Kauai, HI Trip Report Week 2 (
Aug 3rd, 2004, 11:56 AM
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Kauai, HI Trip Report Week 2 (
(First week of our honeymoon was Maui)
July 12th ? July 19th
Day 1 ? Left Maui via Hawaiian Airlines direct flight to Kauai
We arrived in Kauai at around 9:30 and didn?t have a check in until 3pm on the North Shore. We decided to drive to the Waimea Canyon right away with our suitcases in our trunk. We stopped at Pacific Pizza in Waimea for lunch (at about 11:00 ? yum!) and then drove up the Waimea Canyon Drive. The drive was spectacular, and a MUST see. We didn?t have it planned on my first itinerary, but I?m glad we decided to put it in after all. We stopped at various lookouts/waterfalls and at the Kokee museum. We were able to drive all the way to the Pu?u o Kila Lookout (I thought we were going to have to walk from the Kalalau Lookout, but the road was open). It was a clear day and we saw the amazing Kalalau Valley and Na Pali coast. It was breathtaking!! We drove back down Waimea Canyon Drive and stopped at JoJos Clubhouse for shave ice. Huge servings.
We then drove towards the North Shore stopping at Wal-mart (Lihue) and Safeway (Kaapa) to get groceries for our condo. We stayed at the Sea Lodge in Princeville, specifically condo G-2 (http://www.nakearentals.com/). We were very happy with it. It was tiny, but had amazing views of the ocean from the bedroom, living room, dining, and a balcony. We could see the Kilauea lighthouse in the distance. Every morning we were woken by the sunrise. So amazing. It was also cheap! $115 a night or something like that. We never made it to the Sealodge beach though. It?s down a steep cliff and seemed dangerous (I?m a wimp though, it was probably fine). That night we drove over to the Princeville Resort. I thought it was beautiful, but the pool is definitely lacking. We watched the sunset on their beach (got rained on though) and then had appetizers and drinks in their bar The Living Room. Great views.
Day 2 ? We got up early and went to Tunnels Beach (arriving there at about 8am). We only saw one road to park on (the blue book mentions two dirt roads), which was halfway full when we got there. We had to climb down a huge trees roots to get to the beach. Seemed impossible at first, but was doable. The snorkeling here was pretty good! The beach only had a handful of people, and was really beautiful. We left after a couple hours and went to the Kilauea Lighthouse. The views here were worthwhile. We had also stopped at Banana Joe?s before the lighthouse for smoothies and lychees. Mmm!
We then headed for Anini Beach which I thought was great. Plenty of parking, good access to the water, and picnic areas. We ate lunch here and then went swimming. Too cloudy/windy for snorkeling, but we loved this beach. I wish we had gone back to it, but we never had time. Later in the afternoon we went shopping at the Hanalei Center and the Princeville Shops. Hanalei Center was ok, the Princeville Shops could be missed (they hardly had any shops). We ate dinner at the condo, and saw the sunset from the condo.
Day 3 ? We drove down to the National Tropical Botanical Gardens for our 10am tour (which we had booked the day before randomly), first stopping at the Wailua Falls. We then stopped at Spouting Horn along the way (a must see if you are in the area). I?m so glad we ended up doing the tour at the Gardens, it was great! Our tour guide was Wendy, and she was a wealth of information. The gardens were beautiful, and the tour lasted for about 2.5 hours. Yes, seeing the trees in Jurassic Park was cool. We got lots of great pictures on this tour. We left the park and went to lunch at Keokis Paradise in Poipu. I?d recommend it for lunch. We drove back to the North Shore, stopped at our condo to change, and then attempted to go to Queen?s Bath. Parking was easy; the walk down was ok? climbing over all the boulders was challenging, but not too bad. There were lots of people swimming in Queen?s Bath, and we could not see a safe/obvious way down to it. We decided not to do it (husband is afraid of heights). We headed back and took a dip in the second waterfall and spent the afternoon swimming in the condo?s pool. We did get to see sea turtles near Queen?s Bath though, so that made it worth it for us. We had dinner at the condo again, and saw the sunset there as well.
