How does Kauai compare to Maui?

[klfrech]

I love Maui for all that it has to offer regarding scenery, etc. how does Kauai compare?

 

[Kitster]

I've never been to Maui, but here's a photo I took off the Na' Pali coast in Kauai last October.

 

[pigletgirl]

Here ya go:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29218-i304-k769217-Maui_vs_Kauai-Kauai_Hawaii.html

 

[Kitster]

One last photo ..... Kauai was absolutely beautiful!

 

[Wishing on a star]

OMG! Kitster, what boat tour were you on when you got that photo.

Kauai is one of the biggies on my bucket/wish lists!

Want to go see Napa Wine Country and the Pacific West Coast...
An Alaskan Cruise.

But, this is putting Kauai back on top of the list.

Ohhhh, so many travels and so little budget.
A girl can dream!

 

[jdb in AZ]

Both islands are beautiful. Kauai is called the Garden Isle for a reason. I think more movies have been filmed there than any of the other islands. We took a helicopter tour of Kauai and the pilot showed us where several different movies were filmed. Each helicopter passenger wears headphones (rotors too noisy to hear yourself think otherwise.) And of course every time we flew past a movie location the appropriate movie theme music played on our head phones. http://filmkauai.com/movies-made-on-kauai/

One of our favorite activities on Kauai was "tubing the ditch," riding on inner tubes down an old ditch formerly used to irrigate sugar cane fields. http://www.hawaiidiscount.com/activities/kauai/tubing/kauai-backcountry.htm

For whatever reason, Maui seems the friendliest to me. Kauai has more wild chickens roaming around, but that's another story.

 

[sonnyjane]

Been to both. Kauai is less developed - less restaurants, less nightlife. Both really great but I think I preferred Kauai! Maui had better snorkeling though.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Bumping this up again,

Where did you stay on Kauai?
North, closer to the Napoli Coast?

That is where I might consider, as I do want to see these areas on the North of the Island.

And, I would love to know if there is a higher recommended boat tour!

 

[sonnyjane]

Bumping this up again, Where did you stay on Kauai? North, closer to the Napoli Coast? That is where I might consider, as I do want to see these areas on the North of the Island. And, I would love to know if there is a higher recommended boat tour!

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Poipu (heaven on earth). We did a Na Pali tour through Captain Andy and had a great time. Poipu is on the south of the island but we rented a car and drove to the north one of the days to hike/snorkel. The Na Pali coast is accessible only by boat or hiking. You can't drive there.

 

[LJSquishy]

Kauai is best in terms of natural beauty. It's the most peaceful and the place to go if you want a serene place.

Maui is great because it has both natural beauty as well as being more developed with more things to do, etc...it's many people's favorite because it's the perfect hybrid...best of both.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Thanks SonnyJane!

 

[alicat8]

Kauai closes early-be prepared! We ended up spending tons on room service. Learned the hard way that 8 was too late to go out to dinner! But it's beautiful, quieter, slower than Maui. And you gotta go to puka dogs!

 

[sonnyjane]

Kauai closes early-be prepared! We ended up spending tons on room service. Learned the hard way that 8 was too late to go out to dinner! But it's beautiful, quieter, slower than Maui. And you gotta go to puka dogs!

Oh yesssss very true lol!! Even our hotel bar closed at 10.

 

[Tinkermommy]

We are going to Kauai this summer. We love to beach/hike and eat dinner early so seems like a great fit for my family.

We are also staying in a condo so will have a full kitchen to use if we want. The condo has outdoor barbeques we can use as well.

Here is our condo. Fairly new and the units look very nice. I love that we will have more space than a hotel room (and a washer/dryer).

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...Waipouli_Beach_Resort-Kapaa_Kauai_Hawaii.html

 

[Andtototoo]

For us, Kauai was a day trip island, whereas Maui was worth nearly a week. We found that doing the Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast were about it and we were done. (We had 3 days there and it was a struggle to find enough to do.)

