Kauai Maui Trip Report
 

Hey all,
I'm going to attempt to write my 1st trip- report regarding my kauai & maui trip of which we just returned (honeymoon). Everything I'm going to write about is my own opinion so you may not agree with some of it. I'll try to be brief and touch on the stuff I thought was significant.
Overview of the Trip: 5 nights at the Princeville Hotel in Kauai and then 5 nights at the Four Seasons in Maui.

Check-in at the Princeville was a breeze. The bell men/valet guys were overly nice as they immediately gave us leis and our room keys as we stepped out of the car and told them our name. I joined starwood preferred guest program (for free) prior to the trip so we could take advantage of the 4 nights with 5th night free program. We opted for the Junior Suites which were great. There was a large living room, a bedroom separated by a TV that pops up from the counter, a huge marble bathroom with big window, and an awesome lanai with a couple chairs that overlooked hanalei bay and the mountains...overwhelming views and spectacular sunsets. Because my siblings bought us champagne which was waiting in our room, there was a note from the Princeville for a free bottle from the resort whenever we chose.

Day 1: Woke up very early (still on New York time which is 6 hours different), watched the sun rise from the lanai and the moon go down over the mountains at 5:30AM. Had the breakfast buffet at Cafe Hanalei which was very good although pricey ($50) for both of us. We tried to lay out at the pool area but the weather was cloudy, so we quickly decided to pack up and head down to Poipu for some sun. The ride was longer than I expected (1 hour and 15 min.) as there is only 1 main road on Kauia with one lane for each direction. It was beautiful and sunny at Poipu Beach and MANY kids running around. After a few hours we headed to another beach on the way back (east side of island), Lydgate Beach, it was much better in my opinion. We had our own spot on the beach with practically no one around, the weather was great, and the ocean and waves were fun. I loved it. Later we had massages at the Princeville Spa which is at the golf course a few miles from the resort. The spa was fair and the massage okay. That night we went to the Polynesia Cafe in Hanalei which was a great little restaurant. The food (fish) was so fresh in a casual atmosphere on paper plates. Very unique experience!! The owners are so nice also. I would highly recommend if you aren't in the mood for a fancy meal.

Day 2:
Weather was great at the Princeville and the North Shore. We decided to have a "resort" day and just relax at the pool and the beach at the Princeville. The pool area was not that great as I somewhat anticipated from reading other reviews. The beach was okay but nothing special either, and we chose to lay out there rather than the pool. I snorkeled a little around the resort beach and found some fish, but nothing to get too excited about. Lunch was good at their outdoor cafe. That night we drove back to Poipu for dinner at the Beach House. The setting was magnificent. We were seated right at the open windows/doors overlooking the ocean and got to watch the sun set over the ocean and all the surfers. I thought the food was amazing although my wife will argue. She ordered the special - surf and turf - and could not eat the steak (overcooked and not a good cut of beef at all). My mahi mahi was very good. The most memorable part of the meal other than the setting, was the ahi sashimi appetizer. So fresh it melts in your mouth. In the future, we would go back because of the great views and open air feeling. Go early.

I think this is getting too long, so I'm going to not be as detailed.

Day 3:
Had a great day at Kee Beach. Great weather again on the north shore. Parking was a little tricky and we ended up parking at a 20-minute spot for most of the day without getting a ticket. Snorkeling was incredible and very safe - fish everywhere around the reef. Awesome mountain views, and a great beach. On the way back we stopped at Zelo's for lunch in Hanalei. I had fish tacos and my wife had the Ono sandwich - both were amazing and oh so fresh. The service was the only thing that lagged here, but we absolutely loved the food!! Again, nothing fancy, just great food. We like all that fried fish, unhealthy stuff. We craved it again for the rest of our trip. Had dinner at the Living Room Restaurant at the Princeville, we ordered a bunch of sushi and just relaxed in the couches at the resort that night.

Day 4:
Our sailing trip with Napali Catamaran was canceled due to high winds. We were upset because that was going to be an awesome trip. So instead, we went to explore some waterfalls in the morning and went to Wailua falls and Opeaka Falls. Both are easily accessible by car to view, but not to swim in. They are huge falls and cool to look at and take pictures for a few minutes. Had lunch at Duke's at the Marriott...it was good, but not like Zelo's. After lunch, I rented a boogie board in Kapaa and we went to Kealia Beach where there are some decent sized waves. Had a blast in the ocean for a few hours. That night we had the friday night seafood buffet at the Princeville for $45 per person. We both love shellfish so it was great filling up plates full of clams, oysters, mussells, shrimp, crab, sushi, etc. We loved the raw bar items and it was well worth the money.

