I was barefoot and drenched, holding fast to the railing of the 10.3-metre Sea Breeze as it zipped through the water. The jagged cliffs of the Napali Coast jutted to my right and the Pacific, in limitless shades of blue, stretched over the horizon to my left.
Kauai is the northernmost of Hawaii's islands and gets fewer visitors than Oahu, the Big Island or Maui. Many of those who do visit see it only through the lens of a kitschy luau or a dinner theatre production of South Pacific, where they're herded directly from cruise ships. But there are other ways to experience Kauai, untamed and authentic. One of them is to tour the island's northwest coast as I did, aboard a catamaran.
The day started around 7am, when we gathered for departure from Anini Beach. Captain Bob — that's Bob Kutkowski — was already there with his crewman, 21-year-old Britt Sanders.
Our tour was full with 16 passengers. Our hosts pointed out the sights and related local history and lore. We passed caves where native Hawaiians sheltered their canoes from strong winds, and the cliffs where they buried their chiefs.
On a lucky day, passengers will see birds diving into the ocean, and dolphins and whales. At one point the captain nonchalantly pointed out the dark outline of a shark. At another point, he steered the boat into a cave.
Late in the morning, we stopped where some other boats were anchored in the shadows of the cliffs and jumped in for a swim. There was snorkel gear for those who wanted it, then lunch on-board — sandwiches and pineapple.
The ride back was bumpier as we were going against the current. But I liked the rocking of the boat and the feel of seawater in my face. We got back to Anini Beach around noon.
Other offbeat things I enjoyed doing on Kauai included visiting the Ship Store Galleries in Kapa'a, an art gallery where the owners hold breakfast lectures on Captain Cook and Kamehameha the Great, and seeing the Waioli Mission House, a 19th-century home once inhabited by some of the island's first missionaries.
And I love the fact that relaxing here is a virtue and not a sign that your boss hasn't given you enough to do, and that there is almost no place on the island that requires dressing up. Even if there was, nobody would care if you didn't.
But the feeling of being aboard the Sea Breeze was a high point. There was nothing to distract me, no to-do lists or deadlines to fill my head, only the sky and the water. I took many pictures but after a while I put my camera away. I knew that pictures couldn't really capture what it felt like to be there.
Napali coast, Hawaii
FLY... Emirates and Japan Airlines
to Honolulu then take Hawaiian Airlines to Kauai. From Dubai via Tokyo to Honolulu for Dh15,610. Or try Delta Airlines from Dubai via Atlanta to Honolulu for Dh12,550. — Information courtesy the Holiday Lounge by Dnata. Ph: 04 3492886
