Makai1's Kauai photo journal - 4th of July 2005
Aug 29th, 2005, 11:05 AM
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Makai1's Kauai photo journal - 4th of July 2005
Well my hope was to have a report & photos posted over a month ago... to no avail! Summertime travel has kept me away.
So... I'm going to do this somewhat in reverse. Photos first and then I'll post my report. I just finished the album. Hopefully I'll have the TR done this week which I'll add to this thread. Feel free to ask questions. I'll try to answer them as I write my report.
Photo album is at www.makai.funtigo.com
Scroll down the home page and click on Hele on to Kauai.
Aloha for now.
So... I'm going to do this somewhat in reverse. Photos first and then I'll post my report. I just finished the album. Hopefully I'll have the TR done this week which I'll add to this thread. Feel free to ask questions. I'll try to answer them as I write my report.
Photo album is at www.makai.funtigo.com
Scroll down the home page and click on Hele on to Kauai.
Aloha for now.
Aug 29th, 2005, 01:32 PM
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Your photos are pure poetry! You hardly need a trip report; the photos tell a beautiful story. I also got very teary-eyed looking at the lei in the water.
We were there in the same time frame (6/27 - 7/6)...boy how I miss it...
We were there in the same time frame (6/27 - 7/6)...boy how I miss it...
Aug 29th, 2005, 02:31 PM
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Thank you for sharing the beautiful pictures. Did you stay in two different places? It looks like one had a view of the mountains and one a view of Secret Beach - or was this two different views from the same villa/condo? We stayed at the Hyatt when we went to Kauai and I definitely want an alternative to that for next time - preferably on the north shore!
Aug 29th, 2005, 04:21 PM
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Help!!! Mrlou and I bought our first digital camera and don't know what to do with the pictures we took!!! We have a zillion things to learn before we can post some here! Give me an SLR and a darkroom.......but this digital computer stuff.....I FEEL OLD AGAIN!!!
Great times makai1!!!! Thanks for sharing! Inspiring!
G'lou
Great times makai1!!!! Thanks for sharing! Inspiring!
G'lou
Aug 29th, 2005, 06:43 PM
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Thanks for the wonderful photos. I liked the generations enjoying the beauty and fun together! The pictures had a 3D quality. I am sitting here oooohing and ahhhing,instead of Payables & Receivables!!!! My own countdown is at 44 days and I like to whet my appetite. Looking forward to the report as well.
Aug 29th, 2005, 07:20 PM
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Mahalo everyone... you are all too gracious! 
I can't help but try and capture the soul of a place in my photos... too bad I can't put the scent of the island in them... so you'll just have to breathe deep and think plumeria!
Crazy4, yes we did stay in 2 places... 11 nights at Hanalei Bay Villas, Hale Maluhia (yes Maggi ~ what a view!) and then 3 nights just up the street at Pali Ke Kua. They both have a similiar ocean view of Hideaways Beach and Bali Hai, but HBV has a spectacular mountain view from the lanais.
G'lou, email me if you like for helpful hints w/ the digital pics. [email protected] I thought I'd never make the jump from SLR to digital, but now I can't believe it took me so long. It's really a snap. Ha.
Mahalo again... TR soon, I hope.
I can't help but try and capture the soul of a place in my photos... too bad I can't put the scent of the island in them... so you'll just have to breathe deep and think plumeria!
Crazy4, yes we did stay in 2 places... 11 nights at Hanalei Bay Villas, Hale Maluhia (yes Maggi ~ what a view!) and then 3 nights just up the street at Pali Ke Kua. They both have a similiar ocean view of Hideaways Beach and Bali Hai, but HBV has a spectacular mountain view from the lanais.
G'lou, email me if you like for helpful hints w/ the digital pics. [email protected] I thought I'd never make the jump from SLR to digital, but now I can't believe it took me so long. It's really a snap. Ha.
Mahalo again... TR soon, I hope.
Aug 30th, 2005, 04:41 AM
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Lisa, Mahalo and Aloha. Thanks for a wonderful story. Goosebumps and tears (of joy of course) are what I have now.
Your photos are the most amazing I have ever seen. Can't even make a pun, but I will....I loved the bumpersticker..."If you love Kauai, send your friends to Maui".
Your photos are the most amazing I have ever seen. Can't even make a pun, but I will....I loved the bumpersticker..."If you love Kauai, send your friends to Maui".
Sep 28th, 2005, 12:50 PM
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Mahalo everyone... I've been pulled away and unable to get this darned thing done... and my photo album is stuck and I've been trying to get that fixed too... heck with the photos.
I've been quickly reading over some recent posts and thought I'd get this report up before some of you leave.
It's long, but detailed... throw on some hawaiian music and enjoy!