Day 4 ? Got up early and drove to Kee Beach. We arrived at about 7:30 am and were one of the first ones there, lots of parking!! The lagoon and ocean beyond the reef were both very calm. We had the best time snorkeling here. Definitely saw the most and had the most clarity. We should have gone to this beach instead of Tunnels. We ended up staying all day (well past 2pm), and were able to climb on the reef to see a sea turtle less than 2 feet away! That was such a highlight for us. When we left the parking lot was packed, and cars were still trying to get in to find spots (there were none, except for ours!). We went to dinner at Zelo?s Beach House. I?m going to have to give this one a thumb?s down. We got there at around 5pm (happy hour ended at 5:30) and had to wait at the bar. Our drinks took awhile (but not that long) and the bar tender gave them to us for free (we didn?t complain or ask or anything, that was nice). We then got our table at 5:25 and I asked about the happy hour fish tacos. Our waitress tried to tell us that happy hour was over. I could clearly see my husbands watch, so she went to check the time. She came back and asked me what I wanted then in a snotty tone. My fish tacos would have come sooner than my husband?s dinner, so I opted for the dinner fish tacos instead of the happy hour ones. Well those came and they were cold, and rather disgusting. My husband liked his chicken parmesan though.
Day 5 ? We packed up the condo and drove to the South Shore to stay at the Marriott?s Waiohai Beach Club in Poipu, first stopping at the Opaeka Falls (could have done without this one). We were pleased with this hotel. Great pools, nice rooms, right on the beach etc. The only thing lacking was the service, but it wasn?t horrible. We noticed this hotel was full of families. We only saw one other couple there without kids the entire 3 days we were there. It wasn?t overly crowded though. We stayed at the pool all day. I liked that we could walk over to the beach and not worry about someone taking our chair (there were plenty of empty ones all day). They also have great lunches here, and not that overly priced. We were going to go to the Sheraton for cocktails at sunset, but we decided to stay at our hotels bar. Bad choice. It took the bartender forever to get our drinks, and my Blue Hawaiian tasted like ice. So we left early and went to the Library bar at the Hyatt before we had dinner at Tidepools. Tidepools was amazing. We loved the food, atmosphere (very romantic) and service. My husband loved his coconut lobster soup. We were also pleased with slightly how more inexpensive it was than the restaurants on Maui. I would highly recommend this one.
Day 6 ? Another day spent at the beach/pool. We had breakfast at the hotel (they only had 1 cook and 1 server so that took ages), and lunch at the hotel. For dinner we went to The Beach House. We had reservations for 6pm and we got there at about 5:55pm. We were told to do this, as they give the best tables away first-come-first-serve (they open at 6). We got an amazing table, right on the edge of the restaurant (on the water!). This restaurant had the best view out of any we had been at on Maui or Kauai (well besides our condo?s balcony). The food was amazing, as was the view of the sunset. We both had the chocolate dessert (maybe called chocolate volcano??), awesome!
Day 7 ? We had breakfast at the hotel and left for the airport L This time we had to fly to Honolulu first (they changed my itinerary after it was booked). We got to Honolulu and they made everyone leave the plane, even though that was the same plane we were flying on to Maui. Not sure why, but it was annoying!
Overall:
We were so glad we added both the Waimea Canyon and National Tropical Bot. Gardens to our itinerary (which changed a lot).
We bought a styrofoam cooler at the store, and were constantly using it for lunches (we froze our water bottles, which worked great).
We saved some money by staying at a condo for 5 days, but were so glad that we stayed at a different place on the south shore as well. The drive was too long to just stay on one side for a week.
We booked Tidepools and The Beach house weeks before we left for Hawaii (as we did the Maui restaurants we ate at).
We were pleased with Avis and Continental.
We loved Hawaii so much and can?t wait to go back!!
Aloha!
