Suggestions for 7 days in Kauai
 

We are staying at the Hanalei Bay Resort (would have definitely prefered to stay at the Princeville, but price was a big matter!), and know very little about the island. We would love to hear what some of the MUST things to do and see are, and what restaurants you really liked. We plan on doing lots of hiking and seeing the beautiful wonders of hawaii, but are just now looking into our specific agenda. ANY suggestions would be greatly appreciated, and thank you so very much!

Suggestions:<BR>If you don't already have it, get the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook (wizardpub.com).<BR><BR>Do a search here for Kauai; similar questions have been posted recently.<BR><BR>Very early in the morning go to Ke'e beach, walk along the beach away from the trailhead, and get a view of Na Pali coastline. <BR><BR>Limahuli gardens is near Ke'e and is beautiful and interesting. <BR><BR>The whole north shore is beautiful, you are bound to have a great trip.<BR>

If you have ever considered a helicopter tour, Kauai is the place to actually do it. We took a 1 hour flight out of the Princeville airport. The views are great. I believe they also have 1/2 tours.<BR><BR>You might also consider a drive to the top of Waimea Canyon. From the North Shore, it'll probably take up most of the day. <BR><BR>Assuming you are of legal age!, a sunset cocktail at Princeville's Living Room bar provides a great end to the day.<BR>

Does walking along beach away from trailhead mean you can actually see the Na Pali coast? I thought you could only see it from the air or ocean. By walking away from trailhead, what do you mean? Which way?

The trail leads west from Ke'e Beach. If you walk along the beach a short distance to the east, yes, there is a very nice view of the Na Pali coast. Or hike just the first half mile of the trail for an even better view.

Hike the first two miles of the Na Pali coast trail - definitely worth it. But make sure you go after a couple of days without rain, otherwise it is very muddy and slippery.<BR>Definitely plan on doing some snorkelling. You did not say when you are going but when we were on Kauai in August the beaches and snorkelling on the North Shore were wonderful. Tunnels beach is very pretty and has good snorkeling. Anini beach is the calmest since it is protected by a huge off shore reef. But our favorite beach was Hideaways (down a steep path next to Puu Poa condos) - the beach itself is small but very pretty and the snorkelling was great.<BR><BR>If it is rainy on the north shore drive south - you are bound to find good weather somewhere on the island.<BR>The drive to Waimea Canyon is definitely worth it. Make sure you go past the canyon lookouts to the end of the road - there are two spectacular Na Pali coast lookouts there. Stop in Waimea at Jo Jo's Shave Ice - the best we had in Kauai.<BR>If you have a full day, drive to Polihale beach which is on the western side (the other end of Na Pali). It is especially beautiful at sunset.<BR>As for restaurants - we tried a few on the south shore and definitely the best food we had was at Roy's. On the North Shore we liked Zelo's in Hanalei. Good food and huge portions.

For the hiking there's a nice book by Kathy Morey (search on amazon or BN.com) that's worth getting. North shore is wonderful but implies lots of driving to anywhere else as the road doesn't encircle the island.<BR>For a recommended activity I'd vote for HoloHolo boat ride out of Port Ellen, they go up the Na Pali coast as far as Kalalau & you can see Kee beach from there (well the trees just east of the main beach). The views of the cliffs from seaward are unbelievable and put most photos to shame as the camera tends to flatten it out somewhat. There are Napali trips out of Hanalei Bay again but I have no experience with them.<BR>Re HBR I hope you're getting a 1BR suite or better, their regular hotel rooms weren't impressive to us. For eats(snacks) the matsu prawns in the HBR bar are great (avail. after 5pm) and you CAN order a plateful by themselves rather than as part of an assortment. The best quality meal we had up there was Chuck's - a regular steak place - good food at a relatively reasonable price. For sheer view etc the open air HBR Bali Hai restaurant is good though a bit too high priced, but worth it once just because ..<BR>HBR grounds are lovely and well maintained, it's in a great setting overall.<BR>Enjoy !<BR>p.

Cindy, you are getting great advice here. Just back myself from first-ever trip to Hawaii. You are in for a treat of a lifetime! We rented a house on Anini Beach, and as p.spercy said, you must eat at the HBR restaurant. That was my first view of "bali hai" and as we were being seated, I remember I felt like I couldn't breathe, I was so overwhelmed with the beauty of it all. Get a res 1/2 hr before sunset, maybe for your first night?<BR><BR>Also do a catamaran trip with Captain Sundown (as recommended to me by Sarah on this board). Even though we couldn't snorkel (surf was too big) it was a thrill. The captain is an old salt who's not afraid to get close to those caves!<BR><BR>Our favorite restaurant was the Friday night seafood buffet at Princeville Hotel (and we are not buffet people - and we own a seafood restaurant!) Best selection I've ever tasted. A special aspect for us too was meeting another Fodors Hawaii poster (maggi) and her husband. More about that in my trip report, coming soon!

