Kauai--the Garden isle

Kauai is a place you can go to really relax. It's quiet, low keyed, none touristy for the most part, and very tranquil. But there are plenty of things you can do if when you want a little excitement.

Although it is very expensive, I highly recommend taking the helicopter tour. It's a great way to see the beauty of the island which is unaccessible by car or foot.

I also recommend getting in the water. It's like another world underwater and a very beautiful one. Even if you don't dive, snorkeling is a great way to see what lies beneath.

Drive all over the island. It's small enough that it's pretty easy to do. We stay on the east side of the island and find it an easy day trip going to the south for a day, and to the north on another day.

Take a Napali Coastline boat tour to have another fabulous view of the Napali cliffs sprouting out of the ocean.

Quick Tips:

Take lots of film with you. Have it developed at the Walmart in Lihue. They're inexpensive, and the colors of the pictures are more true to life than developers at home often come up with.

Best Way To Get Around:

We rented a car and loved the freedom of coming and going as we pleased. I'm not even sure if they have public transportation there.

There is also an abundance of opputunities to hike. Kauai's terrain is quite hilly or mountainous, so keep in mind that many of the trails can get slick and steep. Some trails will require you to register with rangers before hiking on them.

Best Things Nearby:
Close to the airport and grocery store and lots of restaurants. There's also a newly remodeled Radisson Hotel on site, so there are added benefits with that--restuarant, 3 pools, lounge, etc - all which Pahio guests are welcomed at.

Best Things About the Resort:
Centrally located on the island. Easy access to both the north and south sides of the island.

Resort Experience:
It is a Gold Crown Resort and deservedly so. The grounds are beautifully kept. The condos are beautifully decorated. This time we stayed in a one bedroom/2 bath condo. It had a roomy open lay out where the kitchen, living room and dining room flowed into each other. The bedroom had a king size bed. We were able to use our lap top for email, although there was a $.75/call charge each time a local call was made. It has a good size washer and dryer. As well as a dishwasher and microwave. It also has air conditioning -- something alot of the places on Kauai don't have. Even though it was Jan., we did use the AC, not that it was very hot there, but it was nice for getting the humidity out.

The resort activities included, "A Nite of Broadway" -- musical excerpts from 3 Broadway shows, Les Miserables, South Pacific and Phantom of the Opera and full buffet dinner; Free Tennis Clinic; "Kauaian Punch" and the Torchlighting Ceremony at the Radisson Poolside; Tropical Stretch & Energizer Session; and, of course, an Orientation & Continental Breakfast.

The Pahio family was very friendly, even welcoming us to the other 3 Pahio resorts in Princeville. We stopped into one of them for info while taking our ride to the north.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Best Things Nearby:
It is close to the airport, grocery store, and lots of restaurants. There's also a newly remodeled Radisson Hotel on-site, so there are added benefits with that--restaurant, three pools, lounge, etc - all of which Pahio guests are welcomed at.

Best Things About the Resort:
It is centrally located on the island, and there is easy access to both the north and south sides of the island.

Resort Experience:
It is a Gold Crown resort, and deservedly so. The grounds are beautifully kept. The condos are beautifully decorated. This time we stayed in a one-bedroom/two-bath condo. It had a roomy, open layout where the kitchen, living room, and dining room flowed into each other. The bedroom had a king-size bed. We were able to use our laptop for email. It has a good-size washer and dryer, as well as a dishwasher and microwave. It also has air-conditioning, something a lot of the places on Kauai don't have. Even though it was January, we did use the A/C, not that it was very hot there, but it was nice for getting the humidity out.

The resort activities included, "A Nite of Broadway," musical excerpts from three Broadway shows, Les Miserables, South Pacific, and Phantom of the Opera, and a full buffet dinner; a free tennis clinic; "Kauaian" Punch and the Torchlighting Ceremony at the Radisson Poolside; Tropical Stretch & Energizer Session; and of course, an Orientation & Continental Breakfast.

The Pahio family was very friendly, even welcoming us to the other three Pahio resorts in Princeville. We stopped into one of them for info while taking our ride to the north.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Gaylord's Restaurant is named after Gaylord Parke Wilcox, who built the house in 1935. THe restaurant was established in 1986 when the Wilcox home was restored to a historic site accessible to the public for the first time. In 1986, the restaurant opened serving lunch and dinner. Gaylord's is well known for venison, lamb, seafood, pastas and desserts.

The tables are set up outside under a patio that goes the length of back of the plantation house. With the gentle cool Kauai breeze and candlelight, it was a very pleasant. The waiters were very friendly and conscientous. Our meals were excellent!

