Hawaii help

I went to Kauai for a week last winter and it was GORGEOUS. We went in December and it was 70/80 degrees the whole time. Sorry, I am horrible at spelling and probably everything on here will be misspelled.... it is phonetically spelled though. We used the Ultimate Kauai Guide book to plan where we went. It was really helpful and has some good tips.

we stayed in Lihui. (I can't remember where... it was a friend's time share) I liked that because it was pretty central to everything we did. We drove just about as far north and south as you could.

If you like rum, go to Koloa Rum... they do free tasting every hour I believe. They also have coffee plantation (totally separate from Koloa Rum... I think it is just Kauai Coffee) that you can walk through.. and sample about 40 flavors of coffee. YUM

Definitely the Na Pai coast. We took a day trip and saw whales and dolphins and did some snorkeling. Coast was gorgeous.

Wamaia Canyon is also awesome. There are trails all over. I wish we had had more time to explore them...

We also did the Kauai ATV tour. The trails weren't that amazing but we got to see a lot of places movies were filmed at. Like drive through the Indiana Jones tunnel

We also stopped at the farmer's market (I think it is on Saturday?) and picked up some fresh fruit. (We are from alaska so it was AMAZING as far as we were concerned) There is also a market near where the spouting horn (which you should check out in itself). they have all sorts of stuff for sale... mostly pearls. I think I got a necklace for $7. Really an awesome market.

Pretty much, the whole place is gorgeous. Whatever you do, you probably won't go wrong.


Ke'e Beach


Glass Beach


ATV Tour


I stalked this fish forever trying to take a picture of it...


My really horrible picture of the Na Pai coast... Really doesn't begin to do it justice.

 

I zipped through other peoples comments and didnt see anything about this- Rent a Jeep. You will be able to see a lot more island with some clearance and 4wd. Ive been there twice, once on my honeymoon and once with my family when I was younger. I wished that I had rented a Jeep on my honeymoon. Just explore and have fun. Like others have mentioned, the island is small and you'll be able to see more of it if you can drive on the dirt roads.

One of my favorite places was Polihale State Park. Its at the end of a long dirt road. You typically dont see very many people there.

 

This is great! Thank you for all the recommendations!

 

Like 808renato said...
That beach is perfect...local markets and eateries.
I went in October, visited na Pali coast...waimea canyon...the falls.
And it does pain me to say it, but you probably should rent a heep 4x, much more fun than anything else available and you can climb some red rocks with it too.
The north shore with princeville is amazing. No pressure, but you probably should take wifey to a nice dinner there.
And if you play golf, there's some of the best courses I've ever played.

 

Good tips everyone. I plan on taking my wife to Kauai next spring for a week. Definitely curious as to what should be seen/done.

I like the renting a heep idea.

Keep the ideas coming...

Would you guys recommend a particular hotel? Was thinking about Princeville. Are there all-inclusive type resorts there, or is that not recommended?

 

Chris and Julie, did you guys go already or are you still planning? I'm from Kauai so I could put out more suggestions.

 

Good idea. Will keep that in mind. For the ATV tour in the rain forest to the caves, do you have a specific company/tour/route to take? Would like to make a reservation of an incredible tour.

 

Hey Angel, I will be going to Kauai next April/May. Would like to hear your recommendations.

 

I believe the name of that company is Kauai ATV. Here is the link: http://www.kauaiatv.com/

Ok here I go...might be little long winded. When deciding where to stay on Kauai I reccommend 1st finding out where on the island you will be spending most of your time. Staying in Lihue near the airport or in Poipu on the south side seems to be the most "central" places to stay. Reason I bring this up is due to traffic. Yes it is an island but traffic can be bad. Someone earlier suggested staying in Princeville on the East side which is a beautiful place, but if you find yourself going to the south side or west side a lot it becomes a hassle when transitting. When everyone is either going to work or leaving work there tends to be a larger back up in traffic going east. As for activities of course there are a ton. ATV tours, Helicopter tours, boat tours normal tourist stuff easily found on the internet. Self exploration things to do: Polihale beach to just hang out and have a pinic. Kokee state park for some nice hiking and beautiful scenery. Ke'e beach for some great snorkeling. Kayaking wailua river or riding on Fern grotto tours. More hiking could include Sleeping Giant in Wailua or even Hanakapi'ai. Places to eat is another thing easily found online but I recommend in no order Hamura Saimin, Tip top, Keoki's, Puka dogs, The bull shed, Kinatro Japanese Restaurant, The shrimp station, The Feral Pig (little brother works there), The Fish Express (on the go food). Uncle's Shave Ice is fairly new but awesome. I probably have a lot more to info to offer but nothing is coming to mind at the moment. If you got any questions just let me know.

 

Cool, well I posted some above your post, but if you have any specific questions feel free to ask. I try to go back once a year because both my wife's and my parents still live there. Kind of mandatory now that we have our daughter.

 

Then log out when you're done. We haven't gone yet, but hopefully next year so all suggestions are appreciated. Maybe Chris will even get to go with me!

 

Lol, it's ok Chris I know the feeling when the wife steals the computer. I'm going home at the end of January next year to celebrate my daughters 1st birthday. If you guys decide to go around that time you are more than welcome to come and eat. Get some Local (mostly filipino) food.

 

Hey guys! Planning a trip to Kauai is a lot of fun. It's one of my favorite places in the world and I plan to go back soon. The scenery is incredible. I like to stay on the south western side of the island because it's little to no traffic and it's private. I'm also retired military so I get to stay on base at the beach cottages for $80 per night. The ATV tour is a lot of fun like others have said. If you continue on the road heading out west (past barking sands) you will eventually hit a dirt road (no jeep necessary) to the beaches and hiking trails right before the Napoli coast...incredible!! There is a lot to do, but be prepared to get it all done by 7pm as this is an early to bed island (for planning meals that is). The Waimea brewery....oh yeah!
And, there is a trail head that takes you to overlook the napoli coast...I'll try to pinpoint it for you...it's worth it!

 

I am also from Kauai if you need help, and I still live here.