5 Weeks in Kauai Trip Report - Part 1
Jul 27th, 2006, 04:47 PM
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5 Weeks in Kauai Trip Report - Part 1
Aloha! We've returned from paradise and it was even better than we remembered from our last trip to Kauai 20 years ago! This trip was amazing, not just because it was Kauai, but because I retired the week before so for the first time ever, I took a FIVE WEEK vacation! It was wonderful!
And a big mahalo to all of you who helped me plan and patiently answered all my questions. You're the best!
I'm not quite sure how to do a trip report covering 5 weeks without boring ya'll silly! So instead of a detailed report, I'm going to break it down into sections -- lodging, dining, beaches, and activities. Then if you have questions, I'll be happy to answer them.
Lodging:
Week 1 - we stayed in a private home in the Ha'ena area. It is owned by a couple from our hometown who put it up for a charity auction each year and we had the good fortune to have the winning bid! It was wonderful - a lovely 3 bedroom, 2 bath, wrap around covered deck, beach & mountain views, one house in from the beach and beautiful, lush landscaping. We felt like we were in the middle of the jungle! Very cool! And very secluded. It's on a private road, steps to Makua (Tunnels) Beach, near Ha'ena Point. Uncrowded beach, lots of shells, stunning sunrises & sunsets, good snorkeling. It was a great experience and we'll definitely go back to this house!
Weeks 2 & 3: The Cliffs Resort, Princeville. We chose the Cliffs primarily for their tennis courts! I know, I know...we can play tennis at home but we love it and it's a priority. The courts did not disappoint, very nice and well maintained. The pool was tiny and crowded. The unit was nice enough. Recently remodeled, 1 bedroom, 2 bath with ocean views. This was a huge change from the Ha'ena house but we liked Princeville very much. If we return to Princeville, we would stay at the Hanalei Bay Resort...good resturant and bar, nice tennis courts and beach access and spectacular views.
Weeks 4 & 5: Poipu Sands #212 (part of Poipu Kai Resort). For these two weeks, my husband returned home & my college roommate joined me as part of our joint retirement celebration. First trip to Hawaii for her so I chose the sunny side (although we had great weather on the north shore). This was a great unit, located right next door to the Grand Hyatt with Shipwreck Beach views. This unit has been recently remodeled and it's very, very nice and clean and comfortable. The owner was very accessible and helpful and really went the extra mile. For example, an hour after we arrived, he called to make sure everything was ok. He sent us candy and he for delivery of the Garden Isle newspaper as well as high speed internet service. Nice touches. We like this place a lot. The grounds were beautifully landscaped and well maintained; the pool was clean and it was just a nice area, good vibes there. And it was very nice being a sort walk to the Hyatt for cocktails/pupus and meals and the spa there. I highly recommend this condo if you're interested in the Poipu area. You can see it at www.vrbo.com/44038
Next up, dining and sunset cocktail locations!
And a big mahalo to all of you who helped me plan and patiently answered all my questions. You're the best!
I'm not quite sure how to do a trip report covering 5 weeks without boring ya'll silly! So instead of a detailed report, I'm going to break it down into sections -- lodging, dining, beaches, and activities. Then if you have questions, I'll be happy to answer them.
Lodging:
Week 1 - we stayed in a private home in the Ha'ena area. It is owned by a couple from our hometown who put it up for a charity auction each year and we had the good fortune to have the winning bid! It was wonderful - a lovely 3 bedroom, 2 bath, wrap around covered deck, beach & mountain views, one house in from the beach and beautiful, lush landscaping. We felt like we were in the middle of the jungle! Very cool! And very secluded. It's on a private road, steps to Makua (Tunnels) Beach, near Ha'ena Point. Uncrowded beach, lots of shells, stunning sunrises & sunsets, good snorkeling. It was a great experience and we'll definitely go back to this house!