I got the BLACKENED PRIME RIB---prime rib pan seared Cajun style, drizzled with wasabi horseradish sauce, served with red bliss basil potatoes, lilikoi baby carrots and garden vegetables. (10 OZ. REGULAR CUT $20.95)

My husband got the OLIVER SHAGNASTY'S BABY BACK RIBS--Danish baby back ribs rubbed with Oliver's secret blend of spices, slow cooked and basted with our tropical barbecue sauce, topped with large onion rings, served with light coleslaw.($19.95

The plantation house is sort of a museum. There are several period pieces throughout the house and visitors are allowed to see them. There is even a large diningroom in the house that is used for meetings. Also attached to one side of the building is a gift shop.

Gaylords also hosts a luau. We didn't go to it, but we could hear some of the laughter and music as we were dining. Sounded like a good time!

Being on the southern coast (where the high winter waves don't occur as much as on the north shore), this beach is great all year!

The snorkeling is great here and the water is quiet and gentle because of a protective reef across the entrance to a small cove. There are actually 2 bay areas. One is more shallow and a favorite spot for families with smaller kids. That is also where the lifeguard station is set up. Close in on the other side, the fish are use to being fed, so they'll come check you out to see if you have food. Watch out that you don't accidentally get caught up in the shallow reef like I did---I ended up with one nasty cut on my hand! We came back to this beach many times, even though we were staying by Lihue. The ride was nice, and only about 25 minutes.

In the winter, daytime temperatures in Poipu range from the mid 70's to the lower 80's. Nighttime temperatures are in the low to mid 60's. In the summer, daytime temperatures go as high as the upper 80's, and during the night, down into the low 70's. But the water is a pretty constant temperature which makes it great for snorkeling in year around.

Poipu Beach was recently named America's #1 Beach by Dr. Steve Leatherman of Florida International University.

Lawai beach is just a little narrow beach off to the side of the Beach House Restaurant and across the street from the Lawai Resort.

This beach was on the list given to us from our resort as a good place to snorkel, so we decided to give it a try. When we first drove by the beach, we almost decided to continue on. The beach is quite small and doesn't look like much, but we really enjoyed the snorkeling here! From the road (Lawai Rd) to the water was probably only about 30 feet. This is also the only area we even saw sea turtles for the whole week we snorkeled in Kauai (unlike the Big Island where they were everywhere). This was perhaps our favorite spot to snorkel on this trip (in Jan.) We weren't the only ones there; it wasn't crowded, but for it's size, there were a fair number of people there.

The entry into the water is a very gentle sandy slope and there is a reef barrier that protects the little bay. For heartier snorkellers and divers, there are several channels out to deeper waters.

The east coast is usually too rough to swim in, but here at Lydgate, they built a protected swimming area with lots of huge boulder to hold out the ocean. It's great for families and beginning snorkellers since the pond is usually smooth. Snorkeling isn't bad there, either! Fish get trapped in there during high surf. THe water did seem a bit murkier there than on the south shores, but it still wasn't bad for a quick place to go to snorkel on the East side.

There is also a great playground and picnic area for families to enjoy.

Being in Kapaa, it's also close to several resorts, restaurants, and shops. Including a big Safeway grocery.

The coconut grove here once served as a place of refuge for the ancient Hawaiians. Those who could reach the boundaries of the refuge before being caught were spared punishment or even death for breaking a kapu (law). The Wailua River begins near the north end of the park.

There are several helicopter tour outfits. We chose to go with Will Squyres. We enjoyed their tour very much. The American Eurocopter ASTAR 350 BA 6 seater helicopter is Will's aircraft of choice. Headphones are provided to block out engine noise and make it possible to hear the guide and music. It also has bubble windows for better vision. If you've never ridden in a helicopter, you'll probably be surprised at how smooth the ride is.

This is the best way to see all of Kauai! The colors are unbelievable! The Napali Coast is awesome from the helicopter---as well as the canyon and east side. This is also the only way you'll be able to see the many waterfalls throughout the canyon and the wettest point in the USA, Mount Waialeale which gets up to 400 inches of rain per year. When we flew over it, it was raining lightly, just enough to make a beautiful rainbow! We also flew over Wailua Falls --- made popular in the show Fantasy Island. You'll also be able to see where parts of South Pacific, Jurassic Park, Outbreak, North, and other motion pictures were filmed.

