Negative Post About Kauai????
 

Can anyone tell me why I am reading all the negative post about Kauai? We have a 10 day trip planned for Sept. and I am getting nervous!!! I've read post after post about how people hated it. I've been to Maui several times, and wanted to see a different island. Did I make the wrong choice? We're staying in Princeville. Please tell me why I will "love it" Mahalo

I'd guess it might have something to do with a bumper sticker that was given to me as a gift....

"If you love Kauai, send your friends to Maui!"
Maui mo bettah!!!

If you 'get' Kauai, it is one of lifes great gifts. Relax and find out for yourself!

You have gotten a lot of good, accurate information and advice about Kauai on your previous posts about Kauai. Not sure what posts you are talking about, but I'd trust that you have made a good decision and not worry about it. It took me years to finally get there. We are going back for our fourth trip on Tuesday and can't wait.

oahu still remains as the most visited hawaiian island by foreigners. some of the other lesser traveled islands may still get foreigners jeers and negativity from native hawaiians who express disgust at disease and cockroaches being introduced into their once tranquil haven.

maybe some of the authors of negative remarks of kauai had encountered such hostility from hotel staff or others?

We went to Maui for our honeymoon and loved it. Then we took a second trip to the Big Island and Kauai - we absolutely loved Kauai - it was gorgeous. The Na Pali helicopter tour is one of our best vacation memories ever. We also had the best snorkelling on Kauai, so just relax and enjoy.

Thanks to all who replied. I count on this site for good and honest info. Mahalo

We are returning to Kauai in 6 weeks. We've also been to Maui. The only piece of advice I can give is that each island has a personality all of its own. You just have to match your personality with an island. Kauai is my match, although I have friends who match Maui. Don't worry. Kauai will take care of you. Princeville is lovely, don't miss Ke'e Beach!

I can't imagine how anyone could be critical of Kauai!!
Personally, I prefer Kauai over Maui anyday. I feel Kauai has a more tropical feel, more Hawaiian old world feel, and more to do than Maui.

There's a group of funny people who have an "insider joke" here on the forum about how lousy Kauai is... because they love it so much. Could it be that's what you read?

Some say Kauai is boring. Some say it is getting too built up. Some say locals can no longer afford to live there. Some say the traffic is hideous. Some say it is too rainy. Oh well...

suze, the city slicker girls, MelissaHI and chepar, really do think Kauai is boring.

nancy, if you are staying in Princeville, you will probably get there and cry when you have to leave. The north shore is beautiful. That iamq fellow is trying Kauai for the 4th time just to see if he likes it or not.

Kauai is beautiful, don't worry about it. I'm not sure I'd want to stay for 10 days in Princeville, though. Maybe 5 there + 5 on the other side of the island. However, if you like to relax and see gorgeous scenery, Princeville is great. Have fun.
:)>-

I'2,

Kaua'i is boring! What's so bad about boring anyway?

To quote an old friend, "research, research, research..."

nancy, if it's nightlife you are looking for, you will not find it on Kauai. Is that what you mean as boring, iamq? Or is the fact that you can sit on your behind and let the world pass you by and not flinch a muscle what you mean as boring?

Guilty!
;)

no, seriously, I do consider Kauai boring. (I live in Honolulu.) When I visited for a weekend in January, my boss made fun of me and my friends squealed, "WHUT?!" Did you choose Kauai for nice scenery, pure relaxation, etc? Then you made the right choice. I like a lot more activities, and when my friends & I go to Maui or Hawaii we go on an "aggressive schedule." But you know, I already LIVE here so.... I wake up to a view of the Pacific Ocean, I can see the colorful reef fish from my office window, the rainbows are endless and the nearest waterfall is about 10 minutes away (when raining.) Ho, hum...just another beautiful day in paradise!

(OK I'm going into hiding now. Fodorites with pitch forks and tar & feathers are coming after me now!! hee hee)

We are leaving in 3 days to spend 10 days on the BI and Kauai, and after reading MelissaHI's last post, I am seriously considering bringing copies of my resume and interview suit!

