Original article on www.gonomad.com
There’s a vacation in Hawaii many travelers don’t take. It’s not Thailand cheap, so it’s easily dismissed by the penny pinching backpacker. Being raised on Oahu, family trips off the island were too expensive. A cheap staycation that everyone liked? Beach camping.
Why Camp?
You’ve got this notion Hawaii is kitschy luaus, honeymoons, and Tiki bars.
Kauai is the first of eight islands formed. The jagged hills give it the landscape Jurassic Park films so coveted. If Land Before Time oasis existed, this is it. You literally feel a T-Rex is going to invade your grill.
The stretch of island boasts more coastline than any of the other Hawaiian islands. It’s pretty easy to find your own sprawl of secret beach. Plenty pf recommendations came from hippies living out of their vans.
Dismiss those familiar pretenses of camping for a second. Imagine bath water temps breezing through an open tent; a stone’s throw from cobalt blue ocean calling your name. You'll hike with wildlife you won’t see anywhere else on earth, and one snorkel adventure away from getting cozy with a sea turtle. Suddenly those sleeping pads don’t seem so bad.
How to Get a Permit:
Getting a permit takes an old-school attitude. No e-mails. You handwrite it in, or apply in person. Both are made very easy by an amicable clerk staff. They only accept money orders in person. I sent a whopping $45 check via snail mail and had permits printed a week later. Visit this website for more information.
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