Hey all, tried to limit myself to stuff I thought might be useful. Restaurant reviews can be found in Part 1.

Day 1: Getting Settled
Arrival: Lihue via United. Glad we didn?t spend money on a ?greeting? as they looked a bit disappointing. Maybe other companies offer more enthusiastic Fantasy-Island type welcomes? The leis were lovely though. Rented our car through Herz. We didn?t get a convertible and due to the frequent showers and the heat, I didn?t miss it.

Walmart in Lihue: Bought a cooler for water and reef shoes. (Thank you, fodorites!) The reef shoes are essential! (Corona was on sale at Foodland.)

Rented snorkel gear at Pedal & Paddle in Hanalei. They really have it down. We were fitted and out the door in minutes. Buy some defogger for your mask. It?s worth it.

Roosters: They crow at all hours and the sound is like nothing you?ve heard before. It sounds like someone screaming loudly in your ear. Again and again. Bring earplugs. You?ll still hear them but it will be more bearable.

Bugs: Eh. I got maybe two or three bites the whole time I was there and I?m fairly sure I got those eating outside at Neides in Hanalei. We bought repellent for the hike then forgot it and never missed it.

Dry Cave and Wet Cave #1: The Dry Cave is an interesting stop but neither offer much in the way of exploring. But Wet Cave #2! (See below)

Day 2
Splurged on a HELICOPTER ride with Air 1/ Interisland. Gary?s narration was good though uninspired. But oh the scenery! Really spectacular and the doors-free ride was worth it. The waterfall lunch was fun but it was the ride that was really wonderful. Do splurge for a long trip. Airsickness was not a problem. Stopped at Brick Oven Pizza on the way back to the North Shore.

Day 3
The first day that really felt like vacation!
Woke early and went to TUNNELS. A note re finding the entrance: The mile markers in the blue bible are correct but that first entrance just looks like a driveway that ends in a brown gate. A large white house will be on your left and you?ll see the path to your left once you reach the brown gate. Fantastic snorkeling, people starting turning out en masse around 9ish.
After breakfast in Hanalei, we headed on to QUEEN?S BATH. Make sure you wear good shoes for gripping the slippery rocks. I was glad to be wearing sneakers, particularly when it started raining. The Bath is very worth it. We got there around 11 and it was a bit crowded, but not terrible. I floated on my back and enjoyed the stillness. Surf and rain started to pick up so we headed back. Hike back was muddy but not terrible and we took a dip in the waterfall on our way back (had it all to ourselves for a bit!).
We assumed the rain would die down so we drove over to HIDEAWAYS. The stairs were steep to the point of being scary. The beach was gorgeous and only a few people were there. It started pouring rain but we went in the water anyway and did our best to stay warm. Eventually, everyone left but us. We tried to stick it out but the rain showed no signs of stopping. The hike back was a bit scary because it was so slippery and muddy.

Day 4
Hike to HANAKAPI?AI BEACH and FALLS
We?re in our late twenties, in fairly good shape. The hike to the beach was fairly easy. We went straight on to the falls.
The hike to the falls was almost entirely in shade, but still felt very long (and finding the trailhead was a little confusing as we didn?t have our book with us) The terrain is very rocky and uneven. You will have to cross a bunch of streams. I eventually gave up and just walked right through (be careful, it?s slippery), and, on the way back I swam (a nice way to cool down). Wear old sneakers. Reef shoes aren?t sturdy enough for this trail. That said, the hike is absolutely worth it. The waterfall is massive, awe-inspiring, glorious. We had lunch there then the rain started so we skipped a swim. The trek back to the beach was slippery, but okay.
At the beach: The beach was actually fairly crowded with surfers and teen agers.
The waves were intense. I don?t recommend getting in the water unless you?re really used to this kind of surf. It tires you out quickly even when you?re just standing in the shallows. I spent a little while just relaxing in the stream.
Now?the hike back from the beach. Obviously, by this time, we were quite tired and the hike back was very hard. There?s a lot of uphill and the trail is very exposed. The heat was brutal and worst of all, we were out of water. We had started the trip with a half gallon. Two people should bring AT LEAST one gallon, 1.5 gallons ideally. Seriously, you sweat a lot and the heat gets overwhelming. Also, we left around 9 am and recommend that you start earlier to beat the heat.
We stopped for smoothies and water across from the dry cave at the Ha?ena beach park.
A note on HA?ENA BEACH PARK: Both this beach and KE?E were very crowded whenever we went by. Also Ha?ena Beach Park had a lot of people camping, felt a bit like a big rock concert.

