Announcer: Funding for this program is provided by... [music] Tourism Ireland.

Visitors can experience a warm welcome... [music] ...and a giant spirit... [music] ...that will fill your heart with Ireland.

[music] [music] And Virtuoso, a global network focused on luxury and experiential travel.

[music] This week on The Travel Detective : It is arguably one of the most romantic islands on the planet.

Lush emerald mountains, staggering waterfalls, spectacular beaches, not to mention picture postcard sunsets.

It's probably no coincidence that some of the most popular movies of all time have been filmed here ranging from "South Pacific" to "Castaway" to "Jurassic Park."

But I'm going to show you an island off the brochure as I share with you some of my hidden gems of Kauai.

That's our cover story.

Plus, it's hard to believe, but some countries still criminalize homosexuality.

I'll run down the list of the least friendly LGBTQ+ nations.

And then, it's a mountainous Caribbean Island with natural hot springs and tropical rainforests.

But I'll show you how the locals live on Dominica.

I'm Peter Greenberg, all that and more on this edition of The Travel Detective .

[opening theme music] [music] Peter: Kauai is the fourth largest of the Hawaiian Islands, measuring 33 miles long and 25 miles across.

Here's what the brochures will tell you.

It's called the Garden Island, and the highlights are places like Kalalau Lookout, Wailua Falls, and Waimea Canyon described as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

Then there's Kilauea lighthouse with its picture perfect views.

[music] Locals have been expressing concern about the influx of tourist for decades, but when major flooding damage in 2018 forced most of the island to shut down... one popular destination saw an opportunity.

This is a sacred landscape to our community, to our Hawaii community.

And it needs respect.

It needs respect.

We appreciate sharing it with people, but we want to share it in the right way.

Peter: Chipper Wichman helps to manage Ha'ena Beach Park on the northern coast.

[music] With its tranquil waters and numerous hiking trails, it's no surprise that visitors love Ha'ena.

I guess the double-edged sword about this place is it's so beautiful, but it can be loved too much.

Absolutely.

This place was literally being loved to death.

Before the big flood in 2018 we were getting 3,000 cars a day down here.

Parking was all over the road.

I mean, emergency vehicles couldn't get through.

The resource was being overwhelmed and damaged.

It was a disaster.

The flood gave us an opportunity to reset.

[music] Peter: Street parking was banned, and boardwalks were constructed to prevent visitors from trampling the native vegetation.

Most important of all, the park implemented an advanced reservation system to manage crowd size.

So, now visitors who want to come down here and hike the Na Pali Coast, and visit Ha'ena State Park, swim in the lagoon, all need to make an advanced reservation.

Peter: Kauai has begun to embrace the concept of regenerative tourism.

That's leaving a place not just as you found it, but better than how you found it, visiting in such a way that the area is protected and able to renew itself for future generations.

And don't think that you'll be able to beat the system.

Everyday hundreds of vehicles without reservations are turned away.

So, be sure to plan ahead because Ha'ena is the gateway to one of the true gems of Kauai: the Na Pali Coast.

And to get there you've got to find the Kalalau Trail.

The first two miles of the Kalalau Trail are open to everyone, but to do the full 11 miles, you'll have to get a permit.

Keep in mind, that's 11 miles one way.

It's a strenuous trek, but it's the only way to access the Na Pali Coast by land.

And the views are not to be missed.

But if you're not up for a hike, luckily there are two other ways to see the coast.

I just love being out here on the coast seeing some of these spectacular cliffs.

When you get up close to it, it just kind of takes your breath away.

Peter: Ciro DiVittorio is captain of one of the many boats you can charter to skip right to the end of that 11 mile hike, the beautiful Kalalau Valley.

You can actually see a couple hikers right up on that ridge.

I see them now, yeah.

Part of the hiking trail.

It can be pretty treacherous, but it's definitely worth it.

So, on a scale of 1 to 10 the beauty?

Ten.

And Difficulty?

-Ten.

-Oh, boy.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Happy to be with you on the boat.

Yeah, absolutely.

This is the best way to hike it.

Take a boat.

Peter: A boat also allows you access to the coastal caves.

Peter: Oh, oh.

Captain: Not bad, huh?

Peter: Not bad.

Captain: This is Waiahuakua Cave.

It's one of the bigger caves we have on the coastline.

Not too much room to move.

Captain: No, not a lot of room in here.

We get in, we get out.

Peter: Hello.

[music] That was cool.