July 12th ? July 19th
Day 1 ? Left Maui via Hawaiian Airlines direct flight to Kauai
We arrived in Kauai at around 9:30 and didn?t have a check in until 3pm on the North Shore. We decided to drive to the Waimea Canyon right away with our suitcases in our trunk. We stopped at Pacific Pizza in Waimea for lunch (at about 11:00 ? yum!) and then drove up the Waimea Canyon Drive. The drive was spectacular, and a MUST see. We didn?t have it planned on my first itinerary, but I?m glad we decided to put it in after all. We stopped at various lookouts/waterfalls and at the Kokee museum. We were able to drive all the way to the Pu?u o Kila Lookout (I thought we were going to have to walk from the Kalalau Lookout, but the road was open). It was a clear day and we saw the amazing Kalalau Valley and Na Pali coast. It was breathtaking!! We drove back down Waimea Canyon Drive and stopped at JoJos Clubhouse for shave ice. Huge servings.
We then drove towards the North Shore stopping at Wal-mart (Lihue) and Safeway (Kaapa) to get groceries for our condo. We stayed at the Sea Lodge in Princeville, specifically condo G-2 (http://www.nakearentals.com/). We were very happy with it. It was tiny, but had amazing views of the ocean from the bedroom, living room, dining, and a balcony. We could see the Kilauea lighthouse in the distance. Every morning we were woken by the sunrise. So amazing. It was also cheap! $115 a night or something like that. We never made it to the Sealodge beach though. It?s down a steep cliff and seemed dangerous (I?m a wimp though, it was probably fine). That night we drove over to the Princeville Resort. I thought it was beautiful, but the pool is definitely lacking. We watched the sunset on their beach (got rained on though) and then had appetizers and drinks in their bar The Living Room. Great views.
Day 2 ? We got up early and went to Tunnels Beach (arriving there at about 8am). We only saw one road to park on (the blue book mentions two dirt roads), which was halfway full when we got there. We had to climb down a huge trees roots to get to the beach. Seemed impossible at first, but was doable. The snorkeling here was pretty good! The beach only had a handful of people, and was really beautiful. We left after a couple hours and went to the Kilauea Lighthouse. The views here were worthwhile. We had also stopped at Banana Joe?s before the lighthouse for smoothies and lychees. Mmm!
We then headed for Anini Beach which I thought was great. Plenty of parking, good access to the water, and picnic areas. We ate lunch here and then went swimming. Too cloudy/windy for snorkeling, but we loved this beach. I wish we had gone back to it, but we never had time. Later in the afternoon we went shopping at the Hanalei Center and the Princeville Shops. Hanalei Center was ok, the Princeville Shops could be missed (they hardly had any shops). We ate dinner at the condo, and saw the sunset from the condo.
Day 3 ? We drove down to the National Tropical Botanical Gardens for our 10am tour (which we had booked the day before randomly), first stopping at the Wailua Falls. We then stopped at Spouting Horn along the way (a must see if you are in the area). I?m so glad we ended up doing the tour at the Gardens, it was great! Our tour guide was Wendy, and she was a wealth of information. The gardens were beautiful, and the tour lasted for about 2.5 hours. Yes, seeing the trees in Jurassic Park was cool. We got lots of great pictures on this tour. We left the park and went to lunch at Keokis Paradise in Poipu. I?d recommend it for lunch. We drove back to the North Shore, stopped at our condo to change, and then attempted to go to Queen?s Bath. Parking was easy; the walk down was ok? climbing over all the boulders was challenging, but not too bad. There were lots of people swimming in Queen?s Bath, and we could not see a safe/obvious way down to it. We decided not to do it (husband is afraid of heights). We headed back and took a dip in the second waterfall and spent the afternoon swimming in the condo?s pool. We did get to see sea turtles near Queen?s Bath though, so that made it worth it for us. We had dinner at the condo again, and saw the sunset there as well.