Weeks 2 & 3: The Cliffs Resort, Princeville. We chose the Cliffs primarily for their tennis courts! I know, I know...we can play tennis at home but we love it and it's a priority. The courts did not disappoint, very nice and well maintained. The pool was tiny and crowded. The unit was nice enough. Recently remodeled, 1 bedroom, 2 bath with ocean views. This was a huge change from the Ha'ena house but we liked Princeville very much. If we return to Princeville, we would stay at the Hanalei Bay Resort...good resturant and bar, nice tennis courts and beach access and spectacular views.
Weeks 4 & 5: Poipu Sands #212 (part of Poipu Kai Resort). For these two weeks, my husband returned home & my college roommate joined me as part of our joint retirement celebration. First trip to Hawaii for her so I chose the sunny side (although we had great weather on the north shore). This was a great unit, located right next door to the Grand Hyatt with Shipwreck Beach views. This unit has been recently remodeled and it's very, very nice and clean and comfortable. The owner was very accessible and helpful and really went the extra mile. For example, an hour after we arrived, he called to make sure everything was ok. He sent us candy and he for delivery of the Garden Isle newspaper as well as high speed internet service. Nice touches. We like this place a lot. The grounds were beautifully landscaped and well maintained; the pool was clean and it was just a nice area, good vibes there. And it was very nice being a sort walk to the Hyatt for cocktails/pupus and meals and the spa there. I highly recommend this condo if you're interested in the Poipu area. You can see it at www.vrbo.com/44038
Next up, dining and sunset cocktail locations!
Jul 27th, 2006, 05:05 PM
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Wow -- 5 weeks! Impressive 
Congrats on retiring, what an exciting time for you! People in our families razz us for taking 2 weeks of vacation time! We are headed to Hawaii for our 3rd time next week, but it's our 1st time to Kauai, so I can't wait to read the rest of your TR.
Congrats on retiring, what an exciting time for you! People in our families razz us for taking 2 weeks of vacation time! We are headed to Hawaii for our 3rd time next week, but it's our 1st time to Kauai, so I can't wait to read the rest of your TR.
Jul 27th, 2006, 06:36 PM
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Kal - coming home after 5 weeks was VERY hard! To get on the plane, I had to promise myself we'd return next year.
Beachgirl86 - since you're leaving next week, I'll try to hurry and get this trip report done so it might be of some use to you.
Dining
This is going to be hard because I think we ate at every single restaurant ever recommended on this forum! Maybe not all but it seems like it! Instead of commenting on each one, I'm going to mention our favorites, the places we recommend.
On the North Shore, our very favorites were Postcards, Bali Hi, and Sabellas. We had incredible meals and very good service at each. We also had good meals at Hanalei Dolphin, Polynesian Cafe, Zelos, Cafe Hanalei. If you like to cook, try the fish market behind the Hanalei Dolphin. The restaurants were great about sharing recipes so we had some great meals in too!
On the South Shore, our favorites were Roys and Tidepools. Also had good meals at the Beach House, Keoki's, and Gaylords.
The only place we ate on the East Shore was Duke's Barefoot Bar for lunch. Good fish sandwich, beachside, fun people watching spot.
SUNSET COCKTAILS
We always try to take in the sunset, preferably with a tasty, cold cocktail in hand! Our favorite sunset spots:
North Shore:
Hands down, Makua (Tunnels)Beach! Steps from our house, G&T in hand, company of our best friends, incredible view, typically the only people on the beach...priceless!
Bali Hi Restaurant and Happy Talk Bar at the Hanalei Bay Resort. Gorgeous, dramatic views and to-die-for coconut shrimp!
The Living Room at the Princeville Hotel - similar view but with a pianist! Nice
South Shore:
Beach House Restuarant. Beautiful plus they make a mean martini!
Sheraton Point - very nice view but crowded
Seaview Terrace at the Grand Hyatt. Not much of a sunset view but nice ocean view & great pupus plus live music --- beautiful Hawaiian music of the Leilani Rivera Band.
Miscellaneous Recos - JoJos in Waimea for Shave Ice and Banana Joes (near Kilauea for smoothies, fresh fruit & vegetables and a fresh pineapple salsa -- served it with fresh opa from the fish market!
