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In late August / early September, my wife and I are traveling to Kauai for nine days. I'm trying to get any insider tips. We would like to experience all of the outdoorsy activities, but the sheer number of things to do is a little intimidating. Anything related to hiking, kayaking, tubing, snorkeling, and etcetera are things we would be interested in.
Also, any tips for places to watch sunrise/sunset, restaurants (especially a few ideas for a romantic dinner), luaus, and unique things to see?
Sorry for the broad question. I'm at square one on planning the trip, so lot's to learn.
We are leaving to Kauai in a few weeks. We reserved the mountain tubing and the kayaking on the Wailua River. The is also kayaking on the Hanalei River too, but that doesn’t require reservation. We also plan on doing a few hikes and one of those hikes will be to the Kilohana lookout. We did want to hike to Hanakapi’ai beach and then up to Hanakapi’ai Falls, but the road to that part of Kauai will be closed do to the flooding. We definitely want to make it to Polihale state park which is on the most western part of Kauai to watch the sunset. I have also read it is an amazing place to star gaze once the sun has set. I did read the beach (water) could be dangerous because of rip tides and roughness. I guess use common sense before going in. That is what we have on the itinerary for now other than hanging out at other beaches.
Looks like North of Hanalei will still be closed off when you are still here so that eliminates a lot of hiking and snorkeling spots. There are some great spots like Queens bath and Hideaways in Princeville...Wailua river has a nice tube ride through the pipes I heard. Hit the westside and go to Koke'e and there are miles and miles of trails. Great place to camp and see the sunset and star gaze. Take a cat out of Allen and see the coast and dolphins with some secluded diving on the way. Then of course you can ATV and Zip line in Koloa....some much to do 9 days will be filled up easy.
12 yrs of visits and 10 yrs as full time residents, sierra cub hike leaders, and also a destination expert for Trip
advisor forums.
Really like to hear that you like to get out and explore the island.
And, we just returned from a three week return visit to the Garden Island.
First would strongly suggest that you order the ULTIMATE KAUAI GUIDE BOOK ( Andrew Doughty) hands down the most helpfull guide book with easy to read maps, personal evaluastions and local knowledge from a real live kauai resident. Just about everything that you need to know for planning and while on island. ( We know Kauai Island quite well, and this vacatiion trip we just picked up the 10th edition ).
Also if you are going to be active, you might think about staying on the south shore to have the best weather, lots of restaurants, and activities, and easier access to swimable beaches, snorkeling, some hiking, and plenty of outdoor activities paid and nature style free island wide.
Fav place for a special dinner out: and other tips including the best happy hours....not necessarily high roller resorts...so it will be a mix and match:
# 1....HUKILAU LANAI : reservations a must....fish is the speciality, also the Wally steak...wow ! Named after the original owner. Wonderful ambiance, excellent service superb food, and early is a good plan. The dining room opens at 5 pm.
We get there at 4:30pm when Jon opens up the bar. Great and friendly atmosphere and special staff from the entry podium hostesses , to the bartender, to the wonderful wait staff and management. We were just there a last week and it has remained the same fabulous dining experience we have known for many, many years. We make the reservation for dinner at about 5 or 5:30, but snug up to the small bar at 4:30pm as it opens. LOCATED ON THE EAST SHORE at the kauai coast resort, next to the coconut market place.
2. Best East Shore Happy Hour : OASIS on the Beach. Best resort happy hour on the island, great open air ambiance, excellent pours of all kinds of drinks, along with excellent food, and good feeling.
3. For another happy hour toes in the sand or up at the bar good time on the East Shore : LAVA LAVA....especially if Nilo is on duty. Same area , on the beach, they actually brought in their own sand for the beach feel, even tho the ocean is right there. Same folks as HUGOS on the Sand on the Big Island.
4. After hiking the east shore, we like to go to the upstairs OLYMPIC CAFE , in Kapa'a . You can sit along the side view railings, but we prefer drinking and eating and talking story up at the bar. Fun servers , good and plenty of food with lots of selections.
5. NORTH SHORE.... You cannot go beyond Hanalei Town. Period, end of story. We drove up twice to Hanalei, and not only enjoyed our time up there, but also the drive, once you get north of Kapa'a becomes more lush and amazing and island style beutiful.
Now, we left Poipu About 9;30 am, and the traffic is not bad going north, Also , there is a Kapa'a bypass, if the hwy traffic is slow. But , again early works.
Fave places up North: The Happy Talk Lounge at the Hanalei Bay Resort. Island ambiance, great views and feels good.
If we were to stay on the north shore, the Hanalei Bay Resort would be our top selection. In Hanalei Town, and consider that I DO NOT SHOP
.
Last edited by kauaidooley; 06-30-2018 at 04:33 PM..
Sorry about that, the cyber gremlins done zapped the end of my post....
Left off with do not shop. But, fact is in the old school house shopping center on the mauka side of the road as you enter hanalei town.....there is a super great ladies store with marvelous dress designs from Bali, and since I do not shop, i go nest door to the Hanalei Gourmet and have a cold one.