Day 4 ? Got up early and drove to Kee Beach. We arrived at about 7:30 am and were one of the first ones there, lots of parking!! The lagoon and ocean beyond the reef were both very calm. We had the best time snorkeling here. Definitely saw the most and had the most clarity. We should have gone to this beach instead of Tunnels. We ended up staying all day (well past 2pm), and were able to climb on the reef to see a sea turtle less than 2 feet away! That was such a highlight for us. When we left the parking lot was packed, and cars were still trying to get in to find spots (there were none, except for ours!). We went to dinner at Zelo?s Beach House. I?m going to have to give this one a thumb?s down. We got there at around 5pm (happy hour ended at 5:30) and had to wait at the bar. Our drinks took awhile (but not that long) and the bar tender gave them to us for free (we didn?t complain or ask or anything, that was nice). We then got our table at 5:25 and I asked about the happy hour fish tacos. Our waitress tried to tell us that happy hour was over. I could clearly see my husbands watch, so she went to check the time. She came back and asked me what I wanted then in a snotty tone. My fish tacos would have come sooner than my husband?s dinner, so I opted for the dinner fish tacos instead of the happy hour ones. Well those came and they were cold, and rather disgusting. My husband liked his chicken parmesan though.
Day 5 ? We packed up the condo and drove to the South Shore to stay at the Marriott?s Waiohai Beach Club in Poipu, first stopping at the Opaeka Falls (could have done without this one). We were pleased with this hotel. Great pools, nice rooms, right on the beach etc. The only thing lacking was the service, but it wasn?t horrible. We noticed this hotel was full of families. We only saw one other couple there without kids the entire 3 days we were there. It wasn?t overly crowded though. We stayed at the pool all day. I liked that we could walk over to the beach and not worry about someone taking our chair (there were plenty of empty ones all day). They also have great lunches here, and not that overly priced. We were going to go to the Sheraton for cocktails at sunset, but we decided to stay at our hotels bar. Bad choice. It took the bartender forever to get our drinks, and my Blue Hawaiian tasted like ice. So we left early and went to the Library bar at the Hyatt before we had dinner at Tidepools. Tidepools was amazing. We loved the food, atmosphere (very romantic) and service. My husband loved his coconut lobster soup. We were also pleased with slightly how more inexpensive it was than the restaurants on Maui. I would highly recommend this one.
Day 6 ? Another day spent at the beach/pool. We had breakfast at the hotel (they only had 1 cook and 1 server so that took ages), and lunch at the hotel. For dinner we went to The Beach House. We had reservations for 6pm and we got there at about 5:55pm. We were told to do this, as they give the best tables away first-come-first-serve (they open at 6). We got an amazing table, right on the edge of the restaurant (on the water!). This restaurant had the best view out of any we had been at on Maui or Kauai (well besides our condo?s balcony). The food was amazing, as was the view of the sunset. We both had the chocolate dessert (maybe called chocolate volcano??), awesome!
Day 7 ? We had breakfast at the hotel and left for the airport L This time we had to fly to Honolulu first (they changed my itinerary after it was booked). We got to Honolulu and they made everyone leave the plane, even though that was the same plane we were flying on to Maui. Not sure why, but it was annoying!
Overall:
We were so glad we added both the Waimea Canyon and National Tropical Bot. Gardens to our itinerary (which changed a lot).
We bought a styrofoam cooler at the store, and were constantly using it for lunches (we froze our water bottles, which worked great).
We saved some money by staying at a condo for 5 days, but were so glad that we stayed at a different place on the south shore as well. The drive was too long to just stay on one side for a week.
We booked Tidepools and The Beach house weeks before we left for Hawaii (as we did the Maui restaurants we ate at).
We were pleased with Avis and Continental.
We loved Hawaii so much and can?t wait to go back!!
Aloha!
Aug 3rd, 2004, 12:15 PM
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Sounds like you had a great time! We were just at several of those places in June and you brought back many fond memories. For future reference: Opaeka'a Falls is definitely better from the BOTTOM! What a place!
However, one thing sticks in my craw everytime--and I know you probably didn't know this, but--please don't stand on the reef! So many people were tromping on the reef at Ke'e and it's so sad. The reef is alive and supports all those fish, and walking on it causes damage that is slow to repair.
That said...thanks for the report!
love
roxy
However, one thing sticks in my craw everytime--and I know you probably didn't know this, but--please don't stand on the reef! So many people were tromping on the reef at Ke'e and it's so sad. The reef is alive and supports all those fish, and walking on it causes damage that is slow to repair.