I've been quickly reading over some recent posts and thought I'd get this report up before some of you leave.
It's long, but detailed... throw on some hawaiian music and enjoy!
Sep 28th, 2005, 12:51 PM
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Kauai Trip Report
June 29-July 13, 2005
I planned this trip earlier in the year as a special getaway for my mom, my sister and I. We usually head off for a long weekend in WI for my moms late June birthday, but decided on the north shore of Kauai instead… Mom & sis have never experienced Kauai. I adore Hanalei & I was excited to share my special kahi with them.
In March, when my fav aunt, my moms sister, became a widow, we asked her to join us. We had worked out mileage awards for our tickets, first class from ORD through SFO, and miraculously were able to arrange an award ticket for her too! So, AuntM (yes, my very own auntiem!) met up with us at SFO and we flew first class together on to Lihue. What a blessing for all of us to have this time together. Sis and AuntM have never been to Hawaii before this.
Car Rental
I had a Sebring convertible reserved with both Alamo and Thrifty. I had reserved with Alamo first, out the door 2 weeks for $552. I thought this was a pretty good rate until I learned of a great offer from Thrifty (mahalo, Bill), $460 for the same time. I kept both reservations until the week before the trip and started checking into additional driver charges. Alamo included an additional driver, while Thrifty charged $5 per day - $70 total. I opted to use Alamo, figuring that they would be easier to work with if we had any problems. I’ve never used Thrifty before.
I knew that I would be doing most of the driving, but wanted the flexibility of being able to do different things, so Mom and I signed as the drivers. Make sure to take any additional drivers with you to get the car. All of the car rental companies are off site, so you need to take a shuttle to get there. We left AuntM and sis behind to grab the luggage. Don't shlep the luggage on the shuttle... not a wise choice.
The only car problem we experienced came with the rain. All of a sudden the windows wouldn’t go up. More rain… very wet car… called Alamo. They sent a tow truck with a new Sebring.
On our last day the windows wouldn’t go up on the new car… no rain… no problem. We returned the car with the windows down. Be warned… check the window operation on the Sebrings (and the seats for dampness)!
The size of the car was fine for 4 of us. Sis suitcase was missing on arrival, which honestly helped out in packing the trunk. Before the trip I pleaded with everyone to PACK LIGHT! One small suitcase, please! I brought string and a bungee cord with me for the event of driving to the north shore with luggage for four ladies. It worked out fine. Sis suitcase showed up later in the day and they delivered it that night. All was well. >
<
June 29-July 13, 2005
I planned this trip earlier in the year as a special getaway for my mom, my sister and I. We usually head off for a long weekend in WI for my moms late June birthday, but decided on the north shore of Kauai instead… Mom & sis have never experienced Kauai. I adore Hanalei & I was excited to share my special kahi with them.
In March, when my fav aunt, my moms sister, became a widow, we asked her to join us. We had worked out mileage awards for our tickets, first class from ORD through SFO, and miraculously were able to arrange an award ticket for her too! So, AuntM (yes, my very own auntiem!) met up with us at SFO and we flew first class together on to Lihue. What a blessing for all of us to have this time together. Sis and AuntM have never been to Hawaii before this.
Car Rental
I had a Sebring convertible reserved with both Alamo and Thrifty. I had reserved with Alamo first, out the door 2 weeks for $552. I thought this was a pretty good rate until I learned of a great offer from Thrifty (mahalo, Bill), $460 for the same time. I kept both reservations until the week before the trip and started checking into additional driver charges. Alamo included an additional driver, while Thrifty charged $5 per day - $70 total. I opted to use Alamo, figuring that they would be easier to work with if we had any problems. I’ve never used Thrifty before.
I knew that I would be doing most of the driving, but wanted the flexibility of being able to do different things, so Mom and I signed as the drivers. Make sure to take any additional drivers with you to get the car. All of the car rental companies are off site, so you need to take a shuttle to get there. We left AuntM and sis behind to grab the luggage. Don't shlep the luggage on the shuttle... not a wise choice.
The only car problem we experienced came with the rain. All of a sudden the windows wouldn’t go up. More rain… very wet car… called Alamo. They sent a tow truck with a new Sebring.
On our last day the windows wouldn’t go up on the new car… no rain… no problem. We returned the car with the windows down. Be warned… check the window operation on the Sebrings (and the seats for dampness)!
