22 Minutes To Kauai

Teresa Davis

Aug 27

3 min read

22 MINUTES TO KAUAI

My Quick Flight from Honolulu to Līhuʻe

By Teresa Davis | Travel & Lifestyle Explorer

Flying into Kauai — and getting my first look at the island from above.

Twenty-two minutes.

That's how long my flight from Honolulu to Līhuʻe felt from takeoff to landing.

When I decided to spend the day exploring Kauai, I knew the flight from Honolulu would be short. But I didn't realize just how short it would feel until I was actually on the plane.

I flew Southwest Airlines from Honolulu to Līhuʻe, and before I knew it, I was on another Hawaiian island and ready to explore.

And what a beautiful 22 minutes it was.

Island Hopping from Honolulu

My quick island hop from Honolulu on Oahu to Līhuʻe on Kauai.

This was one of the things I really enjoyed about visiting Hawaii.

You can be in Honolulu, get on a plane and, in what feels like no time at all, find yourself on another island having a completely different experience.

My round-trip ticket on Southwest was $178, which I thought was a pretty good price for being able to add an entire day on Kauai to my Hawaii trip.

But the flight itself ended up being part of the experience.

Wait — We're Landing Already?

There were only about three of us on the flight, which was really nice. With so few passengers, we could pretty much choose where we wanted to sit.

I picked a window seat. That was definitely the right choice.

Once we got seated, the plane took off and the flight attendants came around with refreshments. I had some water or cranberry juice and started enjoying my drink.

I wasn't even halfway finished. And we were already getting ready to land!

I remember thinking, "That’s it?"

The flight was only 22 minutes.

It almost felt like we had just gotten into the air before it was time to come back down.

And Then I Looked Out the Window...

Watching Kauai's mountains and coastline appear outside my window.

For as short as the flight was, the views were spectacular.

I'm so glad I chose the window seat because I could see the mountains, coastline and deep blue water below as we got closer to Kauai.

The clouds were hanging over some of the mountain peaks, and then the sunlight would hit different sections of the landscape. I just kept taking pictures.

One of my favorite views from my 22-minute flight into Kauai.

A 22-Minute Flight That Became a Full Day of Adventure

Kauai unfolding below as we made our way toward Līhuʻe.

What I love about this experience is the contrast.

The flight itself was only 22 minutes, but that short flight opened up an entire day of exploring another Hawaiian island.

Once I arrived in Līhuʻe, I visited Waimea Canyon, walked across the Hanapepe Swinging Bridge, and visited Kilohana Plantation, where I explored the grounds and enjoyed the Kōloa Rum tasting.

All of that started with a 22-minute plane ride.

Was It Worth $178?

For me, absolutely.

My Southwest Airlines ticket was $178 round trip for my particular travel dates.

For less than $200, I was able to leave Honolulu, spend time exploring Kauai and return as part of the same Hawaii vacation.

Prices can always change, of course, but it showed me that visiting another Hawaiian island didn't necessarily have to mean planning a completely separate trip.