Day 5: Early flight to Maui. Sad to leave the beauty of Kauai, but ready for the pampering at Wailea Four Seasons.

Final Kauai Thoughts: The employees of the Princeville are far and away the nicest people I have ever met. It is almost "over the top" how the valet guys greet you every time you pull up. Even the maintenence guys are so nice. I managed to lock myself and my wife out on our lanai one morning, so i had to go around the hotel to the lobby and explain that we are locked out of our room (in my robe).The door was deadbolted from the inside (habit from living in NYC) in addition to the automatic lock on the door. THe mainetence guy finally opened the door as we were laughing and having fun... and then would not accept a dollar from me for a tip.
Also, Kauai in general is the most beautiful place we have ever been to. All I can say is that the interior of the island is so green and lush it resembles the "Shire" from Lord of The RIngs. I felt like we were in a fantasy world. You look to your left and see a crystal clear ocean, then look to your right and you see rolling mountains with horses running through the greenest of grass. Unforgettable. Much better than the Carribean which is run down in many parts. Kauia is not an island where you will spend your days at the resort...it is a place where you will go around and explore different falls, beaches, etc. I forgot to mention we visited Queen's Bath one day which was great even though it was high tide and you couldn't swim in it. It was stunning watching the waves crash on the lava rocks...although we got very nervous when a huge wave came and almost hit us. We ran out of there...as it would have knocked us over and dragged us into the rough waters. The ocean in Kauai can be very rough with strong currents...everyone tells you to be careful. We heard a number of stories of surfers, snorkelers having to be rescued & drowning over the past several months/years.

Great first half of the honeymoon....i'll write another post in this thread for the Maui part of the trip. Feel free to ask questions. The WalMart proved very helpful on the island..I bought my snorkel, snacks, memory stick for digital camera, all at WalMart.
I tried to mention stuff that would have been helpful to me when I was planning my trip over the past months.

Matt

Thanks for that beautifully written account, Matty. Your description of Kauai echos my feeling exactly!

Thanks for *taking me back* to the most beautiful place I've ever been. (I presume no one suggested you visit "Caffe Coco?" Oh, well, next time, you must!) Glad you had a wonderful visit!

MattyA:

Thanks for the great trip report. And you weren't being too descriptive. That's what we are all looking for.

Tell me more about the Wailua falls and Opeaka Falls. Can we easily stop and view them without hiking? We would be driving up to the Hanalei area mid-day on the day we will be getting married. We have some time available to stop but don't want to hike as not to get dirty/sweaty.

I'm glad to hear you like The Beachhouse as I have heard some negative things here about it lately.

I'm ready for you Maui report. We too are going to stay at the 4S for our honeymoon this September. And do please give the details of your room and the hotel in general, plus your meal choices.

Thanks.

Nancy,

Both of those falls require no hiking at all which makes it very easy to access by car. My wife is not big on long hikes so we ruled out any falls that required long walks to get to. You can drive right up to Wailua falls and view them from the top/side perspective. Opeaka Falls we viewed after parking at the lookout area...you are further away from Opeaka Falls and don't really get to see the water crashing into the pool below like at Wailua. We probably spent all of 10 minutes at each site to take some pics and take a look, then we hopped back in the car at my wife's request to hit the beach.

The open atmosphere at the Beach House is awesome, and I would go back even if they served a filet o fish from McDonalds.

I'll write the Maui report later today or tonight. Basically, 4 seasons was incredible and road to hana was longgggg.

Matt

Matty

Awesome trip report. I'm planning a trip to Kaui and Muai next next. On Maui we are staying at the Westin but are still trying to decide the Marriott by Lihue or the Hanelai (sp?) Beach Resort in the North Shore area.... we are not going until Nov./Dec. so I heard the North Shore area/waters can get rough.

Can hardly wait to read your Maui report.

Thank you.