Next up, BEACHES!
Beachgirl86 - since you're leaving next week, I'll try to hurry and get this trip report done so it might be of some use to you.
Dining
This is going to be hard because I think we ate at every single restaurant ever recommended on this forum! Maybe not all but it seems like it! Instead of commenting on each one, I'm going to mention our favorites, the places we recommend.
On the North Shore, our very favorites were Postcards, Bali Hi, and Sabellas. We had incredible meals and very good service at each. We also had good meals at Hanalei Dolphin, Polynesian Cafe, Zelos, Cafe Hanalei. If you like to cook, try the fish market behind the Hanalei Dolphin. The restaurants were great about sharing recipes so we had some great meals in too!
On the South Shore, our favorites were Roys and Tidepools. Also had good meals at the Beach House, Keoki's, and Gaylords.
The only place we ate on the East Shore was Duke's Barefoot Bar for lunch. Good fish sandwich, beachside, fun people watching spot.
SUNSET COCKTAILS
We always try to take in the sunset, preferably with a tasty, cold cocktail in hand! Our favorite sunset spots:
North Shore:
Hands down, Makua (Tunnels)Beach! Steps from our house, G&T in hand, company of our best friends, incredible view, typically the only people on the beach...priceless!
Bali Hi Restaurant and Happy Talk Bar at the Hanalei Bay Resort. Gorgeous, dramatic views and to-die-for coconut shrimp!
The Living Room at the Princeville Hotel - similar view but with a pianist! Nice
South Shore:
Beach House Restuarant. Beautiful plus they make a mean martini!
Sheraton Point - very nice view but crowded
Seaview Terrace at the Grand Hyatt. Not much of a sunset view but nice ocean view & great pupus plus live music --- beautiful Hawaiian music of the Leilani Rivera Band.
Miscellaneous Recos - JoJos in Waimea for Shave Ice and Banana Joes (near Kilauea for smoothies, fresh fruit & vegetables and a fresh pineapple salsa -- served it with fresh opa from the fish market!
Next up, BEACHES!
Jul 27th, 2006, 07:58 PM
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jamalty - maybe I'll see you there! By the way, how do I view the smiley page?
Ok, on to BEACHES....
We went to so many beaches, it’s hard to remember them all but I’ll try to give you our take on the ones I do remember!
North Shore beaches:
Makua (Tunnels) Beach - spent a lot of time on this beach. See my comments under “sunset cocktails” This beach was always uncrowded, except by the public park and Tunnels Reef - lots of snorkelers up that way. But further south, where we were staying, there were never many people. Tons of sea shells & incredible “Bali Hi” view. Aside from snorkeling, we did not swim there.
Anini Beach - very narrow beach but pretty, uncrowded the day we were there and swimable.
Secret Beach - awesome, uncrowded, wide beach but a long hike down and a lung busting hike back up. No swimming the day we were there.
Ke’e – we were all a bit disappointed in Ke’e. We went early to hike the Kalalau Trail so we had no trouble with parking but after we hiked and snorkeled, it was packed. The snorkeling was only so-so and the beach was dirty. We didn’t return.
Lumahai Beach – beautiful but not swimable the day we were there. This is where they filmed Mitzi Gaynor “washing that man right out of her hair” in “South Pacific.”
Hanalei Bay Beach - what can I say….this beach is just incredibly beautiful! Very swimable, wide beach. And it was never crowded!
Princeville Beach – access through the hotel but other than that, good snorkeling and very swimable.
Kalihiwai Beach – very pretty little bay and nice beach. This too was very swimable.
East Shore beaches:
Lydgate State Park beach – this was a crowded beach but the perfect spot to teach my friend how to snorkel. Lots of fish too!
Ninini Beach by the Lihui Marriot – nice little beach, good swimming, lots of surfers and close to restaurants and shops.