I had friends tell me that they, too, found Kauai boring. However, they are not into outdoor activities and complained that the bars closed too early...which is the exact opposite of what we are looking for in our vacation. Everyone has their own opinion of a destination so try not to go into it with a preconception based on what people who you have never met have to say :)

boring = hit the beach and sit on my akahine all day and watch the puffy white clouds float by. Oh look! There goes a dragon. That one looks like a hibiscus blossom. There's a palm tree. Oh, and that one looks just like a jealous icee...

I like better Kauai than Oahu...is just my opinion...I find Oahu over devoloped ...many people for my taste...When I was station at Oahu...we use to go for shorts visits to KAUAI!!

Aloha ...from other paradise...Costa Rica!!

R.A Luis

Just buckle up and enjoy the ride in paradise!!

icee - my ears were itching and I come here to find you've been talking about me! :)

Yes, I'm guilty too. I was just over on Kauai for business last month (the first time I've been there in forever) - and except for how developed Kapaa has become, I found it to be the same as I remember.

For someone looking to lay back and completely relax on the beach every day, Kauai is perfect. But I can do that here on Oahu every weekend if I want, so I usually look for someplace to vacation that has more stuff to do.

Ahh, to be bored in Kauai. Sounds like paradise to me.

If you like outdoor activities, I doubt you'd get bored on any of the Hawaiian islands. I think Kauai is the most beautiful of them all.

Here is my take on the differences:

Kauaii -- spectacular scenery, with gorgeous mountains and waterfalls. Quietest and most natural of the major islands. More bohemian than the others.

Oahu -- has Honolulu (with pros and cons that come with a city). Oahu gets a bad rap because a lot of people never go farther than Waikiki, but you don't have to travel far out of Honolulu to find scenic beauty comparable with the other islands.

Maui - Most "resortish" of the islands. Like all the Hawaiian islands, it has spectacular natural beauty, and maybe the best hotels, but Maui felt the least exotic to me of the islands.

Hawaii -- Most scenic variety. Volcano park is fascinating.

Hard to go wrong if you end up visiting any of these places....

Every negative post you may have read is true to someone.

Kauai is too touristy. There arent enough grand resorts on Kauai. Kauai is boring. Kauai is dark. Kauai roosters rob you of any chance of a good night sleep. There are bugs in Kauai. The food is terrible in Kaui. The food is great in Kauai. It is overpriced. It is no more expensive than any big mainland cities. Too much traffic. Not enough shopping. No nightlife. Great evenings at Tahiti Nui and Sushi Blues. Boring. Inspiring. Huge surf is beautiful. Unswimmable beaches.
Dark. Not as dark as it used to be.
Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain.....

Over rated.
Under rated.

Some of the truths I share about Kauai may seem negative. To me, it's all good. Even traffic jams in Kapaa have never been a negative. All the more time to take in the town and vistas!!!

I stayed near Princeville alone and found it a bit boring. If you like golfing, it's very good for that. I did spend some time at the other end of the island, since Princeville was so quiet.

I really loved the beauty of Kauai, though I seem to gravitate to Maui more. Maybe cause we have friends that we stay with for free part of the time, LOL. It depends on what you are looking for. The Princeville area is beautiful, and if you are looking for mostly nature and relaxation you will find it there. To be honest, I would enjoy any of the islands for my next visit as I know what each can offer me. Yes, as Iamq said: "research, research, research".

I'm in Kauai right now. Keep in mind that I'm an urban person (I work in SF). I love a trip to NY or London, I'm in SF daily, never been to but I'm sure I would love Tokyo, etc. Kauai is none of those, but it's not meant to be. It's place of beauty to come and chill. Today we drove up to Waimea Canyon, had lunch at Kokee Lodge (had dinner and camped out there 30 years ago), poked around Hanapepe and Koloa Town, and read a book at the beach for a couple of hours. Nothing wrong with that, I'd say. Eventully, we'll wander out and grab dinner somewhere. How good the food is (or isn't) is not of much concern to me here. Tomorrow, surf lessons!

