My girlfriend and I are going to spend a week on the north shore of Kauai in the middle of Feb. I have been twice and have a decent knowledge of the area. Ideally we would like to get a place on or near the beach in Hanalei (sp?) for surfing. Does anyone think that it would be foolish to wait for a last minute deal on lodging? Any recomendations on a local agent would be helpful. Thanks A Lot!

Hi,
You will love Hanalei. The whole area is laid back but there are nice restaurants and a surfer feel to the town.
I would suggest you make your reservations in advance, I would not take a chance on last minute. I am passing along some websites for local agents and owners that will help you search out that perfect place. There are some nice small homes or apartments type accommodations in Hanalei on these sites so wortha look. God luck. I, too, will be on Kauai for the month of Feb, but on the south shore.
hanalei-vacations,com
kauairentals.com
hawaiicondosbyowner.com
vrbo.com
aakauairentals.com
kauaivacationrentals.com
kauaiproperties.com
suite-paradise.com
grantham-resorts.com.

We used this agency last August:
http://www.princeville-vacations.com/

We were very happy with the condo we rented from them. I know they also have some houses available for rent.

I'm stealing this website from Maggi who posted great pics and a trip report from Mau & Kauai. They stayed here:

www.kauaivilla.com

on the N. Shore. Looks lovely, AND inexpensive!

I will tell you that it has been my experience in Hawaii that what you see is often what you get. So don't worry about finding something completely different from web photos.

I would want to be in Hanalei if I were surfing from the beach. In Princeville you will need to either treck down to the beach which I can't imagine to be fun with a surf board in tow, also you would need to drive to Hanalei.
Hanalei North Shore Properties has been nice on my searches but I have never used.

I would stear clear of Napali vacation rentals as they are building a complex in Haena. So if you care about the beauty of the North Shore here is one company that is looking to hurt it.

Last I like a place that is homey not sparse of furniture. Those wicker sofas with pillows are the very uncomfortable if you like to catch a movie at night. A lot of units have them but the better ones don't, spend a bit more and relax on a real couch!

Wanted to say sofa that is not stable not just the wicker furniture but also that teak furniture where the pillows move easy. It is like sitting on pillows from your bed and moves just as easy.

The place involved with time share building in Haena is Napali Properities. This is the place to avoid.

Maui, Kauai, Maui, Kauai, Maui, Kauai.
They get more posts than anywhere. Its got to be so filled with tourist by now I bet it looks like one of those beaches crammed with noisy sea lions basking thier blubber on the beach.

JP, we recently rented a (gorgeous) home on nearby Anini beach, but my surfer husband would have been a tiny bit happier directly on Hanalei. Still, he enjoyed renting a board (don't bother to bring because they had real good boards available for rent) and driving around to different places. The surfer karma was great there! Here is a listing of Hanalei rental properties, from $800 - $10K a week. Check out "Tree House". If you can afford $2000, that's a great looking property in a perfect location. Can't vouch for the rental agent, but call and talk in person to get a feel. Have fun!

x joan missed the link

Oops! Here's the link I promised:

http://www.aninialoha.com/hanalei.htm

Thanks for the information folks. I forgot that I had posted the question for a few weeks. I ended up gettig a 1 br house about 1 minute from the beach. The woman who owns the place seems very friendly and we can't wait to get there in feb. Here is the link for her home. I will post a review when we get back. Aloha!

http://www.poi.net/~kevdev/

Thank You JP it is always good to have a referral for a rental on Kauai. Let us know how it goes. I love staying in Hanalei but our condo jumped about 25% in cost making it less of a find. I will be waiting for your trip report with a rund down on lodging!

Not a good idea to mention it too much here. I did that with ours and then it was tough getting a booking. Perhaps other Kauai based marketing did this but you never know.

JP,
Are you back yet???? how was this place?

J.P., hope you had a good trip. How was the house? I'm thinking about going in late Oct. Thanks.