South Shore beaches:
Gillin’s Beach, Kawailoa Bay and Ha’ula Beach -- we took the dirt road past the Hyatt to find some these beaches. For the most part, we were the only people there! They might have been swimable but we were content to sit and relax! They were all beautiful!
Shipwreck Beach – every morning for our 2 weeks in Poipu, we would take our coffee down to this beach (and very nice of the Hyatt to provide the swings!). There were always a lot of people swimming here in spite of all the posted warnings. The cliff to the south is Makawehi Point and people will hike up and jump!
Brennecke and Poipu beaches were both very crowded and not near as nice as what I remember from 20 years ago. I wonder if they were hit especially hard by Iniki?
Kiahuna/Sheraton beach – this was a fun beach. Crowded but fun, very swimable but strong enough waves to make it interesting! We stayed at Kiahuna 20 years ago and the beach was nice then too.
Lawai Beach – this is a tiny beach at the Beach House restaurant. Swimable, good snorkeling, very rocky. The day we were there, a Monk Seal had beached himself to rest. Authorities came shortly after to keep people away. We were told that there are only 1300 Monk Seals in the world and they are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act so it was incredible to see one up close.
Next up, activities/excursions and miscellaneous stuff. Let me know if you have any questions!
Ok, on to BEACHES....
We went to so many beaches, it’s hard to remember them all but I’ll try to give you our take on the ones I do remember!
North Shore beaches:
Makua (Tunnels) Beach - spent a lot of time on this beach. See my comments under “sunset cocktails” This beach was always uncrowded, except by the public park and Tunnels Reef - lots of snorkelers up that way. But further south, where we were staying, there were never many people. Tons of sea shells & incredible “Bali Hi” view. Aside from snorkeling, we did not swim there.
Anini Beach - very narrow beach but pretty, uncrowded the day we were there and swimable.
Secret Beach - awesome, uncrowded, wide beach but a long hike down and a lung busting hike back up. No swimming the day we were there.
Ke’e – we were all a bit disappointed in Ke’e. We went early to hike the Kalalau Trail so we had no trouble with parking but after we hiked and snorkeled, it was packed. The snorkeling was only so-so and the beach was dirty. We didn’t return.
Lumahai Beach – beautiful but not swimable the day we were there. This is where they filmed Mitzi Gaynor “washing that man right out of her hair” in “South Pacific.”
Hanalei Bay Beach - what can I say….this beach is just incredibly beautiful! Very swimable, wide beach. And it was never crowded!
Princeville Beach – access through the hotel but other than that, good snorkeling and very swimable.
Kalihiwai Beach – very pretty little bay and nice beach. This too was very swimable.
East Shore beaches:
Lydgate State Park beach – this was a crowded beach but the perfect spot to teach my friend how to snorkel. Lots of fish too!
Ninini Beach by the Lihui Marriot – nice little beach, good swimming, lots of surfers and close to restaurants and shops.
South Shore beaches:
Gillin’s Beach, Kawailoa Bay and Ha’ula Beach -- we took the dirt road past the Hyatt to find some these beaches. For the most part, we were the only people there! They might have been swimable but we were content to sit and relax! They were all beautiful!
Shipwreck Beach – every morning for our 2 weeks in Poipu, we would take our coffee down to this beach (and very nice of the Hyatt to provide the swings!). There were always a lot of people swimming here in spite of all the posted warnings. The cliff to the south is Makawehi Point and people will hike up and jump!
Brennecke and Poipu beaches were both very crowded and not near as nice as what I remember from 20 years ago. I wonder if they were hit especially hard by Iniki?
Kiahuna/Sheraton beach – this was a fun beach. Crowded but fun, very swimable but strong enough waves to make it interesting! We stayed at Kiahuna 20 years ago and the beach was nice then too.
Lawai Beach – this is a tiny beach at the Beach House restaurant. Swimable, good snorkeling, very rocky. The day we were there, a Monk Seal had beached himself to rest. Authorities came shortly after to keep people away. We were told that there are only 1300 Monk Seals in the world and they are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act so it was incredible to see one up close.
