Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Kauai with kids

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My family is planning a trip to Kauai in June. We are staying in Kiahuna Plantation in the South Shore. Our kids are 13, 11 and 6 and love outdoor adventures. Any suggestion? Thanks, lin

There is a MDonalds with an outdoor playground, mini golf in Poipu, and the water slide park near Na Pali. Other than that most everything is very rural. You may have to go on some hikes to see the waterfalls or go on a Kayak trip. Avoid the Spouting Horn as they do not charge admission. Do not bother with the trip up to Waimai Canyon. The drive is steep and really not much to see at the top. Your hotel has Nintendo, but bring along games from home. Hope this helps!

Not much to see at the top of Waimea? I bet you think it's the same scenery as Tennessee?

I really can't understand why Ellen thought that this innocent question called for such a snotty answer. I think Lin's question is totally legitimate. We are planning a trip to Kauai with our 8 year old in August and I would also love to hear from other travellers with kids what they think are age appropriate outdoor activities there. A lot of hikes in Kauai sound great but would they be too exhausting for a 6 or 8 year old? Any suggestions for specific places that can be negotiated by a child and deliver the beautiful views etc? For example, we would love to hike at least the first few miles of the Kalalau trail but I really don't know if it would be appropriate for a child (difficult trails with steep drop offs without any railings may be just too dangerous for an active 6 year old). So ellen, if you don't have anything constructive to say, just don't bother posting.

Hi lin Ellen's response is how we tell who is talking to us. In short never mind her she thinks she made a funny. I Went last year with a 13,11,7. Kids I think they would have slept in their snorkle gear they loved it so much. Hiking was a close second. My favorite hikes so far, alakai swamp(four wheel drive needed here), Kahala Trail and I would look into a hike around the canyon and other hikes in Kokee national park. Andrew Dougherty's ulitmate guide to Kauai is a great source for all of your activities. Very good ideas around judging swimming/snorkle areas for kids. I suggest taking some type of Star reference guide for that side of the island stars are incredible at night.

I have a condo on Kauai and the kids all enjoy it. Age's 10-25. Older kids will love the water at Poipu and surf lessons they give on the beach to anyone at the Sheraton Kauai, beautiful white soft sand beach and open to the public as are all beaches in Hawaii. There are the usual fast food resturants for picky eaters. The luau at the Hyatt is one that will keep the kids attention. Pricy but very well done. All of the family, always loves a boat trip. Take a snorkeling trip to the NaPali coast. They feed you and take everything you will need to snorkle. Very safe and the crew is patient. You'll love the airport at Lihue, very easy to get your car and find your way around.

Ellen - Exactly how sedentary does one have to be before they start whining that a CAR RIDE is too steep? I love it when those uninclined to do anything active or strenuous complain that there is "nothing to do" in places like Kauai. Kauai offers some of the most breathtaking hiking around, none of which can be seen from a car parking area. I do note, however, that you managed to check out the McDonalds while you were there.

Don't take Ellen's line too seriously. Nothing she said holds any weight at all (funny she mentioned McD's) I bet I saw her there scarfing down a few Big Mac's. No wonder she didn't have time to get out of her car and see the BREATH tAKING views atop Waialea. The Napali coast is beautiful, I would think kids would love it by boat. Plenty to see and do for all. We've been there several times past few years, although we have no children, we see many families. Good luck p.s. Don't mind the obnoxious few, this is the greatest site. Shame on Ellen

Go on a tour boat ride to see the porpoises. Check out the hotel lobby ads for deals.

Thanks to all that answered - except for ellen, of course. I am looking foward to doing some hiking in kauai with the kids. How about the Kiahuna Plantation, has anyone stayed there? lin

Mike Did you really have to mention something about Ellen's eating habits. Shame on Mike too. Stick to the subject and learn to respect the feelings of others. I think the reason that McDonalds was mentioned was due to the title of the post.... Kauai with Kids. Since you don't have kids, Mike, I think this is why you don't understand the significance of the mention...food, bathrooms, getting out of the car. Be nice, and respect others!!

Thanks for posting this query, Lin. We will be on Kauai'i in May and June, too, with our kids, ages 11 and 5. We are planning to check out all the relatively safe beaches, Waimea Canyon and the Fern Grotto. We'll try the hiking and quit when they are tired. (Although I am afraid it will be Dad and me that get tired first!) Is our 5 year old too young for the boat trip to the Napali coast? Also, we were told to check out the luaus put on by churches and other organizations as fund-raisers, as they are usually quite good and less expensive. Is this true?

The respect began and ended w/ellen. I am sick and tired of obnoxious people slamming innocent posters. This is an excellent site and people come here for valuable advice. I think ellen should have kept to herself. Just because the post mentions kids, where does McD's come in? Is McD's an outdoor adventure? Be real! This woman (ellen)had no good intention. Sorry if I offended anyone else. As for ellen, have another Big Mac.

Mike it is just that all of this talk about Ellen takes the focus off the the question. lin do a search on Kiahuna Plantaion. I have to tell you I love Marriot Lihue never stayed but visited and ok crashed the pool. I am now returning with niece of 8 I am having a hard time not booking. The pool is incredible and you are only half hour from poipu. Although I do hear great things about KP. I suggest you do a search for more info.

I really would like to know if the beach at Kiahuna Plantation is SAFE to swim. I like exploring different beaches but it is so nice to be able to just walk to one. I can't really stay at the Marriot because families of 5 can't stay in one room. That is sort of unfair, so I can't afford to pay for 2 rooms, it makes more sense to get a 2 room style condo like the ones at Kiahuna. Help me readers. lin

Lin, we are also planning a trip to Hawaii with a child and decided not to stay at Kiahuna Plantation because it doesn't have a pool on-site. Our daughter loves pools, no matter how nice the beach is. So we decided to stay at Poipu Kai instead. Do a search on this board for Kiahuna and you'll see that people generally like it and it has a good beach. The only complaints I read were about the pool (or lack thereof) and construction noise from next doors.

