Remembering Hanalei Bay

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Greetings, Today’s blog post is about Hanalei Bay on the island of Kauai in Hawaii.  After I lost everything during the .com bubble burst around Y2K, I lived a simple life, surfing every day and playing piano for tips. Life was simple. Hanalei Bay is probably the most beautiful place in the world. I’ve been to the beaches of Bora Bora, Tahiti and seen the waters that are so blue you think you’re on another planet. What was amazing is that after seeing what people consider to be the most beautiful places in the world, coming back home to Hanalei Bay, still, is more awe inspiring than anyplace else I’ve visited, with one exception.

What they don’t tell you is that Bora Bora is filled with mosquitos that will eat you alive. Sure the water is turquoise blue, but Hanalei Bay has no mosquitos, and is the birthplace of Surfing according to Hawaiian Legend.

It is where I learned to surf as well, on the beaches of Hanalei Bay. What’s great about Hanalei Bay is that you can be an absolute beginner in surfing and have a great time. There is so much variance in the waves and the ocean. It will take you more than an hour to run the bay and back.

On the edge of the bay sits this modern wonder contrasting the Bay’s beauty and splendor. Ah, civilization. It’s the Princeville Resort hotel. I spent a week there once. You drive in above the cliffs of Hanalei Bay, the valet picks up your car and then you never need to leave. An elevator will take you down to the beach where you can walk directly onto Hanalei bay.  I remember this secret place under a tree in the shade where I would go in the morning, surf a bit, walk around the bay and then return to my towel.

Aloha Oi. Instead of going to the tourist traps, check out Hanalei Bay next time you’re looking for a place to retreat, that has it all.