The amount of times I have been asked for a simplholistic kauai wellness guide is unbelievable so I decided to turn it into a post for you. I will update it as we make more trips back and find new wonderful treasures. Kauai is near and dear to our hearts! It’s where my husband and I met and my little guy has been there 3 times in 2 years. We love it so much and can’t wait for you to experience it too.

When we visit the island, we are usually there for 1-2 months at a time. So, a lot of these tricks and tips will be for those on a longer visit but you can scale back if you’re only going for a week or 2.

As with all of the earth, treat it well, source local while you’re there, try to avoid big box stores and really soak in the beauty of this seemingly untouched island in the middle of the Pacific.

Kauai Food

Just like when we’re home, we eat organic, seasonally and locally. We shop at local markets and fruit stands anytime we can. There are a few times we will do our first haul from Costco to significantly cut back on costs but it’s for things that we couldn’t get elsewhere on the island usually.

At any given time, Kauai only has enough food to feed the island for 3 days 😳 but there is so much local food that I find that hard to be true! The local food scene is untouched and most people are still buying Costco bananas when they are literally growing around the island by the millions. Here are some of our favorite restaurants and stores.

Local Restaurants – organic, seasonal, local and no-seed oil options

Tiki Tacos – KAPAA – This local taco shop has the most delicious organic homemade blue corn tortillas and organic lamb. I always add the fresh salsa and guac because it’s just worth it. You can definitely get some not-so-healthy fried things there but you have the option to eat healthy when here.

Holey Grail Donuts – KAPAA/HANALEI – This taro doughnut food truck has the best seasonally inspired doughnuts. They are organic, fried in coconut oil and are made fresh to order. Hot and ready! They also serve organic hot drinks like hot chocolates, coffee and matcha. You can get their app for the rewards program while you’re on the island.

Mokihana Coffee – KAPAA – You’ll notice most things on the island open pretty late in the day. Welcome to kauai 🙂 But Mokihana and Holey Grail above are the exceptions. They are open earlier than anywhere else and they serve delicious local egg quiches, frittatas, sourdough bagels and more. They also serve organic coffee/chai and have organic milk.

Hanalei Bread Company – HANALEI – We LOVE this place. The loaded sourdough toast with smoked salmon is to die for. Their portions are large and we always walked away with leftovers. They do not serve organic milk, so you know. They also have terrible customer service for whatever reason; just warning you.

Trilogy Coffee – KILAEUA – Found in the little town I used to live in on the island is this sweet spot. In Tommy’s opinion this is the best coffee on the island and they use the best ingredients. Their chocolate chai is so delicious and not too sweet. You can also get little treats inside.

1 Hotel Hanalei – HANALEI – Hotel 1 is a luxury resort on the north shore of Kauai. It’s a wellness/sustainable resort with beyond local and organic restaurants found inside. They have a delicious buffet (even though I got food poisoned at it haha) and their restaurants are unmatched. The atmosphere is unmatched and worth at least going just for the ocean views of Hanalei Bay while you munch whatever you’re feeling. Pizza, shave ice, sushi, you name it!

Kalalea Juice Hale – ANAHOLA – This one is our super favorite. Tommy and I met on Anahola beach and spent a lot of time at this juice hale. It’s the place you will find the best açaí bowls on the island. 100% organic and local + they’re simply the most delicious. We get the King Kong bowl and swap the peanut butter for coconut butter. They’re loaded, so come hungry!

Wishing Well Shave Ice – HANALEI – We live here, I’ll just say it now. The best shave ice on the island is found in Hanalei at this sweet family owned shop. They have really turned the area into something fun over the years since we lived there and you can get shave ice, buy sustainable clothes, get coffee and acai and the vibe is great. My favorite is the sunrise bowl and you can choose all organic or not so, be aware of that on the menu.

Kauai Juice Company – MANY LOCATIONS – What I love about KJC is that they’re a true wellness bar. They don’t just serve green juices and wheatgrass shots. Instead, you will find deer bone broth ramen, egg and sourdough burritos and of course the juice. We love to stop in for the seasonal juices and lemonades and of course avoid the green juices 😂 When I am on the island I always crave some chia seed pudding and their mango chia seed pudding is wonderful. You can find a lot of other goodies inside too. We usually visit the ones in Koloa town and Kapaa. They do have another location in Kilauea near trilogy coffee, too.

Midnight Bear Breads – HANAPEPE – This little bakery sells out every single day. Their long-ferment organic sourdough goodies are heavenly. The chocolate croissant is my favorite just like it is everywhere but we always get to try something seasonal like the lilikoi danish or others when we are there. You can – of course – grab a few loaves for your trip as well. You can find them at most of the local markets or you can drive to Hanapepe to the bakery!

Local Food Stores & Markets – organic, seasonal, local

We always go to fruit stands before stores for produce. We will pay .50 cents for an avocado vs. $4 at the store for one. You will also get more exotic fruits like ice cream beans which you won’t find at the store. Plus, it’s all in season and has the most delicious flavor! A must part of our simplholistic kauai wellness guide!

Hoku – KAPAA – small health food store with most of the organic staples you would need. Just pricey like all food on the island. But you can get siete chips, yogurt, eggs, meats, basically anything you can get at a local food store where you live. You can also get a bunch of local produce farmers drop off.

