We are staying at Outrigger Laenani in a two bedroom oceanfront condo. Any info? I cant swim, can I still snorkle without swimming? Are you able to rent chairs at the beaches with lifeguards? Should I bring an empty extra suitcase to bring home souviners? I have a teenage daughter that doesnt like to overly exert herself, is there a easy hike that is not too long that involves the rainforest? We are arriving in Lihue airport at aprox. 8:30. Are flights usually on time? Should I be worried about the rental car agency not waiting for us if we are late? Thanks for any info.

aloha, your worrying too much, relax it's Kauai, everything will be perfect. If you don't swim, you can snorkel, wear a life vest, or rent a boogie board and lay over it sideways strap the board to your wrist. all you do when snorkeling is float face down, and kick, dont use your arms rest them by you side. the rental car people will be there, dont worry. have a great time.

You might want to contact your rental car agency and let them know that you will be arriving at 8:30. When we arrived at the Lihue airport (I think around 7 p.m.) the rental car guy was locking up the place (Hertz). We were still able to do the paperwork at the rental car office, but I noticed (as we were waiting for my husband to bring the car around) that other people walked up (apparently with reservations, too) and the office was locked. It looked like there was a note on the door, so I'm assuming they were told where to go to complete their paperwork for their car, but it seemed like a pretty big inconvenience after being on such a long flight.

I think only you can answer the question about anther suitcase for souvenirs. Is this your 1st time to Hawaii?? I know on our first trip, we bought tons of souvenirs, so it's all up to you. As far as a hike with a rainforest, the Fern Grotto might be something your daughter would enjoy.

The Sleeping Giant is near your condo. Lotta vegetation but not too "rain forest-ish"...but the view at the top of the whole CocoCoast is pretty nice.

HANG LOOSE!!!

All of your worries will melt away as soon as you get your first whiff of plumeria. At least I am counting on that happening to me...TOMORROW!

-Bill

Relax - everything will work out fine.
Even if you have little "bumps", they can be easily resolved. Don't pack an extra suitcase. Try one of two options:
1. On arrival, ask the deskclerk for the nearest UPS/Post Office. Box up & send your souvenirs home at an inexpensive rate. You won't have to carry them or lose them.
2. Buy a cheap suitcase,tote,duffel bag there. Leave some clothes at home, and buy/wear t-shirts (CrazyCats a must!),
Aloha shirts/resort wear - find some great flipflops, too! Buy souvinirs that are small,useful,or last - clothing,jewelry,handbags,lotion,
men's hats,macadamia nuts,local music CD's/books.
Personally I've found that spending more on a couple items of value will "take me back" more often than stocking up on common items. Wearing a bracelet or listening to a CD from my travels lasts longer than trinkets.
Also, starting a "collection" can be interesting.

along the lines above about nice souveniers... i always pick up some body lotion like 'maui babe' or 'kikui lotion' then when i use it at home the smell reminds me of Hawaii.

i wouldn't bother hauling an extra suitcase from home, you can buy a cheap tote that doubles as a souvenier & an extra bag if you find you need one.

Thanks everyone for your input. You guys gave me some great tips.
We are leaving in 3 days!! (mon.) I do worry too much, but I organized, planned, booked, etc. this whole trip myself for my family of 5 so I feel responsible. We will be traveling from the airport (Lihue)to our condo in Kapaa in the dark. Do the roads have decent lighting? thanks

nope.. no lights..you need to point a flashlight outside of the car to see. NO..i'm just kidding. The drive is not a difficult one. No cliffs or anything..easy breezy... my family and i will be at the lae nani for the 1st part of our trip in sept.
alooha!

oh.. and the area is one of our favorites for feeling like we live there (which is one of my favorite delusions). The pace is slow and there are just outstanding resaurants very close by. Also you are near a safeway and a longs drugstore..just in case you need some specific mainland item. We actually met and got to hang out a bit with ice cream genius Mr. Lappert himself in that marketplace. He has unfortunately passed away since.