The size of the car was fine for 4 of us. Sis suitcase was missing on arrival, which honestly helped out in packing the trunk. Before the trip I pleaded with everyone to PACK LIGHT! One small suitcase, please! I brought string and a bungee cord with me for the event of driving to the north shore with luggage for four ladies. It worked out fine. Sis suitcase showed up later in the day and they delivered it that night. All was well. >
<
Sep 28th, 2005, 01:04 PM
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Hanalei Bay Villas ~ Hale Maluhia
This is possibly one of the most lovely places I've ever stayed in all of Hawaii. I'm all about the sea, the view, and chillin' out. I like privacy, comfort and a clean place. This villa had everything and more. The views from the lanai were pure Pali – Mount Waialeale gave us incredible ever changing beauty. One minute it was completely covered by the clouds… the next, rainbows stretching and waterfalls tumbling… I just cant describe this view. AuntM said it perfectly, "I'ts ever changing, never the same". One day out of 14 we caught Mount Wai'ale'ale perfect, without a cloud. I can only imagine how fun this is to watch all year! Off to the side of the lanai was a beautiful ocean view.
The location of Hanalei Bay Villas is in Princeville between Pali Ke Kua and Pu’u Po’a. To view an aerial shot of the villas go to www.wizardpub.com/kauai/krhanaleibayvillas.html Ours was the fourth from the left.
As you drive up Ka Haku Road toward the Princeville Hotel just past Pali Ke Kua, the villa is located mauka across the street from the park benches and walking path set up on a cliff almost directly above Hideaways beach. Every night we would enjoy a glass of wine or some other refreshment at the benches for spectacular sunsets over Bali Hai. It was a favorite time of the day. AuntM and sis would sing the tune from the movie South Pacific… "Baalllieeeeeee Haaiii". Very good times.
The villa itself was immaculate. The main floor was the living area with a large lanai, a spacious kitchen, dining area, & powder room. The lower level had 2 bedrooms, each with a bath and a laundry area. The master bedroom also had a lanai directly below the living room lanai. For four people it was perfect.
The TV cabinet was stocked with every movie you could find filmed on Kauai or the other islands, including South Pacific which was a favorite. They had a nice stereo which was perfect for playing all of the Hawaiian music I brought with me... we enjoyed much time on the lanai with the music playing in the backround.
We had a special rate of $152.00 per night because our dates fit into a time slot that the owner was trying to fill. Regular nightly rate is $199.00, weekly $1,190.00. Contact Todd at www.kauaivilla.com If you think of it let him know that Lisa (makai) sent you… you never know when those referrals might come in handy for future negotiations.
Pali Ke Kua
Because our mileage tickets had us returning later than our rental with Hale Maluhia, we needed to shift lodging 3 days prior to departure. I checked into places in Poipu, but to no avail. Either the places we liked were not avail for 3 nights or there was just no availability in our price range of under $200.00 per night.
No worries. Pali Ke Kua worked out fine. No kidding, we could have wheeled our suitcases from Hale Maluhia to PKK in 3 minutes. That’s how close we were. While we hated to leave the villa, the condo at PKK had a great cliff top oceanfront view. It was a spacious 2 bedroom condo on the upper floor with a full kitchen, dining area, living room, bedroom with bath on the main floor, and a bedroom with bath on the upper floor.
We only needed two nights here, but since we had a 9:30pm return flight we booked a third night so we would have use of the condo on our departure day. VERY WISE CHOICE. It enabled us to enjoy the day, snorkel down at Hideaways Beach, hang out in Hanalei looking for last minute souvies, float in the bay, eat and then leisurely get ready to fly home.
The grounds at Pali Ke Kua were lovely. Many of my floral photos are from here. We enjoyed a few dips in the pool as well. It was never crowded and nice for cooling off after a day of exploring. The best feature here is the gorgeous cliff top view of Hideaways Beach, the surf and Bali Hai. Sitting on the lanai listening to the rolling waves, watching the sails in and out of Hanalei Bay, watching the rain move across the horizon sometimes as the sun set… it was beautiful.
While I loved the view here, the afternoon sun was very hot. July is not the month to book here if you want a cool late afternoon nap or to chill on the lanai at the condo. It would heat up greatly from 3:00pm - 6:00pm, unless there were clouds. After having windows, views and trade winds on four sides at Hale Maluhia, one set of windows and sliders facing west in the living area with a ceiling fan just didn’t cut it.
There was a path down to Hideaways Beach for guest use only (although we used it from Hale Maluhia since we would be guests here later). It’s quite a steep paved path but the payoff was WORTH it… my favorite beach. More info about the beach later. There is a pavilion down near the bottom with grills. I can’t imagine carrying everything down here for a cookout. There also is a no grilling rule at the condo… so, we just didn’t grill.
We booked Pali Ke Kua #205 through Makana Vacations for $165.00 per night. You can check availability for many of Pali Ke Kuas units on Remax’s website, www.remaxkauai.com 205 was in the first bank of buildings as you pull into the complex. Also on Remax’s website are great aerial shots and photos of the grounds. You can also go to www.kauai-north-shore.com to find good photos of PKK grounds.