Next up, activities/excursions and miscellaneous stuff. Let me know if you have any questions!
Jul 28th, 2006, 12:27 AM
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Great trip report, Daydreamin!! I recall you making plans on Fodors...now the trip has come and gone. Your vivid descriptions make me miss Kauai!!
Congrats on your winning bid for the No. Shore house. How lucky is THAT!!??
What a shame about Ke'e. I alwasy loved it there, and it was not in that condition two yrs ago. Wonder what happened??
Daydreamin, hope it's ok to add this to a fellow Fodorite:
Beachgirl 86, if you see this--have a wonderful trip!!
Congrats on your winning bid for the No. Shore house. How lucky is THAT!!??
What a shame about Ke'e. I alwasy loved it there, and it was not in that condition two yrs ago. Wonder what happened??
Daydreamin, hope it's ok to add this to a fellow Fodorite:
Beachgirl 86, if you see this--have a wonderful trip!!
Jul 28th, 2006, 05:13 AM
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Jul 28th, 2006, 06:21 AM
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daydreamin,
I remember when you were planning this trip, and I thought I was jealous then.
I'm neon green with envy now!
Great report! Keep it coming.
BTW we brought our tennis gear also, and the Hanalei Bay Resort had nice courts that we walked by every day. Somehow we never could get motivated enough to play tennis (or golf). Maybe if we had stayed five weeks.......
I remember when you were planning this trip, and I thought I was jealous then.
I'm neon green with envy now!Great report! Keep it coming.
BTW we brought our tennis gear also, and the Hanalei Bay Resort had nice courts that we walked by every day. Somehow we never could get motivated enough to play tennis (or golf). Maybe if we had stayed five weeks.......
Jul 28th, 2006, 06:33 AM
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Ddreamin',
I remember the first trip over. Mrs Kal was a bit misty eyed in the airport. I asked her what was wrong. She said she got the feeling we'd never be back.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Why we continue to return to that Hellhole of the Pacific is beyond us!
Great TR. Waiting for activities. We may actually DO some this trip!
I remember the first trip over. Mrs Kal was a bit misty eyed in the airport. I asked her what was wrong. She said she got the feeling we'd never be back.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Why we continue to return to that Hellhole of the Pacific is beyond us!
Great TR. Waiting for activities. We may actually DO some this trip!
Jul 28th, 2006, 08:11 AM
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daydreamin' - thanks for the report! We'll be there starting Monday for 3 weeks so can't wait! (Actually 1/2 on Kauai and 1/2 on Maui.) Had a question - I read somewhere that there might be renovations at Princeville Resort? Did you see anything? Love the Living Room
so hope that is okay since we are bring my never-been BIN and wife and want them to see it in its glory.
(Actually 1/2 on Kauai and 1/2 on Maui.) Had a question - I read somewhere that there might be renovations at Princeville Resort? Did you see anything? Love the Living Roomso hope that is okay since we are bring my never-been BIN and wife and want them to see it in its glory.
Jul 28th, 2006, 10:34 AM
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cruisin tiger - I didn't see any construction at the Princeville Hotel and definitely none in The Library. We went there one Sunday night for sunset cocktails and had the pleasure of watching a hula demo and narrative about it's history.
Kal - the nice thing about returning to the same place (or going for 5 weeks for that matter) is that you don't feel compelled to do a lot, other than relax!
Bill - ah....the whole place is my favorite!
iceeu2 and lvk and Calinurse - I remember and appreciate how helpful ya'll were in my planning effort! It's hard to imagine it's come and gone already!
jed - thanks for the smileys!
Activities/Excursions
On to activities and excursions! The best activity, the one that comes to mind everytime I think of Kauai, is sitting on a beach, relaxing, not having to be anywhere at a given time. As the weeks went on and we continued to decompress, we spent more and more time on the beaches, reading, napping, swimming -- basically total relaxation! There’s just something wonderful about waking up from a quick nap on a beach that’s so beautiful it defies description....ahhhhh!
But having said that, I do have some other things to recommend!