"Decent lighting".
Hahahaha! Yet another reason to put on our "Reasons NOT to go to Kauai" list!

Our first trip to Kauai got us in after dark.

The gal at the rental agency knew where our hotel was, The Islander, and actually knew the highway paddle marker number!
Of course, she did say it's RIGHT behind the CocoMarketplace so that was hard to miss.

BUT, while driving from the airport to the hotel, it was so dark we couldn't see any of what was on either side of the road. I told Mrs. Kal when we drive on this road tomorrow we'll probably go WOW!
Sure enuff. WOW!

While you drive towards your hotel, you'll pass the old Holiday Inn Sunspree which still may be the Aloha Beach Resort on your right....there is a split in the road that takes you to the bridge that goes over the Wailua River...both lanes take you over the river and come out the same place so don't panic if you get stuck in the right lane.

You come out right by the old Coco Palms Hotel.
You'll see a Shell gas station up ahead.

The road you want is right before the Shell station and almost paralells the hwy.
Veer up the road and a little hill behind the Shell station and a little mall and your hotel is up a little bit....now THAT road is DARK!

Go slow and you should see your hotels sign near the tennis courts.

If you miss the cut off you can turn right after Kintaros restaurant and it will take you to the same road...then turn left.
AND if you miss that, turn at the road right before the Coconut Marketplace and back track.

152 mo' days!!!!

Thanks Kal for taking the time to give me detailed directions. Mr. jinxiejo will also be grateful as he will most likely be driving. How many times have you been to Kauai? It sounds like you're an old pro.
Thanks for your input Sea wahine. Have you stayed at Lae Nani before? Does the condo have windows in the bedrooms to let the breeze in or is the lanai the only access to air? Nothing is worse than 3 hot complaining teenagers.

kal.. what nice directions!
jinxie..alas we have not stayed at lae nani before and ended it up booking it by a chance set of situations. i must admit to being a bit nervous about the lack of a/c. I know..everyone sayz that trade winds are ever cool and so forth..but i am pretty sensitive to heat and so unfortunately is my 20 month old. I guess ya keep your fingers crossed that the kind breezes work their magic. You can always escape the heat somewhere, though..even just by hopping in your rental car and driving for a shave ice.

Thats true! I might buy an extra fan or two at Walmart tho, just in case.

No worries -- you'll be staying on the windward side of our island, where the breezes blow full-time at 10-20 mph this time of the year. The ceiling fans are surprisingly effective, and you can probably borrow an additional fan from the manager's office if you really need it.

We live on the north shore -- far less windy area -- and last year my 1 year old grand-daughter was here in the summer and had no problems with heat.

Don't worry -- be happy you'll be on Kaua`i!! 8-)

Check the closets at your condo. Many times they contain a collection of beach mats, coolers, beach chairs, etc. left over from previous guests. If not, you can buy or rent folding chairs and everything else you'll need.
I don't do well in the heat, but we've never had A/C in Hawaii and never needed it. as long as there's a fan, you should be fine.
Relax and enjoy your trip!

Thanks you guys, I feel alot better about having no A/C. We are leaving in approx. 36 hours!! I am so excited!!

We just returned from Kauai last night. We also arrived on the 8:30pm American flight. When I checked on rental cars, I saw that Thrifty closed around 9pm so we switched our rental to Alamo who stayed open until 10:30pm. I would suggest that you call the rental location office directly to find out how they handle late arrivals. There aren't that many late evening flights so I'm sure they have a contingency plan.

We also had to drive to Kapaa upon arrival. It was a very easy drive to our Wailua Bayview condo, which is right near your condo. Kal gave you great advice that right after you cross the bridge, you turn right just before the Shell station. We brought a flashlight with us in case we needed it to see the lockbox at our condo.

As for swimming and snorkeling, go to Lydgate Park which was not deep and you could see incredible fish in water that wasn't over your head.

Have a wonderful time!

have a great time, jinxie! Let us know how it went..and how was the lae nani!
: o )