Seeking Advice: Spending 1 to 4 weeks in Kauai (January-ish) (Kapaa, Lihue: transplants, rental)

[Beaches84]

I may be able to get a few weeks off after this December's exams, enough time for me to really get a taste of hawaii. I have been to hawaii on several occasions (twice to oahu when i was younger, with my parents), and most recently to Kauai. I must say, I think I've "fallen" for Kauai My stay was too short for me to see much of the island, but what I did see, I really liked. My only dilema is whether to spend my entire time in Kauai (1 month) and really get to know the island and the people, or if I should just treat this as a short week-long vacation (stop by the scenic areas, get in some surfing, and head on home). I'd really like to immerse myself in the hawaiian culture, and not just experience the island from a tourist point of view. Afterall, I have been seriously considering a move to Hawaii (kauaii, in particular), after I'm done with school.

aside: This trip will be my first time traveling solo. I'm both excited and a little intimidated....it's definately a bit daring for me, but the thrill of a solo adventure kinda excites me

So, I guess my questions are:
- How open are the locals to "outsiders"? I'm fairly outgoing when I want to be, and tend to make friends easily. But I've also read quite a few tales describing antagonistic relationships b/t locals and 'mainlanders'.
- Is there really no nightlife in Kauai? What do the younger folks do? (or perhpas everyone goes to bed by 9pm?)
- What are the age-related population statics for kauai? I'm in my mid-20s...and would probably connect best with people in my age group.
- Is Jan. a horrible time to spend in Kauai as far as weather?
- Any areas I should avoid (especially when choosing housing location)
- Cheap housing ideas?....I wonder if I could just camp out on the beach and avoid housing costs altogether. Afterall, aren't all the beaches public in Kauai? (ok... kidding!)
- last, and least important...would it be weird to travel solo in Kauai? I guess I may feel a bit out of place when everyone else visiting is with family or significant others...but, this is the least of my concerns.

Wow, this post is a lot longer than I wanted it to be. I sincerely thank anyone who made it all the way through these paragraphs I welcome any suggestions, ideas, comments, opnions, experiences, words of wisdom, etc... you get the idea

[Sweetbeet]

Well, I can't answer all of them, but I'll do what I can.
- As far as I can tell, the 'locals' are, for the most part, accepting of 'outsiders'. I have had no trouble at all, same for the rest of my family. Having actually MOVED here, and brought Grandma and the whole clan, helps a bit (islanders generally like people who respect their elders, I think bringing my 80-year-old ma got me a few kudo-points with some folks). But in general, as many have said on this forum and elsewhere, a lot depends on YOU - if you are a jerk, people here (as elsewhere) may be mean and rejecting. Perhaps more so here, we don't like nasty, stuck-up people. Of course, no one believes that they (themselves) are a jerk! So I guess you will have to come and see how you get along, if you repeatedly get dissed, you can either try to act differently or go home and tell all your friends (who may be jerks also...) how horrible we Kauaians are. (Hey, at least you will have gone home, so it works for us.) As far as young people, they too will accept you if you're not a snotty jerk. If you can surf, play a mean game of volleyball, paddle a canoe, play awesome guitar, or just respect those who do, it'll probably help.

- There really is no nightlife in Kauai. At least, outside of the tourist resorts (or maybe on the north shore?). Mar0 can probably answer this one better than I can. In Kapa'a there is one place, Shaka Tacos, that has live music regularly, but they close at 9 or 10 (they have great tacos, though). I'm not much for 'nightlife', but I have seen no signs of it on the east side or in Lihue.

- Age population: I have no idea. There do seem to be a lot of young people in your age group, I see them playing volleyball on the beach often, and surfing. Just my impression.

- No time is "horrible" here, weather-wise. It will most likely be pretty rainy on the north shore, and the surf up there may be high. Unless you're a SERIOUS surfer, you will want to confine your water activities to the south side. We have had a few drownings up north lately, when the surf was high up there. You must respect the ocean.

- Housing location: depends what you want. Dry, wet, near the ocean, convenient to the town?

- People do camp out on the beach and live there. I do not know how feasible that is. You can get a camping permit from the County for some of the beach parks and areas, don't know how long it can last. I don't know how strictly they enforce the alleged 'no camping' rules on the other beaches. Bellestaroftexas said her sister lived on the beach for a while, she would know more.

- Traveling solo - that is more of a personal thing, I dunno. My sister moved here with her teenage daughter (who actually is not there much of the time, and may as well not be there the rest of the time!), she did fine, but she is really a loner who prefers to be by herself most of the time anyway. You can meet people through activities. ???

Hope this was helpful. Good luck!

[Mar0]

So, I guess my questions are:
- How open are the locals to "outsiders"?

Locals can be and are very friendly. I have made lots of awesome friends since moving here. The thing is though, Kauai is very small town, where everyone knows each other (as is the entire state) and as an outsider, you can definitely feel the effects. I was at a bar on Friday and while I had friends there, everyone literally knew one another from either being related, classmates, or friends of friends. Also, because of having different background experiences, it can be hard to become close friends with locals at first. A lot of young people have kids, as well. Anyways, you have to be able to accept being an outsider and obviously have an open viewpoint. There are also a lot of mainland transplants here.

- Is there really no nightlife in Kauai? What do the younger folks do? (or perhpas everyone goes to bed by 9pm?)

Well I am in my 20s and I do not drink nearly as much as I used to in college (which is prob a good thing!) or as much as my friends who live in major cities on the mainland. My friends and I have lots of potlucks and small parties or go camping. Sometimes we go to bars. Popular bars include: The Point at the Sheraton in Poipu, Rob's good times bar and grill in Lihue, Ridtdez in Lihue, Trees in Kapaa, Tradewinds in Kapaa, and a new bar just opened in Wailua/Kapaa, called Kuhios. There are other bars and popular restaurants, but those are def the most popular. They are all a bunch of dive bars (they make me miss really fun bars in the mainland, but whatever) and fights break out a lot. I see it all the time- locals want to fight one another or will go off on a haole. Usually fights break out over girls, obviously. I wouldn't go to these places without a bunch of friends, especially because I wouldn't want to find myself dancing with some chick's guy and then get my a** kicked. Obviously this stuff happens everywhere, but drama here is definitely intensified.


- What are the age-related population statics for kauai? I'm in my mid-20s...and would probably connect best with people in my age group.

There are a lot of young people around. Like I said, a lot of them have kids, so be prepared! I found maternity clothing in the junior section of Macy's, no lie. I find that I connect better with older people, as there isn't the drama that you find with the younger crowds. Make sure you find decent people, as drugs are a problem here.


- Is Jan. a horrible time to spend in Kauai as far as weather?

The water isn't the warmest and it can be really rainy. The first few weeks in Jan 08 were beautiful but then it got ugly the last few weeks.

- Any areas I should avoid (especially when choosing housing location)

I would go to the west side to really experience local culture, but would probably suggest the south side. The north side can be really rainy.


- Cheap housing ideas?....I wonder if I could just camp out on the beach and avoid housing costs altogether. Afterall, aren't all the beaches public in Kauai? (ok... kidding!)

I have homeless friends that live on the beach. It can get crazy out there!! I would look on VRBO for a reliable source that would rent out a unit for monthly rates. Will you have a car? If you don't, stay in Lihue as it is most central.


- last, and least important...would it be weird to travel solo in Kauai?
I hate flying back and forth between here and the mainland because I feel like EVERYONE is on their honeymoon and I feel so alone! I don't think it is weird and am in the hospitality industry and see lots of solo travelers. It not might be my preferred way to go, but to each his own. I think that a month might be a bit long, but again that is my preference. Maybe I am saying that because I live here and take it all for granted. You said you surf, so you can meet other surfers but not necessarily. You might get tired of being by yourself, but who knows? I just wouldn't want you to come here for a month, feel a bit of island fever and scar your feelings of the island!

[Calico Salsa]

I'm not advocating beach camping as cheap housing for everyone, but one way to be allowed to stay overnight is to get a fishing pole and put a line in the water. On Maui, you are allowed overnight on some beaches if you are fishing, whereas you would not be allowed to camp.

In general, if you are looking for free housing, you will be surround by others who cannot pay anything. This can often mean people who have various addiction or social skills problems. You would need to keep all your belongings with you at all times. This can be a hassle if you want to jump in the surf or go to another beach - then you would have to break camp and take it all along.

Better if you can scrape up enough to pay for a monthly rental somewhere, so you have a home base for your adventure, even if you end up sleeping on the beach a few nights for the fun of it.

[sunsprit]

We've spent some time on Kauai in January ... and it was hit and miss as far as weather and activities.

Fortunately, we were there mainly for the horticulture, which is extensive on the South and West areas, so had lots to occupy ourselves with.

