The Garden Isle/Kauai North Shore

One thing that is a must is to do a helicopter ride. This is one of the best ways to see the island, since you can't drive over half because the island is covered in mountains. We flew through a rainbow, saw the most spectacular waterfalls - even the waterfall from Jurassic Park, learned history of the island, and the mountains themselves are majestic. They take your breath away.

Quick Tips:

Also, go snorkeling on Ke'e Beach. This is the beach at the end of the road past Hanalei. Get there early because parking is not abundant. The water is very shallow and clear. Great for children, and there are plenty of trees for shade. This a great place for snorkeling - we got great pictures with our underwater camera - and you can see sea turtles in their natural environment, they just come up next to you. Scared me to death! But worth it!

Best Way To Get Around:

Getting a car is a must. Towns are spread out and having a car lets you explore!

Best Things Nearby:
Town of Princeville is a hop, skip and a jump from the resort. Here you have a couple of restaurants, a grocery store, ice cream palor and shops and a gas station. There is a wonderful overlook where you can stop and check out the scenery and take pictures.

Best Things About the Resort:
This is a great place to stay. The units are only 3 levels; we were on the 2nd level and had a wraparound porch. This resort does not have airconditioning but on the North Shore there was no need. You could keep the windows open and each room had ceiling fans. Plus it never gets too hot up there so it's always comfortable. The bathrooms had whirlpool bathtubs and a separate shower!

Resort Experience:
The units are only 3 levels. We were on the 2nd level and had a wraparound porch. This resort does not have airconditioning, but on the North Shore there was no need. You could keep the windows open and each room had ceiling fans. Plus it never gets too hot up there, so it's always comfortable. The bathrooms had whirlpool bathtubs and a separate shower! Also with the full kitchen, we were able to cook our own meals on a couple of different nights.

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

Kauai by air is amazing! This is the most wonderful way to see any island, and Kauai is the one place I highly recommend seeing by air. We went with Island Helicopters, who we found out had the best deal after doing some research on the Internet. Our pilot was very friendly and full of information. He also had many years of flying experience, which made me feel better. We flew through a rainbow and saw the most spectacular waterfalls--Jurassic Park Falls, Fantasy Island Falls--it's worth the trip! And just seeing the Na Pali coast from above makes you feel very small. This is just a spectacular formation and massive. From the air you can see hiking trails that hug the side of the mountain--it made me want to keep my feet on the ground.

We did not have any problems with motion sickness. I got a bit queasy when we lifted off but focused on looking around me, and that took care of that! Do the helicopter tour! It's worth it!