Kauaʻi is home to local businesses and artisans whose products make memorable gifts. From punny chocolate to exquisite jewelry, these delightful ideas from the Garden Isle will help get your holiday shopping started.
1. Rooster Poop from Aloha Spice Co.
Photo: Courtesy of Aloha Spice Co.
Aloha Spice Co., a charming shop in Hanapēpē, is known for its salts and spice rubs as well as creative gifts.
If you’ve visited the lush Garden Isle, you know chickens and roosters are everywhere. This bag of “rooster poop” isn’t just funny—it’s delicious, too. Inside are macadamia nuts covered in salted caramel and milk chocolate, finished with a dusting of red Hawaiian salt.
$6.95, alohaspice.com
2. Cacao Rum from Kōloa Rum
Photo: Courtesy of Kōloa Rum
Kōloa Rum is known for its premium spirits, which are distilled, blended and bottled in Kalāheo. This bottle, crafted with cacao from Lydgate Farms on Kauaʻi, makes a sweet gift for anyone who loves dessert-like spirits and cocktails.
You can find Kōloa Rum in select stores across the U.S. or online through various distributors. Search for a store carrying Kōloa Rum near you here.
3. Dark Chocolate from Lydgate Farms
Photo: Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA)/Ben Ono
For five generations, the Lydgate family has cultivated cacao on Kauaʻi to craft premium chocolate. The 46-acre farm also produces award-winning vanilla and honey. The signature 70% dark chocolate bar is an ideal gift for chocolate lovers, with a smooth texture and notes of tropical fruits and nuts.
$18, lydgatefarms.shop
4. Rooster Mug from Banana Patch Studio
Photo: Courtesy of Banana Patch Studio
Well known for its artistic community, Hanapēpē is home to Banana Patch Studio, where a collection of artisans create beautiful Island-inspired tiles, pottery, fine art and more. Featuring Kauaʻi’s trademark rooster, this hand-painted mug is a charming reminder of the island’s quirks and character.
$45.95, bananapatchstudio.com
5. High-Contrast Flash Cards by Hāpuʻu Designs
Photo: Courtesy of Hāpuʻu Designs
Founded by two local moms on Kauaʻi, Hāpuʻu Designs creates educational tools that support early childhood development through Hawaiian culture. My Hawaiʻi: High Contrast Flash Cards stimulate visual development while introducing keiki to native plants and animals, all with a foundation in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Great for new parents or parents-to-be, this set of 20 cards features hand-drawn Hawaiian imagery.
$22, hapuudesigns.com
6. “The Hawaiian Lifeguard”
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Written by Kalani Vierra, Kauaʻi’s Ocean Safety Bureau Chief, this exciting children’s book illustrates the important role of lifeguards at our beaches across Hawaiʻi and promotes ocean safety.
$14.95, amazon.com
7. Makai Soap Set from Keālia Organics
Photo: Courtesy of Keālia Organics
This wāhine-owned Hawaiian soap and body care company on Kauaʻi crafts all-natural products infused with Island ingredients, from pakalana and plumeria to coconut and ʻiliahi (sandalwood). Inspired by the sea, the Makai soap set features four mini soaps that transport ocean lovers to the island’s serene beaches.
$18, kealiaorganics.com
8. Apparel from Tamba Surf Company
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Established in Kapaʻa in 1997, Tamba Surf Company is a cornerstone of the island’s surf community. Along with surfboard rentals and leashes, Tamba offers rad t-shirts and aloha shirts. The shop rarely repeats its designs, so each piece feels like a collector’s item.
9. Niʻihau Shell Lei
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
Pūpū ʻo Niʻihau (Niʻihau shells) are natural gems woven into exquisite lei and jewelry. Collected from Niʻihau’s beaches, these tiny shells are painstakingly cleaned and sewn into treasured, museum-quality pieces. Some can take several years to complete. Shops like Kauaʻi Curators and ʻOhana offering stunning selections that make unforgettable gifts.
10.ʻUkulele from Kamoa Store
For decades, this multi-generational business in Kapaʻa has been known for its beautifully crafted ʻukulele. One of these unique instruments makes a meaningful and long-lasting gift.
Grace Maeda is the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.
