Kauai Trip Report: 5/2-5/11/08
May 15th, 2008, 08:50 AM
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Kauai Trip Report: 5/2-5/11/08
Woke to the alarm clock this morning rather than roosters...Another fabulous Kauai trip over much too soon. I'm going to post this one via category rather than day:
Air: First time we've flown AA to Hawaii (using miles) All flights BOS-LAX-LIH and back were on time. We were 2 for 4 booking aisle/window so twice we had our own row for the 2 of us. The aa teminal in LAX has really limited food options. BK, Starbucks, Chilis (an hour plus wait), and a deli type place. We opted for BK salads and then went to the Admirals Club using one day passes. And, to my surprise, their salads, in a calm quiet atmosphere, were no more expensive then BKs in bedlam. Wish I had known that before we went in...Bummer- but a lesson learned. We rode up in the elevator with Seal and 3 of his musician friends. That was kind of fun. This trip, we didn't see a monk seal as we usually do but my every time I said, "No seal this trip," my hubby reminded me that we DID see a Seal. Ha Ha. We landed at 7:30 pm , I got the car, he got the luggage and we started our trip on Friday night with some great live music at Duke's. My hubby bought me a lei from a lady selling them in a basket. Yeah! Music, tiki torches, ocean, breezes, leis. We are here!
Lodging: We stayed at Plumeria Moon cottage in Kilauea for 4 nights. We like this area as we're close to the Northshore but it tends to have less rain than Hanalei/Haena. We liked the cottage very much. It was private with a nice ocean view, although a bit worn inside. We saw a whale breach about 8 times out of the water from our lanai- we were thrilled. Also took a walk down the road from the cottage and saw baby albatrosses-big and grey and feathery-how awesome! On the South shore we stayed at the Hyatt for 5 nights. Luckily, I had purchased stay certificates well in advance for $249/night including tax because the hotel has gone up a category and the certs. are now $319, still a good deal. We were upgraded to a partial ocean view-(an exact room we've had in the past so that was neat) mainly overlooking the pool with the ocean in the distance. I would not pay for an ocean view at this hotel as it is set back from the ocean and it's just not worth it as opposed to the Sheraton where you are literally on the ocean. Occupancy was low-something we noticed everywhere-the island was quieter than last May perhaps due to the recession.
Food: Up North we ate at BarAcuda, a lively, fun tapas bar. Really good. Postcards, not so good- average food and setting. We've never been there before on our 4 previous trips so we thought we'd give it a try. We won't be going back. Had bfast at the Hanalei Wake-up Cafe- probably won't go back-it's our 2nd time here and it's really expensive for what you get. Our other bfasts were at the cottage. Had lunch at Kalypso (used to be Zelo's) because after paying cash at the Wake-up we realized we didn't bring enough $ with us for the day for the Polynesia Cafe(we did see Gabrielle Reece leaving there, though, carrying her baby). Kalypso-eh. Won't go back. Lunch outside at the Hanalei Dolphin. Awesome. We had always avoided here in the past cause it has the tourist trap rep. but hubby's fish sandwich and my fish salad were great as was the service and setting-river on one side- mountains with waterfall on the other. Pau Hana pizza at the cottage one nite-wow- an ocean view table on the lanai!
Down south we ate at Tidepools at the Hyatt, pricey, but their fish dishes are prepared in delicious ways I never dreamed possible. Ate there twice- had shutome and sea bass. Went to Roy's-monchong was delicious. Keoki's-steak terriyaki a favorite of mine. Also Yum Cha at the Hyatt-I love this restautant and it't not too expensive. Also went back to Pomodoro this trip. Had gone once before and weren't impressed, but thought we'd give it another try. Once again, a no go. I asked if i could get half eggplant/half veal parmagiana. Was told no. When I got my dish, I realized why-the food is pre-plated and then nuked. After, we went to Kalaheo Coffee for coffee and dessert-really good. We'll give this a try for dinner next time. Had lunches at Wrangler's and Shrimp Station after hilikng Waimea Canyon. Wrangler's was not that great this time, but the coconut shrimp at Shrimp Station was delicious.