Looking forward to that trip report, Joan. We just got home yesterday and am already working on mine, as well as editing my 700+ digital photos. Cindy, I heartily second dinner at the Princeville Friday night seafood buffet. We enjoyed our dinner at Postcards as well. Zelos was great too. The path down from the Pua Poa condos is private, for condo users only, but no one stopped me when I used it. It is very steep, as is the path down to Hideaways Beach. We loved Hideaways, especially watching the sunset. Best sunset photos ever, with Bali Hai in the background. We were almost alone there, very romantic. Parking at Tunnels is very limited. I had to park at Ke'e beach and walk back to Tunnels. Snorkeling is great at Tunnels though, so it is worth it. You will have the vacation of a lifetime. Once you get into the "aloha" you will get laid back and not worry about seeing every single thing. Just let the island wash over you and relax.

Do you need reservations for the seafood buffet at the Princeville Hotel?<BR>I have never snorkeled and I am not not a strong swimmer. Where would be the best place on Kauai to snorkel for amateurs? My trip is next April. Thanks.

Hi Sheila I don't think Kauai's North Shore waters are ready for swimmers in April. I thought you could only swim on the North Shore in Summer even if you are a strong swimmer.

Kathy: We will also be in Oahu for 4 days and then on to Kauai for a week. Is there any place on either island at the end of April for amateur snorkeling?

Sheila, I am a very poor swimmer and panic in deep water. Here are my observations on snorkelling in Kauai:<BR>I had no problem snorkeling at Hideaways and Anini beaches (although that was in summer time and the water was calm). I think Anini may be well protected all year round so check it out. In summer it had the calmest waters of all the beaches we tried. Tunnels beach was a bit tricky as some of the "tunnels" are really deep and scary. <BR>Lydgate Park is a great place to try snorkeling as it is totally protected - and there is plenty of fish.<BR>Snorkelling on the South shore in the summer was not a lot of fun because the water was quite rough (we tried Poipu beach and Salt Pond beach - both would be great if the water was calm).

Must: Sunset at Polihale (pronounced Polly Holly) Beach. The last five miles to this beach is a dirt road, but keep going, don't turn back as this was (to us) the most impressive beach on the island. Beautiful sunset. <BR>Snorkeling: The only time we snorkeled was on a 1/2 day sailboat ride that left from a port on the southwest side of the island (the name of the town eludes me right now) and they sailed up the Na Pali coast. Dolphins swam alongside the sailboat, and they stopped several times in good snorkeling spots you would NEVER have been able to reach from the land. <BR>I strongly suggest you do the helicopter ride. We used Will Squyres (perfect safety record when we were there 5/2000). He is the guy that flew Steven Spielberg around the island when he was scouting film locations. I am normally a nervous flyer, but the helicopter ride was the one thing I would go back and do if I could only go to Kauai for one day. Enjoy -- don't forget to spend a lazy day or two just beaching it with a Mai Tai.

Cindy about snorkeling on Oahu. Try Hanauma Bay. This bay was declared a protected marine life conservation area and underwater park in 1967. <BR>Get there early or take The Bus. It's shallow and protected and you can actually stand with your face mask to the water and see lots of fish. <BR><BR>Here's more info:<BR><BR>$1 per car parking fee <BR>$3 per person admission fee for those 13 years or older <BR>$1 per person shuttle bus fee each way (this is optional - there is a good, but steep, road from the parking lot area to the beachfront) <BR>Open from 6:00am - 7:00pm daily <BR>Closed on Tuesdays

Hanauma bay on Oahu sounds like the best bet for me for my first time until I get more courage.<BR> Does anyone know about the reservations for the seafood buffet at Princeville?

Sheil Iza suggestions are good. I think it is best to try snorkeling at lydgate but you want to go with "Ultimate Guide to Kauai" guide book. I like reading about each beach before I stick my toes in. Hawaii and I don't want to freak you out but it is the drowning capital of the U.S. You can still have a great time if you are just smart about where you swim. Don't follow the idiots who ignore danger signs blah blah blah. <BR><BR>Hanakape beach first beach on the Kalalau trail coming from North Shore has a plack to about 17 people who drowned on this beach (mostly in winter months)(most were wading!), tells you not to go in water year round still you see people who think they are bigger than mother nature, swimming away.

