I like the North Shore area - there is a shopping area in Hanalei and some good restaurants. You can take the Capt Andy Zodiac trip around the North Shore, which is kinda fun. Also, Tunnels is a great beach for snorkeling. It can be dangerous though if the conditions aren't good - and there isn't a life guard. I would check with local dive shops before going.

My favorites: A drive to Waimea Canyon (hopefully on a clear day) A Helicopter ride over the Napali Coast, fantastic , something in the water to see the Napali Coast, like Zodiak or other boat Snorkeling Tunnels, Ke'e beach (becomes the parking lot at the very end of the road), A visit to Poipu Beach

Agree about Waimea Canyon and the heli tour (expensive but worth it). Agree on north shore as well. Also get shave ice with the ice cream on the bottom.

nanabee, unless he has come back recently, Captain Zodiac has not been in business in Kauai for a few years now, but there are other good Zodiac tours, I have to go with a catamaran due to a back injury.

Agree with North Shore and Waimea Canyon for sure and if you have time, do a boat tour, I've done 7. If helicopter is too pricey, look at Wings over Kauai fixed wing plane for about half the price, hope to do that this next trip.

When you drive up to Waimea canyon, don't stop there, continue on up into Kokee and the Kalalau lookout for spectacular views.

Hi Jamie, I knew the orginial (or my brother knew Clancy from High School and worked for him for many years) Capt. Zodiac but I think he sold many years ago to some guy named Andy - and I think there was some dispute over royalties.

Which companies are doing the tours now? I also prefer the catamaran's because they are more stable.

If you are in Lihue I recommend Hamuras Saimin. My brother in law lives in Oahu and recommended it. Seeing how he used to fly over to Kauai just to go there I figured it must be good and it's awesome! It's difficult to find so I recommend a good GPS!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/hamuras-saimin-lihue

btw, calling it a dive or hole in the wall is elevating it to a higher level - but the food (especially the saimin and their pies) are to die for.

I give Hamura's Saimin a B+

I would too sf. It's such a great local dive and that is what I like about it!

I wouldn't call it a dive at all. I would ask for a lillikoi pie FROZEN to go.

I would definitely call it a "hole in the wall", if not a dive. The location alone calls for that description

there is nothing wrong with being a local "diner, drive-in or dive!! "

In fact maybe someone should contact Food TV and mention them. I bet Guy Fieri wouldn't mind a trip to Kauai.

Hi nanabee,

There are some companies doing Zodiac type tours from both the North and West shores, I read recently where Holo Holo just introduced a rigid hull inflatable going from the North Shore (their other boats still leave from the West Shore and are cats). Not sure of the names of the others, but if you go to wizardpub.com and click on Kauai and click on Links and select boat tours, it will have names of all the companies that are reviewed in their guide book.

Personally I have used Captain Andy's and Holo Holo and both are good boats, good crews and good food. Also long time ago I went out with Catamaran Kahunu, that was in the good old days when all the boats left out of Hanalei. Captain Andy's has a new sailboat called Southern Star which is getting amazing reviews over on TA, a few bucks more but you get a hot meal instead of a sandwich and salad and much better seating areas.

"btw, calling it a dive or hole in the wall is elevating it to a higher level" nanabee

I'm talking about the building Lookin - not the food.

Just hand me the Frozen Lillikoi Pie and no one gets hurt......

If Fieri goes to Kauai, then he's got to do Banana Joe's too.

I think Puka Dog is too famous.

I loved the Waimea Brewing Company on the way back from the canyon - on the grounds of the Waimea Plantation Cottages. The place is still there operating under another name, and the brewmaster is about to open up the Kauai Island Brewing Company in Port Allen. Anyway, we loved the open air restaurant that is now the Grove Cafe.

Get to the end of the road beyond Hanalei/Princeivlle - over the 7 one lane bridges - to Ke'e beach where there is great snorkeling and it's protected by a reef. Usually very calm. If there is a huge sea (normally not in the summer) - wear some fins and you will be fine.

Also a nice hike from there - overlooiing the Blue Blue Pacific.

Also get to Tahiti Nui for a fun time in Hanalei Town, and for great fish - the Dolphin - a block or so away - right on the Hanalei River is a favorite of ours. They also have a good fish market if you want to take some Mahi Mahi, etc and make a fish burger at home, sushi/sashimi, etc.

