Kauai Backroads Tour

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Duration: 4h
Location: Kauai, Kauai, HI United States | Kauai, United States


Category: Tours & Sightseeing

Highlights:
Chance to explore the private back roads of Kauai
Vegetation like sugar cane, bamboo, fruit trees & pine
Kilohana Crater at 1,250 feet with 360-degree island views
Historic & local trivia from a knowledgeable guide
A drive through Hawaii's oldest plantation town

Inclusions:
Guided tour of Kauai's backroads
Roundtrip transportation to and from select hotels in Lihue and Poipu

Description:

Depart from Kilohana and cover 33 miles (53 km) of mostly private roads on this scenic figure-8 route. See Kauai from the top of the Kilohana Crater to the Mahaulepu coastline. Pass through a cane tunnel built in 1948 that takes miles off the trip for cane trucks driving between the mill and harbor.

Kilohana Crater is 1,250 feet (380 m) in elevation. Its height is deceptive because of the gently sloping sides of the crater. On the way up, the vegetation changes from sugar, rat berries, and guava to a mixed pine and bamboo forest. Wild orchids sprout beside the road. From the crater's east viewpoint, you can see into the bowl about a half mile (1 km) across. Now filled with vegetation, this area is home to wild pigs.

From the viewpoint on the western rim, you get a view of the eastern part of the island, from the Anahola Ridge, Kapaa, Wailua, Lihue, Puhi, Mt. Haupu, Knudsens Gap, Mt. Kahili and Mt. Waialeale. Passing trade showers often oblige viewers with rainbows and waterfalls.

As you wind your way down the back side of Kilohana, your guide elaborates on the formation of the islands, the migration of the Polynesians, Hawaiian history and culture, the sugar industry, and diversified agriculture. A typical tour has 10 or fewer passengers, so your questions are welcomed, and the conversation can focus on areas of your particular interest.

The cane tunnel is a prominent point of interest on this tour. Built after World War II, the tunnel through Haupu Ridge saved many miles for cane trucks heading between the Koloa mill and Nawiliwili Harbor. The climate is drier on the south side of Haupu Ridge, and seed corn and coffee dominate now where sugar used to grow.

Then reach Mahaulepu, a charming area of rugged coastline and pristine beaches. Your tour returns to Kilohana through Koloa, Hawaii's oldest plantation town. As you return, you're amazed at how much you've seen and learned in only 4 hours. So, bring a camera, lots of film, and an inquisitive mind.