Kauai Getaway

Best Things Nearby:


Best Things About the Resort:
The units and grounds are very well maintained, clean, and (mostly) quiet.

Resort Experience:
These units were very nice. We got the one bedroom downstairs unit on our exchange.

It had two full bathrooms, one with a jetted tub and one with shower. There was a fully equipped kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, oven, electric range, coffee grinder, and dishwasher. Also available were a rice cooker, toaster, and coffeemaker. There was a compact clothes washer and dryer (one of those up/down models), which actually did fairly large loads. The units do not have air conditioning, but it was only a bit warm in the late afternoon before the trade winds, otherwise the three ceiling fans did a great job keeping us comfortable.

We attended an "orientation" session the first morning after arrival, and despite our misgivings that we would be hearing either a timeshare presentation or hard sell for the resort’s concierge services (i.e. shill for local tour operators) the approximately 45 minutes were spent giving a pretty good overview of the major things to do in Kauai. From our perspective, these are great for first timers, some of which we had done our first trip in 1999. These include the Jetcopter rides, Snorkel and Kayak trips to Napali coast; various bus tours (like the one that stops at all the movie set locations), dive trips, fishing, golf, horseback riding, dinner cruises, and the ubiquitous Luau dinners.

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

On our first trip we frequented the resort hotel’s cafés and restaurants, but this time we experimented with the local fare at Oki’s restaurant in Lihue, and “The Mixed Plate” at Ching Young center in Hanalei. They offered huge portions (my wife and I shared one plate) of a pulled pork dish, rice, and spicy black bean tofu. Breakfast at the Camphouse Grill in Kapaa (I think there’s one in Kaliheo too) was superb. We managed to hit a “garage sale” and picked up a nine-piece teak salad bowl set for a very reasonable $15. We also got some very nice fruit like mango, pineapple, and papaya at a few local farmer’s markets in Kaliheo and Kiluaea.

For this trip we wanted to spend more time exploring on our own and we found many more hiking and exploration opportunities than could be found just looking at the brochures. Get yourself a recent Kauai guidebook – it will prove indispensable! We used "The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook" by Doughty and Freidman. We found several hikes to go on this trip and many more we didn’t have time for and will try our next trip back.

Here’s a couple we didn’t see: several trails off route 550 on the west side of the island and starting at Koke’e lodge that are accessible by four wheel drive only and go down along the ridges of the "fingers" of the Napali coast. Another is the two and a half mile "secret tunnel" that ends in a waterfall starting from the Keahua arboretum. And of course, going farther than Hanakapi’ai beach from Ke’e beach.

Activities:
We did enjoy several activities this trip. Snorkeling at Ke’e beach – we saw a fairly great variety of tropical species of fish including several large schools that seemed "tame" as they did not flee as you approached – simply moved out of the way – I guess they pretty much know they can swim a whole lot faster than humans! We also snorkeled at Annini beach – this is briefly mentioned in the guidebook but not at all in any of the local brochures. We saw a sea turtle and followed it around the area protected inside of a long fringing reef. Pohihale beach – the farthest point (or nearest to Napali coast) that you can drive – access here is best by four wheel drive, or a very slow and bumpy ride in a passenger vehicle. I grew up in New York, famous for its potholes, but this road takes it to a new level!