Headed to Kauai, Hawaii

[accadacca]

My fan-damily is headed to Lihue, Kauai for 14 days over Thanksgiving and into December. My parents (Dad working) are living over there until March.

I'll be doing research on Kauai from now until then. If you have been to this island I would appreciate any advice on what to see and do etc. I figure if I just lay on the beach for a week straight I'll be ahead. .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lihue,_Hawaii

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...aii-aerial.jpg

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=...num=1&ct=image

[KapitanSparrow]

Oh man I am so jelaous of your vacation. Have fun and take loads of pics of hot girls in bikinis.

[JP]

Have a great and safe trip, take lots of pics

[Sombeech]

have fun.

[fourtycal]

Nice It's my favorite island, I spent six months there when I was 21 (working construction) 20 years ago. I lived in poipu just a short walk from Poipu Beach. One of the nicer beaches on the island.

If you play Golf and can swing the price, Poipu bay resort is awesome. You need to drive to the top of Waimea canyon if you have time. And there was a hot dog stand in Pihu called paradise hot dogs, worth a stop if it is still there .

Sweet memories... :cool:

[skianddive]

Acca,

You will not be sorry. I have spent many, many vacation weeks (up to 2 weeks once) on Kauai, and I have lots o' things I can recommend. I will post them here in separate posts as when I remember them, rather than write up a long narrative for you.

But, I will suggest a couple of things right off the bat to get you started:


1. Get yourself a good guide book or two. I used these. The first has many secret spots (beaches, waterfall, etc.) and the second has great reviews. I would send mine to you but they are dated because I haven't been back in over 7 years.

Underground Guide

Ultimate Guide


2. If you like to scuba dive or snorkel, order the first map. Even if you don't, it is a still a good relief map which shows the good beaches. The second map just about every spot on the island, along with the roads:

Franko's Kauai Dive Map

Franko's Kauai Guide Map


3. Start saving your money for a helicopter ride. Both of the above books will have recommendations for the company to use (I used Jack Harter).


I wish I had done this the first time I went, but instead, waited until my third time on the island. Spend the extra bucks for an hour ride that circumnavigates the island, too. This ride will give you an overall view of the entire island, and you'll be able to prioritize the things that are a must-see based on your likes and dislikes.

OK, this should give you a few things to do in advance of your trip. As I said, I will post here more when I have time.

One question, however, need a guide? I'll work cheap.

[accadacca]

Very good stuff skianddive, keep it comin'.

I'll hit the wife up about the tour guide thing.

[KapitanSparrow]

Very good stuff skianddive, keep it comin'.

I'll hit the wife...

WTF?

[abirken]

Where's GHB when you need him? I bet he's got a ton of suggestions as well since he lived there. Have a blast! I'll be on the beach in Bali.

[JP]

WTF?

It's his wife, he's allowed to have sex with her

[RugerShooter]

Sounds like you will have a fun trip, I hope to some day make it to Hawaii

[Scott Card]

It is wonderful. I was there last March. Poipu is great. The only thing I wouldn't do again was the day long jungle trip and zip line thing. That is only because the zip line thing is just not exciting after canyoneering. It was fun to see where Indiana Jones ran from the natives and jumped into the river in the first movie and where the helecopter scene from MASH was filmed and so forth but again, not much bang for the buck. Don't expect great food either. My feeling was that we could do anything and it would be good...heck we were in Hawaii! I actually wish we would have done more of the botanical garden thing since, afterall, it is the garden island. I loved the snorkling and beach particularly knowing all my friends and family were still cold in Utah. I will have to post a couple of may favorite shots of the monk seal patrol guy protecting the seals from the tourists.

[skianddive]

Acca,

I just thought of another pre-trip action you can perform - Scott's post made me think of it.

If you or anyone in your family is a certified scuba diver and has some ocean experience, a trip to Ni'ihau is a must, but the trips fill up fast. I used Bubbles Below, and I recommend that Linda Marsh go along as your guide/divemaster since she has a tremendous amount of underwater knowledge of the Hawaiian waters, especially the endemic species.

Diving on Ni'ihau, you will see Hawaii as it used to be a hundred years ago before the impact of man. You will likely see sharks, Hawaiian monk seals, and turtles galore. Even if you can't get on a trip to the Forbidden Island, the diving on the south side of Kauai was also spectacular but didn't have the visibility of Ni'ihau.

I would have preferred to dive off the Napali Coast with Bubbles Below because of the water clarity and walls, but I was told that there are too many "nasties" in those waters for commercial dive operations to risk taking divers there. Oh well.

[greyhair biker]

One thing to say - you are a DOG Buy a Fodors' guidebook of Kauai.
I LOVE Kauai. I've spent lots of time there (actually lived on Maui) but Keith(Fourtycal) is right. Poipu Beach is beautiful - one of my favorites! We stayed at the Marriott Beachclub and Resort there (it's my screensaver as we speak) Lots of turtles there, EAT AT BRENEKES on the beach...arguably the BEST food on the island, and definitely take a drive up Waimea Canyon & then up to the Kalalau Valley overlook to see the Napali side without actually hiking it. Best done after a rainstorm has passed. Personally, I really like the KaPaa area(east coast). Lots of affordable shopping...cheap shopping is in Lihue at the WalMart where you will buy a boogeyboard or two
Don't pass up Bubbas Burgers and the ColdStone Creamery by the Kauai Childrens Museum in KaPaa on your way to the North Shore area.
......remember, YOU go me started on all this
NOW, just past KaPaa be on the lookout for a beach area with breakers that the locals hangout at with a BIG rock in the parking lot at the beach with MAUNA OKA AINA painted on it. STOP HERE and do some AWESOME body surfing! ...Dude...I gotta stop...I am getting homesick for da islands braddah!

[greyhair biker]

pictures.....

[greyhair biker]

DUDE - I just remembered...you need to drive to the 'end of the road' past Hanalei Bay, grab a freshly made fruit smoothy there first & then get your hiking shoes on and head down the Kalalau Valley trail along the NaPali Coast...you will not regret it

edit: actually, you might. the Sierra Club rates this hike a 9 out of 10 in difficulty....treatcherous and cliffy in sections....fall to you death kinda cliffy....hmmm.