Need Kauai honeymoon advice (Kapaa, Waimea: condos, how much, homes)

[Calico Salsa]

A friend of mine wants to honeymoon on Kauai in early December. It will be their first Hawaii trip; they are very active & outdoors oriented, and want to do a lot of hiking, zip lines, snorkeling, etc.

Where would you recommend they look for a condo - on or close to the beach?

Which beaches should we send them to?

Any great hikes you'd suggest they take?

Other activities for a moderate budget?

Suggestions on great but not expensive restaurants or eating experiences? I've already started listing the "local foods" they need to try, where's a good spot for shave ice, near a beach or other activity spot?

Thank you in advance for your assist!

[Mar0]

Your friends should stay on the south shore in December, as it can be VERY rainy up on the north side. There are tons of condos down here on the south side, in the poipu area and it really depends on their budget. I would read reviews on tripadvisor to help you determine what would work best. Popular choices, however, are kuhio shores, kiahuna plantation, poipu kai, lawai beach resort, poipu kapili.....


Which beaches should we send them to?


South facing shores are much calmer in the winter. Poipu beach is great, albeit sometimes crowded, and has good snorkeling. My personal favorite is Salt Pond, and many times when it is cloudy at Poipu, Salt Pond is bright and sunny. If your friends aren't experienced snorkelers, Lydgate is a great spot for beginners. Hanalei Bay and the North Shores are beautiful, but it is imperative to check out surf conditions, as many times there are very dangerous conditions.

Any great hikes you'd suggest they take?

Depending on how much rain there is, some hikes may be impassable. However, the most famous hike is the Kalalau Trail- especially the first 2 miles to Hanakapiai Beach and then another 2 miles to Hanakapiai Falls. You must cross a lot of streams to get to the falls, and during the winter there may be flash flood warnings. I really like the Pihei Trail to the Alakai Swamp trail in Kokee. The swamp may be too muddy to pass, however. There are a lot of hikes in Kokee, and you might want to peruse the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook for hiking tips.

Other activities for a moderate budget?

I love ziplining! I went last December though, and it was SO muddy. Kayaking on the Wailua River is a nice experience. If your friends don't get sea sick, a boat trip around the Na pali coast is nice. And snorkeling is always fun. Make sure your friends spend some time just exploring all the different parts of the island- Waimea side is SO different from Hanalei side.

Suggestions on great but not expensive restaurants or eating experiences? I've already started listing the "local foods" they need to try, where's a good spot for shave ice, near a beach or other activity spot?

My favorite shave ice place is Jojo's Anuenue, in Waimea near the Shrimp station and Waimea Canyon Road. There is also Jojo's clubhouse, which is not nearly as good. Wishing Well int he north side is also said to be good, but I am generally too lazy to go up there ever...

The most well-known restaurant is Hamura's Saimin, in Lihue, on Kress Street. A little salty but sooo good.

Some of my fav rests are:
-Barbecue Inn, on Kress Street for homestyle food
-Garden Island Barbecue for Chinese food
-Kintaro's in Kapaa for sushi
-Kalapaki Joe's in Lihue as a good alternative to Duke's, which I can't stand
-Keoki's Paradise in Poipu as another alternative to Duke's
-Shrimp station in Waimea
-Koloa Fish Market for good fish and poke

Hope your friends have so much fun!

[treedonkey]

My wife and I went to Kauai on our honeymoon 8 years ago and it's stil the best vacationwe've ever taken. Honeymoon in Kauai - there is NO SUBSTITUTE!

We stayed at athe Pali Ke Kua condos in Princeville, with a staggering view of Hanalei bay, with this fantastic 'hidden beach' across the street with first rate snorkeling and virtually no neighbors. We spent our days toruign the island, paddling each and every river, and eating at practically every restaurant in the book. The food was very good everywhere, but by far Tidepools restaurant on Poipu beach (I think it's in the Hilton) was the best we ever had. No place like it. No place.

I would tell you to do everything we did day-to-day and site-for-site, but we went in early October and unfortunately the last poster was right about the weather on the north shore in December. We took a return trip ther in December and it rained and flooded the whole time - they had to shut down the roads and the ocean turned red with mud. Not to give you a horror story, but there's that chance. The monsoon was island wide, but when it 'cleared' the weather was considerably better from Poipu south. Too bad cuz the north shore is the BEST.

PS "The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook" willl tell you everything you need to know abotu restaurants and sites, just beware when it refers to something as 'secret' or 'little known' because everyone who has ever visited Kauai seems to have that book, and with well worn pages.