Activities: We hiked the Kalalau trail to the beach and then into the falls, this is a great 8 mile rt hike, it takes us 4 hours. Great bamboo, what look like hot pink ohia flowers, and the falls are huge. After we went to Kee Beach. Love the calm, clear water there. The next day, we tried to go to PuuPoa beach next to the Princeville. Last year we tried Hideaways so this year we thought we'd try this beach. I think where I really wanted to go was Hanalei Bay...anyway it poured on us and as we were coming back up the 100 or whatever steps my husband slipped on tile they throw in for deco. every few steps(tile and rain=very slippery) a poor choice for the walkway. We now call Princeville (the condo/hotel/golf course area)The Bad Place and will not go in there again. Anyway, his big toe went way out in front of his slipper and man did it get hurt and cut and messed up but he was a real trooper and only missed the afternoon because of it. Poor thing, he had to read on the lanai at the cottage instead of going to Anini Beach. We did have to change the bandage, rinse the wound, etc. everyday. We snorkeled tunnels. Awesome as usual, saw lots of fish although I did not see a turtle. I judge all snorkeling experiences by number of turtles I see, hence the name turtlegirl.
On the way to the Hyatt we hiked what we call the interior hike (I forget the real name) It's off 580 near the arboretum. This is a great short hike with great valley views. We were a bit nervouse because we had all our luggage in the car and there were many piles of broken car glass in the parking area, but came back to an untouched car. We decided not to go back to Kealia Beach, which hubby calls his frolicking beach so went to Waialua Bay, which was great.(Great decsion as I later read in the newspaper that there was an accident in that area and traffic was backed up for more than an hour).
We hiked Nualolo in Waimea Canyon, again aroud 8 miles and 4 hours, Lolo Vista has a great view of the valley and the NaPali coast. Boy was it tough going back. I actually wanted to go back Awapuhi (not as steep) but in retrospect am glad we didn't when I saw where the entrance to that hike is on the road. The 2 trailheads are waaaay apart from each other. We also hiked (a different day, of course) the Pihea-Alakai swamp trail. Another great hike. I love the boardwalks and the Pihea view is awesome. We were rewarded at the end of the hike when the clouds lifted for 5 mins. and we were able to see Hanalei bay. I love that. It makes me feel as though we've traversed the entire island-even though technically you can't go West to North.
We also went to Poipu beach and snorkeled Prince Kuhio where I saw one turtle-luckily for my husband cause I told him if I didn't see at least one turtle the trip didn't count!
We ziplined with Outfitters Kauai at Kipu Falls. It was fun but I would not recommend this particular zip-line tour. There were only 3 short zip-lines. Granted, you did 2 lines twice but they were much shorter than I expected. Both guides were really nice, but for $125 pp, I felt a bit cheated. The only saving grace was going to Kipu Falls and jumping off the cliff and rope swing. Anyone can do this without going on a tour, but the fact that the guides instructed you where to place your feet, etc. definitely boosted my confidence- I might not have attempted it if I had gone there on my own. But if you want to zip-line, I'd check out the Princeville offering.
A piece of advice for anyone going to Kauai, do not look at weather forecasts before you go. They always say at least 40% chance of rain and you freak out thinking it's going to rain everyday the entire time you're there, and it does, but for 5 minutes or at night for a little while...no worries.
Air: First time we've flown AA to Hawaii (using miles) All flights BOS-LAX-LIH and back were on time. We were 2 for 4 booking aisle/window so twice we had our own row for the 2 of us. The aa teminal in LAX has really limited food options. BK, Starbucks, Chilis (an hour plus wait), and a deli type place. We opted for BK salads and then went to the Admirals Club using one day passes. And, to my surprise, their salads, in a calm quiet atmosphere, were no more expensive then BKs in bedlam. Wish I had known that before we went in...Bummer- but a lesson learned. We rode up in the elevator with Seal and 3 of his musician friends. That was kind of fun. This trip, we didn't see a monk seal as we usually do but my every time I said, "No seal this trip," my hubby reminded me that we DID see a Seal. Ha Ha. We landed at 7:30 pm , I got the car, he got the luggage and we started our trip on Friday night with some great live music at Duke's. My hubby bought me a lei from a lady selling them in a basket. Yeah! Music, tiki torches, ocean, breezes, leis. We are here!
