1st Draft Kauai itinerary--please critique!
 

Hi All,

Finally, finally, finally...I booked airline tix to LIH for late September this year. Took a few years of dreaming and scheming with husband to get to this point, so now I need a quick itinerary for us (haven't booked hotel or rental car yet!)

Our loves are hiking, snorkeling and and sailing. We also enjoy a beer and some live music after casual dinner. With these in mind, I'm proposing the following:

Days 1-4: Stay in Kapa'a
- hike Waimea canyon
- surf/snorkel in Poipu

Days 5-7: Stay in Hanalei
-hike NaPali coast
-possible sail trip


I want to have a few idea of key not-to-miss things, but I want to be flexible, so that if we wake up and feel like doing something in particular...we'll just do it. :)

Any suggestions for interesting small inns, B&B's, or rental homes in Kapaa or Hanalei?

Thanks in advance for all your advice!

AZy,
A lot of inexpensive hotels in Kapaa area. Kauai Sands, Kapaa Sands, Islander on the Beach, Plantation Hale to name a few. Lae Nani and Lani Kai are some nice condos.

Got Hula Girl in the Coconut Marketplace for decent grub and live music. The old Rice Bowls probably has live music too in their bar.

Tradewinds in CocoMktplace has cold beer and kareoke. Lotta fun and you can order off the menu of a bout 5-6 diff little restaurants w/in the mktplace and they'll deliver it to you.

Seat of the pants is the only way to do Kauai, IMHO!
Mucho mahalos!
((#)) B-)

We did the Kipu Ranch ATV tour when we were in Kaui last August and it was great. You get to see some beautiful sights that are not available by car. Check out a book call Kaui Revealed, lots of good suggestions on activities and it shows an aerial view of hotel locations which I found helpful in picking a place to stay. Have a great trip!

AZWildcat,
We got back from Kauai about three weeks ago and ended up spending the bulk of our time on the north shore. Fabulous! For a bed and breakfast in Hanalei try this place.
http://bestofhawaii.com/hanalei/plantation.html
I can't personally reccomend it, but we came close to staying there this year. We drove by it when we were there and it looked okay. Close to the Bay and to beautiful downtown Hanalei.
After you hike the Kalalau trail, don't forget to snorkel at Ke'e.
For great local take out food, go to the Pono Market in Kapa'a and have the plate lunch, the fried chicken or the sushi for a tasty treat.
Don't forget Hamura's Saimin in Lihue for the best noodles and lilko'i chiffon pie in the world.
A great place for hiking on the south shore is the Maha'ulepu Beach area a mile or so east of the Hyatt. Rugged and lovely coastline hiking! I could go on and on and on and...Have a grat trip and post when you get back.
-Bill

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions! I am so excited...it'll be tough to wait another month!

Narrowing down some accommodations, based on your reviews and searching VRBO.com, the following properties caught my eye (also in our price range...$100-$150 a night). Any specific opinions, or has anybody stayed there?

Hanalei:
"Anini Mauka" $125/night
Bed, Breakfast & Beach (Garden Lanai Studio) $135/night
Orchid or Bamboo, Too $135/night
Sweet Seclusion (Treetop Studio) $115/night

Kapaa:
"Kahuna Hale" Riverside Estate $75/night
Kaha Lani condo "A Slice of Paradise" $89/night
Phuki Lani condo $99/night
Pono Kai condo $95/night

Also, one more general question about booking condos. It seems like I can get WAY better prices booking through VRBO.com...when I compare to travelocity or expedia. For example, a Pono Kai condo above is listed well over $100 on Travelocity. Is there any risk to booking directly with the owner? What if there are any problems when you arrive...you can't deal with the management office then? (Not that I'm a picky traveler--just want consider everything now so that the vacation is worry-free!)

Thanks in advance for your opinions!

Stayed at the Pono Kai before. It is an okay place for the price you are paying. It wasn't in very good shape 3 years ago and we paid more than $100.00 then. Make sure you have a beach view or even better beach front otherwise you will be looking at the back of the building in front of you. If you don't care about luxury, then it is okay. We are heading to Kauai in September as well. Like you, I'm counting the days as it is our most favorite place to be.

Wildcat, where did find those great rates in Kapaa?

We have stayed at Pono Kai. It is not luxury, not on a swimmable beach, but it is clean and in a great location.
Try to get bldg's A, B, C or D..they are ocean front. The grounds at Pono Kai are beautiful. Also, be aware that the $99 rate may only be a studio, not with a full kitchen.

We are staying at Pono Kai again next May for 7 nights, and it really doesn't matter which building to us. We are like everyone else..we stay on the go. Then, we are doing like you and thinking of finding a place in Hanalei for 4 more nights or so. I have been checking vrbo.com and found some really interesting places reasonably priced.

If you love hiking and snorkeling, you are going to be loving Kauai. You definitely picked the perfect place, imo.
((r))((r))((r))

Hi Everybody,

Just a quick update in case anybody was curious. I used vrbo.com to book our first three nights at an oceanfront Pono Kai condo for $95/night and our last four nights at Aloha Sweet Seclusion (Treetop studio) for $115/night.

Ahhh...now all I have to do is peruse the postings about great restaurants and activities (thanks for the advice so far!) and dream about our trip!

Thanks again!

You don't see the real Kauai unless you spend some time hiking in Kokee. The cabins are nice and cheap too. The hike to the high elevation swamp is awesome and very fascinating.

Denise

hey AZWildcat,
I was thinking of booking the treetop, how did you like it? Give us a little review!

Hey skram here's the trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34532163