I will be on Kauai for 6 nights. Only 2 of these nights will be in Princeville at the Princeville Hotel. Please tell me which 2 restaurants are not to be missed in the Princeville area. We are open to almost any type of food and are not worried about the cost. Of course, good value is always a plus.

Hi Lisa:

We stayed 2 nights at Princeville Hotel last December and 5 nights in Poipu. We weren't very adventurous. We had room service our first night in Princeville because our hotel room was wonderful and had an amazing view. The 2nd night we ate in Hanalai (sp), at the Zelo's Beach House. That was fun, but not incredible.

In Poipu we ate The Beach House (wonderful view and good food), Brenneke's (fun and a little cheaper), and Tidepools. Tidepools is in the Hyatt Hotel. It's romantic and expensive.

I don't think this has answered your question. I think my favorite dining experience was room service at the Princeville Hotel. Second choice would be the Beach House in Poipu.

Have a great time.

I just noticed that I responded to the wrong rquestion from Lisa. She had another post asking about both the south and the north sides of Kauai. Sorry for the confusion

jessie, thanks for the info! I am definitely going to try room service at the Princeville resort, and possibl the Beac House. I am glad to know that the Princeville accommodations were so wonderful.

Were you happy with your choice to do 2 nights and 5 nights? I am doing 2 nights and 4 nights at the Hyatt. Just wondering if that was a good decision.

BTW, Jessie, I did post the question twice. I hit the post my reply button before I wrote the second part, by mistake. Then I posted the question again in its entirety. Thanks again for answering my question.

Hi Lisa:

We were really glad that we stayed on both the north and south shores. It was our first trip to Kauai and I'm glad I experienced both. 2 nights was about all we could afford at Princeville. We splurged and got the Junior Suite. We got an amazing deal and it was worth it! I think they must have given us the best room in the hotel. Most of the staff at the hotel were extremely friendly. Oddly enough, the front desk staff were not so friendly. Luckily we had very little interaction with them.

We stayed in a condo right next to the Hyatt. The grounds at Hyatt are amazing. Make sure you go to Poipu Beach (better swimming) and to Spouting Horn (great sight, but also some great shopping). Be aware of the boat tours. Make sure the water really is calm if you go. We were told it was a calm morning but I've never seen my husband turn that shade of green before.
Waimea Canyon was very pretty. Shaved Ice is great.

Have fun!

We stayed at the Sheraton Kauai for five nights in late May. We had very good dinners (in order of preference) at A Pacific Cafe (Hawaiian/ Mediterranean) in Kapaa, Beach House (Hawaiian/Contemporary)in Poipu, Casa Di Amici (Italian/Hawaiian) in Poipu, and Keoki's Paradise (Hawaiian/ American) in Poipu. The company that owns Kioki's also owns Duke's Canoe Club on Kauai and several other restaurants on other islands and in California. We had a bad meal at House of Seafood (Seafood/ Contemporary)in Poipu.
Regarding someone's question about splitting a vacation between the two sides of Kauai, there can be a problem if you can only stay six nights. Many hotels offer a free night if you stay four or six nights (depending on the property). On the recent trip, we paid for six nights at the Mauna Lani on the Big Island to get the seventh night free and four nights on Kauai to get the fifth night free. Also, Kauai isn't that big, so it's easy to get around. We were going to split a stay on the Big Island, but we couldn't find some place we wanted to stay on the east coast, plus it is very rainy there.

Hi Everyone!

Jessie, I'm glad that you enjoyed both sides of the island. Some people love one side, but dislike the other. I thought it would be nice to split our stay between the two areas.

I have read wonderful things about the Hyatt's grounds and wonderful things about Princeville's scenery. I will be staying at the Hyatt for 4 nights and then moving on to Princeville for the remaining 2 nights. I would have made it 3 and 3, but I had to make my reservations for each of these resorts for even numbers of days. The reason for this is that I received 2 for 1 vouchers from American Airlines when I booked my frquent flyer free airline tickets. So, I'm staying in a Jr. Suite at Princeville, buy 1 get 1, and I'm staying at the Hyatt for 4 nights, buy 2, get 2. I am just wondering if I should have done it the other way around- 4 in Princeville and 2 in Poipu. Now that you have experienced both sides of the island, what do you think?

Regarding the Na Pali Coast boat trip, did your husband take Dramamine or anything else before you left? I hate taking anything like that because it makes me so sleepy. The one time I took it on a cruise ship, I felt like I was in a fog for the next 24 hours. I have been on 6 cruises and only needed Dramamine that 1 day, so I am not prone to seasickness, but I think I might take it this time since I have read that many people get seadick on this trip -no matter what type of boat or which company they use.

Mark, thanks for all of the dining suggestions. A Pacific Cafe and the Beach House seem to get pretty consistent good reviews. I'd like to try at least one of them.

About the boat trip: my husband didn't take dramamine because he usually doesn't have a problem with sea sickness. The boat ride didn't bother me nearly as much. We went to Kauai in December and the waters are much rougher that time of year.

