“The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook” said that this Secret Falls wasn’t that spectacular, but it was such a perfect end to an extraordinarily fun day, that I’d say it’s well worth it. It’s not everyday that you get to take a boat ride, cross a river by foot, and then hike 45 minutes to a waterfall. The hike is located up the Wailua River (you can rent a kayak to get there).
The cool refreshing water was the prize for all that work and we enjoyed splashing around and climbing behind the waterfall (where you could hardly open your eyes because of the water pouring down all around you).
A while back we were crossing a different river on a different island and our friend Matt lost his flip-flop (slippah) in the current, and he wasn’t fast enough to catch it. He decided to keep hiking in his bare-feet and I remember thinking how crazy he was. But today my sandals were so wet and slippery from the mud they had accumulated that I thought I would try out the bare-foot thing and see if it I could endure.
The entire hike back (about 45 minutes) I hiked without any shoes and it was actually easier to walk without them because my toes could grip the earth. Not only that but the ground on this trail was soft and soothing on my feet. I loved it! I don’t think I’ll be hiking across any lava fields like the ancient Hawaiians did, but I’m quite pleased with my bare-footed hike.