Offbeat Kauai

Best of IgoUgo

A travel journal to Kauai by Love the Beach

Quote: Here are some ideas that could enrich your trip to Kauai, and provide you with some fun. The recipients of these ideas will think you're a real insider--read on

Offbeat Kauai

Overview

Quote:

ust wanted you to know there’s something else in the food line that you can take home from Kauai besides the tried-and true coffee and macadamia nuts: HULI-HULI SAUCE (pronounced WHO- leeWHO- lee) We first discovered this stuff in the door of a friend’s refrigerator when we were house-sitting on Maui. Less sweet and more ginger-y than teriaki sauce, it can be used as a table sauce for rice, chicken or pork and it also makes a fabulous marinade. You will get hooked on it, so buy plenty. It comes in 24 OZ plastic bottles with bright yellow labels with red hibiscus on them–under .50. Almost impossible to find on the mainland.Quick Tips: eed an idea for something to let kids an...Read More

Quick Tips:

eed an idea for something to let kids and family know you are thinking of them while they are home shoveling snow and you are basking on white-sand beaches?? Mail them a coconut!! Take an indelible fine felt tip pen with you, so you’ll be all set when the opportunity strikes–hopefully NOT on your head. Find a brown coconut-they are lighter because they have dried, and you’re going to mail this, remember? They are all over in Kauai, just keep your eyes open when driving down to that 'secret' beach. Write on the flat side, address it, take it to the local post office, and have it weighed. Post offices are in each town on Kauai because we have P.O. boxes instead of door-to-door delivery, so it won’t be difficult to find one. This is lots of fun for you and the recipient.

Best Way To Get Around:

United Airlines operates a once-a-day flight from Los Angeles to Lihue, Hawaii at around 5 p.m. that gets you to Kauai in time for a late dinner. The return flight is a red eye that lets you stay on Kauai all day before departing at around 9 p.m. We like to go to Dukes at the Kauai Marriot for dinner before departing--about 5 minutes away from the airport. Wonderful salad bar! By the way, NOT going to Kauai via Honolulu saves about 5 precious vacation hours on a round trip journey. You all know that you can spend Delta Skymiles for a United ticket, don't you?? Read Less

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Sunshine Markets

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Quote:

Sunshine Markets -Make it a point to find out when the local farmers markets are in the area of Kauai where you are staying. This is a great way to meet the locals, sample many exotic home- grown fruits and veggies, buy big bunches of tropical blossoms to brighten your hotel room, and learn a lot about soap making, goat cheese production, or pineapple cultivation, or whatever else interests you. Once I bought some vegetable-type green things from a Filipino woman at the Kilauea Sunshine Market (Thursdays@4:30) These critters looked like okra on steroids! She pantomimed that I would need to steam them and then eat by pulling through the teeth–similar to eating artichokes. They were g...Read More

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Grocery Shopping?

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Quote:

rocery Shopping? You’ve undoubtedly heard about the price of food in the grab a cart and start down the aisles–instead go to customer service and ap islands–everything is imported, after all.

Foodland and Safeway markets each have their own versions of the market card which give you special prices on many food items. So don’t just ply for a card. You, as a visitor, are eligible for one–Takes about five minutes to fill out the form-and you get a temporary card for your whole vacation. These cards have saved me personally hundreds of dollars

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Fabulous Freebies

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Quote:

Fabulous Freebies–Starting at the airport, and then outside many shops, markets, and restaurants on Kauai, you will see racks of tourists’ magazines. Two we find especially useful: MENU, Kauai’s Guide to Dining & Shopping and 101 Things to do on Kauai. These are full of information and tips, and are yours for the taking. A third: Homes and Land of Kauai will have pictures of houses to die for--head right over to the area mentioned in the magazine--and remember: There are no private beaches in Hawaii--but use discretion!

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A Nutty Idea

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Quote:

Need an idea for something to let kids and family know you are thinking of them while they are home shoveling snow and you are basking on white-sand beaches?? Mail them a COCONUT!! Take an indelible fine felt tip pen with you, so you’ll be all set when the opportunity strikes–hopefully NOT on your head. Find a brown coconut-they are lighter because they have dried out, and you’re going to mail this, remember? They are all over in Kauai, just keep your eyes open when driving down to that “secret” beach. Write on the flat side, address it, take it to the local post office, and have it weighed. Post offices are in each town on Kauai because we have P.O. boxes instead of door-to-door de...Read More

Cheer!
Flag

Do the Huili-Huili

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Quote:

Just wanted you to know there’s something else in the food line that you can take home from Kauai besides the tried-and true coffee and macadamia nuts: HULI-HULI SAUCE (pronounced WHO- leeWHO- lee) We first discovered this stuff in the door of a friend’s refrigerator when we were house-sitting on Maui. Less sweet and more ginger-y than teriaki sauce, it can be used as a table sauce for rice, chicken or pork and it also makes a fabulous marinade. You will get hooked on it, so buy plenty. It comes in 24 OZ plastic bottles with bright yellow labels with red hibiscus on them–under $2.50. Almost impossible to find on the mainland.

Cheer!
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About the Writer

Love the Beach
Surfside Colony, California

"Have second home on the island of Kauai. Have traveled extensively for years staying at off beat, in..."
5 journals
0 photos
15 reviews

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