Does anyone know where I can purchase a nice lei on Kauai? I don't want one of the typical leis that you can buy at the airport or that the hotels give out upon your arrival.

Up around Anahola is a roadside stand where two ladies sell leis made with flowers from their own gardens. Around $5 if I remember right. Good Luck, Harry

Don't snub the lei shop at Lihu`e Airport -- their selection is nothing short of magnificent. A great place to pick up a last minute special lei.

Surprisingly good ready-made lei can be found in the floral coolers at Wal-Mart, Safeway, and Foodland. Any orchid lei you see, are made from orchids imported from southeast Asia. Cheap, but...

There are many small mom 'n pop stores which sell lei, and they are the ones we call for special orders (graduation, weddings, etc.). They usually have a few lei available for last-minute shoppers. These are the folks who can recommend just the right kind of lei for the occasion/individual, too.



Lovely as a plumeria lei may look and smell when you purchase it, within a few short hours it will be sadly wilted.

Which kind of lei would you recommend buying, Auntiemaria?

dolciani, I purchased a beautiful lei at the Lihue airport. As a matter of fact, they were nicer than many I had seen throughout the island. They have great ones and are priced right. They also have rather nice and reasonably priced tropical arrangements. The ladies at the airport are very nice and even mark them down if there is a speck of brown on them. And, I mean, way down.

Thanks so much - I guess I need to check out the airport leis (and maybe the "marts"). Our daughter is flying in to join us in Kauai and I wanted to present her w/ a lei upon her arrival.

Unfortunately, I don't think you can get to the Lihu`e Airport lei shop unless you've got an outbound ticket and have gone through security.

So...head for WalMart or Safeway or Foodland. For fragrance, look for tuberose (white, tube-shaped, doesn't look anything like a rose) or pikake (small buds that kinda look like popcorn). The light-purple (or white) crown flower is lovely, too. If fragrance isn't mandatory, just pick whatever lei "grabs" you.

we bought several at various small roadside stands (not always there) on the road between Anini Beach and Lihue.