Also, at the far end of the old school house, around the corner, not easy to see, is HAWAIKI, an absolutely great and interesting shop of pacific island arts and crafts. Nothing else like it on the island. Dylan the owner sails the islands and bring back those great hand made items . It is like a museum.
This is getting pretty long, so will sing off now, as it is date night , saturday and we are off to celebrate after a long fun day of house cleaning for Erica, and errand running and washing and detailing our car , myself.
Me ke aloha pumehana...
More scoops on hiking , kayaking and snorkeling , activities, and free natual wonders, and restaurants will follow.
Denny and Erica
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Hiking: We hike island wide, but some of our favorite hikes are up in the Koke'e area....as well a Waimea Canyon area.
From the main hwy, as you pass thru Waimea Town, hang a right on Waimea Canyon Road at the large church . Up you go.
We leave poipu about 8:30 am....and stop at the first Waimea Canyon Overlook for photos and views. The second overlook is pretty much a waste of time, or try to catch the good overlook it on the way back down, but the tourists will be mobbing both of them, so going early is a good plan',
You can stop at the Koke'e museum on your left going up the mountain. The ladies there are really helpful and have the latest trail condition up dates. Also the phone number is 808-335-9975. We also from our home or lodgings we look up at the mountain ridge on the west side and check the cloud cover. If it is clear, we go. If the clouds are obscuring the mountain and are low on the mountain side, or are dark with rain, we go to plan B.
Our fave trails up in Koke'e.....( be sure and look them up as to length and difficulty and what you will see_)
* Awa awa puhi.............Nualolo...........Water Tank/Berry Flat Trail.....Pihea ( Pee-hay) trail to the Alakia Swamp Trail.
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At Poipu area: South Shore
* Hike from the Hyatt, along the cliffs tail to pristine Maha'ulepu Beach and Beyond.
East Shore:
* Sleeping Giant
* Kuilau Ridge Trail ( currently very muddy, and eroded and blocked by a huge fallen tree).....maybe OK by the time you all are there.
* Paved combination hiking and biking coastal trail on the East Side.
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North Shore: At his time , most of the north shore hikes are not available due the road being closed after Hanalei, or erosion. You need to check on those trails once you are on island.
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Always check on the ocean and beach conditions...... > kauai explorer beach and ocean reports < is the best source and on their websit.....for surf , beach, currents, and even hiking info and warnings.
Also check with the life guards who are at some of the beaches.
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SNORKELING:
South Shore:
* Lawai Beach about a 5 minute or less drive from Poipu Beach Park Area.....best shore entry snorkelng
* Poipu Beach Park.....the best is on the right side of the Tombolo ( small sand spit )
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East Shore:
Not much in swimmable beaches but LYDGATE BEACH PARK has a couple of man made lagoons. Very nice beach park.
However, the beach itself at this time in totally covered in debris and huge logs. The beach park is just fine.
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SOUTH SHORE RESTAURANTS
Kalapak Joes....... Keoikes Paradise...... Rum Fire.....La Spezia....Merimans both upstairs and downstairs....Laperts Ice Crame.... Olympic Cafe in the Poipu Shopping Village....Plantation Gardens....and many, many more.
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East Shore Restaurants:
KIBO japanese restaurant ( local)....Kauai Pasta......Dukes downstairs at the Lihue Marriot ( ocean and beach view )...
KIntaros Japenese restaurant.....Olympic Cafe upstairs in Kapa'a.....Kalapaki Beach Hut....Oasis on the Beach....
Lava Lava......Hukialu Lanai....and many , many more.
Tips...when we go hiking, we bring water to take with us.... hiking boots if you brought them or..strong old athleltic shoes...and in the trunk, extra water to wash off the sweat , a spare pair of foot wear for going out to a reward lunch after hikeng, paper or lodging towel to wipe off the fresh water wash down...and a spare shirt to change into as well.
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We hike and snorkel early to avoid the masses of visitors as much as possible.....same for dinner reservations. Works pretty darned well.
Napali Coast Boat Tour.....many different companies , many types of boats. Chose what feels best to you.
Helicopter or fixed wing circle island tour
ATV.... super fun off road to waterfall tours
Kayaking..... probably Kayak Hanalei paddling the Hanalei River. Very, very nice, great views.
Zip Lining.....several different companies on all three shores.
Tubing is pretty tame, but a good time .
There are many more paid activities....but also plenty of nature oriented free things to do island wide.
Have fun with what feels good to you. You will not be able to see and do everything in nine days...but I like you pre planning idea to experience what is important to you.
We cannot make that choice, but pass on info about what we enjoyed.
In late August / early September, my wife and I are traveling to Kauai for nine days. I'm trying to get any insider tips. We would like to experience all of the outdoorsy activities, but the sheer number of things to do is a little intimidating. Anything related to hiking, kayaking, tubing, snorkeling, and etcetera are things we would be interested in.
Also, any tips for places to watch sunrise/sunset, restaurants (especially a few ideas for a romantic dinner), luaus, and unique things to see?
Sorry for the broad question. I'm at square one on planning the trip, so lot's to learn.
