Back from Kauai
Jul 24th, 2000, 11:45 AM
#1
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Back from Kauai
This is the second half of my trip report and some info on Kauai.
Accomodations
We stayed at the Hyatt on the south shore and it was great. The beach was a little rough, not for the weak swimmer but great waves for body surfing and boogey boards. The pools were great and went on forever and the grounds are beautiful. It is in a great location in terms of being near a lot of stuff. We drove up to Princevill and saw the resort there and that was really beautiful. The views are amazing but both times we went up it was raining so we were glad we stayed on the south shore.
Meals
We ate at Roys which was pretty good but not as great as I though it would be after reading all the reports. Yes, the chocolate souffle was out of this world, however the service was not very good which may have had something to do with my impression. We also went to a place called Brick Oven Pizza west of Poipu which was excellent if you want a break from fish and it was very reasonably priced. Everybody aroung the pool was talking about it and they were right. We also went to Brenneke's for lunch which I would recomment - happy hour starts at 2! The best meal we had was at Duke's in the Marriot. Great salad bar and very fresh fish and Prime Rib. Probably our best meal for the money.
Activities
We drove up to Waimea Canyon one morning which has breathtaking views. Did not do a lot of hiking, just stopped at the viewpoints and checked it out - definitely worth the trip. Probably the best thing we did was go on a boat trip up the NaPali coast with Kauai Sea Tours. I would highly recommend this company. The boat was only a week old and immaculate. The scenery was beautiful and we saw tons of dolphins that swam along the boat. The narration of the area was informative and interesting and the crew was great. We also stopped for an hour to snorkel. We left at 6:45am which was early but we were the first boat out so we saw more dolphins and wildlife than probably a lot of the boats who left later. My husband also spent a lot of time windsurfing on the North Shore. If anyone has questions let me know.
Accomodations
We stayed at the Hyatt on the south shore and it was great. The beach was a little rough, not for the weak swimmer but great waves for body surfing and boogey boards. The pools were great and went on forever and the grounds are beautiful. It is in a great location in terms of being near a lot of stuff. We drove up to Princevill and saw the resort there and that was really beautiful. The views are amazing but both times we went up it was raining so we were glad we stayed on the south shore.
Meals
We ate at Roys which was pretty good but not as great as I though it would be after reading all the reports. Yes, the chocolate souffle was out of this world, however the service was not very good which may have had something to do with my impression. We also went to a place called Brick Oven Pizza west of Poipu which was excellent if you want a break from fish and it was very reasonably priced. Everybody aroung the pool was talking about it and they were right. We also went to Brenneke's for lunch which I would recomment - happy hour starts at 2! The best meal we had was at Duke's in the Marriot. Great salad bar and very fresh fish and Prime Rib. Probably our best meal for the money.
Activities
We drove up to Waimea Canyon one morning which has breathtaking views. Did not do a lot of hiking, just stopped at the viewpoints and checked it out - definitely worth the trip. Probably the best thing we did was go on a boat trip up the NaPali coast with Kauai Sea Tours. I would highly recommend this company. The boat was only a week old and immaculate. The scenery was beautiful and we saw tons of dolphins that swam along the boat. The narration of the area was informative and interesting and the crew was great. We also stopped for an hour to snorkel. We left at 6:45am which was early but we were the first boat out so we saw more dolphins and wildlife than probably a lot of the boats who left later. My husband also spent a lot of time windsurfing on the North Shore. If anyone has questions let me know.
Jul 24th, 2000, 03:09 PM
#3
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Amy, Another thumbs up for The Brick Oven.
Homemade Italian sausage, wholewheat and regular dough and dripped in garlic butter upon request. And some of the friendliest service on the island.
A bit West from BOP is Pomodoro's and Kalaheo Steak House. These places are pretty good, too. Not too far from Poipu if you know the shortcut!
157 more days until we return, but who's counting.?
Kal
Homemade Italian sausage, wholewheat and regular dough and dripped in garlic butter upon request. And some of the friendliest service on the island.
A bit West from BOP is Pomodoro's and Kalaheo Steak House. These places are pretty good, too. Not too far from Poipu if you know the shortcut!
157 more days until we return, but who's counting.?
Kal
Jul 25th, 2000, 08:26 AM
#5
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Rich, my husband and I both decided we liked Kauai better for a number of reasons. We are not really into the shopping or nightlife, if we were we would prefer Maui since it did have more of both of these. We like scenic beauty, rolling green hills, windsufing (which we felt was better on the North Shore in Kaui), and no crowds. The restaurants were equally good in both places but we enjoyed Waimea Canyon's beauty more than the road to Hana and we also thought the Na Pali coast was breathtaking. Kauai was much more laid back and quiet. It is also more compact, therefore, possible to see more of the island with less driving. Though the Grand Wailea in Maui was much more extravagant and the grounds prettier than the Hyatt in Kauai, the pools in the Hyatt were much quieter. It is all about what you are interested in I guess but driving around Kauai and sightseeing was much more picturesque(sp?) than Maui. Lahaina, the shopping area in Maui was neat but kind of reminded me of Key West - once again if that is your thing than you would like that. Sorry, sort of a long answer and as alway, just MHO.
Jul 29th, 2000, 07:41 AM
#6
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Amy, thanks for the trip report especially your response regarding Maui vs. Kauai. We're planning to go next summer and have received different ideas on which island to go Maui or Kauai. Your answer regarding this just made the decision for us - Kauai. Thanks.
Jul 31st, 2000, 05:56 PM
#7
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Just back from Oahu and Kauai with my husband and 2 children. Oahu was very interesting--more so than I expected. Pearl Harbor was very moving. the Island tour was a great trip to see alot in a short time. we spent 4 days on Oahu and 11 on kauai. The island of Kauai is spectacular. I loved Maui two years ago, but I think Kauai is even better. Stayed at the Hanalei Bay Resort. I think it's a must to explore the North Shores. Dinners at the Bali Hai and Hanalei Gourmet were great. We took a wagon ride at the Princeville Ranch to a BBQ dinner overlooking the ocean. I highly recommend this adventure. We also stayed at the Hyatt for 6 nights and this resort is fantastic. The only problem I had was prying my kids from the water fantasy world. Took the HOLOHOLO sailboat excursion to the Napali and it was great. Great staff and good food and the scenery is beyond description. Two weeks was just not long enough for me to enjoy this beautiful place.
Aug 2nd, 2000, 05:08 AM
#8
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Aloha Jana,
If you are going in the summer, stay on the north shore. It is the best and more laid back. We stayed this last May at Hale Makai cottages on the north shore. We rented thru Hanalei-Vacations.com. You can find pictures on their site. Cottages weren't fancy, but great location, just on other side of Hanalei Colony Resort. Right on ocean. We have been to Kauai three times now and have stayed on the north shore twice. We also stayed at Hanalei Bay Resorts, but long walk to ocean. Cottages were more private and great for my husband who liked to be at beach all the time. Hope this helps you. Any questions, e-mail me at: [email protected]
Joyce
If you are going in the summer, stay on the north shore. It is the best and more laid back. We stayed this last May at Hale Makai cottages on the north shore. We rented thru Hanalei-Vacations.com. You can find pictures on their site. Cottages weren't fancy, but great location, just on other side of Hanalei Colony Resort. Right on ocean. We have been to Kauai three times now and have stayed on the north shore twice. We also stayed at Hanalei Bay Resorts, but long walk to ocean. Cottages were more private and great for my husband who liked to be at beach all the time. Hope this helps you. Any questions, e-mail me at: [email protected]
Joyce