We stayed at the Sheraton right next door to the Kiahuna Plantation. The beach was wonderful. Our children ages 13 and 11 never swam in the hotel pool. They preferred the ocean because they could boogie board.

Marsha in response to your question about the kids going on the napali boat trip. I don't think they would be to young. We went on the snorkeling trip, but all did not snorkel. Smooth ride going north, but bumpy and wet coming back south. Beautiful scenery. Went into caves etc. Be sure and check it out esp about the 5 yr old.

We vacation at Kiahuna every year (with the exception of the Iniki years) with our 2 kids now 17 and 14. Neither one of them has any interest in going anywhere else in Hawaii..and we've been to all the other islands. I think the beach in front of the resort has the best snorkling (on the Marriott side) and boogie boarding on the island. If you want a laid back beach vacation this is for you! We'll be arriving July 1 this year!

Many thanks again. I think the Kiahuna would be fine even without the pool because I want to enjoy the ocean. Thanks for all the help.Lin

The beach in front of Kiahuna can keep your children busy for days. The left side (towards the Marriott construction) will be perfect for your 6-year-old. It's quite calm right there. Our 7-year-old discovered snorkling while swimming there and we couldn't keep her out of the water. There is also a path that runs in front of the Marriott property and takes you to Poipu Beach Park. There are nice tide pools to explore out at the end of the point there. Also, my kids love theshave ice at the snack shop at Brenneke's, across from the beach park. My kids (both girls) also like a trip to Spouting Horn. We always give them so money to buy trinkets and souvenirs from the stands there. Waimea Canyon is beautiful. We've had trouble with one of our kids getting carsick on the ride up and if there has been rain the trails can be very slippery. My kids still talk about a funny waterfall hike we took that was in the 2nd edition of the Ultimate Kauai guidebook. (It's not in the 3rd edition.) The map was a little iffy and we got lost and never found the waterfall but really enjoyed an easy hike down to the river in a beautiful setting. We felt as though we were a million miles away from civilization even though we were probably only a couple of miles in from the Coconut Coast. As we walked into a forest glade on this little hike, we saw bits of pink color on everything. Realized someone played paintball down here. In the middle of the pink glade was an abandoned toilet. This cracked my kids up and they still ask to go on the "toilet hike." We have also taken our kids kayaking. Your older two could probably handle their own dbl kayak or you could put one adult on each boat. We have put on younger child in the middle of the kayak and she has done fun. The big dbls are virtually impossible to tip over and everyone is given a life jacket and a cooler for each kayak. The trip up the Wailua river is really fun. We have also visited the Kilauea Lighthouse. (Call ahead for a tour.) The birds here are fantastic. We generally make this stop on the way up to the Northshore. We drive all the way to the end of the road to Ke'e Beach (beautiful view of Bali Hai and good snorkling. Also lots of Kauai jungle fowl (wild chickens.) Hanalei Bay is also a great spot to play. It's a bathtub in the summer. Great shave ice at a little trailer in Hanalei Village. (Try it with ice cream, very tasty even for a grown-up.) Kalapaki Bay, in front the the Marriott in Lihue is also a fun beach with kids. There are bathrooms and showers there, also a good little hamburger spot across the road- the Beach Hut- with outdoor tables and great fries. Also, Maha'ulepu Beach, down past the Hyatt in Poipu is fun. It's access is down a bumpy cane road. We like the beach that is past the first parking lot and is visible from the road. There are great beach walks along the dunes and a rope swing on the beach. Really beautiful and a little remote. Also, your kids might enjoy "Parrot Talk," a free daily program at the Hyatt (10 am each day.) The kids and adults get to hold the hotel's macaws and learn about them. Very informal and fun. Also, for a splurge, there is a day rate available at the Hyatt. You can rent a room from 9 am to 6 pm for half the price of the lowest roomrate, not a bargain but really fun on a nice day to use their incredible pools. Also, a visit to Walmart near the airport is a great place to pick up beach toys and puzzles (good for a rainy day - we are convinced that buying one actually keeps the rain away.) Also, Border's books at Kukui Grove has great books, a huge Hawaii section and a great music selection. We love Kauai and am sure that your family will have a ball.

MJ, thanks for such great ideas for our family vacation in Kauai this year. As a general question for all of Fodorites: does it make sense to buy and bring our own snorkeling equipment? Or should we rent or buy in Kauai? Any recommended places to rent/buy?

Iza, It is not worth bringing all of that gear. Too bulky. You can rent gear so many places. Many of the places are right on the beach, but there are some shops that rent much better equipment. Have fun!

I am surprised that no one has mentioned Lydgate Park on the east shore just a few miles from the airport on the way to Kapaa. It is a family oriented site with a large natural ocean swimming area enclosed by a man made reef wall of rocks. There are no large waves in the area and snorkling is pretty good. Lots of large fish and colorful fish to see. Also the area has a huge childrens play area with slides, climbing apparatus etc.. There are picnic areas and places to have a family bbq or picnic. A nice place to spend the day and let the kids swim and snorkle without fearing the large waves. Check it out.

lin & lza Lyngate is a great place to introduce snorkeling to the young ones. Kauai ultimate guide recommends this. We ignored this last year thinking how hard is it too snorkel took the kids to tunnels first, one kid was freaked out by how close the rocks were while he snorkeled would not have been a problem had we gone to an easier spot first. Instead I was chasing a traumatized kid down the beach with my own jet lag.