We took the Catamaran ride up the Napili Coast (we dove but you can snorkel from the boat) out of Port Allen - down by Waimea on the south end. If you ride a zodiac, it is fun but will bounce you around pretty good if there is any chop at all - and it's not good for the back by any means.

Check the tourist mags when you arrive for discount coupons for the various cruises, renting snorkeling equipment, etc. Snorkel Bob's is also a good baseline place and you can take the equipment from one island to another.

" If there is a huge sea (normally not in the summer) - wear some fins and you will be fine."

Advice like that could get someone killed.

And I think this lady does a pretty good job listing the Hanalei restaurants - and she lives there: http://www.jeanandabbott.com/2010/11/where-to-eat-in-hanalei/

Another fun beach is Anini beach - below Princeville - which has a grassy area and restrooms (you have to fine the road to drive in http://tinyurl.com/783wm8m ) - and Lumahi http://tinyurl.com/8535our
is a geat beach - that you have to hike down a bit to get to.

Mid-island - Lydegate Park - mid-island is great for snoreling - but somebody said the County of Kauai is working on it?

And even though I am a Bali Hai/North Shore fan - Poipu has some nice beaches too. Used to love to Body surf at Brennecke's beach - but the Hurricane in '93 was it - wiped out the great sand from the ocean bottom so it changed the break a bit. Was DA KINE.

There is still a fun - cook your own - grill there - Brennehke's Broiler: http://www.brenneckes.com/

One of the best days of my life:

Took the Jack Harter helicopter tour of the island including the glorious na'pali coast. That afternoon took the HoloHolo catamaran trip past the same coast. There are no words...

here are some excerpts from one of my old trip reports ...

I went to Kauai to teach and perform at the Kauai Music Festival—an awesome annual educational event with phenomenal concerts featuring the most incredible island artists, as well as writers and artists from the mainland. The festival lasts 4 days. I arrived a week early—um, er … to adjust to the time change; and I stayed an additional 2-1/2 weeks afterward—um, er … to recoup my energy after the festival. Yeah, that’s it

The reason for this extended stay wasn’t really a vacation. I hoped to work on a book I’m writing. The patio at Sealodge—overlooking breathtaking views of the ocean, with the soothing sound of crashing waves, is the perfect place for me to write—thousands of miles away from the distractions of the real world.

So most of my perfect days looked like Perfect Day -- Option #1:

Stumble out of bed to press the button on the coffee maker. Open blinds and say, “OMG. It’s SO beautiful here!” Sit on the patio sipping Coconut Caramel Crunch coffee from the Kauai Coffee Company (my latest addiction) while breathing in the beauty and sound of the ocean.

Turn on the laptop. Enjoy a plate of fresh, homegrown, sliced pineapple, banana, papaya, and mango (bought at the “Sunshine Market” Thursday afternoon in Kilauea) and lightly sprinkled with coconut. Indulge in a second cup of coffee. Write until lunch time.

Eat lunch on the patio while talking to the beautiful birds and chickens. Take a nap. Okay, just one more cup of that delicious coffee. Write until dinner time. Eat roast chicken & salad bought at Foodland; and fresh steamed organic, homegrown green beans & purple sweet potatoes from the Sunshine Market.

Drive to Hanalei Bay around 6 PM, in utter awe of the incredible majesty of the mountains, valleys, and fields I pass during the ten minute drive. Walk the entire length of the beach, wading in and out of the ocean and watching the surfers as the sun begins to sink. Join the fishermen and tourists at the pier to celebrate the beauty of the sunset as the silhouettes of upright surfers paddle by. Drive back to condo in utter bliss; take a shower (moaning about how great it feels) … and write until 10 PM. Fall asleep to the sound of the waves, thinking how incredibly fortunate I am.

Perfect Day -- Option #2:

Drive to Kountry Kitchen in Kapaa. Marvel at how beautiful the drive is. Marvel at how OMG INCREDIBLE and enormous my macadamia nut pancakes are. Waddle to the path across the street and walk, admiring the views above the beach, passing Kealia Beach and continuing to the end of the path—my feet wishing I’d rented a bike. The leisurely round trip takes about two hours—so I’m guessing it covers about 7 miles and burns off the calories from half of one of those massive pancakes slathered in buttered.

