Kauai

moneyshot · #1 03-04-2007, 04:21 PM

has anyone been? Wifey and I saw some good deals on the luxurylink. She wants to go to back to hawaii and i can't stand the crowds of Maui and Honolulu

Homer · #2 03-04-2007, 04:29 PM

I went there on my honeymoon last year, staying on the South Shore in Poipu. Things that you can't miss include the canyon, luau (we went to Smiths Tropical, I think it was called) and a tour of the Na Pali coast. We took an "adventure" tour that I would recommend (with Captain Jack's I think), which consisted of riding around the coast on a little bad ass coast guard type raft that went about 60 mph. Saw some sweet sea caves, dolphins, canyons, etc. It's a full day thing, you will get tired and soaking wet. Also, if you're into golf there are some nice courses, including the one where they play the PGA Grand Slam in November. I'm sure there is other stuff I'm forgetting, so if you have particular questions please ask.

edit -- BTW, I would recommend staying in an oceanfront private condo/suite as opposed to a hotel like Hyatt. It's cheaper and a lot more fun. I loved waking up to a view of the ocean in the morning and getting a nice ocean breeze during the night.

moneyshot · #3 03-04-2007, 04:51 PM

thanks for the info. are there lots of good restaurants around? how crowded i it?

Homer · #4 03-04-2007, 04:59 PM

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thanks for the info. are there lots of good restaurants around? how crowded i it?

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know about many of the fancy restaurants. I know of one that is considered one of the best on the island, called the Beach House (on the South Shore near our suite). You would definitely have to make reservations well in advance. We mainly ate at random oceanside places that we stumbled upon as we drove around the island. My favorite was some BBQ place along the east coast, but I flat out can't remember the name. In general, I never got the impression that I was in a crowded, tourist area except when I went to things like the luau. It was a pretty relaxed atmosphere, which was perfect for us.

microbet · #5 03-04-2007, 09:55 PM

I loved Kauai. I don't think it's the greatest place for restaurants, but that wasn't what I was looking for. There is a Four Seasons. I expect they have a fancy restaurant.

Nice beaches. Not crowded. Great canyon/mountain hiking. Kayaking. It's like a real Tom Sawyer's Island.

dynamite · #6 03-05-2007, 01:16 AM

It's really nice. I went there two years ago and stayed at poipu beach at the hilton resort. I think the hyatt is a little nicer. I also went to the Smith's luau, it was well worth it! A helicopter ride was really sweet as well. I would definitely recommend kauai for relaxing.

nails · #7 03-05-2007, 03:06 AM

Just got back from 10 days in Kauai. The south side of the island is the major resort/hotel area, and it's the closest thing to "crowded" on the island.

We generally stay on the north side, where there are fewer people and lots of hidden beaches with hardly anyone on them. The snorkeling, swimming, and shelling are great there, too. The only drawback is that it can be more rainy -- sometimes it's raining on the north side while it's sunny in Poipu.

Regardless of where you stay, though, I definitely recommend Kauai.

DamitBob · #8 03-05-2007, 03:24 AM

Only drawback to Kauai is the weather. I have been 5 times and 3 of those the weather was cloudy and or rainy. The weather is much more consistent on Maui so thats where I go now.

Its the most beautiful island and if you get good weather you will have a great time. Sometimes you can drive to the other side and escape the clouds as previously stated.

AllinDan · #9 03-05-2007, 03:50 AM

I love Kauai. It's relatively empty, there's great beginner surfing (all I can handle), and it's beautiful. There's an awesome waterfall somewhere on the island that you can jump off of, but I don't remember exactly where, you'd have to look it up.