Kaua‘i Business Community Welcomes Back Travelers

The Kaua‘i business community is welcoming back travelers with expanded outdoor activities, luxury accommodations and upcoming events after more than a year of required quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Kaua‘i has worked hard to keep the island safe and is excited to welcome back mindful travelers with safety and health guidelines in place, including mask mandates, practicing social distancing and limiting group sizes,” said Sue Kanoho, Executive Director of the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau.

Kaua‘i rejoined Hawai‘i’s Safe Travels Pre-Travel Testing Program allowing transpacific travelers to bypass the mandatory 10-day quarantine by taking a test within 72 hours from their last leg into the State of Hawai‘i from a Trusted Testing and Travel Partner. Upload the test results to their Safe Travel profile, get screened at the airport and enjoy the island while masking and social distancing.

Travelers must have their test results before boarding their transpacific flight. Individuals will be required to abide by the 10-day quarantine if results are not uploaded. Pending test results will not be accepted.

Those traveling inter-county can avoid quarantine by taking a COVID test from a Trusted Testing and Travel Partner within 72 hours of their inter-island departure flight and upload results to an existing Safe Travel profile. Click here for more information.

Transpacific travelers who take a voluntary post-travel COVID-19 test 72 hours after arriving in the Garden Island will receive a Kōkua Kaua‘i Card at selected testing locations. Use the QR code to access offers and discounts at participating local shops, restaurants and activities.

For testing locations click here and details on the Kōkua Kaua‘i Card click here.

The State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources(DLNR) has introduced new rules to access three State Parks on Kaua‘i. All visitors are now required to pay an entrance fee of $5 per person at Hā‘ena State Park, Kōke‘e State Park and Waimea State Park. In addition, where applicable, there will be a parking fee to park a noncommercial vehicle. Visitors who enter a park on foot, bike or vehicle drop-off will only need to pay an entrance fee. For more information,  click here. 

Reservations are now required at Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge to ensure limited group sizes and social distancing. Additionally, face coverings are mandatory prior to entry. Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is currently open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., however, this schedule is subject to change. An entry fee of $10 is required for adults 16 and older. Children under 16 are free. To make a reservation, click here or call 808-828-1413.

Located on the North Shore of Kaua‘i, Na ‘Āina Kai Botanical Gardens has created a new self-guided walking tour. Visitors are given a pamphlet guiding them through the Formal Gardens, a 12-acre tropical wonderland including Kaula Lagoon with its plunging waterfall and endearing Hula Island. The pamphlet contains a brief history of the garden, a description of unique areas of interest, and a map locating almost 50 bronze sculptures. Reservations are required for the walking tour, $20 per person and offered every Wednesday. To book this new walking tour, click here or call 808-828-0525.

Beginning May 1, visitors can set sail with Holo Holo Charters to get up-close views of the Nāpali Coast, the island of Ni‘ihau and Lehua Crater. To make a reservation,  click here or call 808-335-0815.

Support local farms through Monkeypod Jam’s new Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. This new CSA program offers access to the best and freshest produce available through a Produce Box that is filled with a bounty of produce grown by Kaua‘i’s farmers. Order one of Monkeypod Jam’s tropicals online including Lilikoi Curd, White Pineapple Ginger, and Guava Butter. For more information or to place an online order, click here or call 808-378-4208.

Wings Over Kauai is offering guests a limited-time discounted rate when booking directly for a one-of-a-kind, Grand Deluxe Air Tour around the entire island of Kaua‘i. Fly safely and comfortably with a fully certified and vaccinated staff, and witness some of the most amazing scenery in the world. For a sneak peek of Kaua‘i’s unique and exciting landscapes and live streams of flights, visit Wings Over Kauai on Facebook. To book a tour, click here or call 808-635-0815.

Special offers can also be found in accommodations.

In an effort to inspire mindful travel, industry partners and volunteer organizations across Hawai‘i have come together with an initiative called Mālama Hawai‘i. Mālama means “care for” in Hawaiian, encouraging visitors to leave Hawai‘i better than when they arrived. Ko‘a Kea is welcoming guests to care for the island and get rewarded with a new package. Sign up for a beach clean-up activity and get a fourth night free and a $10 donation, per stay, is contributed to the Surfrider Foundation on behalf of the traveler. To book this package, click here or call 808-742-4271.

Koloa Landing Resort is offering the Aloha Kaua‘i room package now through December 31 for stays between April 5 to March 2022. It starts at $289 per night and includes a seventh night free, 5,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and daily food & beverage credit for breakfast for two at Holoholo Grill. To book a reservation, click here or call 808-240-6600.

Celebrate summer with 25% off best rates at historic Waimea Plantation Cottages on the west side of Kaua‘i. Far from the bustling resort scene, there are 59 authentic plantation homes on 43 oceanfront acres along a black-sand beach. Stay in a one, two, or three-bedroom ocean-view or oceanfront home with a fully equipped kitchen and private lānai (porch). Additional amenities include an oceanfront pool and an on-property restaurant. Waimea Plantation Cottages has special inclusions, no check-out cleaning fees, free parking, free guest laundry, and more. This special offer is good through Aug. 31, 2021. To book or make a reservation, click here or call 808-716-6199.

Various events are upcoming on Kaua‘i.

The Kaua‘i Marathon has gone virtual for the 2021 spring and summer season. The Stride for Kaua‘i 100-Mile Challenge is now open for registration. Runners and walkers may start their journey today and will have four months to complete their virtual adventure. Feel Kauai’s aloha every step of the way to your virtual finish line. After completing the challenge, participants will earn a race bag, super comfy cotton tee and surfboard themed medal. To register for the Kaua‘i 100-Mile Challenge, click here.

The 36th Annual Kōloa Plantation Days Festival will take place from July 23 to Aug. 1. Founded in 1835, Kōloa Plantation was Hawai‘i’s first sugar plantation where laborers from Asia and Europe lived together in plantation camps sharing food, music, stories, and traditions of their homelands. Kōloa Plantation Days brings visitors and residents together at over 30 events including live music, “talk stories”, cultural and keiki (children) activities, area hikes, historic exhibits, Kōloa Plantation Days rodeo, craft fairs, a Family Fun Run and the annual Parade and Park Celebration. For more information, click here or call 808-652-3217.

Meet local farmers and taste the freshest culinary offerings from Kaua‘i chefs during this gourmet farmer’s market at The Shops at Kukui‘ula, every Wednesday. The Culinary Market is open every Wednesday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. For more information, click here.

For information about Kaua‘i – Hawai‘i’s Island of Discovery – visit www.gohawaii.com/kauai, or call the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau at 800-262-1400. You can also follow updates about Kaua‘i on Twitter (@kauaidiscovery), Instagram (@kauaidiscovery) or by liking the Facebook page of the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau.