Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi, I'm new to the forums and I have some questions about Kauai. I'm researching possible retirement options for my parents and Kauai is looking like a good fit. Primarily they're looking for a safe place (both with respect to crime and natural disasters) with temperate weather (sunny and comfortable) and a reasonable cost of living. They like slow and relaxed, hanging out at home, over hustle and bustle. Financially (from cost of living and housing data), they can afford it and the earthquakes seem to be centered further south. Crime seems to be less of an issue here than on other islands, and the weather appears to be what they're looking for.
Is this an accurate assessment of Kauai or am I missing something?
Also, I have some questions about the crime and the weather.
With respect to crime, most of the posts that I've found say that it's a safe island. One website, however, sterling's best places, lists fairly significant differences between the cities (sorry about the format, post doesn't let me space it out):
Is this data accurate? From that website, Waimeia has a crime rating similar to Honolulu.
I've also read about the micro-climates on the island and data from this website correlates with the first hand information that I've found, but is there a sweet-spot on the island? A place which has the sunniest, most comfortable (not too rainy, not too dry) climate all year round? Some people have said that Poipu has the best year round weather, is that true? What other areas have similarly good weather all year round? How humid is it there? Is it constant or does it vary by season? Is there a large difference depending on location?
And finally, how is the medical care on the island? Would they need to travel to another island to get good care?
cheers, if they can afford it kauai is a great place to live. it does rain there more than some of the other islands. poipu is the drier side. most of the crime are crimes of opportunity. wallet out of a car left at the beach parking lot. condo broke into. every now and again you have more serious crime but on the whole the islands are very safe for the most part. yes they will have to fly to oahu for medical things that the outer islands don't have doctor's for. they should come for an extended visit. some people pick oahu for the services. the other islands are wonderful as well. they should come see which suits best
We are retiring to the Big Island next year after many years of research and many visits to the island. I suggest that your parents do the same. I also recommend two books, one called Living and Retiring in Hawaii by James and Diane Smith, and the other So You Want to Live in Hawaii by Toni Polancy.
The major issues that we've found affect most people are (1) the fact that you are very far from family on a small rock in the middle of the ocean. Do your parents really want to be that far from grandchildren? (2) health care in Hawaii is sketchy at best. A lot of doctors leave the islands, I think because of the state laws. Choices for health coverage and care are limited and, like hothulamaui said, they may have to fly to Oahu for treatment beyond the basics.
Hi hothulamaui, yea, that's the plan right now. They'll have about 12 days in November to check it out and so I'm trying to plan their itinerary. From what I've found online there seems to be more crime on Oahu and the cost of living appears to be higher, which is why I was leaning towards Kauai.
Thanks for clearing up the crime issues, and it's good to know about the differences service-wise between the islands. At first, I was thinking of just focusing on Kauai, but maybe they should check out Oahu for a few days.
What about the weather? Is there a significant difference between Kauai and Oahu? Do you happen to know about the weather differences on Kauai itself (is poipu the "sweet-spot"; are there other "sweet-spots")? That's pretty important to them and so I'd probably have them skip the places which have weather that doesn't suit them.
Dreaming of Hawaii, yea they've considered that and they are ok with being in Hawaii (location-wise). They have family in Hong Kong and in the States so it's kind of in the middle, which suits them; and considering the photos that I've seen of Kauai, I think it's safe to say that family will be visiting them fairly often (a lot more often than if they stayed in Wisconsin!)
I'll have to double check the medical care situation. You say that it's sketchy in Hawaii; Oahu included? I've read that it's just a 20 minute flight to Oahu, so if it's necessary, it doesn't seem to be that much of a hassle (or am I missing something?) They visit the doctor about as often as anybody else (regular check-ups etc.) so it's not as if they're going in every other week.
Ah I wrote a whole long thread and it got deleted! Let me try to summarize what I had initially said.
What makes you more interested in Kauai than the other islands? I would suggest Maui as a better alternative as it has much better weather and I would say there are more transplants so it would be easier to make friends. Kauai is very small town and it is easy to feel left out if you aren't from here (this could be applied to all islands, but especially Kauai).
You say that you want a place that is free of natural disaster. Hawaii would not be the place. There are hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis and flooding. In fact, just this year Kauai had a tornado run through and flood out half of Kekaha and Waimea. Hurricanes, while not as common here as they are in the south, are a very real danger. Hurricane Iniki basically wiped out the island in 1982 and this year has definitely kept us on our toes. Flooding can be bad in Kauai as we get such crazy rain.
The crime stats are definitely off. There is not way that crimes are worse in Poipu than in Kapaa. Crime in general is not so bad here. There are crimes, just last week someone was murdered, by generally violent crimes happen after hours and often when meth is involved. Petty crimes happen, but they happen everywhere.
I think your parents should come for a long visit before making any decisions. There are some retirement condos and lots of condos or houses for sale. But renting for a few weeks or months would be a very good idea. I know a woman who had retired here but moved back in less than a year- and she had moved to be with her kids!
Mar0, thanks for the feedback. It really goes a long way towards filling the gap between internet statistics and reality.
About why I'm leaning towards Kauai, I was under the impression that it was less touristy, less prone to natural disasters, and that the cost of living was slightly lower than the other islands. I also read that the pace of life was somewhat slower and that fits them pretty well. They'd be happy staying at home most of the time working in the garden and doing things around the house. I honestly don't know if any of that is accurate as I'm going off what I found on the internet.
I'll definitely look into Maui, thanks for the suggestion. A few initial questions about Maui, how does the weather compare with for example Poipu or Lihue? Are there micro-climates on Maui like on Kauai? Is there a difference in humidity between the two islands?
They'll definitely be visiting before making any decisions. The tricky thing is that at the moment they don't have much free time and so they only have about 12 days in November to get an initial impression of Hawaii. Since they don't have that much time, I was thinking that it would be more productive to focus on the islands that they're most compatible with.
Thanks again, the feedback is really helping!
Last edited by MadBadger; 08-23-2009 at 11:34 PM..
OP, if you want a slower pace of life, then you should be looking at the Big Island. There are probably areas on Maui that are more relaxed, but generally it is getting pretty crowded and touristy. The Big Island is still relatively unpopulated, so it's pretty laid back.
Regarding weather, yes the islands all have micro-climates. There are windward and leeward sides, as well as changes in elevation. Our subdivision runs from about 800 foot elevation to 1400 foot, and the houses at the top always get much more rain than those at the bottom.
Cost of living is high on all of the islands (read some of the threads here about that). I think the cost of real estate has been high on Kauai, but maybe now is a good time to buy.
12 days in November is not nearly enough time for anyone to decide WHICH island to move to, much less to figure out WHERE. All of us on the forum have our own personal experiences, but your parents will need to be here to see what works for them. As people have said over and over and over on the forum, come and rent for a few months before making any long-term decisions.
Yes, you are missing something about health care. What insurance do they have and will it be accepted in Hawaii? With doctors leaving, there are shortages, and some doctors aren't even seeing new patients.
How much stuff are they planning to take with them? Taking a car? Have you looked into shipping costs?
Like I said before, we have been researching and planning our move for many years. Moving to Hawaii is not a simple thing, especially for people in their 60's or older.
Mar0, thanks for the feedback. It really goes a long way towards filling the gap between internet statistics and reality.
About why I'm leaning towards Kauai, I was under the impression that it was less touristy, less prone to natural disasters, and that the cost of living was slightly lower than the other islands. I also read that the pace of life was somewhat slower and that fits them pretty well. They'd be happy staying at home most of the time working in the garden and doing things around the house. I honestly don't know if any of that is accurate as I'm going off what I found on the internet.
I'll definitely look into Maui, thanks for the suggestion. A few initial questions about Maui, how does the weather compare with for example Poipu or Lihue? Are there micro-climates on Maui like on Kauai? Is there a difference in humidity between the two islands?
They'll definitely be visiting before making any decisions. The tricky thing is that at the moment they don't have much free time and so they only have about 12 days in November to get an initial impression of Hawaii. Since they don't have that much time, I was thinking that it would be more productive to focus on the islands that they're most compatible with.
Thanks again, the feedback is really helping!
Let me offer the perspective of someone who lived in Hawaii while working, and now is retired there half-time.
Background:
I spent 31 years in the Navy, and did four tours in Hawaii, totaling ten years. All those tours were on Oahu.
When I retired, I was in San Diego California, and newly married. I persuaded my wife (who was born and raised in San Diego) to live half time on Oahu, in Kailua. We have been doing that for twenty years.
I also have a son who is married and lives on Kauai, and he and I bought a lot in Princeville, Kauai, and built a vacation rental house there, so I travel to Kauai quite a bit. I see the island from the point of view of the tourist. I've also traveled to all the other islands (except Lanai) for visits.
My take:
I love Kauai, but choose to live (half time) on Oahu, because of its attractions other than weather and scenery. Oahu has a symphony orchestra, second to none. Oahu has Waikiki night-life (which we hardly ever sample - but it's there) Oahu has more great restaurants than you can shake a stick at. Oahu has all the attractions of the island with the largest tourist traffic, by far.
