Kauai

The island of Kauai is the westernmost inhabited portion of the Hawaiian islands that one can visit, and the Hawaiian islands are located further from any continent than any other islands in the world. Kauai’s location, combined with its sub-tropical weather, its Hawaiian culture, its unique vegetation, and its stunning landscape can make PCAB seem like a study abroad program that maintains the comforts of a familiar language, familiar products in stores, and ease of communication with the “mainland”. Unlike most massage programs, most of our students travel thousands of miles to attend our program, the westernmost massage school in the world.

Kauai offers an endless array of beautiful adventures. The size and population of Kauai is less than Oahu, Maui, or the Big Island, but it possesses more beachline than all of the other Hawaiian islands combined–most students pass a dozen incredible beaches on their way to school. Kauai also has the only navigable river in the state, Waimea Canyon (also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific), and the world-famous NaPali coast trail to Kalalau Valley, which is consistently rated the most beautiful coastal trail in the world year after year by National Geographic. Opportunities for surfing, scuba diving, paddle boarding, zip lining, hiking, enjoying waterfalls, beach volleyball, biking along coastal trails, disc golf, and ultimate frisbee are readily available.

The weather in Kauai is very consistent and balmy. Most days involve both sunshine, rain, and rainbows. The winter months *usually* have more rain and wind, while spring and summer have more sun, but this pattern is by no means dependable. Winter highs are usually in the mid-70s while summer highs are usually in the mid-80s. Average nighttime temperatures in the winter are in the upper 60s. There’s no place in the USA that maintains such steady temperatures year round, other than Puerto Rico. Some say Kauai is like coastal Costa Rica without the hot temperatures.

Kauai is a rural community composed of 60,000 people that live primarily along the perimeter of the island. There is an approximately equal mix of ancestries (European, Japanese, Filipino, Chinese, and Hawaiian). The small size of the island as well as its recent political history and the economic realities of living on a remote island all combine to create a politically engaged citizenry with an aloha spirit. The area near our location has many organic farms and farmers markets, including Kilauea on Thursdays and Saturdays, Hanalei on Saturdays, and Kapaa on Wednesdays. There are also restaurants and grocery stores in Hanalei, Princeville, Kilauea, and Kapa’a, and there are monthly Art Walks in Kilauea and Kapa’a.