Kauai, HI

We love snorkeling and this trip we tried Snuba for the first time and we loved it. Poipu Beach, Lawaii Beach, and Ke'e Beach were the best places we saw for snorkeling.

Taking a drive to the far north side of the island (we stayed in the south) was definitely worth the trip. You pass through all different kinds of scenery and when you get to the far north it becomes like a tropical rain forest. Be sure to check out the town of Hanalei -- do some shopping, eat lunch, get a shave ice, and then head on down to Ke'e Beach.

The other great thing to do in Kauai is EAT!!! Have lunch or dinner at Keoki's and be sure to have a sunset dinner at The Beach House.

Quick Tips:

The best tip would be to buy The Ultimate Kauai Guide Book. This is a great tourbook on Kauai and really helped us pinpoint what to spend our time on.

Be sure to bring good hiking/walking shoes (like Tevas). Many beautiful places can be seen by a five minute walk through dirt or somewhat rocky terrain. We had our flip flops on and still went to these places, but I wish I had my Tevas.

If you go to Queen's Bath (which I definitely recommend), be SURE to go at low tide. We went at high tide and were not able to swim. It looked like so much fun that I definitely want to hit that spot again when we return to Kauai.

Also, hike (five minutes) to Kipu Falls and swim in the refreshing lagoon and try out the giant rope swing. Very fun!

Best Way To Get Around:

By far, convertible rental car. It's worth the extra expense!

Best Things Nearby:
Beach and beautiful surroundings.

Best Things About the Resort:
It's near the beach and it has a very nice pool and jacuzzi area.

Resort Experience:
We were a little bit disappointed by this resort as we expected a little more from the Embassy chain. There were quite a few things that didn't work in our room, including the air conditioning. They would come and fix them fairly promptly, but it was still a little bit of a pain. There were only wall air conditionings in the two bedrooms and the living room area got much too hot. Also, the beach nearby is NOT a good swimming or snorkeling beach.

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

We went to Keoki's for lunch on our first day on the island. We had fish tacos and were very impressed with the food and fun "Hawaiian" atmosphere.

If you are on the Poipu area of the island, The Beach House is a must! Be SURE to make reservations in advance in order to dine while watching the sun set over the ocean. We arrived a little bit late (the sun had already set) and couldn't take full advantage of the beautiful view, however, we still had a wonderful dining experience. Especially good for a romantic dinner.

Brenneke's is a great burger/bar/hangout place to go. They have tons of pictures of the area on the walls (lots of pictures of how the area looked after the hurricane) and the service was very friendly. We all had burgers and lava flows, while watching the sun set over Poipu Beach.

Poipu Beach area has moderate to good snorkeling, however, we were more impressed with the snorkeling at the Lawaii Beach area (this is right near The Beach House restaurant and across the street from the Lawaii Beach resort). The beach does not look very impressive, however, the snorkeling is great. We also did Snuba in this area and had a great experience.

Ke'e Beach (farthest north you can go) was an exceptionally beautiful beach that looked like it had great snorkeling, however, we could have kicked ourselves as we forgot our snorkel gear and you can't rent it at the beach. Get there early! There is limited parking and it does get busy, but it's definitely worth it.

Poipu Beach is a great place to just hang out or take the family to the beach. There's a secluded little lagoon area that's great for little kids to swim, you can snorkel or just lay out.

Lawaii Beach is a great snorkeling beach but not a great beach to just hang out at.

We wanted to find a beach that was a little bit off the beaten path and found Salt Pond Beach on the west shore. This was a good beach to lay out, swim, and take a nap under the coconut trees. There isn't good snorkeling. I felt like we were the only tourists, as it was mostly locals at the beach.

Queen's Bath is actually a swimming hole at the rocky shore of the ocean. It's a fun walk in and is a unique experience. Be sure to go at low tide.

Ke'e Beach is the farthest you can go on the north side of the island and is a spectacular setting. This also seemed like a good snorkeling beach, but we had forgotten our gear.

Shipwreck Beach (at the Hyatt and near the Embassy) is NOT a good beach to swim or snorkel. It is a nice place to lay out and is one of the spots to boogie board. The four of us tried out boogie boarding at this beach and it was pretty thrilling. I got pummeled into the sand more than once and we all left with cuts, bruises, and sand burns (as weird as this sounds, we also had fun). I definitely wouldn't send my kids out there!