Lodging: We stayed at Plumeria Moon cottage in Kilauea for 4 nights. We like this area as we're close to the Northshore but it tends to have less rain than Hanalei/Haena. We liked the cottage very much. It was private with a nice ocean view, although a bit worn inside. We saw a whale breach about 8 times out of the water from our lanai- we were thrilled. Also took a walk down the road from the cottage and saw baby albatrosses-big and grey and feathery-how awesome! On the South shore we stayed at the Hyatt for 5 nights. Luckily, I had purchased stay certificates well in advance for $249/night including tax because the hotel has gone up a category and the certs. are now $319, still a good deal. We were upgraded to a partial ocean view-(an exact room we've had in the past so that was neat) mainly overlooking the pool with the ocean in the distance. I would not pay for an ocean view at this hotel as it is set back from the ocean and it's just not worth it as opposed to the Sheraton where you are literally on the ocean. Occupancy was low-something we noticed everywhere-the island was quieter than last May perhaps due to the recession.
Food: Up North we ate at BarAcuda, a lively, fun tapas bar. Really good. Postcards, not so good- average food and setting. We've never been there before on our 4 previous trips so we thought we'd give it a try. We won't be going back. Had bfast at the Hanalei Wake-up Cafe- probably won't go back-it's our 2nd time here and it's really expensive for what you get. Our other bfasts were at the cottage. Had lunch at Kalypso (used to be Zelo's) because after paying cash at the Wake-up we realized we didn't bring enough $ with us for the day for the Polynesia Cafe(we did see Gabrielle Reece leaving there, though, carrying her baby). Kalypso-eh. Won't go back. Lunch outside at the Hanalei Dolphin. Awesome. We had always avoided here in the past cause it has the tourist trap rep. but hubby's fish sandwich and my fish salad were great as was the service and setting-river on one side- mountains with waterfall on the other. Pau Hana pizza at the cottage one nite-wow- an ocean view table on the lanai!
Down south we ate at Tidepools at the Hyatt, pricey, but their fish dishes are prepared in delicious ways I never dreamed possible. Ate there twice- had shutome and sea bass. Went to Roy's-monchong was delicious. Keoki's-steak terriyaki a favorite of mine. Also Yum Cha at the Hyatt-I love this restautant and it't not too expensive. Also went back to Pomodoro this trip. Had gone once before and weren't impressed, but thought we'd give it another try. Once again, a no go. I asked if i could get half eggplant/half veal parmagiana. Was told no. When I got my dish, I realized why-the food is pre-plated and then nuked. After, we went to Kalaheo Coffee for coffee and dessert-really good. We'll give this a try for dinner next time. Had lunches at Wrangler's and Shrimp Station after hilikng Waimea Canyon. Wrangler's was not that great this time, but the coconut shrimp at Shrimp Station was delicious.
Activities: We hiked the Kalalau trail to the beach and then into the falls, this is a great 8 mile rt hike, it takes us 4 hours. Great bamboo, what look like hot pink ohia flowers, and the falls are huge. After we went to Kee Beach. Love the calm, clear water there. The next day, we tried to go to PuuPoa beach next to the Princeville. Last year we tried Hideaways so this year we thought we'd try this beach. I think where I really wanted to go was Hanalei Bay...anyway it poured on us and as we were coming back up the 100 or whatever steps my husband slipped on tile they throw in for deco. every few steps(tile and rain=very slippery) a poor choice for the walkway. We now call Princeville (the condo/hotel/golf course area)The Bad Place and will not go in there again. Anyway, his big toe went way out in front of his slipper and man did it get hurt and cut and messed up but he was a real trooper and only missed the afternoon because of it. Poor thing, he had to read on the lanai at the cottage instead of going to Anini Beach. We did have to change the bandage, rinse the wound, etc. everyday. We snorkeled tunnels. Awesome as usual, saw lots of fish although I did not see a turtle. I judge all snorkeling experiences by number of turtles I see, hence the name turtlegirl.
On the way to the Hyatt we hiked what we call the interior hike (I forget the real name) It's off 580 near the arboretum. This is a great short hike with great valley views. We were a bit nervouse because we had all our luggage in the car and there were many piles of broken car glass in the parking area, but came back to an untouched car. We decided not to go back to Kealia Beach, which hubby calls his frolicking beach so went to Waialua Bay, which was great.(Great decsion as I later read in the newspaper that there was an accident in that area and traffic was backed up for more than an hour).
