Help w/ Kauai Itinerary
 

Our first trip to Kauai is coming up in 3 short weeks! The family is excited and counting down the days.

I would appreciate any help about filling in our itinerary. Keep in mind that for me, this is a time to totally recharge the batteries. I have no problem totally relaxing since I work, on avg., 60-70 hrs a week and by the time vacation time comes around, I am just fried. By the same token, I do not want to just be "a chaise lounge potato".

There will be 5 of us. 3 adults (one an active senior citizen) and 2 very active but easily bored 8 yr old girls. We have 2 adjoining rooms at the Grand Hyatt.

I have read parts of Kauai Revealed but still don't have a feel for what we want to do. Here is what we have so far:

Sunday (arrival): unpack, settle in, hang around resort day for rest of day.

Monday: Resort day. Dinner at Tidepools

Tuesday: Private van tour of entire island (about 6 hrs total) plus nice dinner at Roy's in the evening

Wednesday: Golf (for me), Shopping excursion for wife and mom in law. Camp Hyatt for girls (my daughter LOVED the Camp Hyatt in Maui last yr).

From there, we are pretty open for suggestions (except no helicopter or 4x4 tours due to mom in law). We are not on a budget, per se' and would prefer to keep driving to a minimum (but we will have a mini van at our disposal). We do not depart until the following Sunday.

Thanks for your help.

Are you interested in snorkeling or hiking? We went to Waimea Canyon last year to the end of the road and then hiked about a mile (easy hike) -- there were amazing views!

Also, snorkeling was great on the north shore. It was a little bit of a drive from the Hyatt, but it was lots of fun.

A drive to the north shore to see the quaint town of Hanelei and on the way a quick stop at the lighthouse. This could be done at the end of the day to catch the beautiful sunset of the Napilli coast. You also might add the Beachhouse restaurant to your list. A table around sunset is the way to go. We will be there in 2 weeks and we are counting down the days too.

If I had 2 easily bored 8 yr. old girls with me, I wouldn't do the island tour. In fact I wouldn't do the tour if they weren't with me. Kauai is an enjoyable island to sightsee on your own.

We stayed on the southshore but spent 3 days sightseeing on the northshore. It is beautiful.

It is easy to drive to the Northshore--stop at the lighthouse,hike a bit of the Kalaulau Trail and relax at Kee Beach, check out the Princeville, eat in Hanalei. Lots of other beautiful beaches to enjoy on the northshore.

You can drive to Waimea Canyon one day, stop at the overlooks and drive to the end of the road for the hike Samsaf suggested.

We enjoyed the Maha'ulepa Beaches out past the Hyatt on the southshore. We first stopped at Gillins Beach. It was so windy there that day, that we drove on down the dirt road to a wonderful protected cove(with shade for my Irish skin)There were also impressive cliffs that were easy to hike on--great views,sea caves. You could walk from the cove on over to Gillin's Beach. It became one of our favorite spots on the southshore. I seem to be one of the few people who did not like Poipu Beach.

There is also a nice shoreline hike by the Hyatt---great cliffs by the Hyatt for ocean views.

You will love the Hyatt. We did not stay there but I will never forget walking into the resort at sunset--seeing hula dancers framed by the gorgeous ocean and sky. It was our first night on Kauai and we had stopped by for a cocktail.

You can easily do half days of sightseeing with half days of resort relaxing--sounds perfect to me.

We did pretty much the same vacation last Aug. at the Hyatt with the family, with two connecting rooms, but did our own driving/touring. We also arrived on a Sunday, and like to go to Keoki's Paradise (next to Roy's) the first night for a casual dinner. We thought we could just call after we checked into the hotel for dinner ressys. Due to the time change, we wanted an early dinner around 6 PM (9 PM our time). They didn't have anything until 7:45, which was late the first night. I'd suggest making your dinner plans before leaving home. We had phoned ahead for all the other restaurants because we were celebrating a Anniversary one night and a Birthday another and wanted sunset seatings. If you plan to go to the Beach House in Poipu, you will need to do that as well, if you want a view.

Another day, have appointments at the Anara Spa. It's a beautiful place.

There isn't much shopping in Kauai, just a Macy's. The Hyatt has some nice shops on the lobby level.

Perhaps when you take your 6 hour tour around the island, you will see some beaches or places you want to return on your own the end of the week. I would personally do the drive myself, it's so easy on Kauai.

My suggestions:

1. Hang out and enjoy the Hyatt pool
2. Go to the beach in front of the Sheraton and take surfing lessons
3. Go to Waimea Canyon
4. Go to Kamalani playground which is at Lydgate park. This is a huge playground that your girls might enjoy
5. Go snorkeling at Poipu Beach
6. Get some shave ice for your girls

Have fun,
Alan

2 eight year olds??

I got nuthin'. #-O

Check out jam's trip report to Kauai.
http://tinyurl.com/j3qzf

Where's Auntie M??? That woman got plenny, I bet!

We'd didn't have kids on our trip to Kauai, but I pretty much agree with everything LindainOhio said.

Tours are great, but I worry the kids will be bored. Kauai is also small enough that driving doesn't take much time.

Mike Honeycutt

103 days, 15 hours, 0 minutes and 32 seconds
Not that I'm counting. love it, kal, until now i've been calculating with the 10 finger machine.