Wornderful Kauai Vacation

Everyone always says that Kauai is the quiet island. We stayed busy the whole time we were there. The drive around the island is spectacular. We went on a fantastic boat cruise for snorkeling and dolphin watching. The highlight of the trip though was the helicoptor ride. The helicopter gives the the sensation of floating over the mountains and ocean almost like it was a dream. I think anything you do is tops on Kauai.

Quick Tips:

You have to have a car on Kauai. Everything is spread out and not many of the tour companies will pick you up. I also thing renting a condo is best on Kauai too. The hotels are nice but VERY overprice for what you get.

Best Way To Get Around:

A CAR IS A MUST!!!!

The Waimea Plantion Cottages were quite a surprise. IN A GOOD WAY!!!!

We had to stay here just a couple of nights before we checked into a timeshare. We were a little shocked when after we checked in. Every "room" is it's own 1,2,or 3 bedroom house. When we pulled up to our house and went up to the door all the lights were on, the raido was playing, and all the doors and windows were open. We thought we had the wrong room. Then I figured out that they just left the light on for us. When we arrived it was raining. It was hot and very muggy. The only draw back was no air conditioning. It was kinda sticky at first but the ocean breeze came and cooled things off.

By the end of our short stay we all were a little sad because it turned out to be so comfortable. The grounds were beautiful. They have a very nice pool. It is small but VERY clean. The furniture was lived in, but thats what gave it charm. I was like staying over at an old friends house.

This is a great place to get the entertainment rate if you can. They will give you 1/2 off the rack rate.

I was able to trade my timeshare at the Maui Embassy Vacation Resort for the Kauai location.

Before we arrived in Hawaii, I did some research to see if I was getting a good deal or not. The normal price of the rooms at the Embassy were over $500 per night from the hotel company. I read some reviews and guide books and heard some discouraging comments about the resort. Sever people and books gave it a bad rap. So, I went in expecting to be disappointed.

I WAS NOT!

From the moment we walked in I was very impressed. The lobby overlook was beautiful. A bellhop with a golf cart even picked us up and drove us to our room. When we checked in I thought the rooms were very well done. The pictures do not do it justice. Our kitchen had all new appliances. The beds were Sertta Perfect Sleepers (I slept better there then I do at home). We had a garden view room that stepped out to the huge adult hot tub. This sauna was bigger then a lot of hotel pools. We had a cd/ stereo /and VCR right in the room. The master bath was huge. The room overall was VERY comfortable in my opinion.

This was the first time I have ever been to what I consider a "resort". Many hotels claim to be resorts, but fall short in my book. The Embassy had everything but a beach. The grounds were like going to a botanical garden. They have a series of cascading lily ponds that are magnificent. One of the best parts were the cliffs between the ocean and the buildings. The water pounds against the black lava cliffs and explodes like fireworks.

The facilities were also very well done. The pool had it's own sand beach. Surprisingly the was hardly any sand in the pool. The pool side grill had very good food. They had burgers, sandwiches, and snacks; but it made a great place for lunch. There are also Webber BBQ grills all over the resort. We cooked most of our dinners in the room and on the grill. It was twice as good as going out and 1/5 of the cost. They have GREAT steaks at the IGA up the road.

Overall I give the Embassy a very high rating. The only thing I did not like the pressure to take the timeshare presentation. They automatically set you up for it a check-in, no questions asked.

Best Things Nearby:
The Spouting Horn, Po'ipu Beach, Snorkeling, golf

Best Things About the Resort:
The rooms were very nice and the pool was amazing.

Resort Experience:
I was able to trade my timeshare at the Maui Embassy Vacation Resort for the Kauai location.

Before we arrived in Hawaii I did some research to see if I was getting a good deal or not. The normal price of the rooms at the Embassy were over $500 per night from the hotel company. I read some reviews and guide books and heard some discouraging comments about the resort. Several people and books gave it a bad rap. So, I went in expecting to be disappointed.

I WAS NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From the moment we walked in I was very impressed. The lobby overlook was beautiful. A bellhop with a golf cart even picked us up and drove us to our room. When we checked in I thought the rooms were very well-done. The pictures do not do it justice. Our kitchen had all new appliances. The beds were Serta Perfect Sleepers (I slept better there then I do at home). We had a garden view room that stepped out to the huge adult hot tub. This sauna was bigger than a lot of hotel pools. We had a cd, stereo and VCR right in the room. The master bath was huge. The room overall was VERY comfortable, in my opinion.

This was the first time I have ever been to what I consider a "resort". Many hotels claim to be resorts, but fall short in my book. The Embassy had everything but a beach. The grounds were like going to a botanical garden. They have a series of cascading lily ponds that are magnificent. One of the best parts was the cliffs between the ocean and the buildings. The water pounds against the black lava cliffs and explodes like fireworks.

The facilities were also very well-done. The pool had its own sand beach. Surprisingly, there was hardly any sand in the pool. The pool-side grill had very good food. They had burgers, sandwiches, and snacks; but it made a great place for lunch.

There are Webber BBQ grills all over the resort. We cooked most of our dinners in the room and on the grill. It was twice as good as going out and 1/5 of the cost. They have GREAT steaks at the IGA up the road.

Overall I give the Embassy a very high rating.

The only thing I did not like was the pressure to take the timeshare presentation. They automatically set you up for it at check-in, without asking you first.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

The helicopter tour was the best part of my whole vacation. If you go to Kauai, TAKE THE HELICOPTER TOUR. The price might scare you away, but it is worth every penny.

As you take off you feel like your floating in mid-air over the ocean. The pilot put on all different kinds of music which set the pace of the tour. As we flew into the valley were Jurassic Park was filmed the movie's theme was playing. It was a sensation like no other. We then went on to the Na Pali Coast. The scale of the aircraft was miniscule compared to the towering cliffs. The whole experience is very humbling. Two thumbs up for the helicopter ride.

Captain Andy's Sailing Adventures was a great experience. We had a load of fun. The crew was great. They made a point to talk to everyone on the tour at some point. I was very impressed by that. The boat seemed a bit over crowded, but was not cramped.

On the way to the Na Pali Coast we spotted a pod of about 200 dolphins. They took us for a closer look. It was like Sea World gone wild. We stopped a couple of times for a short swim and stretch. The snorkeling was good and the highlight of the trip. On the way back they had a deli lunch with sandwiches and all the sides. The food was very good. They offered free beer, wine, soda, and juice. The tour also included breakfast. I recommended this tour for anyone!

The Fern Grotto is always advertised as a major attraction of Kauai. I was very disappointed. I understand it had a lot of damage from the 1992 hurricane. The whole tour just felt cheap. I guess I just did not see the big attraction to a cave. The cost was $15 per person which I thought could have been spent elsewhere.

The Hyatt Luau was very good. In fact, one of the best in Hawaii that I have been to. The food was very good, all the free drinks you want, and the spectacular Hawaiian sunset in the background. The dancers were talented and very entertaining. It was priced around $65.