[Calico Salsa]

Thank you all, your input was terrific! I've passed it along to my friends, and they have booked a place to stay and several activities.

[NOTAM]

dont care how rainy it is on the North Shore, it's still the most majestic area on Kauai. i have been visiting there for all of my 43 years, and have family in Hanalei. i did live there for a short time.

pick up some sushi at Hanalei Dolphin Fish Market (adjacent to Hanalei Dolphin Restaurant)

buy some kona mochi ice cream from Foodland or BigSave for your freezer (it's DA BEST)

have sushi dinner at Sushi Blue's in Ching Young Village in Hanalei

[worktolive]

Hopefully your friends are staying on the south shore as suggested, but they definitely should drive up to the north shore at least one day and watch the waves crash over the outer reef at Tunnels Beach. They can then at least do the first section of the NaPali coast hike over to Hanakapai Beach (the path to the falls involves boulder hopping and might not be doable if it's been really wet). It's just beautiful, although there will most likely be no beach to see in December - as I understand it, the beach washes away in the winter, then comes back every summer. My favorite place to eat lunch on the north shore was at the fish taco truck, but it's been awhile since I've been to Kauai so I'm not sure if it is still there. If it is, it will be parked at a little roadside park just before you get into Hanalei.

There are also some great hikes in Waimea Canyon. That's much closer to Poipu and it should be relatively dry on those trails. While at the canyon, your friends should also drive all the way up to the end of the road. If the weather is at all clear, there's an amazing view down onto the NaPali cliffs.

[HankDfrmSD]

Originally Posted by worktolive

There are also some great hikes in Waimea Canyon. That's much closer to Poipu and it should be relatively dry on those trails. While at the canyon, your friends should also drive all the way up to the end of the road. If the weather is at all clear, there's an amazing view down onto the NaPali cliffs.

If it's cloudy when you get there, here's what you would have seen:



Hank

[Galactastica]

Kaua'i is the perfect island for people who love to hike and stuff of the like.

i stayed for 16 days once and didn't pay but a little over $200 for my ENTIRE 16 day stay. If they are campers, it is the most amazing and cheap way to go. sites and cheap and plenty, but you are supposed to get permits first, you can see the county web site for info on that. That price included a few days up in the Koke'e cabins, at the time they were but 35$ a night, i'm not sure what they are now. If they want to spend time in that area, those cabins are rad and really affordable.

My favourite hikes are awa'awapuhi up in Koke'e, The alaka'i swamp, and the Kalalau trail. The first two take but a few hours depending on your skill level. Awa'awapuhi/Nualolo grand loop are a must see for people who love hiking, amazing views and scenery the entire way. Kalalau on the other hand, is a life changer. The first 2 miles to hanakapia'i (that someone mentioned above) is doable in a few hours, however if you go further than that you need a permit and more than likely backpacking/camping gear. It's only 11 miles each way, but its some serious hiking. Most people don't research it well and turn back after what they call "trecherous and terrifying" hiking. It's amazing, the best i've ever done, but it's not for the ill prepared or ill hearted.

you probably know this already, but the Andrew Doughty series of guidebooks is best for this island. i found it more detailed and perfect for this island, more specific than the others. all the directions and stuff i had gathered on my own was useless...i kept going back to the book. it will not only help you/them plan the trip and give them aquainted with the island, but it will be great to have on them there.

here is the link to it on amazon:
Amazon.com: The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed (Ultimate Kauai Guidebook): Andrew Doughty: Books

Kaua'i is an amazing island. my favorite place in the whole world (don't let the big island read that, i don't want her to kick me off!)

[alohakat]

If you take that guidebook, don't forget to put it in brown paper wrap! Lots of hate towards that book because of the places it directs one ...don't assume Queen's Bath is a safe haven as it says for example, if the seas are at all choppy....

I'd say take a "Honeymoon Part II" trip to Princeville and the North Shore, because it is one of the most stunning places on the planet! And the Kalalau Trail, if you are into hiking, is absolutely unforgettable. The scenes are jaw-dropping, the hike inland to the falls (Hanakapiai) is just out of a fairytale movie past monstrous stands of bamboo and huge boulders, the scents along the path are intoxicating. And some may prefer a walking stick on that path...

We did Kauai for our honeymoon, and the setting is probably one of the best honeymoon spots on the planet at Princeville.

[Calico Salsa]

You are all so terrific! My friends are eating up this information.

Thank you!