susaninmichigan

My husband and I will be spending 3 days in Kauai at the beginning of November. We will have already visited Oahu, The Big Island, and Maui prior to visiting Kauai. We are early 60s, very active endurance athletes. Please share suggestions for activities and places to dine while we are in Kauai. Thank you!

jamie99

Visit Waimea Canyon and Koke'e State Park, hit Koke'e first as the Kalalau Lookout often gets fogged in later in the morning. Plenty of hiking there.
Take a boat cruise of the Na Pali coast weather permitting. That time of year the boats will only be leaving from the west shore normally.

Kate444

We are also going to Kauai, so this information is useful for me too. Thanks!

Kathie

Three days - is that 4 nights so you have three full days, or are you staying only two nights and counting it as three days?

We spend a month on Kauai every year. We like the Poipu area and I have a trip report here on restaurants in that area. http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...kauai-2017.cfm

You may have trouble finding a boat cruise of the Napili coast at that time of the year. Expect that if you do, waters will be rough. You should be at the beginning of whale-watching season. You might like the trip from the south shore that uses zodiacs. Contact info in my report.

Shar

Merriman's Fish House, Eating House 1849, Brennecke's, Red Salt, are my favorites restaurants. Beach Hut for burgers in Nawililwili

Whale watching is good at the Lighthouse which is now a bird sanctuary. National Tropical Botanical Gardens in Lawai, hiking the Maha'ulepu Heritage Trail (near the Grand Hyatt) and hiking the sleeping Giant. Bike rentals in Kapaa (wonderful paved road that runs along the beach) Of course Waimea Canyon.

Good fish tacos at Sleeping Giant Cafe.

susaninmichigan

Thanks for your help!
Kathie, we are spending 3 nights, so 1/2 day plus 2 full days, then leaving on the last day on a red eye that takes off from Lihue at 10:20 PM.
Also wondering whether a helicopter tour of the island is worth the cost?

northie

We did a kayak and walking tour with Wailua Kayak adventures and loved it- kayaking , walking then swimming in waterfalls - our party of 8 aged from 6 years to 76 and we all loved it.

Kathie

Shar, you and I share some favorite restaurants in the Poipu area. Also, we have done all of the different garden tours at the National Botanical Gardens and enjoyed all of them.

Shar

yes ON helicopter ride worth very dollar!

Songdoc

You've got some great suggestions. I'll add Ke'e Beach as a "must-see." It's at the end of the road on the North Shore. En route, definitely stop at Hanalei Bay. (Oddly, there's no sign for it from the main road.)

You could also check out the views at the Kilauea Lighthouse overlook. The beginning of November might be too early for the whales, but it's still a pretty view.

With you being athletes I'd suggest the beginning of the Kalalau Trail, which begins at Ke'e Beach. You don't have time to do much of it, but in less than an hour you can get the awesome views.

You didn't mention which area you're staying in, which would affect dining recommendations. Hamura's Saimin in Lihue is an "experience." I love it there but I certainly wouldn't call it fine dining!

When you go to Waimea Canyon and Koke'e my favorite trail is "the Canyon Trail"--as long as it hasn't rained, which makes it too slippery for me.

Enjoy!

sf7307

<Hamura's Saimin in Lihue is an "experience." I love it there but I certainly wouldn't call it fine dining!>

We loved the experience...you should have seen the look on the faces of other diners when we added hot mustard to our soup! (food's good, not great, but it's a fun and inexpensive place)

Songdoc

Re: Hamura's...
I always use the little saucer they provide to mix soy sauce and hot mustard and I dip my saimin noodles into it.

I actually love their food, but I'm not a "foodie." They have the best manapua (which you have to ask for--it's not on the menu) and I LOVE their teriyaki BBQ chicken sticks--and the saimin, too.

I've never had their lilikoi pie because I don't eat sugar. But people rave about it. Hmm... I think I'll go tomorrow!

nanabee

Man I love the saimin at Hamura's. If I recall correctly my bro in law used to fly over from Honolulu and buy big batches and take it home to freeze it.

We were first told about Hamura's (this was in the days before cell phones and GPS) and it took us what seemed like hours to find it. But it is a kick and a lot of fun. Old school Hawaii.

nanabee

Songdoc - how lucky! Feel like a trip to Hamura's and you just jump in the car and voila in a short time you are there!