You mentioned natural disasters. I wouldn't even consider that. Yes, our vacation rental was put out of business for months by a hurricane in 1992, but the worst storm on Oahu in the 44 years I have owned my house only succeeded in tearing off some roofing, and blowing down a rickety fence. The odds are with you. Tsunamis are not a problem unless you live very close (less than a couple of hundred yards in most places) to the ocean (and your parents probably can't afford that). The Big Island is the only place where you have to consider eruptions, and that island is carefully mapped into "lava zones". Earthquakes happen very infrequently, and they are almost always “non-events”.
I would also not worry about crime. There is some, but with normal precautions, not enough to worry about. One specific: Never park a car in a “tourist” location with anything of value visible within.
There is a good hospital on Kauai. I don’t think my son and his wife have ever had to travel to Oahu for medical care in the almost thirty years they have lived there.
Kauai is the most "laid back" island, with the smallest population. That means practically no night-life, but absolutely beautiful scenery, unencumbered by construction. A local ordnance says "You may not build a building taller than a coconut tree". The movie South Pacific was made there. The people are really friendly, and it has a wonderful small-town atmosphere. My son is on the local committee that responds to emergencies, and he really enjoys it.
The weather is really not that different from island to island. When a big rain-storm comes in the Nov-Feb period, it rains everywhere! The rest of the time, it rains more on the windward sides of the islands (Kailua on Oahu where I live and Princeville on Kauai where my son lives) than it does on the leeward sides of the islands (Honolulu and Waikiki on Oahu and Poipu and Waimea on Kauai), but the additional rain is usually at night and early in the day, and most days there is lots of sunshine. A little more on the leeward side, but having extra rain has definite advantages: "No rain - no rainbows". "No rain - no jungle or rainforest." Here is a web site with detailed rainfall data. Just remember that if your folks pick the driest place, they will be looking at cactus and palm trees, not rainforest. It might be good to look up the yearly rainfall data where they live now, so they can compare. Scroll up and down to look at all the islands. And remember, when it rains in Hawaii, the rain is warm. You can walk in it, and drip-dry.
Here is a link to four webcams around Kauai. One in Hanalei, on the North Shore, one in Kapaa on the east side, one in Lihue, the biggest town, and one in Puhi, on the way to the south shore. If your parents will bookmark that, they can check the weather every day between now and November in four places on Kauai. You can tell whether it has just rained by the reflection, or lack of it, on the roads:
Hawaii Stream (http://www.hawaiistreaming.com/affil/index.cfm?fuseaction=view&PageID=143 - broken link)
You can see the same sort of thing on Oahu by wandering around here (It will also give you an idea of the traffic situation on Oahu – pretty bad during rush hour):
I would also advise your parents to do lots of searches on Google – for “news”, for photos of the places they are considering, etc.
I think your parents’ choice of island will depend on the lifestyle they wish to lead. If they want some night-life and hustle bustle, they might choose Oahu, or Maui, which is about half way between Oahu and Kauai in “Touristy-ness”. If they want to “listen to the grass grow”, and see more stars at night than anywhere else I have ever lived, they might choose Kauai. It is so dark at night (no streetlights) that the Milky Way looks solid.
Please tell your folks that if they have any specific questions, they can send me a Direct Message here, by clicking on my screen name in the upper left corner of this message.
Hope this helps,
Hank
Last edited by 7th generation; 08-24-2009 at 04:10 PM..
Reason: you cannot link to your rental
Dreaming of Hawaii, I was under the impression that the big island was more prone to natural disasters, which is why some of the other islands would likely suit them better. I've traveled quite a bit and have had the great fortune to have lived abroad for extended periods of time and so I'm definitely aware that 12 days is not enough time to decide if a place is a good fit or not; which is why the plan is for the 12 days to be used to get an initial impression of Hawaii. I know their likes and dislikes and so I'm trying to plan an itinerary that will have them visit the places that are the most suitable for their lifestyle; and the feedback has been tremendous so far, thanks. Clearly they will need to make the decision for themselves after extended visits (assuming they have a positive impression come November).
About insurance, my mom is a pharmacist at the VA (and a couple of local hospitals), so she has a nice health care plan and knowing her she'll probably get the itch to work again even though she'll be "retired" (she has over 40 years experience, has worked in every part of pharmacy - r&d, clinical pharmacy etc. so she is definitely qualified).
About the rest, if life on the islands is a good fit for them, then cost-wise, convenience-wise etc, they are willing and able to make the move.
Hank, wow, that's exactly what I was looking for. Based on what you said, Kauai or Maui (moreso Kauai I think) would be better fits for them. They are very much "listen to the grass grow" types and are definitely not fans of "touristy". Knowing that the rain is warm and mainly at night or early in the day is great information to have. I think that's the biggest question mark with respect to Kauai - which part of the island has the weather that suits them best, your links have terrific info!
Again, thanks for the incredibly useful post and for the offer to answer more specific questions, I'm sure it'll help them out tremendously!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
