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Message |
    
bak
Supporter
Username: Bak
Post Number: 709
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 12:11 pm: |     |
Heading to Kauai in March with the wife for a week sans kids! Any favorite restaurants, activities, beaches etc. you could recommend or steer us away from while there? We're staying near Poipu Beach at a Hyatt.
Thanks in advance! |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3946
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 12:15 pm: | |
Bet mud pie in the world: the snack bar/restaurant in the state part up on the volcano (can't recall name right now). This is must-have pie. |
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 1940
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 12:41 pm: | |
Go for a hike in Waimea canyon.
The beach at the Hyatt is pretty rocky, but the hotel & pool is very nice.
Take a helicopter ride over the island & see the "Fantasy Island" falls.
A week in Kauai is a long time...planning to go to any other Islands? |
Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 1411
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 12:50 pm: | |
- Cocktails at the Princeville Resort on the patio overlooking Bali Hai
- Hiking Na Pali's Kalalau Trail
- Helicopter ride over Waimea Canyon
- Driving to look outs over Waimea Canyon (wish we had gotten to hike some of it)
- Shave Ice (local form of italian ice, but crunchier and with a multitude of flavors to choose from)
Have an awesome time. I might get there again in about 30 years.
Also check out www.fodors.com for tips, and go to their message board for specific travelers' opinions. |
algebra2
Supporter
Username: Algebra2
Post Number: 3007
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 12:55 pm: | |
We stayed at the Hyatt for 6 or 7 days and it was great. We did a lot of exporing, I loved the Hanalei (?) and the Ne Pali Coast. |
mjc
Citizen
Username: Mjc
Post Number: 298
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 1:12 pm: | |
Boat trip out along Na Pali coast. Zodiac raft with some time over the side if you want; may also be other options. I was sorry I missed the canyon. Allow plenty of time for sitting and staring at paradise! |
rosie
Citizen
Username: Rosie
Post Number: 12
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 2:11 pm: | |
If you are a little adventurous take a drive out to Polihale Beach. It's basically the end of the road before you get to the Napali coastline on the south western part of the island. It's just the most amazing beach. My husband and I were the only 2 there except for a lone surfer girl out by herself in the water. It gets really hot out there but look into it if you like 'off the beaten path' venturing. It stretches for miles.
Boat trip along the Na Pali coast is beautiful. You get to jump off the boat and go swimming for a little while as well.
We stayed a week on Kauai and brought with us this great guide book: 'Hidden Kauai 'by Ray Riegert. It never let us down!
Have a great trip!
|
susan1014
Supporter
Username: Susan1014
Post Number: 407
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 2:25 pm: | |
Go for most/all of a week, and consider splitting your time between hotels on the north and south sides of the island so you don't spend too much time commuting through the less interesting area in between (it's a bit of a drive for Poipu to the Na Pali coast area).
We did a week and loved it. A day at the canyon. A day at Napali (definitely take the boat trip, and consider a second day for hiking if you are a serious hiker!). A tour of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens (and a self-tour of their second branch on the north/wet side of the island. A day on other smaller natural attractions (it's been many years, and I'm forgetting names). Some beach time, obviously.
D*** I'm overdue to go back! (one caveat...we were there over a decade ago, and there has been one hurricane in the interim, but I'm assuming that all of the above attractions have had plenty of time to recover).
Cruel discussion to start on a snowy day! |
Cubeless
Citizen
Username: Cubey
Post Number: 127
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 2:52 pm: | |
Hyatt Kauai is a great hotel.
Last time I was on Kauai, I took an ATV tour. It was a pretty cool way to see some of the island that you can't drive a car to. |
Josh Holtz
Citizen
Username: Jholtz
Post Number: 14
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 3:02 pm: | |
Must eat: The Beach House, Poipu. Great food, setting, etc. Make your reservation for sunset. Bring sunglasses. Tuna sashimi appetizer forced me to go back a second time. Pricey but well worth it. |
aneighbor
Citizen
Username: Aneighbor
Post Number: 74
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 10:18 pm: | |
To save some money buy "the entertainment book" for Hawaii. We found some really good restaurants in there and saved on meals! relax and have fun! |
DeborahG
Citizen
Username: Deborahg
Post Number: 1210
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 1, 2005 - 10:11 am: | |
Waimea Canyon is a must. amazing! |
sportsnut
Citizen
Username: Sportsnut
Post Number: 1757
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 1, 2005 - 11:48 am: | |
Roy's in Poipu was great - a little busy but good food.
There is a book called The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook that we found infitely useful as their reviews were spot on.
Definitely take the catamaran tour of the Napali Coast line or if you're adventurous take the Helicopter tour. Waimea canyon is fantastic.
Our first night in Kauai we ate at a place called "TomKats." It was pouring rain and this place (not at all fancy) gave you the feel that you were a million miles away from civilization. It was in koloa town.
Beach House was nice - beautiful views. Tidepools (which I believe is in the Hyatt) was romantic. Don't buy pearls or jewelry at Spouting Horn (over priced).
Glass beach was kind of neat and is on the west coast, very unique.