If you think that Kauai is too boring, than you didn't come for the right reason, and you don't know a lot about the island. Kauai has some incredible activities, from helicopter rides, surfing, and amazing hikes. If you want to raise your pulse, go sky diving in Oahu or take a doors-off helicopter ride in Maui. Kauai can still raise the adrenaline, but is mellower. If you go to Kauai, go to enjoy nature and don't stress on the negatives. Winning the lottery has some negatives if you really want to look into it. Taxes, annoying needy family members, the press, etc... Look for the positive and do your research and you'll have a blast.

Think of Kauai as the up north, back country island of the chain. There's not as much to do as on the other islands (but then again since Don Ho died, there's less to do on Oahu also.) But it's still a piece of PARADISE, kick back and enjoy. If you really want boring, go to Lanai. If you don't golf or sun there's nothing else there to do.

Princeville is off on the north end of Kauai but you can hike, kayak the river, snorkel or just hit that public beach in a secluded bay east of town where there are never more than 15 people on 600 yards of sand. Yes, you have to search for it, I don't remember the name, but it's east about six miles from Princeville. It's so public that it's private (no facilities by the way, that's what the ocean is for I guess.) Go east, it's after the waterfall on the highway but get directions from someone, you'll never find it without directions or a map.

The Prince is possibly the most epic golf course in the world, let alone Hawaii. If you golf, it's a must but takes lots of balls. The Japanese guys we played with once ran out after eight holes and then just hit range balls for the last ten.

And for the heaven's sake, why do Fodor's posters enjoy death defying (and occasionally fatal), environment shattering helicopter tours of the NaPali coast? Take Captain Andy's catamaran snorkeling tour! It's a relaxing five hours with snorkeling thrown in for good measure. You sail quietly past the bluffs and don't just blast past them at $200/hour from the skies. You have plenty of time and spend the extra money at Sushi Blues.

The view from the Princeville restaurant is OK but the one called Hanalei (sorry, can't find it online) that you have to drive through the golf course (not the Prince, the other course) has great views (if they didn't let the trees grow too tall) but get there early because they don't take seating reservations.

When you get bored with the north coast, you should plan a day (or two, it's only an hour through Paradise) and drive down to Poipu where the snorkeling is more like a school of people floating face down but Travel Mag rates as one of the beast beaches in the US. Get a plate lunch at the east end of town and sit on the picnic tables near the beach and enjoy. There's also a coast down the mountain on their bike tour but they don't let you play Lance Armstrong and go 60mph.

The traffic is not as bad as Maui on the coast road except during brief rush hours. There is a WalMart (I shudder to admit) for buying boogie boards and chairs and all that for the beach. I recommend buying them and then selling them at discount on the beach at the end of your trip. That's if you are going to public beach it as opposed to staying at a hotel.

Kauai is wonderful, I've been there five times and rate it higher than the other islands (although I've never been to the Big Island). Relax. ENJOY!

Great ideas, Travel Buoy. Thanks!

travel bouy has some great ideas. but,
if you go to any secluded bays or beaches make sure they have lifeguards if you plan to swim. the beautiful beaches (at any of the Hawaiian Islands) can be deceiving. many places have strong rip currents.

Do not fret!You are so lucky. I am jealous.Kauai & the Princeville Resort are the epitome of paradise. I'm not sure if you are staying at the resort(or in the town of Princeville), but you will absolutely love it. It is a wonderful island. The beauty is amazing. be sure to visit the Princeville resort for a sunset in "The Living Room" for aspectacular view of Bali Hai, take a ride to Hanalei, visit the different beaches, the wet & dry caves, take a hike to the Queens Bath(a good resource book is Kauai Revealed), take a helicopter ride over the Napali Valley to view the beauty of the many waterfalls & the mountains, & coastline. I'm sure you will love it.