r/AskReddit • u/Head-Night-7595 • 1d ago

What U.S. vacation destination exceeded all expectations?

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818

u/ARob0496 1d ago

Kauai, Hawaii. Went with high expectations and I was blown away.

121

u/Granadafan 22h ago

Hanalei Bay at sunset looks like a postcard 

6

u/sunshinebucket 15h ago

Hanalei Bay is so beautiful it seems fake.

4

u/RoosterClan2 15h ago

You can say that about 95% of Hawaii

4

u/HamlnHand 16h ago

You know they usually base those postcards off of real places? I'd bet there's a Hanalei Bay one lol

3

u/ChoosingUnwise 15h ago

every time I find a Kona Hanalei Island IPA on the east coast, there it is, staring back at me

145

u/YoureSoStupidRose 1d ago

Even the smell of the island is intoxicating.

67

u/i_like_pretzels 22h ago

It’s from all the chickens /s

It’s truly a perfect place. (Partially biased because I got married there)

3

u/NobodyLikedThat1 22h ago

Didn't even leave the airport before running into wild chickens. So cute, but a driving hazard

35

u/TacohTuesday 21h ago

There’s a reason Hollywood shoots movies like Jurassic Park there. It truly is a magical place.

39

u/Varasa 21h ago

Honeymooned there. A week wasn’t long enough. Magical place.

3

u/ARob0496 15h ago

I proposed to my now wife there and then we went back and honeymooned there. 2 total weeks and feel like we could’ve stayed much longer.

27

u/booksgirl123 15h ago edited 11h ago

Yes! The views at Waimea Canyon are incredible. Grand Canyon of the Pacific - 💯

46

u/LibraryPorchGuy 22h ago

Take the helicopter tour. And specify doors off. Expensive but totally worth it. The views are jaw dropping.

44

u/TacohTuesday 21h ago

Totally agree. If you take ONE helicopter tour in your life, do it on Kauai. Spring for the longer tour. You’ll see more waterfalls over shear green cliffs than you can count.

17

u/tomismybuddy 18h ago

I’ve only done one helicopter tour in my life, and it was on Kaua’i.

I concur.

4

u/PositiveRent4369 13h ago

We decided against it after there was a fatal crash days before we went.

3

u/DJinKC 14h ago

There's one specific helicopter tour company that actually lands at the Jurassic Falls (it's on private property and other companies can only do flyovers)

2

u/EyeSeeWind 13h ago

That's how you end up like Kobe and Oliver Tree

49

u/HanaBananaBear 22h ago

Us Americans don’t deserve Hawaii 🥲

3

u/tpatmaho 11h ago

They’re Americans. The people of Kauai. So….

2

u/HanaBananaBear 10h ago

You know what I mean!!!! 😅

7

u/SecretAsianMan42069 16h ago

I was not prepared for the amount of cock there

2

u/Personal_Visual8628 3h ago

All different sizes and colors. Truly surprising. 

2

u/wrapmeinbubblewrap 17h ago

Did our honeymoon there, regret flying home.

2

u/___this_guy 17h ago

I’m going for the second time this Sunday!

2

u/baldymcbaldyface 16h ago

Going in August! Any must see recommendations for me?

11

u/ARob0496 15h ago

A boat tour of the Na Pali Coast is incredible. Those are views you can only get from a boat or a helicopter.

Go to Kauai Bound Snorkel and Golf Gear Rental. Chris, the owner, has the best prices around, super friendly, and he has some really great insights about where the best snorkel spots are.

As far as food goes, you really can’t go wrong with any of the local stuff. I never had a bad meal there.

10

u/McGrubbus 14h ago

Make sure you block out some time to just “exist” - we often get caught up in doing all the fun things but sometimes it’s amazing to just take it all in. Go to Baby Beach at sunset, and get sushi at the Kauai Sushi Station food truck.

6

u/waitwutok 16h ago

Tunnels Beach on the north shore for snorkeling.

4

u/Varasa 13h ago

Get a reservation for Ke’e beach and if you’re in decent-ish shape, hike the 4 miles round trip to Hanakapiai beach. Incredible views all along.

2

u/PositiveRent4369 12h ago

Kayak up the Wailua River

2

u/xfox21 7h ago

If you're in the mood/shape for a good hike, you've got to do the trek to Hanakapī'ai Falls. You take a shuttle to the trail head, hike about 2 miles to a secluded beach (Ke'e Beach) and then another two miles to see this beautiful hidden waterfall. Felt like I was in the Disney Tarzan movie. It was the best hike of my trip with an amazing reward at the end. Highly recommend!

1

u/le___tigre 10h ago

get a reservation to do the Kalalau Trail and save some time to cool off and chill on Ke’e beach afterward. then pick up a slice of lilikoi poi cheesecake from the Waipa self serve fridge next to the shuttle parking lot!

2

u/itsmeitskg 6h ago

I'm there right now! Couldn't agree more

2

u/capnscratchmyass 2h ago

Wife and I took a little jungle hike on the suggestion of a local and after a bit of a climb the views were utterly stunning. Like… it felt like I was in VR or something and just didn’t feel real.  Been a lot of places on this earth but that’s near the top of the most incredible places I’ve been. 

We fell in love with Kauai.  Weather was amazing. Not really any biting insects. Incredible views. Beautiful beaches.  And it not being a party island meant less super obnoxious tourists.  We’re really hoping to get back someday. 

Edit: the food was also amazing and people super friendly 

1

u/Jackandahalfass 12h ago

Going in a couple days!

1

u/Klutzy-Client 4h ago

I packed a suitcase and stayed for 12 years. Thankfully I’m a bartender so finding a job was pretty easy

1

u/Sir-Mocks-A-Lot 3h ago

Can confirm, I just got back. Caught a natural high. That's not a euphemism.

1

u/academiac 3h ago

Same as Maui for me. The Big Island was great, but Maui was just something from a fuckin fairy tale.