Kauai Trip Report
Oct 9th, 2003 | 03:15 PM
#1
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 46
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Kauai Trip Report
My husband and I spent a week in Kauai last month, our first to the island. The Fodor's message boards are a great resource so I hope my report can be useful for others.
Accomodations: Pali Ke Kua Condos (Unit #224)
We decided to go the condo route to get a feel for island living (and to save money on eating out!). After hemming and hawing about North vs South I decided I wanted lush greenery and the Bali Hai view so North it was to be. As a footnote though, we did a lot of driving to see the rest of the island sights so I think on our next trip to Kauai (and there will be a next trip!) we may stay on the Coconut Coast for a more central location. The condo was nicely furnished and well equipped. I never got tired of stepping out on the Lanai for a fantastic Bali Hai views. The only thing I would have liked was a BBQ grill. The only grill on the property was at a beach pavillion on the way to Hideaways Beach not very convenient for condo cooking. The beach itself was down a steep, but paved pathway reserved for Pali Ke Kua guests. We only went one time, on our first afternoon as I couldn't wait to swim in the beautiful, warm waters of Hawaii.
Restaurants: This section will be brief as I cooked dinners in the condo for the most part and packed lunches in a cooler for when we were on the go.
Cafe Hanalei at the Princeville. Excellent food but very pricey. The Princeville Hotel was not what I expected. I thought it would be more "Hawaiian." It reminded me of a Vegas resort hotel (one of the tastefull ones though, like the Bellagio!). I certainly didn't feel disappointed that we could'nt afford to stay there. No our style when it comes to Hawaii.
Bubba's Burgers (Kapaa): We really enjoyed lunch there. Good food, fun place!
Brick Oven Pizza: I was really glad we managed to make it there. Really great pizza.
Activities: There was so much to do on Kauai I can't understand the people who ask "is five days too long?"
Snorkleling: at Tunnels, Kee and Lydgate. We tended to get to the beach late morning and visibility wasn't as good as I was expecting. Maybe getting their earlier would be better. Also swimming: at Poipu, Anini (I really loved that spot).
Kayaking: We rented a double kayak from Kayak Kauai in Kapaa. We kayaked up the Wailua River and tied the kayak up to take the hike to Secret Falls. This was a very nice trip.
Kalaulau Hike: We hiked the first 2 miles in on the Kalaulau trail. Stunning scenery! The trail was pretty rocky and steep in parts (I was really thankful to have a hiking stick. We wore hiking boots. Though the trail was dry, I'm glad we did because the traction was important. Only saw one person in teva sandals. I don't recommend it because the trail is very rocky in parts.
Na Pali Boat Trip: We took a zodiac trip up the Na Pali Coast. I was very hesitant to agree to this because there were a lot of warnings when you sign up and the motto for this outfit was "No whiners,no crybabies and no wimps." I consider myself to be all three so I took a lot of convincing. Anyway, it really was a great trip. Our young captain was a real daredevil but his handling of the zodiac was incredible. We stopped amid a school of dolphins who played around the boat. We zoomed in and out of the sea caves where the catamarans couldn't go and stopped for lunch on a beach and some snorkling. Ladies, some advice if you take this trip, after snorkeling, put your shorts back on for the return trip. The seas tend to be a bit rough and you bounce up and down on the boat. My butt was rubbed raw (like rug burn, ouch!)
We paid a pennance for getting a cheap deal on the Na Pali trip by attending a timeshare presentation. It was at the Kona Coast Resort at the Beachboy. I really thought this was a nice property.
We tried to see as much as we could without overdoing it. We drove up Waimea Canyon. I thought it was worth the drive, something really special, even if you've seen the Grand Canyon. I'd like to do some hiking there next time. We drove to the end to the Kalaulau lookout and I really glad we did because it is an amazing viewpoint.
We visited Wailua and Opaeka'a falls. I was really surprised that I liked Hanalei. I was expecting a Haight Asbury type place but it was a quaint little island town. We had a drink at Tahiti Nui (next time we'll do the luau) and walked out on the pier. The Hanalei lookout was beautiful and crossing the one lane bridges in a unique experience.
I also really liked th Kilauea Lighthouse. It was such a beautiful spot and very peaceful
Hope this report was helpful. Kauai met and exceeded all my expectations.
Accomodations: Pali Ke Kua Condos (Unit #224)
We decided to go the condo route to get a feel for island living (and to save money on eating out!). After hemming and hawing about North vs South I decided I wanted lush greenery and the Bali Hai view so North it was to be. As a footnote though, we did a lot of driving to see the rest of the island sights so I think on our next trip to Kauai (and there will be a next trip!) we may stay on the Coconut Coast for a more central location. The condo was nicely furnished and well equipped. I never got tired of stepping out on the Lanai for a fantastic Bali Hai views. The only thing I would have liked was a BBQ grill. The only grill on the property was at a beach pavillion on the way to Hideaways Beach not very convenient for condo cooking. The beach itself was down a steep, but paved pathway reserved for Pali Ke Kua guests. We only went one time, on our first afternoon as I couldn't wait to swim in the beautiful, warm waters of Hawaii.