Greetings,
I think your questions are the most basic and relevant ones that active couples who are planning to visit Kauai have. A lot of us understand exactly where your anxieties lie: For such a small island, there seems to be so many different quality things to do in Kauai that it becomes overwhelming.
First of all, my recommendation for anyone staying more than 6 days in Kauai is to split the stay between the northern/eastern part and the southern/western part. For example, if you are staying in Princeville and attempting to hike Kokee State Park which is literally a few miles away from your hotel room, it could easily be 4-5hrs on the road just to get to and from the park due to the non-circuitous nature of the only major road that goes around the island. It doesn't make a complete loop so it is basically one long cul-de-sac from Kee Beach to Kokee Park.
Kauaidooley lists many of the options that probably has given you anxiety because you can only fit a few of them in your 9 day trip. The "Blue Book" that he notes is obviously the Bible for any Hawaiian trip because they are so descriptive of the particular activity - well worth the few bucks to carry with you.
The following are my personal opinions having done/experiencing them:
Hiking: I am an avid hiker - imo, the Nualolo-Awaawapuhi Loop in Kokee Park is one of the best on the planet. The hike is not particularly strenuous but is no "walk in the park" - well, literally it is. The elevation change is not extreme but will be demanding at times. The scenery changes nicely from woodsy to canyon-like while the temperatures also can vary greatly as the hike begins in the misty woods and ends in an awe inspiring vista with endless views. The end of the Nualolo part of the hike will take your breath away. It's basically where all the helicopter trips take their clients for the big pay-off view: The best part is that you will have saved the $400 to enjoy the view which overlooks from the top of the Kauai Cathedrals deep down into an ancient valley and onto the wide open Pacific.
You can split the hike into just the Nualolo or the Awaawapuhi which would make them approx 7-8mi hikes separately, or about 11mi as one big loop. Google to get a feel for more details.
Kayaking: My opinion is that the Wailua River Kayaking excursion is the best relative deal on Kauai. For about $50 you get to kayak into the river and then take a decent little like - about 1mi-ish - through the woods/jungle which culminates in a nice waterfall lake that you can take a dip in. We used Kayak Wailua and they were friendly and efficient guides. A good workout, a nice hike, a great time under a waterfall - all for the price of an entree and appetizer in Kauai. We did this trip in the morning and got back to the hotel pool by lunchtime.
Snorkeling: The "Blue Book" will be best to select places for this activity. There are obviously many options of varying difficulty, clarity and popularity. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable Poipu Beach was for snorkeling despite it's immense popularity - sometimes it's great when the snorkeling is a few feet from the hotel room and the pool drinks!
Sunset dinner: Kauai is a vacation destination for the affluent crowd - they will have nice restaurants all over the island. We have stayed at the St Regis a few times and undoubtedly the best thing about that hotel is the incredible view over Hanalei Bay and the Dragon's Tail. Dinner/drinks while taking in that view during sunset is magical.
In Hanalei, if currently accessible as I am not up-to-date, is the restaurant Bar Acuda. Hanalei turns into a romantic village in the evenings, and Bar Acuda is the spot the chicks dig, so the math is easy.
On the other side of the island in Poipu, Eating House 1849 and Merriman's Fish House are two restaurants that will earn you some points.
IMO, however, the most romantic restaurant in Kauai is The Beach House which is just north of the hustle and bustle of Poipu. Having eaten dinner there 3 times, I have had an incredible time each time. I quite understand and accept that dining experiences at even the most revered places are really hit-and-miss per the individual - but, knock on wood, that restaurant has left me satisfied and happy each time. The view is the definition of romantic - edge of the ocean against the rocks, vast view, perfect color of the clouds in the evening, a staff that seems to "get" that it's a special night for the guest, etc. If you do dine there, make sure to request one of the window ocean tables and take pics of yourselves on the grass as you wait for dinner - you'll understand...
Napali Coast: We did the Capt Andy's out of Eleele. I actually didn't have high expectations for this trip so I was pleasantly surprised to have had such a good time. The boats are clean, the crews are friendly and professional, the trip to and from on the boat was pleasant, and the stop for lunch and snorkeling along the coast was fantastic. The waters were deep but extremely clear on that remote part of the island - we spotted some sharks and floated with some friendly turtles that were in the area. The views looking up towards the Kauai Cathedrals was awesome - but it was neat to think that I had now seen the Cathedrals from both vantage points.
Finally, it is obligatory that you try the saimin at Hamura's and a malasada from Kauai Bakery & Cinnamon. It's like going to Kansas City and not trying the BBQ - you'd be ashamed of it at some point.
Great information on this forum. Better than I found on TA. I was a DE too.
We're headed to Kapaa this October, for a week. I hope things will be back to somewhat normal.
Keep the info coming!
Wolfdog, be very very careful with the "Blue Bible". Lots of complaints over the years from locals because Andrew and crew make some unwise recommendations. They fail to mention that, if you follow their instructions, in certain cases you will be trespassing on private property. People should know better than climbing over fences or going through closed gates, but I guess they figure if the Blue Bible tells them to do it then it's okay.
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