We hiked Nualolo in Waimea Canyon, again aroud 8 miles and 4 hours, Lolo Vista has a great view of the valley and the NaPali coast. Boy was it tough going back. I actually wanted to go back Awapuhi (not as steep) but in retrospect am glad we didn't when I saw where the entrance to that hike is on the road. The 2 trailheads are waaaay apart from each other. We also hiked (a different day, of course) the Pihea-Alakai swamp trail. Another great hike. I love the boardwalks and the Pihea view is awesome. We were rewarded at the end of the hike when the clouds lifted for 5 mins. and we were able to see Hanalei bay. I love that. It makes me feel as though we've traversed the entire island-even though technically you can't go West to North.
We also went to Poipu beach and snorkeled Prince Kuhio where I saw one turtle-luckily for my husband cause I told him if I didn't see at least one turtle the trip didn't count!
We ziplined with Outfitters Kauai at Kipu Falls. It was fun but I would not recommend this particular zip-line tour. There were only 3 short zip-lines. Granted, you did 2 lines twice but they were much shorter than I expected. Both guides were really nice, but for $125 pp, I felt a bit cheated. The only saving grace was going to Kipu Falls and jumping off the cliff and rope swing. Anyone can do this without going on a tour, but the fact that the guides instructed you where to place your feet, etc. definitely boosted my confidence- I might not have attempted it if I had gone there on my own. But if you want to zip-line, I'd check out the Princeville offering.
A piece of advice for anyone going to Kauai, do not look at weather forecasts before you go. They always say at least 40% chance of rain and you freak out thinking it's going to rain everyday the entire time you're there, and it does, but for 5 minutes or at night for a little while...no worries.
May 15th, 2008, 09:44 AM
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Great trip report!!
We are going next week, and we are looking for a short hike - We might check out your interior hike. I pulled out a guide book, and I'm guessing it is the Kuilau Ridge Trail/Moalepe Trail. Approx how long did it take?
Also, thanks so much for the heads up on food options at LAX. AA shorted our layover to 50 minutes, and I'm starting to wonder if I have ample time to eat and visit the ladies room (assuming the flight is on time).
I didn't realize whales were still around during May - how exciting.
Thanks for posting
We are going next week, and we are looking for a short hike - We might check out your interior hike. I pulled out a guide book, and I'm guessing it is the Kuilau Ridge Trail/Moalepe Trail. Approx how long did it take?
Also, thanks so much for the heads up on food options at LAX. AA shorted our layover to 50 minutes, and I'm starting to wonder if I have ample time to eat and visit the ladies room (assuming the flight is on time).
I didn't realize whales were still around during May - how exciting.
Thanks for posting
May 15th, 2008, 09:44 AM
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Sounds like you had a great time. We hope to be there in Oct since our April trip was cancelled.
I agree with the weather forcast. We have had days with no rain and others with 5-10 minutes of rain a couple of times during the day.
It wouldn't be paradise without the rain!
I agree with the weather forcast. We have had days with no rain and others with 5-10 minutes of rain a couple of times during the day.
It wouldn't be paradise without the rain!
May 15th, 2008, 10:07 AM
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Turtlegirl, Thanks for the great trip report. You did quite a few hikes for the time you were there. I have done all the hikes you've mentioned - some of those several times. They all offer something different and special.
Jcb, the Kuilau Ridge trail is the interior trail turtlegirl mentioned. It's almost a 3mile hike RT, but I tend to lollygaggle observing the beautiful landscape and birds. The early morning hike is completely different from hiking it at dusk. It's beautiful morning or late afternoon.
Another hike you might like to try that isn't difficult is the Sleeping Giant (~3mi RT) - you will see views from one end of the island to the other. Climb the giants head for even greater views.
For healthier/high quality ingredients and a very interesting menu, try "Blossoming Lotus Cafe". During dinner hours they offer unusual entertainment too.
Jcb, the Kuilau Ridge trail is the interior trail turtlegirl mentioned. It's almost a 3mile hike RT, but I tend to lollygaggle observing the beautiful landscape and birds. The early morning hike is completely different from hiking it at dusk. It's beautiful morning or late afternoon.
