Kauai:Is a rental car needed?
 

We will be in Kauai and Maui for our honeymoon in May, 1998. In Kauai, we will be staying at the Hyatt Regency Resort. Can you tell us if you think a rental car will be necessary....we'll be in Kauai for six days and plan to do the helicopter flight, raft trip on Napali coast and zodiac trip to Lanai. From what I've heard, this can all be done with shuttles to and from the Hyatt. Would you rent a car while there?

Thanks for your advice!

Hi,- Kauai is a resort island, beautiful beaches, and not too much traffic. no car needed, walk, stroll, or take a shuttle-forget about driving.
Have a nice holiday, we just came back from the big Island, I am a Hawaii freak,I swam with wild dolphins.....
Goodbye, Marcel

Unless you absolutely hate to drive or are on an extremely tight budget, I think that Kauai is an ideal place to have a rental car (or a bicycle). Funny enough, I say this for many of the reasons the previous poster mentioned. The island is small - from the center (near the airport), you can drive to the "end of the (paved) road" in about ninety minutes in each direction at a very leisurely pace. There is very little traffic, speeds are low ( I don't think I broke 45 MPH), and it's virtually impossible to get lost. With a car, you can stay as long as you want at popular "don't miss" destinations (Waimea Canyon, Napali Coast State Park) and hike to your heart's content.

We rented a convertible (highly recommended at only $10 more per day than a standard rental) and never had to put the top up, except to park at night (although we did keep valuables in the trunk and drove through an occasional light rain). We could smell the flowers on many excursions, and on our way to Waimea, we heard a squack that sounded like a child's scream. We stopped and looked - a macaw in a tree along the road! Of course, we also saw much of the same once the car was parked, but driving was anything but a chore.

Our time was entirely our own...we ventured off of the beaten path (where neither shuttle buses nor anyone else were around) and we swam at our own "private" beaches where there wasn't another soul to be seen...

Just about perfect for a honeymoon, in my humble opinion. If you want any specific info on other things to do while there, drop me an e-mail.

Scott

No question..get a car!!!!..Kauai may be small, but
to rely on a shuttle to see it would not give it justice.We stayed at the hyatt 2 years ago. At that time I don't recall they even had one. I may be wrong though. It is about 45 mins from the airport.
Great place!!!!
If you have not picked out a heli tour yet, I would
highly recommend Jack Harter Helicopters..We have takin several tours on differant islands and found
him to be the best..Not the usual "fast food" type.
He took us into the waimea canyon and showed us
a hawaiian burial cave. Hovering next to the rock wall, there in the hollow,a human skeleton laying
on a sandy ledge.The stone wall that covered it long since eroded away. Not the usual hurry here, hurry there

Rental car is the only way to insure that you see all the sites on both islands. We are heading back for 7 trip late this year and have always rented a car. The heli trip on Kauai is the best in all the islands. Do the Zodiac boat on the Napali Coast. The Hyatt has 2 good resturants but check out The Beach House on Poipu and Pacific Cafe just north of Lihui.
On Maui don't miss Haleakala Crater. NOW FOR AN OPINION.
You will hear a lot about Hana. IMO it's not worth it -it kills the driver because of the anticipation of the journey home. It takes all day, yes it's beautiful but so are many other parts of the Island.

Congratulations! My husband and I also stayed at the Hyatt last September. We did have a rental car as part of our package and it was nice to have a car. We drove around the island and also when we were in search of restaurants. If you can afford it I think it would be a good idea.

Be sure to write to the manager of the Hyatt and tell him that you are coming for your honeymoon. I did this and we got a fruit basket and a bottle of champagne. You can call the Hyatt's "800" number to get his name.

Also, horseback riding is very popular in Kauai. If you are interested book as soon as you get there. We were unable to do so because it was booked for weeks. They ride along waterfalls which are suppose to be breathtaking. The best riding is along Princeville.