Kauai - Dream of a Lifetime

Our 2 bedroom condo was brand new, in fact we were the first people to stay in our room, which gave us a few difficulties, but nothing major. The condo was spaced out well and beautifully decorated in traditional Hawaiian art. A beautiful sea shell painting hung in the living room and a large bird of paradise plant stood in the corner. The entire living room was made to appear even larger by a full length wall mirror hanging on one wall.

The kitchen was well stocked with everything we could ever need. There was an adequate supply of dishes and pans which were all brand new. The washing machine was great for loading, then leaving, enabling us time to see the sites and still coming home to clean dishes.

Both bedrooms were grand, with a huge king size bed in the master bedroom and a queen in the other bedroom. There were TV's in each bedroom and a DVD at the TV in the living room. The couch in the living room was also a hide-away, but we didn't use either the spare bedroom or the hideaway since we left the kids at home!

The unit also came with plenty of towels, and even extras for use at the fantastic pool. We took full use of the washer and dryer in the unit, and appreciated the policy of not washing or drying after 10 pm to restrict noise in the resort. The smaller amenities like coffee and dishsoap were also provided, and gave us enough that we didn't have to buy any from the local store.

The pool area was fabulous and unique. At one end two waterfalls cascade into the pool from a rocky ledge. The pool tiles on the pool floor also include a variety of sea turtle and mermaid murals. Near the shallow end a rocky wall separates the "kiddy" pool from the rest of the pool. The smaller pool has a sand bottom and gently slope toward a "beach". This sand beach then transitions into the beach volleyball court.

The resort offers numerous daily activities for the entire family. We did many of these organized activities like painting coconut postcards, fishing off the Hanalei pier, traveling to a luau, and even getting together for a resort-wide potluck. They offered door prizes at many of the activities and although we never won, they were all memorable!

The resort was fantastic and I would definitely stay here again. We did not have an ocean view, but the mountain view was fabulous!

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

We saw trigger fish, trumpet fish, zebra colored fish, and even fish with rainbow colors. We identified brain coral, and shelf coral. The water was calm and the reef was not too crowded. Once in a while you can get "tossed" in the current so stay away from snorkling on "top" of the huge lava rocks. Both my wife and I were scratched in this manner on our knees! Try to follow the "tunnels" through the rocks and out toward the reef drop off edges to see the more exotic species.

One drawback is parking. Get there early to get a parking spot!