Kauai - Fitting it all into 8 days

Kauai, the Garden Island of Hawaii, is a favorite for many and near the top for most. If you are looking for the Hawaii of old, it can be found here (in some places). Yes, the island has been developed quite a bit in the last 10 years, but it's still got plenty of the charm that first made Hawaii famous. If you can go without the wild nightclubs and bars of Oahu and Maui and prefer the wilderness experience, quiet beaches, and untamed jungle, try Kauai - you won't be disappointed.

Quick Tips:

Timeshare presentations at the new Marriott resorts, as well as other, older properties, are a great way to save cash on activities or your hotel stay, but be prepared to deal with a high-pressure salesman (or three) for two hours on one of your mornings. It's a Hawaii money-saving tourist tradition. I also highly recommend the "Ultimate Kauai Guidebook" available at most mainland bookstores. It was easily the best guide we found.

Best Way To Get Around:

You ABSOLUTELY need a rental car - and I highly recommend getting one that you can take to Polihale on the south shore - we did it in an Oldsmobile Alero (don't tell the rental car company!), but as long as you don't get the bare-bones, 4-cylinder put-putter, you should be fine. In order to see Kauai in all its beauty, though, you need a car.

Best Things Nearby:
Poipu Beach, Waimea Canyon, Poipu Bay Golf Course

Best Things About the Resort:
AMAZING pool and water features - excellent food, beautiful gardens and grounds, friendly staff, open-air lobby

Resort Experience:
The Hyatt Regency Kauai is widely considered to be one of the top two choices on Kauai (sharing that same status with the Princeville Resort). Though they both price out simiilarly, they could not be more different. The Hyatt Regency Kauai is a plantation-style, low-rise hotel with beautiful gardens, a series of riverpools with a waterslide, a large saltwater lagoon, and excellent dining.

This is truly the paradise mega-resort that one envisions when they think of a Hawaiian paradise - amazing colors, fruity drinks, coconut trees, and sunshine. It's a great place for honeymooners and families alike, with a mix of activities that would suit both nicely.

For a special treat, hike out to the rock bluff on the beach behind the hotel and watch the sunset.

• Unit Type: Studio
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Coconuts, though cheesy and set by itself off the highway, has excellent food with a fun atmostphere. The furniture is made of coconut tree wood and is shockingly heavy. Overall, the food was excellent - price-wise, it was reasonable comparitively speaking. Their specialty is a prepared Ono, which was quite possibly the best fish dish I have ever eaten. I've included a picture.

Don't turn your nose up at Coconuts just because it fronts the highway - it's worth a stop for a casual, tasty dinner.