Kauai, A Slice of Hawaiian Heaven

Relaxation is the primary thing to do on Kauai. In addition, there's snorkeling, viewing the gorgeous scenery, sampling local culinary fare, take in a Luau complete with hula Santa, Wiamea Canyon hikes, and the awesome Napali Coast on the north shore.

Quick Tips:

Taking a vacation the week before Christmas on such a relaxing island makes you forget all your worries and holiday hassles. We arrived back home on Christmas Eve, refreshed and ready to enjoy our remaining week off. It was perfect timing.

Don't plan anything other than where you'll stay and how you'll get there. Let every day bring forth its own wonders and adventures. This was the most relaxing vacation we've ever spent as a family. If you want tourist sites and plenty of action on your vacation, don't go to Kauai. Mainly, don't get in a hurry for anything.

Best Way To Get Around:

Rental cars on the island are the norm for tourists to see the beautiful scenery at your own pace. The roads are often narrow and sparsley traveled so you feel like you have the island to yourself in the more remote locations. Treat yourself and rent that convertible you've always dreamed of. Once close to the beach, which is within minutes of anywhere, park the car and enjoy a walk down the beach or up the canyon.

Best Things Nearby:
A fabulous restaurant, The Beach House, is across the narrow road from the resort. Also, next to the The Beach House and directly across the road and your balcony is the best snorkel beach on the island. Famous Poipou Beach Park is within several miles to the east and the south shore Blow Hole is to the west a short distance. This is the least traveled and inhabited part of the island. If you follow the coast road to its end going west from the resort you come to a dead end where the waves are monstrous and you are at the southern end of the Napali Coast.

Best Things About the Resort:
This was a very large and beautiful 2 bedroom unit. It was located at the end of the building and so had no less than 3 balconies, 2 on the ocean side and one towards Wiamea Canyon mountains. We were able to lounge on the bedroom or living room balconies overlooking the pool and watch the kids swimming. In early morning you could watch the whales migrate from these balconies right in front of the resort.

Resort Experience:
Being the end unit in the building gave us a large 2 bedroom space. Upon entering on the second floor up outdoor wooden stairs, no elevators, you enter a small area that was open with no furniture. It was perfect for storing sandy shoes, surfboards, towels, water toys, coolers, etc. The kitchen was conveniently designed with all the necessary amenities, such as microwave, dish washer, stove, large refrigerator, as if in a home. At the end of the kitchen were a washer and dryer behind folding doors. The dining eating area was openly combined with a very large living room. The furniture was made of Hawaiian fabric prints, bamboo, and glass of top quality. There were also four bar stools at the counter pass-through from the kitchen. The master bedroom was on the ocean side of the unit with a large balcony and amply sized with its own large walk-in closet complete with safe. A large tiled private bath was in the master bedroom and accessible from the hall. An second hall bathroom was also nicely sized. The second bedroom had twin beds. With all the windows and sliding glass doors, the entire unit was very bright and light. We did have a few tiny knats pester us during the visit which a can of Raid took care of. There is a rooftop tennis court, rec center and two pools, one free form with boulders at the edge on site.

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

This notable restaurant is located on the south shore of the island a few miles west of Poipou Beach. It just happened to be across the small road in front of the Lawai Beach Resort where we were staying and so we were able to walk to dinner. Probably the memory most prominent in mind of The Beach House is its setting. It is within feet of the best snorkel beach on the island and you can not only see but hear the waves hitting the shore. It was a beautiful sunset evening when we experienced this jewel. The cuisine of the restaurant is a mixture of Asian, Island, Continental, and Seafood. It's very comtemporary in style. One entire side of the building are floor to ceiling sliding windows. As we were seated at a small table for four within inches of the windows, it felt as though we were dining on the beach itself with the sliding windows open. We could breath the night air and almost feel the splash of the mist from the waves. The food was an artistic presentation, very gourmet and delicious. Our children, then ages 14 and 9 were a bit pressed to find something that sounded good to their more basic appetites, but it was a culinary delight to the adults. The Bananas Foster dessert, also presented beautifully, was large enough for the four of us to share. It was such a unique location and the service was smooth and unobtrusive that we all felt the evening went much too fast when it was time to leave.

No trip to Hawaii would be complete without a traditional Hawaiian luau. The Smith Family Luau is set in the lush Botanical and Cultural Gardens in the Wailua River Valley. You have an hour from gate opening until the luau begins to view the gardens by a Hawaiian Christmas luau. Its a rare occasion that you get to see a hula Santa and hear Jingle Bells played on a ukelele. The buffet dinner had all the traditional Hawaiian luau foods or smoked pork, poi, and pineapple, plus there were a few added Christmas holiday items. The food was good and plentiful and the entertainment was memorable. The ceremonial digging of the pit and burying of the pig were missed in this luau, but their explanation was given.