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Need a recommendation for lodging on Kauai (North or South side of Island)

Need a recommendation for lodging on Kauai (North or South side of Island)

Old Mar 2nd, 2015, 08:22 PM
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Need a recommendation for lodging on Kauai (North or South side of Island)

We are traveling to Kauai in May 2016 with 3 other couples and wanting a house to rent. Which do you like better, North side of Island or South Side and why? We have already stayed near Poipu (Kiahuna Plantation Resort Kauai) and Kapaa (Pono Kai Resort) and enjoyed both locations. Is it better to stay near Waimea (south) or near Princeville (north) if we are looking for some basic R&R and bars & restaurants we can walk to.
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Old Mar 2nd, 2015, 10:17 PM
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I think it is better to stay near Waimea (south, ) which is nearly to bars and restaurants. All restaurants are near there. You can enjoy your dining any time so i think you should try it once there.
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Old Mar 3rd, 2015, 01:30 PM
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North Shore, although I would want a condo (or 2 in your case) because I like a pool, but there are a number of cute houses and cottages in Hanalei, May is a nice month all over.
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Old Mar 3rd, 2015, 02:24 PM
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Waimea is south on Kauai? :-?

Did you mean the Wailua/Kapaa area? A lot of places to walk to in that area. A lot of affordable places too.

I always considered Waimea "west".
They really fixed up the Waimea Plantation Cottages and finally got a reliable restaurant there, Kalapaki Joe's. But a long walk on the very dark hiway on that side to get to any bars/restos.
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Old Mar 18th, 2015, 04:35 PM
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Waimea is quite a ways out and west of Poipu and IMHO not much to do out there. 2 condos either North or South. North is greener, more rain, South more built up but warmer. Can't beat Hanalei for funk and great beach however.
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Old Mar 18th, 2015, 07:57 PM
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We loved the Waimea Plantation Cottages -
http://www.coasthotels.com/hotels/ha...tion-cottages/

We saw them on Samantha Brown's Hawaii shows and flew over to Kauai from the Big Island just to stay there. These are the old cottages that plantation workers lived in. They are simple. They do not have a/c (but we didn't need it). They are stretched out along a big grassy lawn. There's a very nice pool. The beach isn't a good swimming beach, but we were there to sightsee and didn't care about the beach. It's one of the favorite places I've ever stayed and if/when I return to Kauai, it's where I'll stay again. At the time, the Waimea Brewing Company was adjacent and it was wonderful walking to the open air restaurant. It has since moved, but there's a restaurant in that space -
http://www.coasthotels.com/hotels/ha...ttages/dining/

There are four bedroom cottages if you wanted to share -
http://www.coasthotels.com/hotels/ha...ottages/rooms/

I just noticed that in some of the photos there's a window a/c unit so maybe some cottages have a/c now.

It's certainly unique and may not be what you are looking for, but we loved it. We also stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa on that trip (mega resort) and returned to the Big Island to stay at the Four Seasons Hualalai (luxury resort). All three were very different and we loved all three. It depends on what kind of resort - or condos - you may be interested in. We loved feeling like we were going back to Old Hawaii - literally.
Check out the TA reviews too.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...ai_Hawaii.html
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Old Mar 20th, 2015, 07:27 AM
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I wouldn't base in Waimea (which is west) unless you plan multiple hikes in Waimea Canyon/Koke'e State Park. For me it's an easy decision: North Shore! But I'd definitely do a day trip to Waimea Canyon.

Poipu and the South just doesn't do it for me--but some people like it. Don't let the "rainy" north shore scare you. Especially that time of year, most of it will fall at night--or during very brief showers.
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Old Mar 20th, 2015, 03:54 PM
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I love the North Shore, and especially Hanalei. When you come around the corner on the road into Hanalei and look down into the valley - it is shockingly green and breathtaking. I love the little town feel and the local shops. You might enjoy taking one of the zodiac boat tours - so you can see the North Shore beaches which are unaccessable otherwise. Make sure you check water conditions for swimming and snorkeling with local dive shops, some surfing/swimming/diving areas can be dangerous and some are not guarded. I would make sure to only swim at guarded beaches.

The island is so small, that you can easily do trips all over the island - to the south shore, the west side, the State Park, etc.
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Old Mar 21st, 2015, 09:34 AM
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FWIW, you can't walk to bars & restaurants from lodgings in Princeville. (well, a very long walk - about 5 miles from the Princeville St. Regis Hotel to the middle of the town of Hanalei).

Also,know that most of the lodgings are ABOVE the beach (cliffs).

The north is absolutely spectacular, and we like to visit, but we stay in Poipu, mainly for the second of the above reasons (you can't really walk anyplace in the south either, other than to the little shopping center across the street from Kiahuna)
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Old Apr 16th, 2015, 09:33 AM
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If you want the beach a few steps from your front door, I would look at house rentals on Anini Beach (north shore).

We stayed in a home there a couple years ago, the Wade House. It was not inexpensive but its a beautiful home and was worth the price. We had ten people that trip and there was plenty of room for all of us. If the Wade is too pricy, try the other homes further down the beach. There is everything from one bedroom bungalows to a home that sleeps 18 people.

This summer we are staying on Anini again, this time in the Anini Kai Hulali house. We love Anini...having a beautiful beach right outside (a very short walk across the road, the houses are not directly on the beach) that never has more than a handful of people enjoying the view and snorkeling.

Yes, you have to drive a good distance to get to Waimea and the south shore if you stay up north. However, it is worth it for us since we spend the greater portion of our trip on Anini Beach or the other North shore beaches.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2015, 01:05 PM
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Would you all make the same recommendations for a trip in November?
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