abcxk

Just returned from Kauai (to east coast). I HIGHLY recommend a direct flight from ATL or NY to HNL, instead of the hopping around we endured. We called last JULY 4TH to get frequent flyer first class seats to Hawaii and went from SC to Cincinnati to LAX to HNL on the way out. By the time we got there it was too late to island hop to Kauai and we had to spend the night in Waikiki. On the way home, it was HNL to SFO to DFW to SC. Grueling. And the first class seats are no more comfortable for sleeping than coach on the way home. Especially since you can't fold up the arm rest. Enough about the flights.
Honolulu/waikiki was a waste of a day. Kauai was beautiful. Stayed on the north shore at the Puu Poa Condos, right next to the Princeville resort (walked over many times to talk with the concierge, eat, drink, visit their beach, etc). We hiked the trail on the Na Pali coast, we drove the canyon, we snorkled, relaxed and ATE. We had hoped to kayak or sail the Na Pali coast, but the seas were too high due to a cold front. Highly recommend the "green flash" (spicy tuna roll with avocado) at the Princeville, as well as the frozen drink with the midori...what was in that? YUM! We stuck to the "Ultimate Guide" Ono restaurants and were not disappointed. Great food to be had at Polynesian grill, Hanalei mixed plate, zelo's beach house, princeville, sushi blues. Also saved over $40 by signing up and using my new safeway card while grocery shopping. (book suggestion) Wished the book had better detailed where to buy fresh fish to cook. Had to hunt for fish markets as safeway fish didn't look as good.
Can't wait to go back, but will probably wait till the kids are old enough to enjoy as well!

bonniebroad

abcxk, you say "Honolulu/waikiki was a waste of a day." Didn't you say that you got into Honolulu so late that you could not get a flight to Kauai that night? Then am I right to assume you got the earliest possible flight to Kauai the next day? Sounds to me as though you were only in Honolulu overnight? You are, of course, entitled to your opinion, but I hate anyone to get the impression that Oahu is a waste of time, when you were not there long enough to judge. I hope you will give it a real look sometime........ it is a magnificent island, but people often just think of it as a pass-through to the other islands which is a great loss to them!

It sounds as though you had a wonderful time on Kauai, which doesn't surprise me at all! It is quite a place.....

I agree with you regarding the flights...... The more direct you can fly, the better you feel when you get there! And First Class is definitely not what it used to be.......... I flew that way 20 years ago to Hawaii, and it was a real experience then, not so anymore!

Glad your trip was such fun!

JohnD

Aloha abcxk,

Thanks for your trip report! Can you provide some more details about your opinion of the Puu Poa condos, and did you check out or snorkel at the beach down the stairs?
We usually find fresh fish at the nearby Hanalei Dolphin's Fish Market, parking is behind the restaurant.

crazy4Hawaii

I am using frequent flyer miles this summer and am having to take a circuitous route as well! Delta just doesn't seem to have as many choices as some of the other airlines. Did you spend any time on the South Shore? What was your absolute FAVORITE meal while on Kauai? Would you stay at the same place again, or have you staked out other digs?

iamq

I, too would like to hear more about the Puu Poa condos. We walked by them on our way down to Hideaways beach and I was intrigued by their appearance. What was the surf like on the north shore? Calm enough to snorkel? Mahalo!

pinnacle

We will be on Kauai this October, and plan on doing a lot of hiking. I am interested in hearing about your hike on the Na Pali coast. Which hike was it exactly? (We have the Blue Book also. I am assuming you chose the hike from it.) I would appreciate more details on your hike. Thanks so much. Marilyn

WuWuWu

I just returned from Kauai and the Puu Poa condos also. I will be posting a trip report shortly but I have to respond to some of your questions. We loved the condo we were in (#303 rented thru www.vrbo.com). It was a 2 bedroom, 2 bath and we rented it for around $300. per night. It was decorated beautifully and had a great view. Never used the pool. The only thing I would do to improve the condo for me would be a/c. I was warm the first couple of nights but then it cooled off a little or maybe I just got used to it. Just a note, though, I sleep with thermostat on 63 degrees. Most people can handle sleeping in warmer conditions which wouldn't be a problem with no a/c. We also hiked the Kalalau Trail to the waterfall, an 8 mile roundtrip but I'll tell you about that in my trip report.

makai1

Aloha all... welcome back to reality abc & wu!