This is possibly one of the most lovely places I've ever stayed in all of Hawaii. I'm all about the sea, the view, and chillin' out. I like privacy, comfort and a clean place. This villa had everything and more. The views from the lanai were pure Pali – Mount Waialeale gave us incredible ever changing beauty. One minute it was completely covered by the clouds… the next, rainbows stretching and waterfalls tumbling… I just cant describe this view. AuntM said it perfectly, "I'ts ever changing, never the same". One day out of 14 we caught Mount Wai'ale'ale perfect, without a cloud. I can only imagine how fun this is to watch all year! Off to the side of the lanai was a beautiful ocean view.
The location of Hanalei Bay Villas is in Princeville between Pali Ke Kua and Pu’u Po’a. To view an aerial shot of the villas go to www.wizardpub.com/kauai/krhanaleibayvillas.html Ours was the fourth from the left.
As you drive up Ka Haku Road toward the Princeville Hotel just past Pali Ke Kua, the villa is located mauka across the street from the park benches and walking path set up on a cliff almost directly above Hideaways beach. Every night we would enjoy a glass of wine or some other refreshment at the benches for spectacular sunsets over Bali Hai. It was a favorite time of the day. AuntM and sis would sing the tune from the movie South Pacific… "Baalllieeeeeee Haaiii". Very good times.
The villa itself was immaculate. The main floor was the living area with a large lanai, a spacious kitchen, dining area, & powder room. The lower level had 2 bedrooms, each with a bath and a laundry area. The master bedroom also had a lanai directly below the living room lanai. For four people it was perfect.
The TV cabinet was stocked with every movie you could find filmed on Kauai or the other islands, including South Pacific which was a favorite. They had a nice stereo which was perfect for playing all of the Hawaiian music I brought with me... we enjoyed much time on the lanai with the music playing in the backround.
We had a special rate of $152.00 per night because our dates fit into a time slot that the owner was trying to fill. Regular nightly rate is $199.00, weekly $1,190.00. Contact Todd at www.kauaivilla.com If you think of it let him know that Lisa (makai) sent you… you never know when those referrals might come in handy for future negotiations.
Pali Ke Kua
Because our mileage tickets had us returning later than our rental with Hale Maluhia, we needed to shift lodging 3 days prior to departure. I checked into places in Poipu, but to no avail. Either the places we liked were not avail for 3 nights or there was just no availability in our price range of under $200.00 per night.
No worries. Pali Ke Kua worked out fine. No kidding, we could have wheeled our suitcases from Hale Maluhia to PKK in 3 minutes. That’s how close we were. While we hated to leave the villa, the condo at PKK had a great cliff top oceanfront view. It was a spacious 2 bedroom condo on the upper floor with a full kitchen, dining area, living room, bedroom with bath on the main floor, and a bedroom with bath on the upper floor.
We only needed two nights here, but since we had a 9:30pm return flight we booked a third night so we would have use of the condo on our departure day. VERY WISE CHOICE. It enabled us to enjoy the day, snorkel down at Hideaways Beach, hang out in Hanalei looking for last minute souvies, float in the bay, eat and then leisurely get ready to fly home.
The grounds at Pali Ke Kua were lovely. Many of my floral photos are from here. We enjoyed a few dips in the pool as well. It was never crowded and nice for cooling off after a day of exploring. The best feature here is the gorgeous cliff top view of Hideaways Beach, the surf and Bali Hai. Sitting on the lanai listening to the rolling waves, watching the sails in and out of Hanalei Bay, watching the rain move across the horizon sometimes as the sun set… it was beautiful.
While I loved the view here, the afternoon sun was very hot. July is not the month to book here if you want a cool late afternoon nap or to chill on the lanai at the condo. It would heat up greatly from 3:00pm - 6:00pm, unless there were clouds. After having windows, views and trade winds on four sides at Hale Maluhia, one set of windows and sliders facing west in the living area with a ceiling fan just didn’t cut it.
There was a path down to Hideaways Beach for guest use only (although we used it from Hale Maluhia since we would be guests here later). It’s quite a steep paved path but the payoff was WORTH it… my favorite beach. More info about the beach later. There is a pavilion down near the bottom with grills. I can’t imagine carrying everything down here for a cookout. There also is a no grilling rule at the condo… so, we just didn’t grill.
We booked Pali Ke Kua #205 through Makana Vacations for $165.00 per night. You can check availability for many of Pali Ke Kuas units on Remax’s website, www.remaxkauai.com 205 was in the first bank of buildings as you pull into the complex. Also on Remax’s website are great aerial shots and photos of the grounds. You can also go to www.kauai-north-shore.com to find good photos of PKK grounds.