Lori

Here goes the Maui report:

Day 1: Check-in to the four seasons in Wailea. It was around 10AM and the room was not ready so they gave us a cell phone and would call us in a little bit when the room was set up. We took a walk around the grounds and then got a call that we could move in to the room. We went to our "garden room" which was pretty large and had a private lanai with some ocean views. Changed into our swimsuits and went down to the pool area where a 4S pool guy quickly set us up two lounge chairs. The pool was packed with young kids as it was easter weekend and many kids were on their spring break. I mean...kids everywhere. We were a little shocked, but glad to hear that most were checking out that day and the next. The pool guys come around and give out fresh fruit skewers, evian spritzes, and basically anything else you could ask for. That night we went to Spago for dinner right in the four seasons as friends had bought us a certificate for a free dinner which we were given upon check-in. We had two great seats facing the ocean with an unbelievable sunset....and the food was incredible. I was at first skeptical about dining at Spago as I prefer a more local experience that you can't find anywhere else...However, I can't deny awesome food. I had amazing tuna sashimi cones and my wife had foie gras for appetizers - both were outstanding! For my main course I had Oppakapaka which is a fish that is scarce in Hawaii and not always on the menu. It was served with Lobster mashed potatoes...again incredible. My wife had the seared ahi. The service was very good until the manager came over because we didn't have the proper certificate, only the card from our friends for a free dinner (i might add this was hand written on Spago stationary written by a Spago employee). I informed her that we gave her what we received and there was never an actual "certificate" in the card. She said she would follow up the next day with our friends, but in the meantime made me sign our dinner to our room. I was kind of shocked. It turns out she calls us back two days later and says she can't reach anyone and can't find their names in their Spago computer system. I asked her if she had their last names, and she said no. What a complete moron. I gave her the last names, and 5 minutes later she calls back and says our dinner is all taken care of (she must have found them in their computer). I was sooooo frustrated at the manager's ignorance, and incompetence but I do have to admit the food was amazing. I'm still thinking about writing a letter to Wolfgang himself to complain about the manager. Under no circumstances should I have had to pay for my dinner that night that our friends' paid for. I'm obviously still annoyed.

Day 2: Woke up early at 6:30am to get a cabana and some good seats by the pool. I thought I would be the first one down by the pool, but I was stunned to see magazines, goggles, backpacks, on almost all of the lounge chairs and cabanas - saving them for people. The actual rule is that at 7AM 4 seasons staff will start giving out cabanas and towels, and the employee actually told me he would remove someone's stuff if i wanted him too, but I didn't want to be a jerk, so i settled for two lounges up near the second pool area. Well, it turned out to be the kiddie pool and was hopping with little kids everywhere, we moved our seats around noon to a better area. (The rest of the week we had no problem getting cabanas or chairs as most of the families left after easter weekend.) Had lunch at Ferraro's right by the pool. The lobster sandwich is truly the best sandwich i have ever had. Be prepared to spend $60+ for lunch everyday at the 4Seasons. Breakfast is pricey also if you get the buffet, but we didn't care..it was soooo good. My wife and I had incredible massages in their Spa. The Lomi Pokahu is a hot stone massage they specialize in. Well worth the money. That night had dinner at Mama's Fish House. Its like a 45 minute drive from the hotel. We went at 7:30 so we didn't get to see the sunset but did have a great meal. The menu is rewritten every day to reflect that particular day's freshest fish. The menu also gives credit on each entree to the specific fisherman and location of where the fish was caught...pretty cool. I had the moi, which is a full fish served with head and tail. It was different, but very good. My wife had mahi mahi stuffed with crab and lobster...outstanding. Appetizers were great. I had the special appetizer which was a sampler of sesame crusted ahi, ono, & snapper. Wife had soup.

Day 3: Woke up early again...secured two private lounge chairs in between the pool and the beach, then went to Yoga on the beach at 7:15am. Great yoga classes every morning. Spent the entire day lounging around the pool (happy the kids cleared out). Snorkeled off the beach...the water was murky because i snorkeled in the afternoon and didn't get to see all that much. Walked around the Shops at Wailea...Gucci, Louis, Fendi, Tiffany, etc. Not much different from 5th Avenue. We had drinks at the bar at the 4S that night..the bartender is a very cool friendly guy who has been there for a few years. Had a good time before dinner. That night we went to Joe's which is a five minute drive from the 4S. Food was very good and not quite as pricey as the beachside higher profile restaurants. We were "fished" out and opted for their famous Meatloaf and Ribs. We were very pleased, and it was a nice change of pace from seafood every night. Good food, great service, in between casual and high-end atmosphere.

