Going to Hawaii! Need Info on Kauai!

[Michelemouse]

Hi All,

We just found out that our DVC exchange came through and we're going to Hawaii in Oct. '05. Now I need to learn all I can about Kauai and what there is to do there.

Have any of you ever been to Kauai? Any suggestions on not-to-miss things? Can you tell how excited I am as I type this?????

<Breathe...breathe...breathe...>

Okay, TIA.

 

[Deb in IA]

Congratulations!!

We honeymooned on Kauai 15 years ago, so we have lots of great memories.

Don't miss Waimea Canyon -- the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, as Mark Twain called it.

Also, if you can, save a day or two to hike along the Na'a Pali coast -- it's beautiful!

The beach where they filmed "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific is on Kauai, but it has the very un-romantic name of Blood Beach, because it has such a strong undertow, so many swimmers have died there!!

But most of all, just enjoy the scenery. Kauai is such a lush, tropical place with such unusual geography that many, many movie scenes have been filmed there -- remember Raiders of the Lost Ark, in the opening, where Indy is running through the jungle toward his amphibious plane? Look for it in Kauai.

Have a great time!!!

 

[DawnCt]

Definately get the blue book by Wizard Publications, Kauai Revealed (I think). There is only one book on Kauai by that publisher so the name isn't that important...and its blue. Do you know which coast you will be staying on? The northshore can be rainy, especially during the winter months but it is not to be missed. Consider taking a boat tour along the Na Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon of course, the sunnier Poipu Beach area, etc. It isn't called the garden isle for nothing!

 

[binny]

ohhhhhhhh I just got back 2 weeks ago!

What all do you want to know?


My absolute first dont miss is the Na Pali sunset dinner cruise!! OMGOSH it was heavenly!! We went with Kauai Sea Tours 808-826-7254 They were the BEST! we had such a blast with them!!
( I happen to have their postcard here lol)



Where are you staying?

More details lol


I loved Kauai and would go back in a heartbeat!!!

 

[Alice28]

I lived in Kauai for a summer in 1991; it's been a long time but I can tell you that you're in for a treat! As other's have said, the Waimea Canyon is really neat, and there are lots of great beaches. Where are you staying? I lived in Kilauea for 2 months, which is the northern tip, near Princeville. There are some very nice resorts in Princeville, as well as some nice beaches!

 

[soccerchick]

Are you staying on the North or south side? and for how long?

Save your money and splurge on brunch at the Princeville Hotel. The scenery is amazing ~ you sit out and watch the surfers in Hanalei Bay and the food is to die for.

There are several good restaurants in Hanalei and Kapaa that we frequented.

Definitely do the Waimea Canyon. We did an EARLY morning bike ride. You get into a van and the company takes you to the top of the canyon. They provide a continental breakfast and then lead you down the canyon on bikes. Very cool. The company was out of Lihue.

Definitely do the NaPali coast hike. You can hike 2 miles in to a beach -- don't go too close to the water's edge though. That is as far as we got. On our next trip out we plan to go all the way to the waterfalls.

Take time to explore the different beaches, including ones in Poi Pu (spelling??) where you can see sea lions come in from the ocean to rest. One of our visits was in Feb. and you can see the humpback whales as they travel south.

We also took a helicopter ride on our first visit, which was impressive.

We used a book called Kauai Underground, which had tons of info.

The island is getting very busy as the real estate and tourism markets have skyrocketed, so I am sure it is a little different than our last trip there in 1999. We hope to return soon.

 

[nativetxn]

You lucky thing! I've never been to Hawaii. I want to go someday, though

 

[Michelemouse]

First of all...thanks so much for all of the help so far.

Okay...more details were wanted...more details you will get!

We will be staying on Kauai for one week next October. We are hoping to get the week before or the week after our Kauai stay on the Big Island through another DVC exchange.

Our trade is through the Hanalei Bay Resort. When I first put in for an exchange I did some research and only came up with good things about this property. Today, however, I am a bit disconcerted to find many reviews that found the place less than great. If anyone here can put my mind at ease on this point I would be greatful. We aren't very picky and as long as our room has no bugs or bad smells we'll be fine.

There are four of us going...me39, DH38, DD11 and DS9. We definitely want to do a luau one evening and Waimea Canyon is already on our list. Does anyone know if it is feasible to drive to the canyon on our own. I think we will have a rental car for the week and are fairly independent. The sunset cruise sounds terrific and I will definitely check that out.

The kids would like to take a surfing lesson or two. Does anyone know of a good place in/near Princeville/Hanalei? They are good swimmers but have never tried surfing before.

How about restaurants. We prefer casual, local-hangout types of places with foods that are unique to the destination, nothing too fancy. We'll have a kitchen and will be eating breakfast in the room each day.

Thanks again for your help. I'm sure that I"ll have more questions as I go along. I did buy the Kauai Revealed book and will read it cover to cover!

 

[Want2liveatWDW]

How cool.
We are going to oahu for Easter week and can't wait.
There are lots of websites. I'm going to post a few.
Hope they help.
Have fun


gohawaii.com


This one you book tours and stuff through:

Hawaii travel network

 

[raidermatt]

Its no problem to drive to Waimea Canyon. There are several places to park.

There are 1/2 day boat tours around the Napali Coast, and most also have snorkeling. I highly recommend taking one of these. Hiking is great too, its just that the one thing you miss is the great view of the coast from a boat.