That said...thanks for the report!
love
roxy
Kee Beach!!!
Aug 4th, 2004, 06:28 AM
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Thanks for the detailed trip report Amelie, it was really helpful. That lobster soup at Tidepools sounds yummy! Do you happen to remember what the entrees started at there? We'll probably do no more than 2 dinners out, so we want them to be nice without breaking the bank..lol
We are staying in Princeville for our entire trip as well, and wondered whether we should try to put Waimea Canyon when we just arrive (about 11am), as you did, or on the day of our departure (have to be at airport about 5pm). How did you feel leaving your luggage in the car for that, doesn't sound like it was a problem for you.
Thanks again for the helpful info..only 24 more days for us
We are staying in Princeville for our entire trip as well, and wondered whether we should try to put Waimea Canyon when we just arrive (about 11am), as you did, or on the day of our departure (have to be at airport about 5pm). How did you feel leaving your luggage in the car for that, doesn't sound like it was a problem for you.
Thanks again for the helpful info..only 24 more days for us
Aug 4th, 2004, 06:55 AM
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ggrtist-
I want to say that the entrees at Tidepools were in the 20-30 dollar price range. My husband had soup, the special (lobster and fish), and a mudslide for dessert. I had salad, mahi mahi, and an apple cobbler. My husband had two drinks, and I had one wine. The total was about 130 or something...which was great (on Maui our "special" dinners were running us over 200). We did two fancy dinners on Kauai, and two on Maui. It worked out good for us.
I would go to the Canyon the day you get there, instead of your last (might be too rushed). It was fine leaving our luggage in the car. For lunch we parked along a busy street, same as JoJos. The actual canyon drive... some lookouts you are right by your car, the other ones are crowded. I think the breakins happen in more deserted areas. I was sort of paranoid about it, but it was completely fine!
Have fun! Drink some lava flows for us.
I want to say that the entrees at Tidepools were in the 20-30 dollar price range. My husband had soup, the special (lobster and fish), and a mudslide for dessert. I had salad, mahi mahi, and an apple cobbler. My husband had two drinks, and I had one wine. The total was about 130 or something...which was great (on Maui our "special" dinners were running us over 200). We did two fancy dinners on Kauai, and two on Maui. It worked out good for us.
I would go to the Canyon the day you get there, instead of your last (might be too rushed). It was fine leaving our luggage in the car. For lunch we parked along a busy street, same as JoJos. The actual canyon drive... some lookouts you are right by your car, the other ones are crowded. I think the breakins happen in more deserted areas. I was sort of paranoid about it, but it was completely fine!
Have fun! Drink some lava flows for us.
Aug 4th, 2004, 07:08 AM
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ggrtist,
Just wanted to chime in here. It was suggested that we visit Waimea Canyon early in the morning because clouds often roll in later in the morning and obscure the views. It turned out to be great advice. FYI. Also, I would not park in Waimea Canyon with my luggage in the trunk of the car. If you are just going to the look outs that have lots of people, it might not be too bad and I'm sure people do it all the time. Not me though! We went to some of the more remote areas to hike and I would not have left luggage in the car. Have a great trip.
-Bill
Just wanted to chime in here. It was suggested that we visit Waimea Canyon early in the morning because clouds often roll in later in the morning and obscure the views. It turned out to be great advice. FYI. Also, I would not park in Waimea Canyon with my luggage in the trunk of the car. If you are just going to the look outs that have lots of people, it might not be too bad and I'm sure people do it all the time. Not me though! We went to some of the more remote areas to hike and I would not have left luggage in the car. Have a great trip.
-Bill
Aug 4th, 2004, 07:19 AM
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I agree with Bill. If you are planning on doing any hiking, or going to remote areas of the Canyon, then I would not leave luggage.
We stopped at the major look out points, some smaller ones (but were only there briefly for picks), and the museum. The whole drive throughout the canyon and with stopping was 2 hours total.