 

[bethy]

For us, Kauai was a day trip island, whereas Maui was worth nearly a week. We found that doing the Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast were about it and we were done. (We had 3 days there and it was a struggle to find enough to do.)

So interesting! My parents are very active vacation people and super outdoorsy and into hiking, etc. They've spent 3 weeks on Kauai for each of the past 3 winters and never run out of things to do. They aren't big sit on the beach people but they do like to wander around and catch sunsets, etc. Their favorite thing to do is Snorkel. They also like Maui but Kauai is their fav.

I've been to all the islands and my fav is actually Oahu.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Poipu (heaven on earth). We did a Na Pali tour through Captain Andy and had a great time. Poipu is on the south of the island but we rented a car and drove to the north one of the days to hike/snorkel. The Na Pali coast is accessible only by boat or hiking. You can't drive there.

This is correct, but, you can drive up the Waimaea (I know I either missed a few vowels or added a few, I'm sorry!) canyon to the top of the Na Pali coast and see it from there, it's an amazing view!

We did the drive, then did the helicopter tour, then did a snorkel trip with Trilogy and saw the coast from 3 different perspectives, it's really truly beautiful.

Kaui is the lushest of the islands, so there's more vegetation, it's a much slower pace, but we really enjoyed it. Flumin' the Ditch was a lot of fun.

 

[jdb in AZ]

The botanical gardens in Kauai are worth a visit too. Not that I'm really into plants (and have a black thumb) but the guide really made it fascinating. Showed us where different scenes from Jurassic Park, and Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed. Fern Grotto is also nice. http://www.smithskauai.com/fern_grotto.html

On the other hand, if you opt to visit Maui, the road to Hana is really something. All those curves are enough to make you seasick, but if you slow down and drive the speed limit, the natives will pass you like you're standing still. But the scenery is worth it, IMHO. Another favorite on Maui is Mama's Fish House. Pricey(!) but the food is better than any luau we've been to. Mama's menu changes daily and even lists the name of the fisherman who brought in the catch of the day. The macadamia-nut encrusted mahi mahi stuffed with crab is absolutely to die for. DH isn't much of a seafood fan but he wished he'd ordered it instead of the ribs (which were still better than your average ribs.) We made reservations weeks in advance and ended up with the best seats in the house. It's open-air with a roof, tho they could lower bamboo walls if necessary. Our table was right next to the beach, so the view was as marvelous as the food. http://mamasfishhouse.com/

 

[Wishing on a star]

I am going to go look up Trilogy....

We wouldn't run out of things to do, because we do like the scenery, beaches, etc!!!! Things like dining, shopping, etc just wouldn't be on our list.
Not that I don't love those things... But maybe not what I am looking for at Hawaii.
Different strokes for different strokes!

Should we stay South, and take day trips up north?
I would like to focus on the North.... See the Napoli Coast, etc.. That is the big draw for me. But, accommodations seem so limited. There is the one nice resort, talking $500.00 a night... But other than that, seems like smaller more rustic accommodations with no amenities.

Also, I don't know of any larger catamaran boats, like Captain Andy, that leave from the North coast/Princeville. Not sure about being on a smaller boat!!!!

I am thinking that it is the Hyatt where I have read it seemed over-crowded... no room at the pool etc???

I see reasonable accommodations outside of Princeville at Hanalei Bay Resort (but def. not a full service resort.. rental condo units...) renovations to all units should be complete. But, still not sure.

I really wonder how we would keep our bodies fed, if things are so limited up there?

All flights come in thru Honolulu, right... so we could do a big full-service hotel there, and then a few days in the North of Kauai? And just deal with the smaller boat (but shorter trip) to tour the Napoli Coast.

 

[shortbun]

Just sayin', Kauai is the wettest island. It rains a lot there. When I was a fledgling travel agent, I was unaware of the rain issue and I planned a Honeymoon for a friend-10 days on Kauai. It was in June and it rained the whole time. I'm talking all day rains. The rain is why Kauai is so lush.