodies well & repeat. And I think we did a pretty good job at that! 

On my next trip, I will certainly prioritize even more surfing (maybe two-a-days?!) and definitely more Honest Rituals along with all the Kauai Juice Co possible. 

PS - if you loved any of my outfits in these pictures, check out my ShopMy where I put all the links for my Kauai get-up. 

Thanks for choosing to shop my links and support my small business!! None of this trip was sponsored for us and this blog post was not sponsored, either. My ShopMy and my wellness practice Haren Holistics are the only ways I earn income from this post. Thanks for choosing to shop small and continue the good vibes. I'd love to hear from you, what did you take away from this post and what are your favorite wellness-supporting activities, experiences and places on Kauai?!

Cheers to vitality, 

Lex