Other Activities

All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Tours

For those who may not have the stamina to go hiking or bicycling or who don't really enjoy horseback riding, now there is a new way to explore Kauai's wilderness: All-Terrain-Vehicle (ATV) tours. Each person is given one of these four-wheel-drive vehicles resembling an oversize motorcycle. Don't think this is for the weak, either. Wrestling with an ATV and learning how to steer, shift gears, maneuver over ruts in the dirt, and charge up and down hills takes some instruction and practice. That's partially why we recommend Kipu Ranch Adventures (tel. 808/246-9288; www.kiputours.com) -- they emphasize safety. They start out with a lesson on flat ground, making sure everyone on the tour feels comfortable maneuvering and shifting gears on the 300cc or 350cc Hondas. Off you go on the tour. After about 10 to 15 minutes of pretty easy riding, they take you to a very steep hill that has all kinds of ruts and bumps. Patiently, they teach each person how to ride over the rough terrain. Everyone practices until the instructors give the okay to proceed. Once you have passed this torturous hill test, the rest of the 3-hour tour is a breeze. The second reason we recommend this company is that they are the only operator on a 3,000-acre private property never before opened to the public. Here's your chance to see a part of Kauai that even local residents have not seen. Extending from the Huleia River to the top of the Haupu Mountains, this property has been the filming site for numerous movies (Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Outbreak, Six Days and Seven Nights). The tour provides helmets, safety glasses, snacks, juice, water, fruit, and a stop over a swimming hole with a swinging rope. For those who would rather leave the driving to someone else (or who are ages 6-15), they have a "rhino," a four-wheel-drive Kawasaki that holds up to four passengers (2 adults and 2 children). Cost for the ATV tour is $125; the rhino is $125 for the driver, $100 for another adult, $72 for each child 6 to 15, and $100 for seniors over 65.

Biking

There are a couple of great places on Kauai for two-wheeling: the Poipu area, which has wide, flat roads and several dirt-cane roads (especially around Mahaulepu); and the cane road (a dirt road used for hauling sugar cane) between Kealia Beach and Anahola, north of Kapaa.

The following places rent mountain bikes, from a low of $20 a day for cruisers to $25 to $30 a day for mountain bikes (with big discounts for multiple-day rentals): Outfitters Kauai, 2827A Poipu Rd. (look for the small, five-shop mall before the road forks to Poipu/Spouting Horn), Poipu (tel. 808/742-9667; www.outfitterskauai.com); and Kauai Cycle and Tour, 1379 Kuhio Hwy., Kapaa (tel. 808/821-2115; www.bikehawaii.com/kauaicycle). For a great selection of high-quality mountain bikes at reasonable prices, it's worth the drive to Pedal 'n Paddle, in Hanalei (tel. 808/826-9069; www.pedalnpaddle.com), which has high-grade Marin hybrid road bikes with Shimano components. Rentals start at $20 a day or $80 a week and include helmet and bike lock. The shop also has cruisers. The knowledgeable folks here are more than happy to provide you with free maps and tell you about the best biking spots on the island.

Guided Bike Tours -- Outfitters Kauai (tel. 808/742-9667; www.outfitterskauai.com) offers a fabulous downhill bike ride from Waimea Canyon to the ocean. The 12-mile trip (mostly coasting) begins at 6am, when the van leaves the shop in Poipu and heads up to the canyon. By the time you've eaten the fresh-baked muffins and enjoyed the coffee, you're at the top of the canyon, just as the sun is rising over the rim -- it's a remarkable moment. The tour makes a couple of stops on the way down for short, scenic nature hikes. You'll be back at the shop around 10am. The sunset trip follows the same route. Both tours cost $98 per adult, $78 per child 12 to 14.

Birding

Kauai provides some of Hawaii's last sanctuaries for endangered native birds and oceanic birds, such as the albatross.

At Kokee State Park, a 4,345-acre wilderness forest at the end of Highway 550 in southwest Kauai, you have an excellent chance of seeing some of Hawaii's endangered native birds. You might spot the apapane, a red bird with black wings and a curved black bill; or the iwi, a red bird with black wings, orange legs, and a salmon-colored bill. Other frequently seen native birds are the honeycreeper, which sings like a canary; the amakihi, a plain, olive-green bird with a long, straight bill; and the anianiau, a tiny yellow bird with a thin, slightly curved bill. The most common native bird at Kokee is the moa, or red jungle fowl, brought as domestic stock by ancient Polynesians. Ordinarily shy, they're quite tame in this environment. David Kuhn leads custom hikes, pointing out Hawaii's rarest birds on his Terran Tours (tel. 808/335-0398), which range from a half day to 3 days and feature endemic and endangered species.

Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, a mile north of Kilauea on the North Shore (tel. 808/828-0168), is a 200-acre headland habitat that juts above the surf and includes cliffs, two rocky wave-lashed bays, and a tiny islet that serves as a jumping-off spot for seabirds. You can easily spot red-footed boobies, which nest in trees, and wedge-tailed shearwaters, which burrow in nests along the cliffs. You may also see the great frigate bird, the Laysan albatross, the red-tailed tropic bird, and the endangered nene. Native plants and the Kilauea Point Lighthouse are highlights as well. The refuge is open from 10am to 4pm daily (closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day); admission is $5. To get here, turn right off Kuhio Highway (Hwy. 56) at Kilauea, just after mile marker 23; follow Kilauea Road to the refuge entrance.

Peaceful Hanalei Valley is home to Hawaii's endangered Koloa duck, gallinule, coot, and stilt. The Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge (tel. 808/828-1413; www.fws.gov/hanalei) also provides a safe habitat for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl. It's not open to the public, but an interpretive overlook along the highway serves as an impressive vantage point. Along Ohiki Road, which begins at the west end of the Hanalei River Bridge, you'll often see white cattle egrets hunting crayfish in streams.

Horseback Riding

Only in Kauai can you ride a horse across the wide-open pastures of a working ranch under volcanic peaks and rein up near a waterfall pool. No wonder Kauai's paniolo (cowboys) smile and sing so much. Near the Poipu area, CJM Country Stables, 1731 Kelaukia St. (2 miles beyond the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa), Koloa (tel. 808/742-6096; www.cjmstables.com), offers both 2- and 3-hour escorted Hidden Valley beach rides. You'll trot over Hidden Valley ranch land, past secluded beaches and bays, along the Haupu Ridge, across sugar-cane fields, and to Mahaulepu Beach; it's worth your time and money just to get out to this seldom-seen part of Kauai. The 3-hour "Secret Beach Picnic Ride" with swimming costs $125 and includes lunch. The 2-hour "Scenic Valley Ride" is $98. There's also a 3 1/2-hour swim/beach/picnic ride for $115.

Princeville Ranch Stables, Highway 56 (just after the Princeville Airport), Hanalei (tel. 808/826-6777; www.princevilleranch.com), has a variety of outings. The 1 1/2-hour country ride takes in views of the Hanalei Mountains and the vista of Anini Beach ($80). The 3-hour or the 4-hour "Waterfall Picnic Ride" crosses ranch land, takes you on a short (but steep) hike to swimming pools at the base of waterfalls, and includes a picnic lunch for $125 to $135. Riders must be in good physical shape, and don't forget to put your swimsuit on under your jeans. The Princeville Ranch Stables also offers other adventures, ranging from the less strenuous wagon rides to a cattle-drive ride.

Tennis

The Kauai County Parks and Recreation Department, 4444 Rice St., Suite 150, Lihue (tel. 808/241-4463), has a list of the nine county tennis courts around the island, all of which are free and open to the public. Private courts that are open to the public include the Princeville Tennis Club, Princeville Hotel (tel. 808/826-3620 www.princeville.com), which has six courts available for $15 per person ($12 for guests) for 90 minutes. On the south side, try Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa Poipu Resort (tel. 808/742-1234; www.kauai-hyatt.com), which has three courts, available for $25 an hour; and Kiahuna Swim and Tennis Club, Poipu Road (just past the Poipu Shopping Village on the left), Poipu Resort (tel. 808/742-9533), which has eight courts renting for $15 per person per hour.

Zipping Through the Forest

The latest adventure on Kauai is ziplining. From a high perch, participants outfitted in harnesses and helmets attach themselves to a cable, which is suspended above the ground from one point to another a hundred or so feet away. The zippers, attached only by a cable, zoom through the air, above treetops, at speeds of up to 35 mph from one end of the cable to the other. It's an adrenaline rush you will not forget. One of our favorite zipline tours is done by Outfitters Kauai, 2827A Poipu Rd., Poipu (tel. 888/742-9887 or 808/742-9667; www.outfitterskauai.com). Their Kipu Falls Zipline Trek starts with a 1/4-mile hike through the jungle to a steep valley with a 150-foot waterfall. Zippers climb up one side of the valley, attach themselves to the cable some 50 feet above the earth, step off the platform, and usually holler with ear-to-ear grins as they zip along the cable over the forest canopy, rivers, and waterfalls. Even first-time zippers run as quickly as their legs will carry them back up the trail to do it all over again. If you get your fill of zipping, there are hikes, a swimming hole, and rope swings to fill up the 3-hour adventure. Cost is $138 for adults and $118 for children ages 7 to 14.