Day 5
Very sore from the hike, but we managed.
Snorkeled from 9 to 12 at Tunnels. Fed the fish (that got quite aggressive) and saw sea turtles. Totally wonderful.
Drove over to the Kilauea Bakery for lunch.
SEA LODGE BEACH: Very steep walk down a concrete drive to a steep, thin and rocky trail. Maybe there was an easier way to get down to the beach but we had to clamber over rocks to get there. A gorgeous beach with very few people. WARNING: It is extremely shallow due to the reef. Easiest place to enter is on the end closest to the trail (on your right if you?re facing the water). Then swim out into deeper water. I guess you could walk out on the reef but I wasn?t sure if this was an ecofriendly thing to do. Lovely reef but there?s no swimming at this beach that I could see.


Day 6
WET CAVE #2: The Quest for the BLUE ROOM
I have no idea if we were actually in the Blue Room. I spent a long time diving and searching along the walls for an entrance but we were told that, in fact, the water level was so low that we were actually in the Blue Room without realizing it. Who knows? Regardless, the cave is gorgeous and mysterious and the water is deliciously cold. Have a swim but bring your fins because, after a few days spent in salt water, you?ll be surprised at how much energy it takes to stay afloat in fresh. Also, we saw small bundles of flowers and reeds on the shore and felt a bit like we might have been trespassing on a special or sacred spot. Anyone know more?

Day 7 & The End
Spent the rest of the trip relaxing at Tunnels and at our rental. Splurged on a nice dinner at Princeville resort. On our last day, we had a swim, tidied up the house, returned our snorkel equipment, and had a last shave ice at Wishing Well. Returned on a red-eye which I must recommend. It?s nice to have the day to relax and say goodbye to Kauai.

Nice report, did you happen to see any whales (out of season) or other noteworthy fish/animals while snorkeling?

Thanks for the two interesting posts.
"Blue bible" !!
I believe Hanakapi'ai Beach is not safe for swimming IIRC so you did the right thing.

Another great report!!! This one I'm printing out and putting it in my blue book to bring with me. I can't wait to go.

We are also staying on the North Shore and plan to take the Interisland helicopter tour. But I was wondering if you looked into any helicopter tours that left from the North Shore? If so, why did you not go with one of thoose? Also, what time was your flight and how much time did you alot for the drive to get there? And finally (thank god, right?) did you do anything else beside eating at the brick oven when you went to the other side island?

Thanks,

Scott

Glad the report was useful And so jealous of those of you who are Kauai bound!

John D: We didn't see any whales or dolphins. I know nothing about fish, but I've been snorkeling on Maui and in the Bahamas and I can say that Kauai has a spectacular number and variety of fish. I think my favorite was a long, skinny, needle-nosed yellow fish that had a false eye on it's rear.

I also really loved watching the sea turtles come up for air. I had the best luck spotting them on the far left (if facing the water) side of Tunnels, fairly far out. But be careful swimming if it's a rough day. The swim back to shore can be exhausting.

Scott: There may well be helicopter tours that leave from the Princeville airport. I was pretty much sold on Interisland because they're the only company who don't have doors on the helicopters. This sounds scary but it really isn't. In fact, it's wonderful and there are moments where you feel like you're flying. They also have an excellent safety record.

I can't quite remember how long the drive was...I think we left about 40 minutes? When you call to confirm your reservation, just ask how much time you should leave from wherever you're staying on the North Shore.

We did our helicopter tour very early in our trip so we didn't really think about what we should be doing on the South Shore. It's a bit of a regret because it really is a haul to get down there. You might consider the Spouting Horn or Punahale beach. (Although, it was very hot while we were there and I've heard the sand at Punahale can be punishing.) Or, if you're up for it, relax for a bit then try another South Shore based activity like horseback riding or ATVs in the afternoon. It's a full day but might be worth it. (Oh and I wish we'd tried Jojo's shave ice too!)

But let me say that I think the North Shore is spectacular and absolutely the place to stay. It's more lush, less developed, feels less like your typical "vacation destination." But you'll be happy anywhere on the island.

Please feel free to ask anything. It's nice to be reminded of our wonderful trip

LB