Most travelers coming to Kauai instantly fall in love with the lush north shore; with the crescent shaped Hanalei Bay, the towering cliffs of Makana, the many cascading waterfalls dropping to the taro fields below and on to the rugged coastline of Haena, Kee Beach and the start of the Napali. What often times is overlooked or missed entirely by Hawaii travelers coming to Kauai is the north shores counterpart, the west-side; Polihale Beach and the other end of the Napali Coastline. The reason for this is because there is no amenities, shops, or accommodations at Polihale Beach and access is sometimes difficult. Polihale Beach is Kauai's "other end of the road" and is as majestic and awesome as the northern geography, only it is much dryer. In fact it is more like a desert with its arid climate and low growing foliage.

Safari Helicopters takes a route that often enters the Napali(depending on the helicopter tour you choose), upon leaving Waimea Valley, towards this western side of the island. Usually the helicopter tour enters the Napali around Nualolo, which is the second to last valley before Polihale Beach. If the weather is clear you can look back and see the long white sandy beaches and dunes stretching off in the distance; that is of course Polihale Beach. Polihale Beach is also referred to as Barking Sands because when you walk down the dunes the sand makes a kind of "barking" noise.

A rather short distance offshore of Polihale Beach is the forbidden island of Niihau. This you may also see from your helicopter tour as you first enter the Napali. Niihau is a fascinating place for many reasons, the most obvious being that it is forbidden for tourists and locals alike to visit. This is because it is privately owned by a family called The Robinson's who purchased the island in 1864 for 10,000 are still the current owners today. Another reason why Niihau is forbidden is because the Robinsons feel in love with the Hawaiian culture and decided to set up a camp where to preserve the dying language and traditions of the Hawaiians. Only Hawaiian is allowed to be spoken on Niihau today but Hawaiians born there are allowed to leave if they choose. If they decide to leave they are not allowed to live on Niihau again.

The Robinsons now have only recently and reluctantly given access to the US Navy for a small base as well as a few ecotour & hunting expeditions. Local legend has it that back in 1865 the Robinsons were in a quandary over the decision to purchase either the Waikiki area or Niihau. Can you imagine what Waikiki would look like today if the "Hawaiian culture preserving" attitudes of the Robinsons had been the philosophy behind developing Waikiki.

Needless to say the western side of Kauai is a fascinating a beautiful place. When you are on your Safari Helicopter tour be sure to look back when you first enter the Napali and see if you can catch a glimpse of the "barking sands" of Polihale beach and the silhouette of the "forbidden island" called Niihau.