Another hike you might like to try that isn't difficult is the Sleeping Giant (~3mi RT) - you will see views from one end of the island to the other. Climb the giants head for even greater views.
For healthier/high quality ingredients and a very interesting menu, try "Blossoming Lotus Cafe". During dinner hours they offer unusual entertainment too.
May 15th, 2008, 10:32 AM
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Kuialua Trail will take an hour-hour and a half. You can hike to the picnic tables and turn around (an hour rt) or hike to the Moalepe Bridge and trun around (an hour and a half) A little elevation gain, but not much- slippery when wet, though. Another great shorter hike in Waimea Canyon is the Waipio Falls hike- you see 2 small falls dring the 1.5 hour rt hike and lots of pretty yellow and pink orange ginger. It's around mm 12 on the canyon road, if I recall correctly. One thing we did that I forgot to mention was Allerton Gardens. It was free on Mother's Day. It's usually $40 pp so we spent our money on the zipline instead. The tour was somewhat limited but still neat. They have one plant there that is the only one left in the world and are trying to figure out how to propogate it. You'd never know there was so much land off crowded Lawai Road in Poipu! JCB, we felt extremely fortunate to have seen the single whale. I said that I, too, would be hanging around as long as I could in Hawaii before heading back to Alaska!
May 16th, 2008, 05:46 AM
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jcb, with only 50 minutes layover (really only 20 as you board a half an hour prior to take-off), you could get BK to go. Chili's also has a to go section on the side of the restaurant with a limited menu. Have a great trip!
Jun 3rd, 2008, 03:25 PM
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Okay, I'm really upset...there is no longer a Zelo's in Hanalei? When we go to Kauai we rent a house on North Shore and do a lot of our own cooking - just about the only place we enjoy eating out is at Zelo's. Sorry to hear about its departure and especially sorry to hear that you didn't have a good experience at the new place. 
Jun 3rd, 2008, 05:28 PM
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jcb has probably gone and come back by now, but my favorite hike in Waimea Canyon/Koke'e is the Pihea Trail that eventually leads to the Alakai Swamp. You don't have to hike very far to get amazing views as the trail actually skirts the rim of Kalalau Valley. It gives a lot of bang for your hiking buck.
Jun 3rd, 2008, 08:29 PM
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Turtlegirl, thanks for the enjoyable trip report! 
I hope your husband's foot healed okay. Interesting about the single survivor of its species at Allerton; I enjoyed going to Limahuli garden but haven't been to Allerton yet.
I hope your husband's foot healed okay. Interesting about the single survivor of its species at Allerton; I enjoyed going to Limahuli garden but haven't been to Allerton yet.
Jun 4th, 2008, 07:10 AM
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Nice report TG!
We arrived on Kauai (from Maui) just as you were leaving. We liked Maui but we loved Kauai...roosters and all. We did many of the same hikes that you did and loved it. The 4 mile hike to the look-out from the Waimea Canyon State Park Station gives an awesome perspective of the Na pali Coast. It's a workout and the final part of the trail that narrows to about 24 inches wide w/, what looks like, a 1000' drop is not for the tame of heart.
We agree BarAcudas was a great place to eat. Ditto on the Hanalei Dolphin---looked touristy but fun & good.
(And Turtlegirl you'll be happy to know that back here on the mainland our teenage daughters had us stop the car, and traffic in both directions, so that they could carry a turtle safely across the road). Good kids---maybe we'll bring them to Kauai next time!
Pete & Wendy
We arrived on Kauai (from Maui) just as you were leaving. We liked Maui but we loved Kauai...roosters and all. We did many of the same hikes that you did and loved it. The 4 mile hike to the look-out from the Waimea Canyon State Park Station gives an awesome perspective of the Na pali Coast. It's a workout and the final part of the trail that narrows to about 24 inches wide w/, what looks like, a 1000' drop is not for the tame of heart.
We agree BarAcudas was a great place to eat. Ditto on the Hanalei Dolphin---looked touristy but fun & good.
(And Turtlegirl you'll be happy to know that back here on the mainland our teenage daughters had us stop the car, and traffic in both directions, so that they could carry a turtle safely across the road). Good kids---maybe we'll bring them to Kauai next time!
Pete & Wendy
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