There’s no shade and it’s HOT—but suddenly the storm comes and I sit under the umbrella of tree branches and palm fronds, reading my book until the rain stops.
Drive into Lihue; buy some food and an orchid at Wal-Mart. Then chow down on BBQ sticks and wonton Saimon @ Hamura’s. Bliss! Drive back to Princeville, stopping for a takeout order of broccoli beef from Waipouli Family Restaurant.

Eat on the patio back at the condo … then lean against a palm tree with a cup of Kauai Coffee Company decaf, and watch the glorious sunset with my neighbors at Sealodge. Tell myself I should have written more … and write until 11 PM when the sound of the waves lulls me to sleep.

Perfect Day -- Option #3:

Breakfast and coffee as per #1—except this time, the papaya, mango, coconut, pineapple & banana join some yogurt, ice, and a splash of milk in the blender to become an amazing smoothie. I eat a bowl of oatmeal, feeling smugly healthy.

Drive to Ke’e Beach before the crowds get there, while listening to my favorite Makana CD. (I’ve heard it so many times I can sing along – in Hawaiian.) Stop for photos at Hanalei Overlook and across from Limahuli Beach. Oh, maybe just a little swim at Limahuli. The water is perfect and the brightest turquoise.

Continue on to Ke’e Beach and walk all the way to Tunnels, swimming whenever I get the urge. I’m used to it being mystically misty and I’ve never seen it so clear. The cliffs look as if they’ve been etched into the sky—and outlined in black ink. Breathtaking! The water is as calm as a pool and there are lots of snorkelers. Back in time to write for a couple of hours before lunch on the patio – and a nap. Write all afternoon.

Dinner at Neide’s—an outside table with a great view of the mountains. I order chicken panqueca with rice and black beans and can’t believe it really IS as good as I remembered. Then back to Hanalei Bay for my evening walk along the ocean and sunset watch. And back to the book …

Perfect Day -- Option #4:

Breakfast at Kountry Kitchen en route to Waimea Canyon. Stop at Kauai Coffee Company to sample the various flavors of caffeine and stock up on all my favorites. (It’s $.25 a bag cheaper at Wal-Mart – but they don’t carry all the varieties—especially the flavored decafs.) Speed to Waimea Canyon, caffeine pulsing through my veins!!! (Kidding)

It’s rainy, foggy, & cloudy and I’m thinking this day is going to be a bust. I stop at Koke’e Lodge and get info about staying in one of the cabins next year. Continue on to Kalalau Lookout just as the sun comes out--along with a double raibow. It’s just as extraordinary as I remembered. I know I am looking at the most beautiful spot on earth.

The Pihea trail seems dry and we decide to give it a try. The views are gorgeous – and the trail is challenging without being treacherous … until the very slippery, steep section after we’ve hiked more than an hour. We turn back. Dinner at Hamura’s Saimin. It’s late by the time we get back to the condo and I’m exhausted. I tell myself “Even God took a day off.” It’s the one day I don’t work on the book.

Perfect Day -- Option #5:

After breakfast on the patio, and “oohing” and “aahing” at the fuzzy little baby chickens on the patio we walk at Anini Beach. The water’s as smooth as glass. After a swim, it’s back to work on the book.

Lunch is a yummy burrito at Frederic’s (a new Mexican restaurant in the Princeville Center). Nap. Write. Dinner on the balcony – then the sunset walk at Hanalei Bay. Write till bedtime.

Perfect Day -- Option #6:

Mix and match portions of the above perfect days – but add in any or all of the following:
fantastic ribs while overlooking the ocean at Scotty’s BBQ; walk trail from Hilton Kauai Beach Resort to Lydgate Park; visit Sunshine Market in Kapa’a; chat on the beach with some locals about how some people (like ME) are so powerfully drawn to the island; intentionally get lost on the backroads of Kapa’a; plan my next visit …

Tomsd, that was me that posted on another thread about Lydgate, the county did some dredging of the pond area at Lydgate and apparently the water is not flushing properly in and out like it used to and that area is now murky.

