Debbie

I'm planning trip to Kauai and am getting mixed messages about where my husband and i should stay. North sounds more lush, South more activities, no rain, better beaches? I would like suggestions on 2 bedroom condos, also. Thanks

duke

Was there last May -- stayed in the north at Hanalei Bay. To say that it "rained" every day would be an exaggeration. It seemed to "spritz" every now and then for anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes at a time, sometimes with the sun out. The south is browner but the weather is nicer and there's alot more to do. Fyi -- the Hanalei Bay Resort has a great view but a terrible beach (no beach chairs except for a few broken rusty ones sitting in the woods), the bar (the focal point for all vacation socializing) closes at 9, and the extent of their "activites" is "lei making", and you have pay extra for that. To tell you how sleazy this place is, someone had their wedding there. After the reception, some people in the wedding party went by the bar for a "night cap" -- at 10 minutes after 9. They were refused service. In short, the place is a total drag. Go south.

Lorraine

North Side is the rainy side
South side is the sunny side
We spent a week and 1/2 at princeville and it rained the whole time. There was not one sunny day.
The Hyatt on the south side of the island is very nice.

kwl

We were in Kauai this past May and spent 2 days on the North Shore - no rain, though we did get a refreshing 1 minute spit during our hike on the NaPali coast while the sun was blazing. During May the sun was warm enough, and so was the water. We visited the Princeville, which is a wonderful hotel; can't comment on the HBR. We did find that everything seems to shut down at 9 pm, though there were folks in the library bar at the Princeville around 10 pm. Restaurants are open for dinner 5-9, and so I would assume the bars close then too. We were hard pressed to stay at the beach for the sunset, return to our room to shower, and be back out for dinner in time. But, I think most people going to Kauai are not looking for the bar scene and late night dinners; if they are, they should go to Maui or Waikiki.

The north side is so much more lush and beautiful than the south side, so you have to decide which one you want. I don't think it would rain enough in May to determine one side or the other, but I'm not an expert.

Happy travels!

john

Just got back from Kauai last week. We stayed on the south side. Kuhio Shores condos are nice, good snorkeling but not much of a beach. Weather was iffy most the time we were there but didn't get much rain. I'd recommend staying on the south side, the island is small enough you can get everywhere pretty quickly. We went to the southwest corner of Kauai (state park, great beach, crummy road) sunny when cloudy everywhere else. Have a great time, wish I could go back.

Laurie

Just got back from kauai north shore 6/2-6/13. I wouldn't stay anywhere BUT the north side!!! The beaches were absolutely gorgeous. they looked like movie sets, better yet there were very isolated with hardly any people. The most crowded beach was Ke'e and even that was nothing compared to Waikiki. Yes, most helicopter rides and all boat rides leave from the south area, but we just made one day trip down there. The rest of the time we never left north. While we explored the south, it was much hotter and not nearly as beautiful. The north side is what you envision Hawaii to look like. The south is so brown. Yes, we experienced sprinkles here and there, but that only made the waterfalls running off the mountains (that we could see from our condo) all the more stunning. I know I sound like a salesman for the north side, but it was absolutely THE BEST! Favorite beaches included Lumaiha'i, Ke'e, Anini, Hideaways, and Queens bath. Hanalei bay is pretty for sunsets but not for swimming, snorkeling. Check out Pahio Bali Hai condos.

Remember, no rain- no rainbows!

jill

We stayed at the Sheraton Poipu in March. The Poipu beach is really great. It wasn't crowded at all. We could see whales from our room. Monk seals often hang out on that beach too. The waves were also just about right. They were large enough to have fun with, but not too dangerous. When we were in Kuaui the North shore beaches were closed for a couple of days due to dangerous surf conditions. I don't know how often this happens, but when we visited Princeville, the waves were HUGE and scary.
I will say the area around Princeville is gorgeous, and we loved visiting and eating the seafood buffet at Cafe Hanalei (you must do this at sunset...make reservations at 5:30 for the sunset). However, the south side had more food options, activities, and was very beautiful also.

Tammy

The north shore is much more beautiful than the south by far. In May, which is the beginning of the dry season rain should not be a problem-a short shower or 2 but not anything to be concerned about. We like to time our visits from May-Oct because the surf is calm on the north shore-but it is up on the south shore. We like to stay in a condo and after a day on the beach we are happy to go to bed by 10 pm.

ilovehawaii

No one has mentioned the option of staying on the east coast near Kapaa. I know it doesn't look as lush and tropical as the north, but the beaches are beautiful and the accessibility to restaurants and shopping is great. We stayed in Lae Nani last March and were able to walk to the bar, restaurants, and shopping. And it's only a short drive to either the north shore or Poipu. We wouldn't stay anywhere else, and we've been to most of the islands more than a dozen times.

lib

Have not been there in May, but was there last Christmas. We stayed in Poipu because it is definitely better in the winter than the north side. We stayed at the Aston Poipu Kai and our two bedroom/two bath condo was very nice and spacious. Plus we had an end unit which was great and private. I would definitely stay there again.

chefjm

We just came back from the north shore of Kauai two days ago and the weather was not to bad, some rain and wind at night, durring the day mostly sunny. We got the tail end of a tropical storm at the beginning of the week so all of the islands were windy. On Tuesday we went to Poipu, lots of sun but very windy that day. North and south beaches are about the same, the north is post card perfect if you don t mind some up and down hikes to get to some of them but worth the effort. There is plenty to see and do on the north shore. We stayed at the Hanalai Colony Resort, all the units are two bedrooms, right on the beach. Lots of kids durring the summer. Nice place but maybe not for everyone. I like it because it blends in with the north shore,very low key atmosphere. Take a guided tour of the botanical gardens on the north shore almost at roads end, it was one of our many highlights of the trip. Bon Voyage

JW

We were in Kauai in June for 8 days. We spent 3 days on the north shore and 5 on the south. Yes, it is lusher on the north end. The hiking was incredible. We had great weather, but it does tend to be cloudier. The south end was very different and that in itself was interesting. If you can, try to do both ends.

Sharon

Hi Debbie, Our family has been going to Kauai for the past seven years. This was the deal for us. The first year we went to Poipu. We toured the south for about three days. On the fourth day we headed north. We thought we had died and gone to heaven. On the second visit we found a deal at Kapaa, so we stayed there. It was no deal because we were in the car every day driving to the north shore. From then until now we have stayed at Hanalei
Colony Resort which is ,to us, like coming home. No phones, no T.V., just quiet, beautiful Hawaii.