When are you going. If you are going in the winter months I would suggest you stick with your current plan of 2 nights in Princeville. The weather is much better in Poipu in the winter. I would also say that no matter what configuration you choose you will be happy. It will give you an excuse to go back soon and explore the area you didn't get to on the first trip. We really loved the North side, but if we had stayed there longer we wouldn't have had much of a beach vacation. The weather was much better in Poipu in Dec.

Congratulations on getting such great hotel deals. That sounds wonderful. I'm glad you got a Jr. Suite. Very romantic.

Jesse -I will be going to Kauai in August. Even though the water will most likely be calmer at that time of year, I might take the Dramamine anyway, just to be safe.

If I was going during the winter, I definitely would be happy with 2 at Ptinceville and 4 at the Hyatt. It is only because I am going in August that I am questioning my decision. As you said, though, I'll probably be happy either way.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice.

Lisa,

In August, I would switch to 4 Princeville, 2 Hyatt. No real worries on the weather at that time and it is just so much prettier in the north. If you are a beach person, I suspect you will end up driving there anyway.

I would suggest that you don't do the Napali boat tour, or at least make sure your catamaran is a nice big fancy one. We got stuck on a smelly, LOUD catamaran for five hours, and it was pure hell. Even seeing the dolphins swim next to us on the boat was not worth it. And do NOT do the raft trip, those people were hangin on for dear life. The thing is that during august,the waves are higher, and you can't tell from the beach at your hotel how it is at the edge of the cliffs. It's open ocean, than cliffs! We went in July and it was very choppy. On our way back, the boat went very fast, banging into the waves, and it was torture. One poor woman was laid out on the bench all during the trip. Our outfit was a coupla shady dudes, but i read later that was the norm. I complained to the Princeville concierge who booked us, and got our money back because I was so angry with her for wasting a whole day of our honeymoon on such a crappy tourist trap. We were both sick for the rest of the night, and so were the others, we all ended up in beach chairs at the hotel, groaning. They got thier money back after they heard i'd gotten mine back, it was that bad. I would suggest doing the napali hike if you have the strength, it's hot so go early in the mornng, the views of Napali and the vast ocean and the reef underneath with the light hitting all, is simply awesome.

I agree that you shouldn't take the Na Pali catamarran cruise. The ships are much smaller than in Maui or the other side of Kauai. The weather is instantly changeable. A storm came up out of nowhere and we were sea sick for 3 miserable hours trying to get back to shore. Our captain had to call the authorities to rescue a man and his daughter who were not able to navigate in a smaller boat. The day was ruined for all of us. We were angry because one of the crew told us that they could tell it was likely to storm but they go out anyway so they don't have to refund.

I would caution against a large catmaran only because you get stuck with a large group of people. Those waters are rough for any boat. I did captain sundown off the North Shore and had a good experience. I knew to be ready for some sea sicknes I have never known a company not to warn about this on Kauai. You can pick up Sundown on the North Shore and you won't be crowded with all of the commercial boats of south and west ports.

Breakfast at the HBR resort is nice and open, probably a tad cheaper the Princeville also. Try the little pastries like chocolate drizzled croisants, coconut banana thingy (like dessert). As for your choice of locations and hotels. I am a die hard North Shore fan. If I was staying on the south side. I think I could only do so if I factored in plenty of Kokee and Waimai hiking. I go for the landscape though not the commercial activities. The sometimes plentiful over cast days give me more energy for outdoor activties and a welcome break from the harsh tropical sun.

About the NaPali Coast, we we on our honeymoon on Kauai in August 2000. We took a large catamaran up the Napali Coast from Port Allen. (I think Captain Andy) We had a wonderful time. On the way back to port, the seas were more rough than going up the coast. One or two people had difficulty, but most of us were fine. (My husband and many others young at heart spent the entire ride back enjoying the splashes and bounces on the bow) The food, snorkeling dolphins, and crew were super. (By the way, we loved the North Shore and recommend it's awesome beauty for August.)

I forgot to add that neither my husband nor I took any medication prior to this trip.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and advice. I think I will try to change my reservation to 4 nights Princeville and 2 nights Hyatt in Poipo. My 2 concerns are the weather and the distance to good dining. I also have to look at a map and see what the distance is from Princeville to the Canyon and to Kokee Park.

The view from the Princeville pool and swim up bar looks gorgeous. Since we'll be visiting Maui first, this might be the place to relax. The only thing is that if it rains, we really won't be able to enjoy the pool and the beautiful view.

I'll look into it a bit more. I have to make up my mind soon since I will be leaving in less than 3 weeks! Very, very exciting!

You are welcome.

I rented a house for two weeks this February in Princeville (a gorgeous place) The restaurants were not that exciting in Hanalei. Sushi Blues was probably my favorite. Coconuts in Kapaa was good too. Be careful, most places stop serving pretty early.

I like Zelos in Hanalei, Hanalei Bay Resort Restaurant. I hate to break it too you liza but just because you have more restaurants in Poipu does not make them better. Never a thrill to eat on Kauai I am sorry to say. That is the way I feel coming from NYC. You want real choice and quality dining than go to Oahu.