Na Pali Coast Cruise - highly recommend this! We were very pleased with the Kauai Sea Tours (kauaisetours.com) out of the small boat harbor in Waimea. We were not on the Lucky Lady but a smaller boat which worked out well because with the smaller boat, the captain was able to maneuver it into some awesome sea caves! Wow! I can’t even begin to describe them! We saw spinner dolphins, turtles and yet another Monk Seal! The cruise went all the way to Ke’e and back. The snorkeling was good & it was fun to snorkel from a boat. We took the 4 hour cruise which actually took over 5 hours! Calm seas and a nice crew. Very fun time! (But the theme song from “Gilligans Island" (3 hour cruise) is still running through my mind!)
Hiking – we love to hike and Kauai has hikes for every level! I didn’t care for the first leg of the Kalalau Trail and turned back before we got to Hanakapiai Beach. It was just too slippery that day and I had visions of a sprained ankle on day 3 of this long awaited trip to paradise. But our guys loved it and made it to the beach. I bought a book on hiking Kauai and we discovered so many great hikes. If you like to hike, I suggest you get a good book and then just start exploring!
A side note on hiking – my husband and I hiked in our new Keens (Newport H20 model) and loved them! They’re good for walking beaches too. Love these shoes!
Tennis – well, this is our thing and we’re addicted! When we were in Ha’ena, we played at the Princeville courts. Huge disappointment – dirty courts and the shelters between the courts were filthy, covered in bird droppings. Ugh. The two courts at the Cliff Resort were very, very nice and well maintained. We met some nice folks and had a lot of fun mixed doubles. I didn’t play tennis while on the south shore but 20 years ago, we played at the Kiahuna courts and they are still very nice.
Spa – the Anara Spa at the Grand Hyatt in Poipu is wonderful!!! It’s not cheap but you’re on vacation and by gosh, you deserve it!!
Waimea Canyon – this was awesome! We had seen it 20 years ago from a helicopter but seeing it up close was very cool too. If you go to the top, the last mile of the road is closed. We hiked it, about a mile, and were rewarded with an awesome Na Pali coast view. If it is fogged in, wait five minutes for the clouds to clear off – you won’t be disappointed!
Deep Sea Fishing - - I didn’t do this but my husband did, a charter out of Hanalei. They had a great day which would have been greater if they had only landed that yellow fin tuna they had on line!
Luau – we went to the luau at the Hyatt. I know everyone likes the Smith Family luau but by week 5, I had become quite lazy and it was much easier to walk a minute to the Hyatt than drive into Kapa’a! The luau was moved inside because of rain and it was good entertainment and the food was very good too!
Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens, near Kilauea. We did the stroll and ride tour here and it is just amazing. Hundreds of acres of tropical gardens, a formal garden, a desert garden, a children’s garden and throughout all of them, wonderful sculptures. We also saw two adolescent Albatross here!
Polo Match – the Kauai Polo Club’s season opener was on July 2 so we went and had a great time! The field is situated makau on Anini Beach Road, across from a county park. Pulled the car right up to the field and had a great time tailgating with other tourists as well as locals. Very friendly and very fun!
Henry Kapono Concert at the Hyatt was great! He had some amazing opening acts too!
I am going to add another section to this TR -- general observations and suggestions. I'll try to do that soon since beachgirl86 leaves next week for Kauai, that lucky gir!
Kal - the nice thing about returning to the same place (or going for 5 weeks for that matter) is that you don't feel compelled to do a lot, other than relax!
Bill - ah....the whole place is my favorite!
iceeu2 and lvk and Calinurse - I remember and appreciate how helpful ya'll were in my planning effort! It's hard to imagine it's come and gone already!
jed - thanks for the smileys!
Activities/ExcursionsOn to activities and excursions! The best activity, the one that comes to mind everytime I think of Kauai, is sitting on a beach, relaxing, not having to be anywhere at a given time. As the weeks went on and we continued to decompress, we spent more and more time on the beaches, reading, napping, swimming -- basically total relaxation! There’s just something wonderful about waking up from a quick nap on a beach that’s so beautiful it defies description....ahhhhh!