I think you would only need reservations in high season Sheila. They have always had availability when we have called on our trip. But for some reason we always seem to skip.<BR><BR>I would go for Roy's on the south shore or Pacific Cafe in Kapaa also.

Postcards Cafe in Hanalei has great seafood and vegetarian meals... their Chef's Specials were incredible both nights we went there last October. Best seafood I ever ate.<BR><BR>http://www.postcardscafe.com/

Sheila, I made reservations for the Princeville seafood buffet a month in advance, but they still had seating when we were there. If you want an outside table at sunset, you do have to "line up" about an hour before as tables are given on a first-come basis. Tacky, but oh-what-a-view!

Just got back from Kauai on my first trip, planned with lots of help from posters here. Thxs to all. Lots of good advice here. Just want to underline the most important advice to buy the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook. Excellent resource, everyone carries one. <BR>No one mentioned Queens Bath on the north shore, which is very cool protected from the surf by lava rock enclosure. The snorkling was not great on the north when we were there. They even closed Hanalei beach because of sharks. Try the south shore. We stayed in Poipu and loved the ocean there. Much more accessible not as wild but the north shore is an easy drive. We were exercising when we were there so used the Princeville spa--not at the hotel, but at the country club house two miles down the road. Still for $20 a day you can workout looking out over the princeville course, swim, shower and get back on the road for your twilight date at the terrace of the"Living Room" at the Pville resort. Let the valet take your car, cruise in half an hour or so before sunset. You must see the sun set on Bali Hi at least once in your lifetime. You can get sushi, pupus, and even a light meal with the best view on the island.

Aloha girl: where did you stay on the Poipu? did you or will you post a trip report? <BR><BR>Thanks!

Aloha Girl,yeah that is the way it works as you move towards winter on the North Shore . The waves/beaches become non-swimming. Although I always thought you were fine throughout September.<BR><BR>I never mentioned queens bath because I hate it. In summer (August) it is hot without shade and crowded. This is the only time I have ever visited. When I was there people were loud too and sorry to say very tacky. It's kind of a pain to climb down to.Sounds like the fall is less busy. Glad you had a better experience aloha girl. I have been a few times always hopping for a better experience but this is what I found. I just stopped going. Last winter they closed as 1-2 men were washed over to their deaths when the waves came in. Having said all of these disparaging remarks I can image this place is beautiful when there are no crowds and it is cooler.<BR><BR>Aloha girl too bad about Hanalei being closed I have never read about those shark sitings in September usually early spring/Winter. <BR><BR>Also I used Kathy Morey's book last summer and thought they were great. I was also on Kauai (which I know fairly well from other trips) for two weeks. I go to Kauai because there is such little driving. Where ever you do have to get it's incredibly easy as everything moves off a major road that leads all the way around the island. <BR><BR>You can also find out about Many Many great trails at KoKe park for free at their website, maps and all.

About Queen's Bath - we visted in August and were the only people there for a while and then joined by a few more people, but I would definitely not call it crowded. My husband and daughter enjoyed swimming there (but watch your step getting in - I slipped and had quite a painful fall there). Look around in the ocean waters around Queen's Bath - we saw probably 6-10 sea turtles swimming in the ocean very close to the rocks and trying to climb the rocks - a very cool sight!

funny Iza and you were there when I was there this year, the one year I skip. <BR><BR>Not wall to wall people like Waikiki or an east coast beach but it is a small space and I have seen it fill up with 25 people. When we were there kids were doing jack knives off of the rocks and into the same space others were trying to snorkle. A nearby tatooed mother from the mainland cursed for her sons attention across a distance. That was my experience in 2000. <BR><BR>Iza you weren't uncomfortbaly hot with all that black lava rock attracting heat? Were you there on an overcast day? We usually have to leave fairly shortly from the heat but the lava pool had so many people in it was not appealing to swim in, especially with the jack knifers :):). I remember this heat experience from years ago it never occurred to me to go on an overcast day though. Dah!!! Wow must have been great to have the place all to your self.

Iza I also left word for you on the Latin American board if you have a minute

If you like massages, you must try Angeline's Mu'olaulani (822-3235). They are located on the NW part of the island. Sheer heaven. They have a steam hut and then you can get a massage by two women at the same time. I have yet to find this on the mainland, and I live in CA, where everyone loves a good massage.

Chris does your mother know you are doing that LOL

Sarah, we were there (Queen's Bath) on a sunny day and you are right, it was hot. But we thought it was fun and really enjoyed the views from the edges of the rocks towards the ocean (especially those sea turtles!).<BR>What was your message on the Latin American board - I can't find it.