Still looking for a little pre-Kauai advice
 

Aloha once again. We are counting down the days (27) until the big Kauai trip & are deep into the day-by-day planning. Got my calendar out & am trying not to overbook it.

We definitely want to do a garden, but I'm flip-flopping between 2. So, I'm looking for a vote: Which is the better garden, Allerton or Na' Aina????

I don't have a set itinerary yet, but am planning to do (in 6 days) a daytime & sunset Na Pali cruise (first day & last day), one of the gardens above, an airplane ride over the island (that's only 70 minutes), and a kayak trip. We'll do some sightseeing, too. Plan on driving out to Waimea canyon & spend some time at the Kilauea Preserve. Leaning toward Na' Aina, since it's near the lighthouse & preserve. Do you think we're planning too much?? I don't know that I'll ever be able to get back, so I want to make the most of my time. I figure, lots of these things are pretty low key. Would like to know your opinions. Thanks again.

I don't think you're planning too much -- as long as you stay flexible. I'd recommend including a drive out to Ke'e Beach with a stop at Hanalei Bay to get a sense of the North Shore -- either before or after the Kilauea Lighthouse. (The lighthouse preserve is pretty -- but there's not a lot to see -- so that won't take much time.) At Ke'e beach be sure to walk a bit so you can see the views of those gorgeous cliffs.

Can't advise on the which garden; haven't been to either one yet.

Not sure you need two Napali cruises -- unless you plan to snorkel during the daytime one.

If you happen to be nearby, check out the beautiful waterfalls, too.

I thought the Allerton Gardens were lovely. Na' Aina includes a sculpture garden so I guess it also depends on your interests/tastes.

Your itinerary sounds fabulous. Enjoy paradise!

Thanks so much. Songdoc, we do plan on doing a lot of "beaching" and definitely had Ke'e, Annini & Hanalei Bay on our to-do list.

DH is dying to go out to Polihale. Me, I'm not so sure. Wondering how the road is after that nasty storm the other day. Also, we're renting a convertible for the week & I'm concerned about driving out there (tho I know not to go anywhere near sand in the car).

Oh, me. Questions, questions, questions. One more: Are activities crazier on the weekends in Kauai? Is it best to plan a Sunday of hanging out at the beaches, or should we save our totally free day for a weekday? Does it matter?

(NeoPatrick sits patiently reviewing this thread and waits for the same answers).

In my experiences in the islands, I have always found Sat. and Sun. to be much more crowded at the beaches than weekdays. That makes sense because, that's when all the local school kids and working folk have their days off. So weekends are a great time to do non-beach activities and reserve your weekdays for the uncrowded beaches.

there are so many spectacular hikes throughout Kauai. Hanalei Bay is definitely special and I would plan to linger there.

I don't know if by kayaking, you meant the Wailua River. That was one of my most memorable activities in Kauai. You can go upriver paddling and they give you directions on where to stop and do a hike and you end up at an amazing waterfall. At the end of my journey, I had a picture taken in front of the waterfall for all my efforts and one of my girlfriends said it looked like one of those fake studio background shots..... I guess that is the ultimate compliment, eh?! It was spectacular enough to look phoney, lol.

Thanks, MBob. I had a feeling it might be like that.

ncounty, yes, the Wailua is the kayak trip we're planning on. We were between that & renting a kayak in Hanalei. Decided to go with a guided tour that included a hike. Can't wait to see that waterfall! We were a little worried that the waterfalls might be a little dry in August, but after reading Barbara5353's post about the storm, I'm thinking there just might be some water left! Hope we don't get hit with one of those storms while we're there.

Questions, questions.

Thinking about saving some money (to spend elsewhere, of course) and bagging the sunset cruise, but would LOVE to see a grand Hawaiian sunset. Where is the best spot "on land" to see the Kauai sunset?

I second the recommendation from mclaurie for the Beach House restaurant for sunset viewing. Get reservations well in advance for 1/2 hour before sunset. If you don't want to pay their high prices for dinner, you have 2 other options. 1. have drinks at the bar or 2. sit on the lawn in front of the restaurant for free.

Another vote for the Beach House. The food is very good and the view is very special at sunset. Reserve now, before you depart and for at least thirty minutes before sunset. Just before the sun sets most of the restaurant emptys out for photos on the lawn. In some cases the wait staff doubles as photographer. This is a dressy-casual type place.

I don't know what part of the island you'll be staying on. A lot of people congregate at the pier to watch the sun set at Hanalei Bay. I love the vibe. I've seen a couple of spectacular sunsets there -- and also at Sealodge (where I'm staying in Princeville) but tonight, and one or two other nights were not anything special.

I don't think there's any need to pay to watch the sunset from a bar or restaurant or boat--unless you happen to feel like drinking, eating, or sailing anyway -- and $$$ is not an issue.

Totally different issue ... but those macadamia nut pancakes at Kountry Kitchen (in Kapa'a) are simply incredible. The banana pancakes are no slouch either. I don't know how anything can be that good. And there's a wonderful trail from the beach there to Kealia Beach -- to walk off the calories. Be forewarned -- those pancakes are MASSIVE and addictive.

Songdoc - "there's a wonderful trail from the beach there to Kealia Beach". Are you saying there is a trail from Kountry Kitchen? If so, that sounds like a great way to spend a morning.

Re: Garden Choices. So much beauty on Kauai and Allerton IS lovely. I chose Na'Aina not for its plants as much as its setting, its 90 sculptures and my interest in founder Joyce Doty who had been Charles Schulz' (Peanuts) first wife. I thoroughly enjoyed my 1/2 day there and ended up discovering unique plants and trees.

I found a photo blog on the web which gives you some idea of what to expect at Na'Aina.
http://www.alohafun08.com/naainakaigarden

Have a great time on Kauai. I still have 116 days to wait!

Definitely consider the Beach House for a beautiful sunset. We went there for our 25th Anniversary. The staff was fantastic and the view cannot be beat. Yes, it is expensive but both the view and food are definitely worth the anniversary splurge. I hope you have decided to go with Na Aina Sculpture Garden.
Jo Jo

Thanks, jojo. Yes, we're going to Na Aina. Thanks for the photo link!! And we're definitely considering the Beach House, too. Gonna have to look for Songdoc's trail also.

I like the garden at the North end of the island. Those plants are native to Kauai.

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