The locals we met were friendly, and guided us to "private" beach areas ... or those only accessible through private property and somewhat controlled. Not being surfers, some of those beaches were wasted on us .... but we did enjoy the privacy for our picknicks and local exploring hikes. We did some sportfishing on a couple of boats, but had very poor results, so I can't speak for this.

At the time, the Napoli coast areas were very difficult to access due to the bad weather, rip tides, and heavy rains. Not a good time to head inland, either, in the North areas.

We did see a number of "homeless" families that make a lifestyle of living out of their cars or vans at the public beach areas that allow camping. I understand that there's a limit on the number of days you can stay at a given camping location, and then must move on. But from the looks of things, a number of families stay until they get kicked out and then move on to the next camping area and repeat. We saw a fair number of young children not in school, or doing any organized activities ... just hanging around and playing while their parent(s) sat around and appeared to be under the influence. A few approached us with typical panhandling tales of woe and desperation, which were not pleasant encounters as they were pretty beligerent ... and in one case, threatening. From what I could tell, any money they received went to drugs/alcohol, and then to providing food for themselves. Shelter was whatever you could find under the trees or in the shrubbery. FWIW, I've seen this situation also on the Big Island.

All in all, I found Kauai to be my favorite of the islands ... simply because it's the least commercialized .... as I don't play tennis or golf or make shopping a recreational pursuit. This island has a lot of island culture/history that is worth investigating.

We found the "best way" for us to enjoy Kauai was to stock up on groceries in Lihue and then head to the condo that we were staying at, usually in the Poipu Beach area. That was the best value for us and I enjoy packing a lunch for the day and our freedom to explore, instead of being tied to (expensive) restaurants. Don't forget to check out the "grand canyon" in the South ... worth a few days' hiking if the weather permits. I wouldn't hesitate to stay on this island for several weeks vacation .... but not in the "tourist resorts".

[whynot?]

I agree with Calico Salsa about the downside of trying to camp to save on a rental. In addition to having to mind your things all the time, there are (I think) consecutive-day limits as sunsprit mentioned, and other safety issues to consider. There are many fewer reservations here on Maui and statewide this winter; it seems you might be able to bargain for a lower rate than usual if you're persistent. Kauai is beautiful! I wouldn't have any trouble spending a month exploring there.

[Mar0]

There are consecutive day limits, but people get around them. There are homeless people at Kekaha Beach who have lived there for over 5 years!

[NOTAM]

best night life is at HBR (Hanalei Bay Resort) in Princeville.
camping-done it once or twice, for two weeks max, cuz my sister was homeless, so i pitched a tent next to her tent home. i think it was 5 bucks a day. i rented my tent and camping equip at PMRF (if you have military ID, you can do that)
i love Kaua'i in January, but then again, i don't go there to just lay on the beach in the sun. i go to visit ohana. i love watching the rough ocean during the winter

[Beaches84]

Thanks so much for the insightful comments--I'm so lucky I found this forum!!! MarO, when you say that during the last few weeks of Jan., the weather turned ugly...what do you mean? was it cold? windy? rainy? all the above? Although there are many more things I hope to see/do than lay out on the beach, I'm still hoping I can get some sun and work on my tan Is that pretty much a lost cause given typical Jan. weather? Also, I heard that winter season in Kauai attracts the serious surfers...will there still be areas with tamer waves for a novice surfer like myself?and MarO, were you serious about the getting beat up at bars?? I've witnessed a few pseudo-fights before, nothing serious...and have certainly never been involved in a bar fight! Maybe I shouldn't take part in the dancing, just to be on the safe side Again, I really do appreciate everyone's posts Thank you, thank you, thank you !!!!

[NOTAM]

when i am really desperate for a sunny beach day, i just drive down from the North Shore to the South Shore or West side....sometimes i dont even have to go further than the East side...

Originally Posted by Beaches84

Thanks so much for the insightful comments--I'm so lucky I found this forum!!! MarO, when you say that during the last few weeks of Jan., the weather turned ugly...what do you mean? was it cold? windy? rainy? all the above? Although there are many more things I hope to see/do than lay out on the beach, I'm still hoping I can get some sun and work on my tan Is that pretty much a lost cause given typical Jan. weather? Also, I heard that winter season in Kauai attracts the serious surfers...will there still be areas with tamer waves for a novice surfer like myself?and MarO, were you serious about the getting beat up at bars?? I've witnessed a few pseudo-fights before, nothing serious...and have certainly never been involved in a bar fight! Maybe I shouldn't take part in the dancing, just to be on the safe side Again, I really do appreciate everyone's posts Thank you, thank you, thank you !!!!