Restaurants: This section will be brief as I cooked dinners in the condo for the most part and packed lunches in a cooler for when we were on the go.
Cafe Hanalei at the Princeville. Excellent food but very pricey. The Princeville Hotel was not what I expected. I thought it would be more "Hawaiian." It reminded me of a Vegas resort hotel (one of the tastefull ones though, like the Bellagio!). I certainly didn't feel disappointed that we could'nt afford to stay there. No our style when it comes to Hawaii.
Bubba's Burgers (Kapaa): We really enjoyed lunch there. Good food, fun place!
Brick Oven Pizza: I was really glad we managed to make it there. Really great pizza.
Activities: There was so much to do on Kauai I can't understand the people who ask "is five days too long?"
Snorkleling: at Tunnels, Kee and Lydgate. We tended to get to the beach late morning and visibility wasn't as good as I was expecting. Maybe getting their earlier would be better. Also swimming: at Poipu, Anini (I really loved that spot).
Kayaking: We rented a double kayak from Kayak Kauai in Kapaa. We kayaked up the Wailua River and tied the kayak up to take the hike to Secret Falls. This was a very nice trip.
Kalaulau Hike: We hiked the first 2 miles in on the Kalaulau trail. Stunning scenery! The trail was pretty rocky and steep in parts (I was really thankful to have a hiking stick. We wore hiking boots. Though the trail was dry, I'm glad we did because the traction was important. Only saw one person in teva sandals. I don't recommend it because the trail is very rocky in parts.
Na Pali Boat Trip: We took a zodiac trip up the Na Pali Coast. I was very hesitant to agree to this because there were a lot of warnings when you sign up and the motto for this outfit was "No whiners,no crybabies and no wimps." I consider myself to be all three so I took a lot of convincing. Anyway, it really was a great trip. Our young captain was a real daredevil but his handling of the zodiac was incredible. We stopped amid a school of dolphins who played around the boat. We zoomed in and out of the sea caves where the catamarans couldn't go and stopped for lunch on a beach and some snorkling. Ladies, some advice if you take this trip, after snorkeling, put your shorts back on for the return trip. The seas tend to be a bit rough and you bounce up and down on the boat. My butt was rubbed raw (like rug burn, ouch!)
We paid a pennance for getting a cheap deal on the Na Pali trip by attending a timeshare presentation. It was at the Kona Coast Resort at the Beachboy. I really thought this was a nice property.
We tried to see as much as we could without overdoing it. We drove up Waimea Canyon. I thought it was worth the drive, something really special, even if you've seen the Grand Canyon. I'd like to do some hiking there next time. We drove to the end to the Kalaulau lookout and I really glad we did because it is an amazing viewpoint.
We visited Wailua and Opaeka'a falls. I was really surprised that I liked Hanalei. I was expecting a Haight Asbury type place but it was a quaint little island town. We had a drink at Tahiti Nui (next time we'll do the luau) and walked out on the pier. The Hanalei lookout was beautiful and crossing the one lane bridges in a unique experience.
I also really liked th Kilauea Lighthouse. It was such a beautiful spot and very peaceful
Hope this report was helpful. Kauai met and exceeded all my expectations.
Oct 10th, 2003 | 05:25 AM
#3
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 97
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Hi, Jammie -
I believe we stayed in that exact unit at PKK. Incredible, unobstructed view of Bali Hai and Hanalei Bay. We used to stay at the Hanalei Bay Resort when we stay on the North Shore, but their units have become "uneven" and you pay a small fortune for the Bali Hai view that we have had at PKK. Glad you enjoyed your stay. You certainly packed a lot of adventures into your week in Kauai. We've been there so many times (close to 2 dozen) that now we just go with the flow, i.e., snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, dining and just plain relaxing. It's a lovely island and, although we spend the majority of our time on the south shore b/c we go in February/March, the North shore is our first love for its raw beauty.
Agree with you re the grills at PKK. A pain to use. It would be so much nicer if grills were situated strategically around the grounds. We like to mostly do restaurants for dinners but we like the occasional grilling of fresh ahi or opakapaka, if we're lucky.
We don't especially like the Princeville Hotel either. In Hawaii, one expects the hotels to have the Aloha feeling and you don't get that at the Princeville. Friends of ours were married in Kauai a few years ago and were to have spent a week each at the Princeville and the Hyatt in Poipu. They were married on the south shore and when they arrived at the Princeville, they disliked it so much, they stayed only one day and returned to the Hyatt. To each his own, however, we remember when the Princeville was the Sheraton Princeville and was decorated very much so with the tropical decor. This was pre-Iniki and then everything changed.