We never parked our car in an area for more than 10 minutes where there weren't at least 15 other cars.
amelie
We stopped at the major look out points, some smaller ones (but were only there briefly for picks), and the museum. The whole drive throughout the canyon and with stopping was 2 hours total.
We never parked our car in an area for more than 10 minutes where there weren't at least 15 other cars.
amelie
Aug 4th, 2004, 08:34 AM
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Great, thanks for the info guys! Guess we'll have to decide whether we want to spend time exploring or not. I'm thinking we'll be doing the stop, drive & lookout rather than any hiking, and with the cloud factor, guess we won't do it on our first day. I was also interested in stopping in that artsy town some mentioned..Hanapepe(?), so probably best to set aside a day for that & maybe spend rest of day at beaches in Poipu before going back to Princeville....sounds like a long drive from Princeville and back though. Trying to make the most of our 6 days there and I'm not the "wing it" type of person, when we travel, we even schedule the "relax" time 
Aug 4th, 2004, 08:50 AM
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ggrtist,
Allow the islands to work their magic on you and then sit back and relax.
Once that warm, moist Hawaiian air does it's thing with you, you will have no problem "scheduling" relax time. Our best moments on Kauai were the days spent doing nothing (literally) on the beaches of the north shore.
-Bill
Allow the islands to work their magic on you and then sit back and relax.
Once that warm, moist Hawaiian air does it's thing with you, you will have no problem "scheduling" relax time. Our best moments on Kauai were the days spent doing nothing (literally) on the beaches of the north shore.
-Bill
Aug 4th, 2004, 10:12 AM
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Hi Amelie
thanks for a great part 2 of your Hawaii trip. It sounds like we will be on the same flight from Maui to Kauai that you were on. What time did you get to the airport? How long did it take to get checked in? We heard that if you get there too early they will put your luggage on an earlier flight than what you are booked on so your bags get there before you do. So we don't want to check in too early in that case.
We had thought about going directly to waima canyon like you did. So it sounds like a great idea so we will plan on doing that. We are staying the 1st two nights at the Hyatt which is on the way to Waima Canyon so we will stop and have them store our luggage and go to the canyon like you did.
We are also staying 3 ngihts at the north end of the island within walking distance of Tunnels but it sounds like from what you said that Kee is the better beach.
Anyway thanks for the great info and I will file a trip repor too when I get back.
thanks for a great part 2 of your Hawaii trip. It sounds like we will be on the same flight from Maui to Kauai that you were on. What time did you get to the airport? How long did it take to get checked in? We heard that if you get there too early they will put your luggage on an earlier flight than what you are booked on so your bags get there before you do. So we don't want to check in too early in that case.
We had thought about going directly to waima canyon like you did. So it sounds like a great idea so we will plan on doing that. We are staying the 1st two nights at the Hyatt which is on the way to Waima Canyon so we will stop and have them store our luggage and go to the canyon like you did.
We are also staying 3 ngihts at the north end of the island within walking distance of Tunnels but it sounds like from what you said that Kee is the better beach.
Anyway thanks for the great info and I will file a trip repor too when I get back.
Aug 4th, 2004, 03:19 PM
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Kaymit-
I think our flight left Maui at about 9, and we got there at about 8 (or earlier, I forget). Maybe our bags were on an earlier flight, I'm not sure. I know when we left Kauai, we got there so early and they kept asking if we wanted to go on an earlier flight. We decided not to, because we were worried about our bags. It all worked out fine though.
If you have time for both Ke'e and Tunnles... you could. If I had the chance to do it again though, we would have went to Ke'e twice. Although Tunnels was nice because it wasn't as crowded as Ke'e (Kee got crowded by 9am, the first hour and a half were so nice!). The parking at Tunnels was pretty bad though, unless you get there EARLY. We just loved the snorkeling at Kee better.
Have fun!
amelie
I think our flight left Maui at about 9, and we got there at about 8 (or earlier, I forget). Maybe our bags were on an earlier flight, I'm not sure. I know when we left Kauai, we got there so early and they kept asking if we wanted to go on an earlier flight. We decided not to, because we were worried about our bags. It all worked out fine though.
