Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report Kauai for a week (Sept, 2017)

We just returned from a week on Kauai (our first time to this lovely island), which we planned by quietly reading these forums. Thank you to everyone who so freely shares their recommendations and advice! In the spirit of paying it forward, here is a report from our fantastic week:

Accommodations -- Four of us (two couples) stayed in an ocean front unit at Whaler's Cove in Poipu. We loved being able to walk directly out to "our" front yard overlooking the crashing surf! The condo was very comfortable, and the staff were friendly and unobtrusive. I will say that one of the bedrooms was definitely the "master" and much more appealing than the other (which was in the back of the unit without picture windows or direct access to the water). Spending the early evening in the yard overlooking the ocean with a bottle of wine while we watched sunset quickly became a daily routine (for us, and many others vacationing there).

Drinking/Dining --
Brenneke's (Poipu) -- the meal was good enough (we each had some version of fresh fish) and the open air dining room on the second floor was a very pleasant space, but we didn't think this was great value for money. I did have my first Mai Tai here (because, when in Hawaii...), and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't overly sweet and was dellicious!

Puka Dog (Poipu) -- Delicious (but sloppy) Hawaiian-style hotdog. It's an outdoor stand in a shopping center, and was packed. Service was pleasant and fast. I especially loved the fresh-squeezed lemonade, which you could special-order to your sweetness level (half-sweet was perfect, I thought).

Gourmet Pizza and Burgers by Merriman's (Poipu; KuKui'ula Shopping Center) -- the food was good, but the atmosphere wasn't very lively (to be fair, we ate here on a Tuesday night at the end of September -- not high season).

Lappert's Ice Cream (Poipu; KuKui'ula Shopping Center) -- Yum!

Sleeping Giant Grill (Kapaa) -- we had lunch here after bicycling on the Kauai Multipurpose Path in Kapaa. Delicious food, reasonable price (the portions were huge compared to the cost), in a very casual atmosphere. It's located in a shopping center, and is probably not a place to linger over a meal.

Happy Talk Lounge (Princeville) -- stopped for a drink on our way home from Hanalei. I thought their Koloa Colada, which they describe as less sweet than their usual pina colada, was delicious!

Pizzetta (Koloa) -- We ordered 2 pizzas for delivery. Delivery was very timely, and the pizzas were delicious, with a lot of topping options.

Eating House 1849 (Poipu; KuKui'ula Shopping Center) -- This was our big, splurge meal, and it was delicious! Great bar, great menu, fantastically prepared. The complimentary edamame was deliciously seasoned and a nice touch.

Pa'ina Pono Cafe (Eleele) -- We stopped at this diner on the way to Waimea Canyon, and had a solid breakfast. Banana mac pancakes for me, and some version of eggs for everyone else.

Jojo's Shave Ice (Waimea) -- this was the reward for our hike in Waimea Canyon, and amazingly refreshing and sweet! Be warned -- the "small" size is as big as your head (not that there's anything wrong with that...)

Bangkok Happy Bowl Thai Bistro and Bar (Poipu Shopping Village) -- another great, casual meal. DH and I had sushi, and our friends had pad thai. Open air seating and live music.

Garden Island Grille (Koloa) -- nothing special here. The food was fine, the service was fine, but it wasn't any more than that.

Koloa Mill Ice Cream and Coffee -- I love coconut, and the Haupia ice cream here was delicious!

Keoki's Paradise (Poipu Shopping Village) -- This was my favorite restaurant of the entire trip! The decor is fun, live music was enjoyable, staff (shout out to Kim Medeiros, who was so fun to talk to about living on Kauai) was friendly, and the fish and hula pie were delicious! Highly recommend!

Bamboo Bar @ Keoki's Paradise -- We enjoyed dinner at Keoki's so much that we came back the next night to eat at the bar. Had a variety of appetizers for dinner, and enjoyed it all just as much as we had the first night. I especially liked their Vintage Mai Tai, which was made with just fresh juice and rum. Just sweet enough -- I enjoyed sipping on these each night we came here.

Activities:
Maha'ulepu Trail -- we started from the south at Shipwreck Beach and walked north almost to Gillin's Beach and then back. The entire trek took most of the morning. I really appreciated (and followed) the Fodor's forum advice to be sure to walk along the bluffs. We loved scrambling along the bluffs -- and were mesmerized by the way the ocean spray just hung in the air when it was pushed up through some of the crevices along the coast. If I were to do this again, I would plan to spend more time around Gillin's beach (ie: take more water, towels, and beach supplies). The beach was sandy, had some large lava rocks to sit on at the water's edge, and was bordered by great shade trees.

Kauai Multiuse Path (from Kapaa to Ahihi Point) -- We rented bikes from Coconut Coasters Rentals, and then rode the entire length of the path (up to Ahihi Point, and then as far south as Sleeping Giant Grill -- we had to ride on (some busy) surface roads to get to the restaurant). The path is paved, not too strenuous, and has multiple points to stop and explore the coast. (We were caught in a rainstorm at one point, but were fortunately, were near a picnic pavilion when the rain was approaching.)

Jack Harter Helicopters -- we took a 60-min open-door helicopter flight over the island. It was fantastic! My DH felt a bit green at the end of the ride, but the scenery was spectacular, and he is glad he took the flight. I did think it was hard to understand everything the pilot was telling us, but that is a minor detail. The safety briefing before the flight was very detailed, and we felt safe throughout the whole experience. This was an expensive activity, but we loved it!

Spouting Horn park -- we walked to and from this park and enjoyed watching the "Old Faithful" of Hawaii. I hear that the water spout is more dramatic at high tide, but it was pretty impressive to us regardless. There is a row of souvenir/craft vendors at one end of the park. We didn't buy anything, but the browsing was fun.

Waimea Canyon/Kokee State Park -- we spent the better part of a day in this area. Drove to the farthest point in the park and stopped at the Pu-u O Ola and Kalalau lookouts. Then hiked the Waimea Canyon Trail to the Canyon Overlook and then on down to the head of Waipo'o Falls. This was a stretch activity for me -- but so rewarding! The entire hike took us about 3 hours (with lots of stopping to breathe and take pictures). I'm not an experienced hiker and felt this was pretty demanding, but we saw people hiking with babies in carriers on their back and hiking barefooted, so I must just be a complete lightweight!

Baby Beach -- this was right down the street from our condo, and we spent a fun afternoon bobbing in the water and watching the families that were doing the same. (The most interesting thing to watch was the dad teaching his 6(?) year old son the traditional way to arrange, hold, and throw a fishing net into the ocean.)

All in all, it was a fantastic week, and we look forward to going back to Kauai and continuing to explore the beautiful scenery!