Also, try to get up to Hanalei and get some shave ice and enjoy the small town feel.
Kauai was great. |
Chalmers
Citizen
Username: Chalmers
Post Number: 108
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 1, 2005 - 3:51 pm: | |
For restaurants, A Pacific Cafe is a high-end restaurant with excellent, fresh food. Not cheap, but great. I just did an online search to get you the address and all the guide books and reviewers raved about it. It's in a shopping center, Kauai Shopping Village, Kapaa. The address is 4-831 Kuhio Highway. Phone: 808-822-0013. Reservations recommended. I also ate at a fun, casual place where customers grill their own food in the middle of the restaurant, but I don't remember the name. |
Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 1423
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 1, 2005 - 4:14 pm: | |
is that Kapa-a or Kapa-a-a?
(Little Honeymoon in Vegas humor...) |
MM
Citizen
Username: Melandmike
Post Number: 40
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - 7:14 am: | |
We spent 5 days in Kauai on our honeymoon lamost 2 years ago now. It was AMAZING!!!! I agree w/ the above postings- make reservations at both Pacific Cafe and Beach House- two of the best restaurants ever! And do split your time between the North and South side of the island. We stayed in the middle and had a 30 min drive to Poipu and 45 min drive to the north. (And there are no lights on the roads, so late-night driving can be a bit dicey.) We fell in love w/ the north and all its hidden beaches, great snorkeling. Hidden Kauai is an excellent guide book and we've recommended it to everyone who went to Kauai after us. Have a wonderful time- I'm so jealous! |
bak
Supporter
Username: Bak
Post Number: 710
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, March 3, 2005 - 11:33 am: | |
You guys are so well traveled! Thanks so much!
I won this trip from my work, so we're somewhat bound by the Hyatt (tough life, I know!). But we've rented a car, made dinner reservations at The Beach House, scheduled a sunset cruise off the Na Pali Coast on a Catamaran, and getting up horribly early one morning to bicycle down some mountain to see a sunrise.
I am anxious on our down days to find a great beach (North or South) where we can bring a cooler, fins and a mask, and relax. Any suggestions there?
Thanks again! |
clueless
Citizen
Username: Clueless
Post Number: 71
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, March 3, 2005 - 11:33 pm: | |
We were there almost a year ago- beautiful! Favorite restaurant was the Beach House. Located right on the beach it is lit with tikki torches and has spectacular sunset. There are other beach restaurants, we tried but nothing came close to this place.
The best travel book we got was THE ULTIMATE KAUAI GUIDEBOOK: KAUAI REVEALED by Doughty and Friedman. My wife is a huge travler a reads all the books (Frommer's etc.) This book was the BEST! They actually gave negative reviews of companies as well as positive. Not the everything is great version I find in the other books. I enjoyed their "tell it like it is" style. They write a book for Maui and the big island of Hawaii as well.
Everything you need is in there. Restaurants, beaches, hidden beaches, etc. THE BEST BOOK YOU CAN BUY!!! |
mwoodwalk
Citizen
Username: Mwoodwalk
Post Number: 320
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 8, 2005 - 9:52 pm: | |
Second all the recs on the restaurants. There's one addition, although I confess I can't recall the name of the place. It is on the main drag that circles the south/east/north of the island, and its a bit north of the airport, (i.e., on the way from Poipu to Na Pali), but its basically just a diner. FANTASTIC pancakes, just a great local spot. The locals will probably know what I'm talking about if you ask them (that's how we found out about it when I was there---almost 7 years ago, WOW, time flies).
|
bak
Supporter
Username: Bak
Post Number: 717
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 11:31 am: | |
Just wanted to thank you for all of your recommendations. We used the Ultimate Guide Book which was incredibly handy, and hit almost everything you all recommended.
The Na Pali coast was amazing--saw about two dozen humpback whales on the cruise there. The Hyatt in Poipu is an amazing resort and the largest employer on Kauai.
We enjoyed a downhill bike ride around and through Waimea Canyon--beautiful and very fun. We enjoyed Tidepools and The Beach House. We explored the Northern Coast and stopped in for a drink at Bali Hai--good call! Spent the afternoon near Queen's Bath snorkeling and sunbathing alone.
It truly is paradise if you can stand the travel time. Thanks again everyone! |
aneighbor
Citizen
Username: Aneighbor
Post Number: 77
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 12:56 pm: | |
I'm jealous! |
bak
Supporter
Username: Bak
Post Number: 719
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 2:19 pm: | |
Roy's was great--we also found this dive restaurant for St. Patty's dat called Brenneckes--good local beer, burgers, and ahi sashimi to die for!
Holy jetlag! |
Reflective
Citizen
Username: Reflective
Post Number: 866
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 12:48 am: | |
Fun Posts
Wonderful memories:
I spent 6 terrific days on Kauai in 1968 on a ten day R&R from VietNam.
It is fascinating to hear all of your comments. I will be planning a revisit in the next year.
Hawaii- a great place to visit. |
Reflective
Citizen
Username: Reflective
Post Number: 867
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 12:49 am: | |
Thanks BAK |
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