But having said that, I do have some other things to recommend!
Na Pali Coast Cruise - highly recommend this! We were very pleased with the Kauai Sea Tours (kauaisetours.com) out of the small boat harbor in Waimea. We were not on the Lucky Lady but a smaller boat which worked out well because with the smaller boat, the captain was able to maneuver it into some awesome sea caves! Wow! I can’t even begin to describe them! We saw spinner dolphins, turtles and yet another Monk Seal! The cruise went all the way to Ke’e and back. The snorkeling was good & it was fun to snorkel from a boat. We took the 4 hour cruise which actually took over 5 hours! Calm seas and a nice crew. Very fun time! (But the theme song from “Gilligans Island" (3 hour cruise) is still running through my mind!)
Hiking – we love to hike and Kauai has hikes for every level! I didn’t care for the first leg of the Kalalau Trail and turned back before we got to Hanakapiai Beach. It was just too slippery that day and I had visions of a sprained ankle on day 3 of this long awaited trip to paradise. But our guys loved it and made it to the beach. I bought a book on hiking Kauai and we discovered so many great hikes. If you like to hike, I suggest you get a good book and then just start exploring!
A side note on hiking – my husband and I hiked in our new Keens (Newport H20 model) and loved them! They’re good for walking beaches too. Love these shoes!
Tennis – well, this is our thing and we’re addicted! When we were in Ha’ena, we played at the Princeville courts. Huge disappointment – dirty courts and the shelters between the courts were filthy, covered in bird droppings. Ugh. The two courts at the Cliff Resort were very, very nice and well maintained. We met some nice folks and had a lot of fun mixed doubles. I didn’t play tennis while on the south shore but 20 years ago, we played at the Kiahuna courts and they are still very nice.
Spa – the Anara Spa at the Grand Hyatt in Poipu is wonderful!!! It’s not cheap but you’re on vacation and by gosh, you deserve it!!
Waimea Canyon – this was awesome! We had seen it 20 years ago from a helicopter but seeing it up close was very cool too. If you go to the top, the last mile of the road is closed. We hiked it, about a mile, and were rewarded with an awesome Na Pali coast view. If it is fogged in, wait five minutes for the clouds to clear off – you won’t be disappointed!
Deep Sea Fishing - - I didn’t do this but my husband did, a charter out of Hanalei. They had a great day which would have been greater if they had only landed that yellow fin tuna they had on line!
Luau – we went to the luau at the Hyatt. I know everyone likes the Smith Family luau but by week 5, I had become quite lazy and it was much easier to walk a minute to the Hyatt than drive into Kapa’a! The luau was moved inside because of rain and it was good entertainment and the food was very good too!
Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens, near Kilauea. We did the stroll and ride tour here and it is just amazing. Hundreds of acres of tropical gardens, a formal garden, a desert garden, a children’s garden and throughout all of them, wonderful sculptures. We also saw two adolescent Albatross here!
Polo Match – the Kauai Polo Club’s season opener was on July 2 so we went and had a great time! The field is situated makau on Anini Beach Road, across from a county park. Pulled the car right up to the field and had a great time tailgating with other tourists as well as locals. Very friendly and very fun!
Henry Kapono Concert at the Hyatt was great! He had some amazing opening acts too!
I am going to add another section to this TR -- general observations and suggestions. I'll try to do that soon since beachgirl86 leaves next week for Kauai, that lucky gir!
Jul 28th, 2006, 02:17 PM
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Terrific report, daydreamin - we have to wait until mid-September and only going for one week (sob).
How were the botanical gardens? We went to the Limahuli a few years ago which was nice, but I am concerned about how much walking is involved due to bad back. Have been interested in viewing these gardens.
How were the botanical gardens? We went to the Limahuli a few years ago which was nice, but I am concerned about how much walking is involved due to bad back. Have been interested in viewing these gardens.