That was cool.

[music] And while you're on the coast, it's sometimes easy to forget the sights...below the water.

[music] [music] As majestic as the shoreline is at sea level there's a different point of view.

[helicopter whirling] And the option: by air.

[music] A number of visitors opt to take the packaged helicopter ride, which will take you all along the coast and to much of Kauai.

Pilot: It's a beautiful day to fly.

We've got wide open skies, big, fluffy clouds, the winds are moderate.

It doesn't get much better than this.

Peter: Ask, and you also get an unusual stop.

Pilot: Just around the bend here, we'll do a front approach, and then we'll kick back for a slide in.

Peter: With a special moment at Manawaiopuna Falls, also known as Jurassic Falls, named for a particular movie where it was featured.

[music] Even for a longtime helicopter pilot like Gary Petersen, the view is always awe-inspiring.

I have landed here I think about 9,000 times.

I have flown over this thing about 20,000 times, and every time it's just beautiful.

It's a pleasure and a privilege to be able to come out here.

And it never disappoints?

No, it doesn't.

It's nature at its best.

Look at that.

[music] Peter: Back near the northern coast, about eight miles from Ha'ena State Park down Kuhio Highway, look for this gate.

Behind it you can get a close-up view of the Hanalei taro fields.

But you better be prepared to get your feet wet.

Well, I should go in.

Yes.

I see you got boots.

I've got wet boots.

I'm ready.

-You're ready.

-Let's do it.

Okay.

Peter: Taro is a starchy root vegetable that originated in Asia, and as farmer Lyndsey Haraguchi explained it to me they practice their own form of regeneration.

So, what we're going to do is we're going to harvest carefully one-by-one, because when we harvest, we also collect huli seedlings.

So, you can replant?

Yeah, into the next fields.

I hear you're good with a machete?

[chuckling] We want to be able to check for areas of rot.

So, we check here.

Peter: It looks good.

Lyndsey: Yeah, it looks okay.

And then we cut this portion halfway here, snap it, flip this over.

This right here is a huli.

-This is it.

-Yeah.

So this is the seedling that we replant into the next field.

We do this continually so that when we're harvesting, we're collecting seedling to replant and therefore nothing's wasted.

Peter: And then, it was my turn.

Lyndsey: Okay, and then snap it.

There you go.

Oh, piece of cake.

Piece of taro.

Lyndsey: And then we need it about this length here.

Peter: Right here?

Okay, ready?

Lyndsey: Maybe you don't put your hand too close to-- Okay.

-I didn't.

-Good job.

Come on.

So, this is the huli, the seedling, that we'll replant into the next field.

So now, we have two of them.

Lyndsey: Yeah.

And gather.

This is the root.

Yeah.

This right here is the root.

So, this is what's made into poi, taro burgers, desserts.

Peter: Yes, you heard that right, taro burgers.

Boil them, pound them, and then form them into patties.

Lyndsey: How do you like the Hanalei taro burger?

It's actually really good.

-Oh good, good.

-Yeah.

There's only one problem.

When I'm finished with this... Lyndsey: Yes?

...I'm taking a nap.

A big nap.

Lyndsey: A nap is good.

A nap is inevitable.

Lyndsey: Yes.

[laughter] [music] Peter: After that nap, if you're in the mood for desert, head to Lydgate Farms near the eastern coast for a treat you can experience nowhere else in the United States, but Hawaii.

Will: Most people have been eating chocolate their whole lives, but they've never seen the plant growing.

Kauai is the only place you can taste fresh chocolate fruit without needing a passport.

Peter: Here, Will Lydgate and his family grow cacao, and the end result is chocolate, much different than most visitors are familiar with.

Will: Most people know the difference between a cheap beer and a nice craft IPA.

But most people do not know the difference between a sweet chocolate bar with crisp rice in it and a nice bar of specialty chocolate.

So, that's what we do here.

[music] Peter: May I remind you that chocolate doesn't come from the store.

Here you can actually see how involved the process is.

And it's the fermentation that's the key to unlocking the unique flavor possibilities of cacao.

Will: Cacao's going to ferment in here for seven days.

Much of the chocolate in the world is fermented in a way that doesn't develop fine flavor.

If you taste a commercial milk chocolate, you might taste milky flavors or vanilla flavors.

If you taste our chocolate, the last batch has a jammy cherry, wonderful banana cream pie flavor.

It's the proper fermentation of Cacao that can bring out these hundreds of organic compounds.