Thanks for your report; it's always nice to bring a bit of the islands back home. Only 129 days!!!
I believe we stayed in that exact unit at PKK. Incredible, unobstructed view of Bali Hai and Hanalei Bay. We used to stay at the Hanalei Bay Resort when we stay on the North Shore, but their units have become "uneven" and you pay a small fortune for the Bali Hai view that we have had at PKK. Glad you enjoyed your stay. You certainly packed a lot of adventures into your week in Kauai. We've been there so many times (close to 2 dozen) that now we just go with the flow, i.e., snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, dining and just plain relaxing. It's a lovely island and, although we spend the majority of our time on the south shore b/c we go in February/March, the North shore is our first love for its raw beauty.
Agree with you re the grills at PKK. A pain to use. It would be so much nicer if grills were situated strategically around the grounds. We like to mostly do restaurants for dinners but we like the occasional grilling of fresh ahi or opakapaka, if we're lucky.
We don't especially like the Princeville Hotel either. In Hawaii, one expects the hotels to have the Aloha feeling and you don't get that at the Princeville. Friends of ours were married in Kauai a few years ago and were to have spent a week each at the Princeville and the Hyatt in Poipu. They were married on the south shore and when they arrived at the Princeville, they disliked it so much, they stayed only one day and returned to the Hyatt. To each his own, however, we remember when the Princeville was the Sheraton Princeville and was decorated very much so with the tropical decor. This was pre-Iniki and then everything changed.
Thanks for your report; it's always nice to bring a bit of the islands back home. Only 129 days!!!
Oct 10th, 2003 | 08:43 AM
#4
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,489
Likes: 0
I can smell the flowers, see all of the colors and all of the waterfalls cascading down the green mountains right after a rain from Puakea golf course already!
Ahhhhhhhhhhh.
And at least you put an end to the rumor that Tahiti Nui is closed!
Did they hassle you much at the TS presentation at the Beachboy? And was it on the Coconut Coast behind the Coco'marketplace?
Thx for the TR.
79 mo' days!
8-)8-)
Aloha Klq!
Ahhhhhhhhhhh.
And at least you put an end to the rumor that Tahiti Nui is closed!
Did they hassle you much at the TS presentation at the Beachboy? And was it on the Coconut Coast behind the Coco'marketplace?
Thx for the TR.
79 mo' days!
8-)8-)Aloha Klq!
Oct 10th, 2003 | 02:30 PM
#6
Original Poster
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Hi Kal,
Yes, the Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy is behind the Coconut Marketplace. As far as the "hassle" factor" goes, I didn't think it was too bad as timeshare presentations go. They really try to get you to buy but they were pretty nice all in all. Is your favorite home away from home near this location? I didn't really scout the area out. We will most likely stay in Kapaa next time.
Yes, the Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy is behind the Coconut Marketplace. As far as the "hassle" factor" goes, I didn't think it was too bad as timeshare presentations go. They really try to get you to buy but they were pretty nice all in all. Is your favorite home away from home near this location? I didn't really scout the area out. We will most likely stay in Kapaa next time.
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Oct 10th, 2003 | 04:08 PM
#8
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,489
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IT'S OFFICIALLY SATURDAY!!!! 
klq-We are doing fine and the Wicked Wahine is still keeping me in line.
Have fun in SJ's..like I have to tell ya.
jammie, Thx. We stay at the place right next door, The Islander. We really like the location.
We've been watching the renovation at the Beachboy with interest. Nice grounds. We were very tempted to take part in a TS presentation but had another glass of wine at Huki Lau and let the feeling pass. The rooms looked really nice and double the size of the old hotel rooms.
Maybe we'll look into a resale there since it's still within stumbling distance to the Sand Bar and all the usual suspects.
vivi-VERY sad news! Was she a Marston?
I checked out the Garden Isle Gazette and it's not mentioned so I guess it's been that recent.
klq-We are doing fine and the Wicked Wahine is still keeping me in line.
Have fun in SJ's..like I have to tell ya.
jammie, Thx. We stay at the place right next door, The Islander. We really like the location.
We've been watching the renovation at the Beachboy with interest. Nice grounds. We were very tempted to take part in a TS presentation but had another glass of wine at Huki Lau and let the feeling pass. The rooms looked really nice and double the size of the old hotel rooms.
Maybe we'll look into a resale there since it's still within stumbling distance to the Sand Bar and all the usual suspects.
vivi-VERY sad news! Was she a Marston?
I checked out the Garden Isle Gazette and it's not mentioned so I guess it's been that recent.
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