If you have time for both Ke'e and Tunnles... you could. If I had the chance to do it again though, we would have went to Ke'e twice. Although Tunnels was nice because it wasn't as crowded as Ke'e (Kee got crowded by 9am, the first hour and a half were so nice!). The parking at Tunnels was pretty bad though, unless you get there EARLY. We just loved the snorkeling at Kee better.
Have fun!
amelie
Aug 4th, 2004, 07:56 PM
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Nice report amelie!
I must agree with Roxy though...I lieterally cringed at the walking on the reef thing. Don't want to knock any of the great hawaiin wind out of your sails. Just want to reaffirm and inform others...tread lightly, you are merely visitors and therefor caretakers. I trust you didn't know better. So understand, and educate others.
Mahalo, love that island, although I don't really know why. Perhaps one day Kal will gain an understanding of others' obsession with this dull destination!!!!!!!! Until then, avoid it at all cost!
G'lou
I must agree with Roxy though...I lieterally cringed at the walking on the reef thing. Don't want to knock any of the great hawaiin wind out of your sails. Just want to reaffirm and inform others...tread lightly, you are merely visitors and therefor caretakers. I trust you didn't know better. So understand, and educate others.
Mahalo, love that island, although I don't really know why. Perhaps one day Kal will gain an understanding of others' obsession with this dull destination!!!!!!!! Until then, avoid it at all cost!
G'lou
Aug 4th, 2004, 09:20 PM
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Kaymit,
Parking for Makua (Tunnels) Beach is not that bad. You can park at Haena Beach Park and walk to the right for 5 minutes to the reef protected area for snorkeling. We parked in Haena Place, which is just before the first parking lane and walked about 5 minutes to get to the beach. The two small lanes that serve as parking for Makua Beach often fill up quickly. Makua Beach is one of the most beautiful places. We spent hours there snorkeling, swimming, napping and soaking up the views of Mt. Makana. It would be a shame not to visit it. I also saw people walking on the reef at Makua Beach which made me a little angry. A big no-no.
-Bill
Parking for Makua (Tunnels) Beach is not that bad. You can park at Haena Beach Park and walk to the right for 5 minutes to the reef protected area for snorkeling. We parked in Haena Place, which is just before the first parking lane and walked about 5 minutes to get to the beach. The two small lanes that serve as parking for Makua Beach often fill up quickly. Makua Beach is one of the most beautiful places. We spent hours there snorkeling, swimming, napping and soaking up the views of Mt. Makana. It would be a shame not to visit it. I also saw people walking on the reef at Makua Beach which made me a little angry. A big no-no.
-Bill
Aug 4th, 2004, 10:19 PM
#18
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How funny, when we went in May 2004, we thought the snorkeling at Tunnels was much better than at Ke'ee, but maybe it depends on the day etc? Either way, I would not miss either of the two beaches, they are both close to each other and both beautiful. No reason to pick one over the other, see both on the same day as we did!. We loved it so much, we are going back in Sept. after going in May!
Aug 12th, 2004, 07:38 PM
#19
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We just returned from a week in Kauai (sigh). Did both Tunnels and Ke'e beach. Tunnels happened to be much clearer and more fish on the day we did it than Ke'e. Be sure to take a camera in with you. I ran out of film in no time!
Parking for Ke'e was absolutely crzy late in the day. We parked next to a car that had it's driver side window smashed in, with glass all over. I sure didn't leave anything in the car that day!!!
Parking for Ke'e was absolutely crzy late in the day. We parked next to a car that had it's driver side window smashed in, with glass all over. I sure didn't leave anything in the car that day!!!
Aug 13th, 2004, 08:54 AM
#20
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Ke'e beach is my absolute favorite!
Thanks for the report...I love to revisit through the eyes of others. Went there for our HM, First Anniversary last year, and plotting a way to get there this year too!
Thanks for the report...I love to revisit through the eyes of others. Went there for our HM, First Anniversary last year, and plotting a way to get there this year too!
