When we finished ziplining, we couldn’t decide what to do. Some wanted to go for a drink, some wanted to hike, some were not sure. Somehow we all decided to go to Queen’s Bath. I’d been to Queen’s Bath before, but not since my first trip to Kauai. No one else with me had ever been to Queen’s Bath. It’s a little hard to find, you have to go through a bunch of residential and a golf course.. you swear you’re not going the right way. But then there’s a small parking lot and a trail.
Hiking on the wooded trail.
Surprise waterfall on the hike.
So you go hiking down the trail. At first it’s just a path in the woods. Pass by the waterfall.
Jessica
Shannan found a crab.
Ted wasn’t sure about going into the water, but in the end could not resist!
Then there’s a spot where you have to maneuver around some rocks and there’s a warning about people dying. If you keep going, you walk on a bed of lava rock. For a long time. Like, longer than you think you should.
Ted, Kate, Stephanie and Yvan climbing down to Queen’s Bath.
But then finally, we saw Queen’s Bath (Named after Queen Emma who was the mother of Prince Albert, from whom Princeville gets its name.) Basically, it’s a tide pool that has been carved into a lava shelf. When the tide is out, the pool is filled with water (and small fish and sealife).
Swimming in Queen’s Bath.
The water is so clear you can see all the way down to your feet and beyond. It’s so much fun to swim there, and so beautiful, but you can’t let your guard down. It can be very dangerous if the surf is not calm. People have been swept out of the pool into the ocean. And the current in the ocean here is very strong.
Swimming in Queen’s Bath.
So, I can never be totally relaxed at Queen’s Bath, thinking about all of this. I got nervous any time anyone was on the ocean side of the pool.
Jeannette
Richard
Richard’s splash.
Richard, Kate, Ted, Tien
Richard
If that’s not enough, there were a bunch of locals jumping off a cliff here and some of my more daring friends decided to give it a try, much to my dismay. After the wedding, people! How many times do I have to tell you?
Shannan
Paul
Paul Baker said it was the best thing he’s ever done in his life. He did it a few times that day and then went back on another day to do it again!
We had checked the times for low tide before we went to Queen’s Bath and we were in the clear. Still, as soon as the waves started crashing a lot on the ocean-side of the pool, we got the heck out of there!
Check out this video I found online of Queen’s Bath:
Sources: HawaiiWeb, Summit Pacific.