And when people come here, we change the way they think about chocolate.

This is where we dry our beans for two to three weeks until they're at seven percent moisture.

This is where the flavor is fully developed.

We store them, we dry age them, and the beans are then sent to our factory.

They are roasted.

They will then be cracked and winnowed.

That refining process grinds the chocolate down.

The chocolate is then tempered.

The tempering process makes chocolate that has a wonderful shine, a wonderful snap, a wonderful melt in your mouth, that state change of the healthy cocoa butter going from a solid to a liquid in your mouth.

After it's tempered, it's packaged, and that's the process of making chocolate.

[music] Peter: You're allowed to visit the farm and see the process.

and here, it's not just people's opinions on chocolate that get transformed.

It's the land of Kauai itself.

Will: Agritourism is the essence of regenerative tourism.

In agriculture, what we regenerate is the soil.

Plants transforms co2 into tissue and that goes back into the soil, and is transformed into some really delicious products like chocolate.

Banana...chocolate.

Cherry, chocolate covered cherry.

Whip cream.

Ah, it's so good.

I wish you could try a piece of this.

[music] [music] Peter: As strange as it sounds, eating chocolate makes you a part of the regenerative process.

But if you truly want to practice regenerative tourism and leave Kauai better than you found it, then there's something else you won't find in the guidebooks or the brochures.

Just head down to Nukolii Beach.

That's where you can team up with Cynthia Welti and the Surfrider Foundation for some important and essential work.

But this is a never ending job for you.

Yes.

Yes, that's why we really welcome having visitors join in.

It's really an organized way for people to contribute, and we find that visitors really want to help, they just need to know how.

One of the things for us is to educate them, and one of the ways is to get them out picking, doing what we're doing, you know, show you what we're seeing on the beach.

Peter: In the past few years, the Surfrider Foundation has cleaned up roughly 10,000 pounds of debris every month on the shores of Kauai.

Peter: All plastics.

Cynthia: Yep, all plastics.

Straw and then just microplastics.

Who knows what they are?

Peter: You can see how crucial the work is in this inland pool clogged with microplastics brought in on the high tide now trapped and very difficult to remove.

All these efforts are done to protect the future of Kauai's beaches.

Even the youngest members of this group are already thinking of those who will come after them.

I want the kids of next generation to be able to fish and enjoy the beach.

Peter: And one of the best ways to do that is also not on the brochures, and you need to get up early.

[singing in native Hawaiian tongue] Peter: On any visit to Hawaii, you more or less expect to see hula dancers, but here on Lydgate Beach, it's not about contrived entertainment for visitors.

It's an authentic ceremony by locals to welcome the new day.

Leina-Ala: We are here almost at the eastern most point of our Garden Island of Kauai and this is where we allow our voices to lift the sun out of the deep blue sea.

Peter: Leina-Ala Jardin is a hula instructor, but this is far from an organized performance.

At dawn, Leina-Ala and her students come down to practice and to give thanks to the gods.

It's a ritual also designed to educate.

[singing in native Hawaiian tongue] Leina-Ala: Hawaii is unique because of our rich culture and because of the aloha that is felt here.

So, where we are now with our culture is teaching our visitors.

We want them to understand why the land that we walk upon is so special and sacred to us.

The land is even more important than us being here.

[singing in native Hawaiian tongue] [singing in native Hawaiian tongue] [music] According to a report by the World Tourism Organization, 32 percent of the LGBTQ community feel they are treated differently because of their sexual orientation when they travel.

Homosexuality remains illegal in 72 countries.

Among them Jamaica, India, Qatar, Singapore, Lebanon, even Barbados.

And in some places like Nigeria, Sudan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, the legal punishment is death.

One of the key cautions for LGBTQ travelers: research local laws in your destination and be careful with public displays of affection.

This also includes hotel behavior.

In countries like Uganda, it's advised to reserve separate rooms.

You might want to head to Iceland, the Netherlands, or Sweden.

They're among the most LGBTQ friendly countries in the world.

[music] [music] When you hear the word, Caribbean, I know what many of you are thinking: white sandy beaches and a laid-back attitude.

On the Island of Dominica, you'll get at least one of them.

You know what?

It's not what you're thinking.

It's not the beaches.

Well, there are beaches here, but that's not why you come to Dominica.

It's really the Caribbean the way it used to be.

The mountains are high.

The waters are deep, but the real reason why you come here is because it's unspoiled and largely untouched.

