What to do when vacationing in Hawaii and Sonoma

This post isn't about fashion but it is for those who would love to be on vacation right now! I am very much missing the beach, beautiful flowers, wildlife, and pool from The Villas At Poipu Kai in Kauai, HI! This is the second time I vacation in Hawaii and it was as awesome as the first! I went with my amazing fiancé and great friends from Canada and Hong Kong.  My friend from Canada has a Poker site, you should definitely check it out here if you want to learn how to play poker at a professional level and earn some ca$h! We hope to gather all of our close friends for 2015 to make it even better! Shout out to "The Full Crew- Now Global"!

This time around was better because we were familiar with the grocery stores, outdoor activities, and exactly how much food and beer we needed ;).  We rented a villa with amazing bedrooms, bathrooms, and amenities.  The villa was fully equipped with everything we needed from dish washing soap to even a rice cooker! We had everything we needed and more.  We also had access to a gym and a clubhouse full of beach balls, boogie boards, beach chairs, and even beach bags.

We stayed for a total of 8 nights from December 2nd to December 10th in villa D1-11.  It only rained one day during the day and twice at night.  When we didn't have an activity to do we would do the following:

1. Wake up
2. Eat
3. Rest a bit/watch tv
4. Put on our bathing suits
5. Apply 30SPF sunscreen
6. Go to the pool then beach
7. Read at the pool/beach

*My friends and fiancé would sometimes wake up at like 6am-7am and go to the gym or do yoga by the beach*

On our way to the villa from the airport we stopped at the Walmart in Lihue to stock up on all of the essentials (food, sunscreen, water, beer…).  We also made a stop at the Sueoka Market in Koloa, HI to get some veggies, ground beef, and of course wine.  PLEASE NOTE: Hawaii isn't known for their food so it is best to cook and cheaper.  We got 2 large pizzas from a really good pizza place next to the Sueoka Market called Pizetta for $50.  The pizza was pricey but very good.

I definitely overpacked for this trip as I always do.  I had a full duffle bag and a carryon suitcase.  I could've done it with the duffle bag half full.  Next time I will pack 2 short dresses for nice dinners, 2 bathing suits, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 sets of pjs, 2 pairs of sandals (gold and black to go with everything), water shoes (if your hike involves walking through mud and kayaking), sneakers, 1 bathing suit cover up, 2 t shirts for outdoor activities, 2 workout outfits, and 1 fleece.  You can then do laundry with complimentary detergent and washer and dryer in your villa!

Now that you know where we stayed and where we shopped, it is time for me to share the awesome scenery and spots we visited!!!

1. The Villas At Poipu Kai was our hood for 8 nights.  We saw huge turtles, a seal, chickens, beautiful flowers and lots of people boogie boarding.

2. We went for a hike at the Kuilau Ridge Trail.  It was about an hour away from our villa by car.  Such an amazing hike.  Everything was very green and rich in color.  The trail was very clean.  The hike was pretty easy and not steep at all.  You can pick up walking sticks right at the trail entrance.  Remember to bring bug spray with you because there are a lot of mosquitos where there is water.

3. We drove to the beach that is by the Grand Hyatt Resort for a fantastic walk and view.  Every time we go, there are multiple weddings taking place.  The view is amazing with cave-like rocky coastline.

4. We had an adventure of our lives with Wailua Kayak Adventures.  Be prepared to kayak for like an hour and hike for more through the mud and streams of water up to your waist.  Make sure that you buy water shoes for this adventure because you are going to need them.  We bought ours at the rental place for $15 (definitely worth it).  The ground is very moist.  The end of the hike will take your breath away because it is an amazing waterfall that you can walk up to.  The "adventure" was worth it for the waterfall but it was definitely more of a hike than a kayak adventure.

5. Great dinner at Tortilla Republic located at The Shops at Kukui Ula.  This place was only 10 minutes away by car from our villa.  The food was excellent! I ordered the carne asada tacos and they were delish! Tiny 3 tacos though so make sure that you order another side or dessert ;)

After we got back from Hawaii, my fiancé and I went to our favorite Sonoma boutique hotel to unwind for 4 nights and stayed at the Inn at Sonoma.  We visited our favorite winery located in the Sonoma Square called Roche Winery.  They make you feel at home and you can sit by the fire outside.  Do their wine tasting.  You won't regret it! 

We then paid a visit to Chateau Montelena Winery.  The Barrett family, who owns this winery put Napa on the map in 1976.  Make sure that you watch the movie Bottle Shock before you visit this winery. 

Lastly, we visited Cline Cellars.  We tasted about 10 wines and the last one was an experience, literally.  The last wine was a red dessert wine called Late Harvest Mourvedre.  You have to drink it with a mouthful of chocolate.  If you drink it by itself it tastes extremely sweet but when you have the chocolate taste in your mouth and take a sip of the wine, it is a party in your mouth!

Happy Holidays! and if you are traveling to Hawaii or Sonoma, feel free to reach out to me.

XoXo,

Keily