Papayas – KAPAA – small health food store with most of the organic staples you would need. Just pricey like all food on the island. But you can get siete chips, yogurt, eggs, meats, basically anything you can get at a local food store where you live. You can also get a bunch of local produce farmers drop off.

Healthy Hut – KILAUEA – This is our favorite small health food store on the island. You can get most of the organic staples you would need. Just pricey like all food on the island. But you can get siete chips, yogurt, eggs, meats, basically anything you can get at a local food store where you live. You can also get a bunch of local produce farmers drop off. + they have a hot bar (with meat!!) and a juice bar.

Kilauea Farmers Market – KILAUEA – This is my favorite farmers market on the island. You’ll want to come early if you’re coming for eggs, chickens or midnight bear breads. There are also some fruit stands that are organic with cult-like followings and they’ll sell out quick. But there are so many awesome things to try from 100% island sourced popsicles to lilikoi lemonade (my fav) to goats milk cheese and then some.

There are markets all over the island on any given day of the week so just search it while you’re there. Lihue also has a huge on on Saturdays.

Grocery Buying Tips

Nourish Kauai – This is a local buying club essentially where they gather goods from all local growers, makers, farmers on the island and compile them on a site where you can shop. You put in your order and they deliver or you can pickup. We always do an order before we get to the island and time it with our arrival. It is the most affordable and sustainable way to grab a mixed box of local kauai grass-fed beef, local yogurts, salts, honey, bee pollen, etc. I highly recommend you check them out and shop there before going and buying cuts of meat from the health food stores cause of the price $$.

Instacart (code AROWLANDFFF12 for some $$ off) – We aren’t big corporation lovers as you know. Like, I haven’t stepped foot in a Costco since Covid but food on the island is no joke. You will pay $7-$9 for a can of salmon or you will get the same salmon from Costco for $2-$3 so really it’s your choice! We usually do a Costco order right when we arrive and have it delivered through Instacart. It usually has salmon, sauerkraut, mayo, coconut water (until we’re able to stock up on coconuts), maple syrup and a few snacks if they have anything worth getting.

Costco ^^

Water fill stations – Filtered water is a big deal so we recommend you grab a few refillable jugs when you land and then fill them up at the various stations around the island. We keep multiple gallons where we are staying and then multiple gallons in the car. You can get remineralized water at most of the stations and some are free while some are paid. There is one in the parking lot of Mokihana and Holey Grail Donuts we use a lot. Then, in the wishing well shave ice area you can fill up water bottles with remineralized water. We will fill a gallon jug we keep in the car, too.

Kauai Activities

There are a million things to do on the island but I will just share our favorites with you. There are great guides and books you can get to really discover it all but here’s what we normally do over and over every time we go back because we just enjoy them that much.

Kauai is primitive. Trails can be rugged and wet and treacherous. Flash floods can start anytime so be prepared and don’t be dumb 🙂 Visit all trails for a full list of the options you have on the island.

Sleeping Giant Trail is where Tommy and I went on our first “date”. It’s a pretty simple hike for us but can be really slippery. Basically, if it rains, you can’t hike in Kauai because the red dirt gets SO slippery. We have done this hike with our little guy and there are places he can walk but some not. The view at the top is incredible. There are two starting points so make sure you know where you started and make sure you take that same way down orrrr you’ll have a long trek ahead of you (it’s actually easy to get turned around up there!).

Ho’opi’i Falls is a beautiful waterfall hike with multiple tiers and stops for you depending on your activity levels. It’s well worth the journey.

Kalalau Trail is a longer trail on the Napali coast on the north shore. If there is rain, it’s not really recommended. Bring lots of snacks, water, good shoes and a camera. The views are unreal and you will never see anything like it. I did this one with my little guy in the wrap the whole time. It’s not easy but it’s not horrible!

Legate Chocolate Tours are a fun activity for the family. There is a walking tour and you’ll get to see all the cacao trees and see how they make the chocolate. They have tastings and all sorts of goodies.

Poipu Beach wouldn’t have been a favorite before we had kids but here we are. We used to prefer places with nicknames like “lumadie” and “shipwrecks” and now we’re visiting and loving the baby beaches haha. You can see turtles and monk seals during certain times of the year here. It’s pretty shallow for lots of it and it’s a great place to lounge.

Lydgate is another lovely kids beach. It’s barricaded off which use ocean rocks making a sea wall that protects it so you can snorkel pretty easily here. It’s pretty calm and beautiful as well.

Some of our other favorites are Hanalei Pier, Rock Quarry, Anahola and you Hideaways!

Other Kauai Tips

• chase the sun! usually you can find sun on the island if it’s not where you are! unless of course there is island-wide coverage which happens sometimes!
• cheapest gas on the island is Costco
• if it starts to drizzle, hang around a bit, it usually passes
• get a 4-wheel drive car so you aren’t limited
• keep towels and bathing suits in your car at all times, even if you think you’r not going in (you totally are)
• download the Shaka guide and them be your guide around the island
• get a cooler bag on island or bring one, you’ll want to keep food and snacks in your car so you aren’t chasing food around the whole time
• for housing costs: visit in the off season (rainy) for lower pricing, volunteer on farms if that’s your thing because they will often do house swap, stay at resorts and split the cost with friends/families

Now I am jonesing to get back to Kauai but we made a pact not to travel for a full year so I’ll let you soak it in for me. Send me something back from your travels 😜 😉 I hope you enjoyed this simplholistic kauai wellness guide!