Discover Paradise: The Top 10 Things To Do In Kauai, Hawaii

Why you should visit Kauai, Hawaii:

Kauai is one of my favorite places I have ever been to. The nature, waterfalls, and beaches are incredible, and the entire time I felt like I was in a rainforest paradise. It truly is a magical place to see nature in its truest form.

WHERE TO STAY IN KAUAI, HAWAII:

Depending on what area of the island you would like to be on and your budget, there are a great variety of options when staying on Kauai.

• Luxury: 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay. If you want to be on the north end of Kauai, this is the hotel for you. Just opened in 2023, the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is paradise!

• Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa: if you’re looking for a hotel that is located on the south side of the island, the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa has everything you could ask for and then some. The resort has a golf course, restaurants, tennis courts, pools, and a spa.

Top 10 Things To Do In Kauai, Hawaii:

Click here for a video that sums up the best things to do.

1) Hike the first portion of the Kalalau Trail to the beach where you will see amazing views and it will easily become one of your favorite hikes. This hike is rated as moderate and according to my Fitbit, was 6 miles long roundtrip.

Note- you need to make a reservation/permit on the website linked here to be able to enter the park. The reservation is super important because it also decides if you have to take a shuttle into the park or can park your car. I would suggest making your reservation 4 days in advance for the shuttle, and up to 30 days in advance for the car option.

2) Hike to Hanakapaii Falls (the tallest waterfall in Kauai… and the best one I have ever seen)—- you need the same permit/reservation for this hike as the one above, which I will link again here. Also disclaimer, this is a difficult hike where you have to cross multiple rivers and climb rocks, so make sure you are prepared. It’s around 11 miles roundtrip total as well, so bring lots of water, food, and shoes that can get wet.

3) Explore the scenic viewpoints and do the Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls hike at Waimea Canyon (which is called the Grand Canyon of the pacific). This is a beautiful hike where you get to hike to the top of a waterfall that goes into the canyon. If you have time after your hike and are hungry, grab food at the historic Kōkeʻe Lodge which is a really cool spot that transports you out of Hawaii.

4) Visit the famous Hanalei Bay and get Pink’s Hanalei original grilled cheese for lunch (pro tip- bring your lunch onto the beach and have a picnic when looking at the incredible views). Make sure to also walk around this cute surf town and stop at the famous Wishing Well for shave ice before leaving town.

5) Do a Na Pali Coast boat tour with Captain Andy’s (this is weather dependent, but if you go in the summer months you have a much better chance of being able to go out). I highly recommend the Catamaran tour for a smoother ride, but if you are up to the adventure, book a raft tour with Captain Andy’s!

6) Do an ATV tour with Kipu Ranch Adventures. I specifically did the Triple Trail Expedition and it was wonderful. The waterfall at the end was gorgeous too!

7) Visit Poipu Beach (to see the turtles and sometimes seals on the beach). Pro tip- near sunset is a great time to get a chance to see the turtles laying on the beach.

8) Do a kayak and hike tour on the Wailua River to Secret Falls with Kayak Wailua. This was such a wonderful activity and took about 5 hours total. The kayaking along the river is gorgeous and so is the hike to the waterfall.

9) Visit Kilauea Lighthouse (you might even see some whales and definitely will see some goats on the way!) You don’t need too much time here but it is a great place to learn about the different types of animals on Kauai!

10) Do a helicopter tour over the island to see waterfalls, valleys, and the Na Pali Coast by air. This is something I haven’t done yet but everyone says is amazing. I’ve heard Wings Over Kauai is a great option!

Overall, you can’t go wrong with what you do on Kauai. I highly recommend though spending less time laying on the beaches and more time exploring all of the different things that the island has to offer!

Top 10 Things To Do In Santorini, Greece

Why visit Santorini, Greece?

Santorini is a beautiful island with stunning views. It had wonderful shopping, restaurants, and so many fun things to do around the island. My personal favorite thing to do was the catamaran tour I mentioned below. I stayed in Santorini for 3 nights and 4 days, which I felt was the perfect amount of time. See below for the top 10 things you should do during your time in Santorini!

If you’re also wondering what to pack, I have an Amazon storefront Destination: Greece list!

best hotel in Santorini, greece:

• Blue Dolphins Hotel is the best hotel to stay at in Santorini. See here for a blog post about my experience staying at Blue Dolphins Hotel.

Top 10 Things To Do In Santorini, Greece:

1) Sunset catamaran tour with Caldera Yachting

This is the absolute best catamaran tour in Santorini. We had such an amazing time and the sunset was the best we had ever seen. I actually wrote an entire blog post about this experience linked here.

2) Do the iconic flying dress photoshoot with Goddess Santorini

This was something I never expected to do during my time in Santorini but I highly recommend it for such a memorable moment and photos! The photographers were so nice and professional, definitely recommend doing a photoshoot with them if you are planning a trip to Santorini.