Day 4: Hana Day!! The concierge gave us the Road to Hana CD to listen to while she outlined the route to take to Hana (the same route everyone takes). She told us not to go past Hana because the road turns to gravel and our rental car insurance does not cover that rough terrain out there. We said okay and went to get our car from the valet. While waiting for our car, a valey guy who is familiar with that area (grew up on the island) basically told us to completely ignore the concierge's directions as he crossed her highlighted route out and re-highlighted a new route. He said to instead go the opposite way (counter clock-wise). He said it is much faster, you don't get caught up in lines of cars, and the gravel road is NOT that bad. He goes on it with his honda civic. So we were feeling adventurous and decided take his advice. That means no CD. I loved driving the opposite way because it was like we were the only car on the road and the views were AWESOME overlooking Wailea and the entire island. The road does get narrow in certain spots, but not too bad. Also, you have to drive for a while before you get to the unpaved part and thats not so bad either. My only complaint was that of my wife screaming at me everytime i drove faster than 15 mph...that was frustrating as she doesn't trust my driving on high hillside cliffs or narrow roads. It took a good couple hours before we made it to the Seven Sacred Pools @ Oheo Gulch. It was a lot of fun as we swam in the natural pools, jumped off small cliffs, took a lot of pics, etc. It is supposedly the best part of the Hana Trip, and we got to go first before most people got there later in the afternoon. We continued driving and stopped at the Venus pool...no one was there and I didn't feel like swimming by myself unless more people were around. Next we continued on, admiring many waterfalls from the car as we drove by. There are way too many waterfalls to get out of the car and stop for, so we just kept driving, and kept driving, and kept driving. We stopped at the black sand beach but it started raining. The beach looked great, like nothing I'd ever seen before...blue water crashing on fine black sand. On a sunny day it would probably be very fun. Got back in the car, and kept driving, and driving, and driving. It got very foggy and cloudy as we were driving through the rainforest after we passed Hana and continued the counter clockwise circle. It was cool to see some of the sites, but the drive just got way too long. We only stopped at like 4 places, and we must have been driving for over 6 hours. After a few stops and seeing a bunch of rainforest early in the day, we craved our resort at the 4S. It took forever to get back at the 15mph rate we were going. I probably won't do that drive again unless I split it up and stay over a night in Hana. Who wants to be in their car for more than 7 hours in one day? Not me. Dinner was at the bar ar the 4S, just ordered some salads, etc.

Day 5: We were excited to have another pool day at the 4S. Reserved the lounges, took Yoga, had breakfast at Pacific Cafe (we did every morning I forgot to mention). I snorkeled earlier in the morning this time and it was awesome. You have to swim out to the left side of the beach and go out like 100 yards. The water was so calm and clear. I was swimming with big schools of fish, but didn't get to see any turtles. Took some underwater pics. Rest of the day relaxed at the pool. Lunch at Ferraro's - lobster sandwiches amazing. Around 5PM some people were standing around the pool area staring out to the ocean...there were whales a couple hundred yards out breaching and jumping out of the water. Very Cool!!! Dinner at Sarento's that evening as we heard it is the best. I have to be completely honest with my review...service was great, food was very good, BUT we were swatting flies and mosquitos off of our table all dinner long! The waiter had to get new bread plates because a bug was on one...and throughout the meal i had to keep one eye out for bugs, and the other on my wife. It got to be very annoying when you are spending $150+ for a dinner for two. Food was very good.

Day 5: Pool and Beach again at 4S. Shops at Wailea for some last minute shopping, then off to the airport.

Lots of celebrities at the 4S. During our stay, we were in an elevator twice with a movie star, had brunch next to a TV star, and one day had lunch next to a prominent investment guru worth over $1 Billion.


The trip was so incredible as it was both of our first times to the Hawaiian islands. Great food, impeccable service, nicest people, beautiful resorts, amazing beaches, etc, etc, etc.

Can't wait to go back. Let me know if you have specific questions.

Matt

Aloha Matt!

Fun fun report!

I especially had to laugh at your description of "my wife screaming at me everytime i drove faster than 15 mph..."

Been there! :)>-

We did the overnight stay at a cottage on Hana Bay, and it really made the treck a more relaxing adventure.

Glad to hear you had a great trip! Thanks for the great report.