So, get out your map because you're going to need it as I show you Dominica like a local.

[music] Getting from anywhere to Dominica is not that easy.

There are no nonstop flights from the U.S. here, so you've got to go through San Juan, Barbados, Antigua, even St. Martin on one of these Captain Skippy planes.

But guess what?

Once you're here, you're here.

And when you do finally arrive, you'll be amazed by the unspoiled wilderness the Island has to offer.

My recommendation, start the day by heading to the Cabrits National Park.

Here, you won't just find breathtaking views, you'll be able to learn about the history of Dominica.

Inside the park at the edge of the water is Fort Shirley.

The fort was built by the British in the 18th century, and once housed 600 soldiers.

Well, I think that most times when people come here they are aware of the historic nature of the site, but sometimes they don't realize that along with it comes many trails and ruined building.

And so, it's a great adventure, not only for coming here and seeing the views and learning about the history, but also experiencing the trails and the various viewpoints that we have got.

Peter: After you've taken in the bird's eye view of the Island, it's time to get a closer look.

And what better way to do that than, you guessed it, by boat?

[music] The Indian River is the largest river in Dominica and flows through the country's second largest town of Portsmouth.

Here's something you probably didn't know: the second installment of Pirates of the Caribbean was shot right here.

Next, for a truly local experience, head over to the Emerald Pool located in the Morne Trois Pitons National Park.

It's about a 10-minute hike through rainforests, but trust me, it's well worth the trip.

If you want even more sunny spots, head over to Trafalgar Twin Falls which is just what it sounds like: two towering waterfalls tucked into thick rain forest.

The whole area is full of surprises, like hot springs running right over the trail.

How cool is that?

Once you dry off, head up north where you'll find the model Kalinago village.

Opened in 2006, the village offers an up-close look at the traditions of the indigenous Kalinago people.

Traditions that continue strong to this day.

Here you can watch how the cassava root, a staple across much of the Caribbean, is peeled, prepared, and then baked into sweet cakes.

You can also observe the traditional basket making of the Kalinago.

It's a painstaking process, but the end result is truly one-of-a-kind.

From lush forests to mountains, to secret swimming holes, the Island offers adventures you won't soon forget or necessarily find in a brochure.

Hey, it may not be the typical Caribbean experience, and by the way, that's exactly why you go.

So, get off the beaten path and discover a side of the Caribbean you never thought existed.

[segment music] Peter: The general manager of a Lisbon hotel once told me that when you enter your room you should feel as if you're the first person who'd ever stayed in that room.

But for some hotel managers, it's really a challenge because their properties are literally hundreds of years old, and you can only imagine how many guests have stayed in those rooms.

But it's not about the old world charm, it's about history and real storytelling.

In Freiberg, Germany, for just $105 a night, you can stay in Zum Roten Baren Hotel that opened in 1311 A.D.

Despite a plague epidemic, and 30 years of war, from World War I and World War II, the hotel managed to keep its original layout and protect the artwork exhibited in its basement.

Maids Head Hotel in Norwich, England also has one of the longest histories of hospitality.

It's been in business for more than 800 years.

Located in the oldest part of Norwich dating back to Roman times, the hotel charges about $125 a night.

Guests get to dine in the original 15th century courtyard.

It was graced by Queen Catherine of Aragon and Queen Elizabeth I of England.

Both stayed in the hotel.

The oldest hotel in the world is Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan in Japan.

And by the oldest, I mean 1300 years old.

If you think that's impressive, you should also know that it's a family operated hotel, and it's been managed by 52 generations of the same family.

The hotel hosted Japan's 46th Emperor and first military dictator.

Charging $340 a night, it attracts the guests not just with its history, but also with its nearby hot springs and holy Mount Fuji.

As for the oldest operating hotel in the U.S., that would be the Beekman Arms Inn in Rhinebeck, just outside of New York City.

Opened in 1766, the hotel has managed to preserve its original appearance and colonial style.

It's known for hosting George Washington, Robert Livingston, and General Lafayette.

The cheapest room there will cost you 150 bucks a night.

That does it for this week.

I'll see you next time on another edition of The Travel Detective .

Announcer: Funding for this program is provided by... [music] Tourism Ireland.

Visitors can experience a warm welcome... [music] ...and a giant spirit... [music] ...that will fill your heart with Ireland.

[music] [music] And Virtuoso, a global network focused on luxury and experiential travel.

[music]