We stayed at P'uu P'oa 3 or so yrs ago and loved the spaciousness more than anything. Approx 1000 sq ft for a 2 br condo. I believe we paid about $1,000 for a week.

We were on a ground floor unit w/ 2 lanai patios... one off the MBR and one off the great room. Quiet place, not alot of kids running around.

Washer & dryer in unit... large kitchen w/ breakfast bar through to dining room. Very clean.

Our unit had a/c... can't remember the unit #... sorry.

The views were spectacular from inside the unit & outside... the location can't be beat. Walk over to the Princeville for the restaurants or drinks.

The hike down to the beach is fun... pretty steep, but short. Didn't get into the water, too rough, but on a calm day it would've been nice.

Thanks for the TR abc... btw, AA first class is unbelievable... we flew non stop from ORD to HNL in March and the passengers up front were stretched out like a dentist's chair... my boys asked the flt att. if they could have a few hours in the empty seats up there... to no avail

abcxk

Sorry so late with my replies. We stayed in unit #412, the highest floor end unit. Booked through Hanalei North Shore Properties: rentalsonkauai.com $1600 for the week. The unit had a/c, but we only used it the day of arrival as the unit was a bit stuffy on arrival and needed a bit of "airing out".
The washer and dryer is nice to have. I actually washed EVERYTHING the day of our departure and had nothing to wash when I arrived home.

The guy below us in unit #312 said that he's stayed in both 412 and 312 and that he thought that 312 was more updated and nicer... I think he said it was owned by a US senator in the northeast.

I would definitely stay there again.

We did NOT take the first flight out of HNL, stayed until afternoon as we could not check in on Kauai until 4pm. And again, Delta's First Class seats don't recline enough.

Read the Ultimate Guide about the Napali Coast hike. (Kalalau Trail) You can only go as far as the falls without a hiking/camping permit. You can do the hike I mentioned in a day. Go early. We got to the parking lot at 9am and were able to park without a problem. When we returned, the place was packed. We also hiked in relative solitude on the way out and ran into LOTS of people on the return trip. Remember to pack trashable sneakers the mud is pretty bad. (although we were able to clean ours up enough to bring them back!) We did not make it all the way to the falls, but it took us one and a half hours to hike the first 2 miles to the beach, to ggive you a gauge for time. We're not avid hikers, but we do aerobics /yoga 2-3 times a week and are not in awful shape. It's not a walk in the park. But it's beautiful. Think of it as a step class.
We did run into one couple who were on their way back in who had been out 4 days hiking/camping and they were glowing from the experience, and not just sweaty. They truly looked like thay were returning from a divine experience. They were properly equipped for such a trip with huge packs, proper shoes, walking sticks, etc.

I couldn't tell you my "favorite" meal. Maybe the restaurant at the Hanalei Bay Resort, (Bali Hai) on the other side of the Princeville resort from us...the food was good, with huge portions (took some home and had it the next day for lunch) but the resort too crowded, (with families--as a couple, it made us thankful we were staying where we were) the beverage part of the service a little slow and the birds were VERY bold, flying down to the table to eat my butter! We live in Charleston, SC, are quite spoiled with many fantastic restaurants and weren't in the mood to spend a fortune/have a fancy dinner. (hence, no trip down south to Roy's). We did hear from a friend that Toi's Thai Kitchen on the south shore is good, but were not on the south shore at dinner time.

We ended up buying fish at a fish market in Kilauea. It was off the beaten path and I had to ask for directions from another business to find it. Fish there was superb.

We did snorkel at the beach down the stairs (how do those surfers carry their boards down that incline???) It was beautiful one day and too rough the next. (cold front came through and it was too rough on ALL the Hawaiian Islands, according to weather forecasts...7-10 foot seas, the surfers were lovin' it.)

Ready to go back...

memex3

Have been to Kauai twice in the past 3 years. Most memorable meal both times was at Bali Hai overlooking Hanalei Bay at sunset. Best fresh seafood is definitely found at the Dolphin.