PRINCEVILLE, KAUAI, HAWAII | Even though it is situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Kauai is not nearly as difficult to reach as one might think, thanks to regular direct flights between its main airport in Lihue and Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Seattle-Tacoma and Chicago O’Hare.
The roads are good on Kauai, and the distances between major points of interest on the island, which is 33 miles wide and 25 miles long, are not at all great. Rare is the drive that lasts more than an hour.
One place I want to check out the next time I am on Kauai is Waimea Canyon. Often called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, this formation is 14 miles long and 3,600 feet deep and boasts red and brown cliffs, waterfalls tumbling down verdant mountain faces and more than 45 miles of hiking trails.
The rooms at 1 Hotel are as eye-catching as the views.
courtesy Ryan Forbes
I spent my first few nights here at 1 Hotel at Hanalei Bay in Princeville, and everything about this luxury outpost on the northern tip of Kauai was five-star, including the beach and mountain views from my room; a wellness spa with a range of treatments, therapies and rituals; its close proximity to one of the best courses in Hawaii (the Princeville Makai Golf Club); and superlative food and drink from its signature restaurant, 1 Kitchen, where the tuna and snapper dishes reign supreme and the mai-tais are indeed roa ae! In other words, out of this world.
Courtesy 1 hotel
I relished the fresh tropical fruits that were available at breakfast and left in my hotel room on occasion. Pineapple and papaya. Mango, coconut and banana, too. And I could not get enough of the Hawaiian coffee I brewed in the Nespresso maker in my room. Equally enticing was the fresh fish we consumed for lunch or dinner at various places. But I did not shy away from the burgers or the steak, given that this and other islands in Hawaii are famous for their high-quality, grass-fed beef.
As for the presence of Spam on more than a few menus, I was staggered that such a retro foodstuff, which was introduced to the islands during World War II, remained so popular in a place with such a rich and varied culinary culture. But Hawaiians love it, so much so that they consume roughly 7 million cans of Spam annually, more per capita than any other state in the union.
Perhaps my most interesting meal was taken at a farm and food experience called Common Ground. Set on a former plantation outside of Princeville where guava and then sugar cane were grown and harvested, it now operates as a “regenerative hospitality company” that specializes in food using local ingredients.
“We conduct farm tours and then serve farm-to-table dinners, with 100 percent of what we use being sourced in Hawaii,” said Ivory Lloyd, the director of events for Common Ground.
John steinbreder, GGP
The concept is admirable, and the execution superb, with our meal including a farmer’s salad of greens, radishes, beets, Cara Cara oranges and persimmons; an ahi tataki with tree tomato gazpacho and smoked poblano crema; and Wailua beef cocotte with uala wing beans and kabocha squash. And like a well-crafted 18th hole, the ice cream banana dessert with Hawaiian chocolate brulee and estate-grown vanilla-infused honey was the perfect finisher.
Located due south on the opposite coast, the Sheraton Kauai is a four-star property that provided a very pleasing if slightly less luxurious experience, with a spacious beach; a vast menu of activities from surf lessons and yoga classes to lei making; and easy access to a couple of the island’s finest courses, among them the highly ranked Poipu Bay.
As one might expect in an island community, sustainability is a very big deal. Common Ground embodies that attitude, and other places embrace it heartily. Such as 1 Hotel. The cardboard hangers fashioned from recycled milk cartons that hung in the closet of my room spoke to that. So did the bags made from renewable plant materials they provided.
For more information on this magical island, visit Go Golf Kauai.
John Steinbreder