Mahalo for a couple of very fine trip reports. Love the livingroom, and Spago, and, and, and...all those wonderful, magical places on both islands I dream of. It seems you will be back as well. Well done!!!

Wonderful trip report, Matt! ALMOST like being there!;-) NOW, you must name the celebrities....... WHO? WHO? WHO?

thanks for the great reports. leaving in 10 days for 4S Maui and this report just made me more excited!

I will be at the Grand Wailea in six weeks and was wanting recommendations for breakfast spots. (Hate to do a resort breakfast every morning.) It sounds like you were happy with Pacific Cafe? Is it nearby? Also, I'm like Bonniebroad. - Do tell us which celebrities you saw.

MattyA:

Thanks for the Maui report too. About the stone massage - did you have that in the private cabanas down by the beach? If not, did you see the cabanas they use down by the beach for couplese massages? What was your opinion on these? How long was the massage

Reply to Crazy4HI,
It's a bit of a drive from Wailea, but we enjoyed ((&amp;))Charlie's in Paia, which has overwhelming <font color="tan">macadamia nut pancakes</font> though you may have to ask for the Coconut Syrup :P

Matty:

In your opinion, did you like Kauai or Maui better? Trying to decide between the 2 islands, basically, the only reason I'd go to Maui is a perception by me of better resorts, beaches &amp; weather. But if I can get a good resort &amp; beach in Kauai, why leave? What are your thoughts? Great trip report.

Hi Matt,
I just have a question. I am planning my trip next year and was originally thinking of three islands. The B.I. Kaui and Maui but someone said just 2 so I was thinking of B.I. and Maui. Is there a reason you did not choose the B.I. instead of either Maui or Kaui. I would be interested in hearing from everyone else as well&gt; Thanks. Bruce

Nancy - we did the stone massage in the spa. They only offer certain massages as couples' massages and outdoor massages. This particular massage we got (lomi pokahu) has to be done individually inside the spa...which was fine by me. I actually prefer a massage inside a gorgeous soothing spa with dim lights, light music, etc...as opposed to outside where yes you hear waves crashing, but also you probably hear other hotel guests and people walking by. I didn't get a good look at the outdoor site, but I believe they are by a walking path. You can get a 50 minute or 80 minute massage...i couldn't justify the cost of an 80 minute massage so i went with the 50 min. for $125.

Cotes - the following is the opinion of myself and my wife. Kauai is on its own level in terms of beauty. Most of Maui (excluding Hana parts) look brown compared to the lushness of Kauai's interior and mountains. I also thought the beaches in Kauai were outstanding...there is such a wide variety that you can decide if you prefer waves, no waves, ultra-calm, family beaches, quiet with couples beaches, all-alone beaches, great snorkeling beaches, boogie boarding beaches, etc.

However, having said that, the only top top notch resorts are the Princeville and the Hyatt. It may be cloudy in the Princeville area and I don't particularly love their pool/beach area although everything else about the hotel is world-class. I don't know much about the Hyatt except it is all the way on the other side (south).

If you are looking to just be pampered and don't feel like leaving the resort, go to Maui and stay at the four seasons where the service is amazing and there are awesome restaurants everywhere.

If you want a resort-type vacation go to Maui.

If you want a beach-type vacation and don't mind doing a little driving...Kauai is definitely the place for its stunning views and beaches.

Marshall/Bruce,

again...i believe Kauai to be the most beautiful place i've ever been to...breathtaking. We heard this from many people before deciding on the islands. Also, the Princeville is an amazing resort on the most stunning part of the island. They really know how to treat their guests.

As for Maui, i've yet to hear one negative review or even indifferent review of the four seasons at maui. Everyone who goes to that resort absolutely falls in love with it. That's why Maui was an easy choice as well. It would be more difficult if i wasn't going to stay at the 4S.

Maui - because of 4 seasons resort is right up there with the best in the world.

Kauai - because of its natural beauty. I would go back to Kauai and sleep in my rental car if I had to (in other words..the resort was not the major deciding factor in Kauai).



Matt

That was an awesome review, thanks so much! I'm very excited for my honeymoon on these two islands come July.

Ps. Matt -
Would you say the Road to Hana, going the other way and stopping in Hana and then turning around and going back would also be a 7 hour trip?

I really want to do the road to Hana but I'm starting to have doubts about being in the car that long...

Unless you're staying in Ka'anapali, is there more than one way to Hana? There is no route around the south end.