My family and I may be staying in Kauai this December. I know the North Shore is gorgeous but rainy in the winter. For a first time visit to Kauai (in December) please advise: North Shore or South Shore for hotel/condo. Thanks!

For travel in the winter months (yes, there is winter in Hawaii), I would suggest staying on the South Shore.

Anna Roz

The north shore is definitely rainy in winter and a little colder. THe beaches and snorkling areas around all of the island will be rougher and choppier depending on weather for the day and possibly poor visibility, especially in the north. However, you may get fantastic weather in the north. If you're looking for sunshine, the south is best with perhaps a day trip or 2 on the nicest days to the north.

When we go, we always stay on the north shore, everytime, no matter what time of year, but we love the north side....

We just spent 14 days on the North Shore at the end of December into early January and only had 3 or 4 days that were partly sunny with a few showers but the rest of the time was perfect sunshine. On the showery days we would use the webcams at the east and south resorts to find sunny weather. Two of those day it was also raining and cloudy in Lihue and Puipu but we finally found sun on Infinity Beach in Waimea. The North Shore is so beautiful it is worth the risk of a little rain.