We got a buy one, get one free helicopter ride from Pahio for touring the resort. Regular price is $165/person for just under an hour tour. Their phone number is 1-888-245-HELI (1-888-245-4354) .

More beautiful kauai awaits you here. Make a little side trip on your way and see: KILAUEA POINT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE---built in 1913 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. There you'll see the beautiful lighthouse and a variety of birds, including Hawaii's state bird, the "nene". You may also see whales and dolphins from the viewing area. To help protect the whales, the waters off Kilauea Point were designated a National Marine Sanctuary in 1992.

Then continue up through Princeville. This is a high class resort town big on golf. Some of Hawaii's best golf -- and most challenging golf courses -- are found on Kauai. In addition to several outstanding resort courses, there are also some excellent public courses. What puts all these golf courses in a class above those you might play elsewhere, is their location. Most come with an inspiring ocean view or spectacular mountain backdrop. The Makai Course at Princeville is actually three separate nines: the Ocean, the Woods and the Lake which branch out from the clubhouse. The Ocean/lake combination is the most popular because of the dramatic vistas but all three courses offer something for everyone. (Prince: 18 hole, par-72; Makai courses: 9 holes each, par-36 each)

HANALEI NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE--can be seen from the Hanalei Valley Overlook, just past the Princeville Turnoff on Highway 56 (Kuhio Hwy) across from the Princeville Shopping Center. Over 900 acres were set aside as a Wildlife Refuge in 1972 to provide habitat for native Hawaiian waterbirds, including the native Hawaiian duck, coot, moorhen, and stilt. Taro is grown on the refuge by local farmers, continuing a practice that stretches back over 1,000 years in the Valley. On July 30, 1998, the Hanalei River which starts high on the slopes of Mount Waialeale and flows over 16 miles through Hanalei Valley to Hanalei Bay, was designated as an American Heritage River, one of only 14 rivers nationwide selected to receive this classification.

Continuing on you'll pass several beautiful areas such as LUMAHAI BEACH where Mitzy Gaynor washed that man right out of her hair; MANINIHOLO DRY CAVE; TUNNELS BEACH great snorkeling and diving with many underwater caves (make sure the surf is down); LIMAHULI GARDEN AND PRESERVE - HAENA
NATIONAL TROPICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN which in
In 1997, Limahuli Garden was selected by the American Horticultural Society as the best natural botanical garden in the U.S.; WAIKANALOA AND WAIKAPALAE WET CAVES a cool little retreat from the heat; HAENA BEACH perfect for beach combing; and KEE BEACH where the Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali cliffs begins.

Getting there is quite a trip in itself! Once the main highway ends, it'll turn into a dirt road. Follow this road about 10 -15 miles through old sugar cane fields. You'll think you're going nowhere and that nothing is worth the jostling of the ride. (By the way, some rental places tell you not to go here. We had a 4 wheel drive Forrester and we weren't told to stay off that road). Finally you come to a dirt parking lot. The view of the Napali is breathtaking from there. This is where you reach the west end of the Na Pali Coast and the end of the road.

The surf is usually high here. The day we went was no exception. It was hypnotising to watch. We also got there right before sunset and were rewarded with another beautiful sunset.

Polihale State Park encompasses nearly 140 acres of coastal lands in western Kauai. The beautiful 3-mile long sand beach is backed by tall dunes. The camping area of the park is in the dunes. Further north, Polihale Cliff has a traditional heiau which forms the boundary of the park. Hawaiians believed the souls of the dead departed the island from this point.

This is a must! This colorful canyon is the largest canyon in the Pacific and is quite beautiful. Stop at the many viewing areas and take a few pictures. Even the drive up the canyon is interesting---the road makes several interesting curves. Along the side of the road, you'll see lots of interesting looking twisted bleached out trees and lots of red soil. Even the road is reddish. The soil in Kauai contains a lot of red clay that stains everything! At the top of this canyon you're even bound to see lots of colorful wild chickens. They're everywhere in kauai! Try to drive there around mid day so the shadows aren't so harsh.

Waimea Canyon Drive starts in the town of Waimea and is one of 2 roads leading up the canyon---the other being Koke'e Road (but Waimea Canyon Drive follows the rim better). The canyon rises to about 3,600 feet and Waimea Canyon Drive is about 10 miles long and ends in Koke'e State Park. There are many pullouts with fantastic views of the Kalalau Valley on one side and the ocean on the other. If you have more time, there are plenty of hiking trails and even bike and four-wheel drive guided tours.

Another great way to see the canyon and it's many waterfalls is by helicopter. Most of the canyon is unaccessable by land.