Our trip to Kauai: unforgettable and amazing! We were fortunate enough to have our parents watch Juniper for two days while Justin, my sister, her fiancee and I went on a boat trip snorkeling and kayaking down the river. The boat trip was so much fun! If you have the time and money, I highly recommend going on this trip sans baby/toddler. If you like adventure and aren't scared of getting wet, then this is the trip for you. You travel on a rubber boat through caves, visit an old fishing village, eat an amazing spread of food and snorkel. The kayaking trip was more chill, but I wouldn't bring a baby or toddler on the kayak with you. They take you down the Wailua River, you walk through the jungle to a waterfall. I am glad I wore flipflops, but you walk in the river quite a bit and I wish I had hiking waterproof sandals instead.
The plane ride was tricky! On the way there, we had a window row that we shared with a curmudgeonly old man. We broke down and bought her two electronic toys and I am so glad we did this. We also packed her favorite books, tons of snacks, milk, water, an iPad (for desperate times) and whatever we could find in our bags to entertain her. We had mini tv screens in front of us and even though we put on Moana, she didn't care to watch. The flight attendant told us that takeoffs and landings are the hardest part for babies because they cannot regulate ear popping like adults. So, we kept feeding her puffs, milk, or her pacifier (I need to get her off of the pacifier, but didn't think to get her off that habit would be the best thing before a trip). On our way home, we got so lucky with an extra seat, so Juniper was able to walk back and forth between Justin and I and sleep for about 40 minutes. All in all, the most interesting things for a toddler are anything you keep in your bag.
One morning Justin and I were able to visit the Queen's Bath while my sister and Kevin watched Juniper. It was truly awesome to swim and explore the area. I am so glad we got waterproof iPhone cases for the trip. I saw people wearing ziplock type covers for their phone and wearing it around their neck, but that didn't look good or secure. Although they look dorky, we were able to be dorkier and take underwater photos at a cheap cost.
My family also snuck into Hailea Bay and used their pool to swim because our Airbnb did not have one. The house had a really cute looking pond with a bullfrog living in it and an outdoor shower. It was tough to do things all together because Juniper is a slave to her naps (good/bad thing), but we were able to check on the Kauai Coffee Plantation (Justin and I aren't into coffee, but my family loves it) and the Waimea Canyon Lookout. We had beach days too, but my absolute favorite for Juniper was Poipu Beach Park because there are two areas for kids to swim in the ocean that is blocked off by rocks.
Although it was tricky bringing Juniper, we could not have made this trip possible if it wasn't for everyone's help. It was a fine balance planning our ten-day trip. We saved money on food by shopping at Costco too.
I came up with a list of things I could not live without at the beach with Juniper. I hope you find this list helpful when you plan a tropical vacation with your toddler.
01. I used this bag to the beach and my belongings fit as well as Juniper essentials.
02. This towel is everything! It is light and absorbs so much water and it actually fits in your bag!
03. Although I had to wear this hat on the plane, it saved me from the sun.
04. I wore this bathing suit to all activities and everything stayed in place.
05. I thought I was going to wear my Birkenstocks, but these flip flops ended up being my go-to shoes.
06. I bought these shoes for Kauai, but Juniper kept taking them off.
07. This hat was the best for protecting Juniper's bald head from the sun. It has 50+ UPF!
08. I brought this bathing suit for a quick swim, but a long sleeve swimsuit for the beach was key (similar here).
09. Juniper wore these shorts every day.