3) Have a delicious sunset dinner at Strogili restaurant in Oia

This was a gorgeous place with amazing views in Oia, Santorini. I did a lot of research about which restaurant to go to for the best views, and this one did not dissapoint!

4) Snap pictures of the blue domes in Imerovigli

If you don’t have the town of Imerovigli on your list, you must add it to your Santorini trip!! The blue domes there are gorgeous and it’s actually where a lot of the flying dress photoshoots take their pictures

5) Explore the traditional villages of Pyrgos and Emporio

To do this, you will have to either rent a car (which I don’t recommend) or hire a private driver/guide to take you around the island. It was really cool to see the traditional villages of this touristy island, especially because most people don’t go to them

6) Sunset dinner at Argo restaurant in Fira

7) Go shopping in Oia

When you go to dinner in Oia, make sure to go to all of the shops and walk around. Note— it can get really crowded on the streets of Oia, especially around the time of sunset. I recommend going shopping before or after you have dinner, but most likely after since before it will be very crowded

8) Rent a car or hire a driver for a few hours to explore the island

We did this and it was great to see the island from a different perspective!

9) Get delicious gyros at Why Not! Souvlaki in Firostefani

These were the best gyros I had during our entire trip to Greece!

10) Explore all of the shops of Fira

Overall, Santorini is such a wonderful place to visit and there are endless amazing things to do! I recommend that everyone should go to Santorini, Greece at least once in their lives, so they can take in the amazing sunsets and the caldera views.

Milos, Greece: Top 10 Must-Do Activities for an Unforgettable Trip

Why Visit Milos, Greece?

Milos is an up-and-coming destination in the Greek Islands. It is known for its beautiful turquoise water and stunning coastline. I personally enjoyed Milos even more than Santorini. I stayed in Milos for 4 nights and 5 days and it was the perfect amount of time.

Cave Suites Milos was where I stayed and it was one of my favorite places I have ever stayed due to the amazing service, beauty of the accommodation, and location. If you’re wondering what to pack for Milos, linked here is my Greece packing list!

top 10 things to do in Milos, greece:

1) Catamaran tour around the island with Polco Sailing

2) Kayaking adventure with Milos Water Sports

3) Rent a car or ATV and adventure around the island to the beaches

4) Dinner at the famous and traditional O! Hamos! restaurant

5) Visit the island’s capital Plaka for sunset at the church and dinner at Archontoula

6) Go to the famous Sarankiniko beach for a picnic and swim

7) Visit Mandrakia fishing village and get lunch at the famous Medusa restaurant

8) Spend a beach day at Firopotamos Beach

9) Visit Klima fishing village for colorful houses and the most gorgeous sunset

10) Swim and tan at the undiscovered Alogomandra beach

If this list hasn’t convinced you to travel to Milos, I don’t know what will! Milos was one of my favorite places I have ever traveled to and I would definitely go back again. I hope all of these things to do in Milos, Greece really helps you plan your next incredible trip there.

Uncover Hidden Gems: Top 10 Unique Things to Do in Rome, Italy

Top 10 Unique Things To Do In Rome:

I lived in Rome for four months and I am about to share all of my favorite and unique places to go in the eternal city! I found most of these places by exploring around the city or reading about them in books.

1) Visit the secret Keyhole of Malta (video of the experience linked here)

2) The Orange Gardens for sunset (near the Keyhole of Malta). This is the most beautiful spot in all of Rome, Italy to see the sunset. Sometimes, you will even hear someone playing living music here!

3) Babingtons Tea Room for tea and people-watching. This tea room is historic and overlooks the Spanish Steps, which makes for great people-watching and a wonderful view!

4) Trevi Fountain + gelato at Il Gelato di San Crispino (what could be better?!)

5) Dinner in Trastevere at Nannarella and gelato nearby at Otaleg (you must try the lasagna at Nannarella and the blood orange gelato if they have it at Otaleg).

6) Explore Villa Borghese for an afternoon (go here for a walk, take a picnic lunch, or explore around the various areas around the park)

7) Have a traditional aperitivo at Bar Meccanismo (a cocktail and appetizer board for under 12 euro total… amazing!)

8) Dinner at Ristorante al 34 (get the pumpkin gnocchi which is the best pasta I have had in Rome during my 4 months of living there!)

9) Have an authentic Roman dinner experience in a locals home (best thing I have done in Rome). This experience is like no other, and I can guarantee that you will have an amazing time. The food was absolutely delicious, the people were so friendly, and the host Deborah was the kindest person I met in Rome!

10) Try the famous Roman street food Suppli at Suppli Roma (you don’t want to miss this one! Suppli is a delicious snack that is a must try in Rome).

Overall, Rome is such an amazing place to go to and you can never get bored there! Even after living there for four months, I never ran out of new things to do.