In the past few months people have had to be rescued off of Anini due to the ever present rip tides. One should also stay clear of the murky river area as that is feeding ground for sharks. If you cant see them, and they can't see you, they don't know that you're not yummy. Many have died at Lumahai.

I prefer responsible advice to dangerous whimsical posts of days of yore.

agree tahiti Nui is a funky and fun place for drinks in Hanalei, kauai Museum is very intersting in Lihue... 3 days, I would do one thing (Capt'n Andy snorekling, tubing with Kauai Adventures, or helicopter ride) and park myself at a beach either in North Shore or Poipu. If you are taking a tour of somekind make reservations online as we were out ofluck on one of our trips for tubing but have done it twice more since.

Yo Looking Glass: Didn't even know you existed - and also Placename: I have snorkeled at Ke'e beach maybe 40 times over the years, and never have I seen the surf coming over the reef. Capice? I have also helped beginners snorkel there - and they were fine, along with the many others who swim/snorkel there.

Ke'e beach is reef protected. Of course, if you are swimming in an open ocean - if the surf is up - of course you have to be concerned with rip tides. if the surf is really up - you shouldn't be going out and it's not good visibility anyway.

Also - wear fins to give yourself more swimming power if you need it.

If you are caught in a rip tide - the first thing you have to do is keep your head: Don't fight the current trying to swim straight in - and tire yourself out - but rather - swim parallel to the shore until you find where the surf is rolling into the beach. And the only murky water I recall at the very long Anini Beach is where the river/creek comes out. Other than that - it's pretty clear.

And many have died at Lumahi? Just how many and of what?

Looking glass, I think many who don't respect the ocean's power and strength often think they can overcome mother nature by just having fins or something.

Never swim alone and one should always swim at a guarded beach, speak to the life guard about any currents or rip tides and where they are.

I am a strong swimmer (I swim 1/2 mile three times a week) and grew up playing in the ocean. You learn to respect the sea and like Duke K said "never turn your back on the sea," even if you are wearing fins!

Ok - did google Drownings on Kauai - and found this article. I guess Lumahai can be dangerous at times so unless it's flat/calm, best to be avoided. However, have never had a problem - or really heard of one at Ke'e - at least during the summers.

http://voices.yahoo.com/drowning-dangers-kauai-7683482.html

And also remember one of the world's greatest waterman from Oahu's north shore, Eddie Aikau died at the hands of the ocean he loved so much.

The great Eddie Aikau died 12 miles off Molokai - where a big Polynesian sea-going canoe was floundering, in what can be a very rough sea at times.

"In 1978, the Polynesian Voyaging Society was seeking volunteers for a 30 day, 2,500-mile (4,000 km) journey to follow the ancient route of the Polynesian migration between the Hawaiian and Tahitian island chains. At 31 years of age, Aikau joined the voyage as a crew member. The Hokule'a left the Hawaiian islands on March 16, 1978. The double-hulled voyaging canoe developed a leak in one of the hulls and later capsized about twelve miles (19 km) south of the island of Molokai. In an attempt to get help, Aikau paddled toward Lanai on his surfboard.[6] Although the rest of the crew was later rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Cape Corwin, Aikau was never seen again. He removed his lifejacket since it was hindering his paddling of the surfboard. The ensuing search for Aikau was the largest air-sea search in Hawaii history.[7] "

However - since I am very comfortable in the water (been body surfing in 10+ foot swells) - it is best to re-iterate:

Yes - all visitors should ask about the local conditions and if there is a swell - best not to go out if you really don't know the conditions.

Early in the morning, when the ocean is normally pretty flat -is the best time to go snorkeling anyway - as it usually has the best visibility.

Good work editors.

I have been at Lumahai many times when it was calm as a pool. However, during one particular day this past February, I think it would have been dangerous -- even for a dolphin! The waves were enormous! Yet, two teenagers were swimming.

LOL Sondoc: When the Dolphins fear to surf - it's gotta be rough.

I guess I just assume people would know if they go to a beach and there is some hearty surf - don't go out - except of course - if you are part fish like some of the locals.

But it's also good to remind them to ask about local conditions and uno mas - don't go out if it's rough - and also use plain old common sense if you are not familiar with swimming in the ocean, know about rip tides, and so on....

And as I have said before - go early when usually there is the least chop/surf and it has the best visibility for snorkeling.