There are also helicopter tours, which we haven't tried yet. More expensive (per hour) than the boat tours, which is why we've stuck with the boat. But the helicoptor tours look to be well worth it.

Luau- Smith's Hawaiian Luau is excellent. Don't be scared off by the non-Hawaiian sounding name. The only problem was that its not on the beach. Arrive early and you can tour their expansive gardens in a tram, or via walking. The dinner entertainment is live "Don Ho" type music. After dinner, there is a show in an outdoor theatre that has a "volcano" as a backdrop, and has performances of various Polynesian and Asian dancing.

Restaurants: I'm bad with remembering names and places with certainty, so I'll have to look some up. I know there are several nice but casual local spots in Hanalei.

There are also some good ones in the Poipu area.

 

[KrnB]

We went there for our honeymoon last May. Kauai is absolute heaven!

We stayed in Kapaa, so I'm a bit more familiar with the restaurants in that area. I would highly recommend Coconuts for a nicer restaurant (but not one you have to dress up for necessarily). There's a really good Japanese restaurant in Kapaa too (Kintaro) - with really good Mai Tai's

At the Coconut Marketplace in Kapaa, there are a couple good restaurants - Eggberts has great breakfasts (their Eggs Benedict is their specialty) and there is a burger place (Burgers & More, or something like that) that is towards the back of the mall.

In Hanalei, you gotta try Bubba's Burgers.

Smith's Tropical Luau was really good - the grounds there are beautiful. And the food was good too.

I would recommend renting a Jeep rather than a regular car, as that gives you more options for getting around the island. There is a great beach that is about 5 miles off the end of the road on the southwest side of the island. It takes you to the southern part of the Na Pali coast. It's a beach where the locals hang out.

We took a helicopter tour on our first day of our trip, which was great because it gave us a great view of the island from above before we explored down below.

For Waimea Canyon, we drove up the highway as far into the mountains as it would let us (which is about 10 miles or so, if I remember correctly). There are great lookout points on both sides of the mountain, which give you great views of the Canyon and of the Na Pali coast. There are lots of good hiking and 4x4 trails that are free, as they are a part of a national (or is it state?) park.

If you like horseback riding, the Princeville Stables have some nice tours that take you out to a privately-owned waterfall (owned by the stable). You have lunch out there and get the chance to go for a short swim under the waterfall.

We also did a boat/snorkeling tour on the Na Pali coast. We went on smaller boat, which got us to a great reef to snorkel in. It was a family owned business, with the father and son running the catamaran and the mother who prepared lunch (homemade cookies for dessert)

Have a fabulous time!!

 

[binny]

BTW I PM'ed you

 

[raidermatt]

Restaurants-

Almost all are bascially casual places, with the exception of some in the resorts, like at the Princeville. Still casual by mainland standards...

Zelo's Beach House in Hanalei - Good food, open air or indoor seating. Hanalei has a wonderful "quaint" atmosphere.

Hanalei Mixed Plate - Good for lunch.

Brennecke's in Poipu - Good food, beach views.

Duke's at Kalapaki Beach, and Keoki's Paradise in Poipu - I listed these together because they are essentially the same restaurant. They are part of a chain that also includes Kimo's. Very similar, if not identical menus. I love their teriyaki steak. As with most hawaiian restaurants, open air seating. Duke's is right on the beach, while Keoki's is a bit inland, in a shopping center.

There's also a Roy's in Poipu.... I believe in the same center as Keoki's. More upscale, and very over-priced imho, but many people love it. Definitely a quality over quantity type place. Good atmosphere and service.

Hope that helps.

There is a great beach that is about 5 miles off the end of the road on the southwest side of the island. It takes you to the southern part of the Na Pali coast.

That's Polihale Beach, and yes it is very nice. You will wonder just where in the heck the road is taking you, but it is a great beach.

 

[KrnB]

Originally posted by raidermatt
That's Polihale Beach, and yes it is very nice. You will wonder just where in the heck the road is taking you, but it is a great beach. [/B]

Yep! That's the one. My favorite pic from the whole trip is of my DH and I standing on the beach with the steep cliffs of Na Pali behind us. We sat out there and watche the sun set while enjoying a bottle of wine... *sigh* that's my happy place.

And the drive there and back was half the fun. Not the kind of road you'd want to take a PT Cruiser or a Mustang - we saw a few of those, and they looked like they were going to get swallowed by the potholes!

 

[disykat]

Does anyone know if you can camp on that beach? I have memories from 30 years ago camping on a strip of beach with cliffs rising behind us. There were definately campsites and one other family camping there too.

It was definately one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in my life. The stars at night were amazing - I felt like I was at the end of the earth.

 

[Michelemouse]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice and tips! Our trip is 18 months away but I plan to use that time to its full advantage, learning all I can about this beautiful place I have never been to before.

Thanks again!

 

[KrnB]

Originally posted by disykat
Does anyone know if you can camp on that beach? I have memories from 30 years ago camping on a strip of beach with cliffs rising behind us. There were definately campsites and one other family camping there too.

It was definately one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in my life. The stars at night were amazing - I felt like I was at the end of the earth.

I would think that you could. There were some pavillions that you would normally see in a campground area.

That really would be an amazing place to camp out!