Kauai

There is so much variety in the things you can do on lush, gorgeous Kauai. I'm not usually big on driving a lot, but this island offers such stunning views that driving around it is a delight. It's hard to ever get lost because there's only one major road that circles the island, although, for some odd reason, they change the number of the highway depending on what town you are in.

There’re four major sides. The east side is where the airport is and the most built up. There are beaches and many restaurants and shops, including a mall and Wal-Mart. Lihue and Kappa are the only areas that have traffic problems. The speed limit for the highway in this area is 25mph, but chances are you won't be going that fast. Because of the traffic congestion, it was my least favorite part of the island. We did spend some time there to shop and do the Fern Grotto River Cruise. There are also waterfalls you can see from outlooks is this area.

The south side takes 30 to 45 minutes to get to, and there are many beaches in this area. Poipu Beach is a good family beach and a good beach for beginning snorkelers. There's also Lawaii Beach, which has good snorkeling, and if you are lucky, there'll be a monk seal on the beach. You can also take intro shore scuba lessons through several vendors at Koala Landing. Other things to do are Spouting Horn and the botanical gardens. The south side has the best weather on the island.

The west is the dry side, so it's mostly not as lush the main attraction, Waiema Canyon, which is a must-do no matter which side you stay on. Waiema is the farthest west you can go, as the rest is inaccessible by car.

The north side, which is about 2 hours from the west, is the lushest side, and its main towns are Hanalei and Princeville. Princeville has many condos and is an upscale residential area. Hanalei is a quaint little town in a valley, and the road that goes through there leads to many beaches and ends at Ha'ena State Park. Ko'kee Beach offers good snorkeling and some shade. It's also where the 11-mile trail through the Napali coast begins. The north is the rainiest side, especially in winter and spring.

Quick Tips:

If you need to stay in a hotel in Kappa or Lihue, you can get a good deal through Priceline. Make sure you pick up the discount tourists books at the airport or one of the other tourist locations on the island. There are many good coupons in them. If you purchase anything at Hilo Hatties, ask for their coupon page, as it has many coupons not available elsewhere. For example, two-for-one deals for the Fern Grotto River Cruise, the Kauai Museum, and a few restaurants.

Best Way To Get Around:

You really need a car to enjoy the whole island. If you are unable to drive, staying in the Kappa area would be best. There would be several beaches and plenty of restaurants and shops to choose from.

Best Things Nearby:
Hanalei, Kokee State Park, Napali coast, Princeville Ranch Zip Line, and Kailua

Best Things About the Resort:
Upscale units with two Jacuzzis in each and the ocean views on the lush north side

Resort Experience:
We transferred to Shearwater on the north side for our second week in Kauai. The drive there was breathtaking. It took 1.5 hours to drive from the south side to the north side. The airport is halfway between the two sides.

The Shearwater is upscale, and the units themselves are nicely furnished. We were assigned to unit no. 112. I asked for a second-floor unit but was told that wasn't possible because there were only two exchangers there for the week.

The kitchen has everything you could probably imagine, from stemware to Tupperware. Strangely, though, they have the cabinets completely full, and there is no room for groceries. Unfortunately, the kitchen came with something undesirable - ants! As soon as we checked in, I noticed many tiny ants scouting around on the kitchen counters. I asked for them to be treated and was told it was the tropics and that they are part of life. I responded that it was my second week there and I didn't have ants a Lawaii Beach Resort. He said he'd send someone, but I don't believe anyone ever came. We battled ants all week. One night, I decided to read in bed and had a glass of soda on the night stand. I read for a half-hour and then picked up my glass - there were at least 100 tiny ants on it. It was disgusting and took away much of the pleasure of staying in a wonderfully appointed unit.

The other problem was cats and lots of them. I like cats, but we couldn't eat on the lanai because the one time we tried, they were jumping on the table to get at the food. As soon as we opened the sliding doors, they would come running, sometimes as many as 10 at a time. I do believe the cat and ant problem affects unit no. 112 more then other units since it is a bottom-end unit and built into the ground. I spoke to some people on the second floor, and they didn't have a problem.

What I enjoyed most was the Jacuzzi’s. The master bathroom has a Jacuzzi for two, and the second bedroom's is smaller. The master bedroom has a king-size bed, and the second bedroom has two full beds.

The resort itself has a clubhouse with free Internet usage, a small pool, and dingy hot tub. The hot tub and pool steps need resurfacing. The only resort activity we did was a potluck at Bali Hai, which was nice.

I wouldn't go back unless I would be confident of getting a second-floor unit, despite that I doubt there are more upscale timeshare units on Kauai because of the ants. I also wouldn't stay there in the winter, because even the first week of April was touchy with the weather compared to the south side the week before.

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

Best Things Nearby:
Beaches, Spouting Horn, Waimeia Canyon

Best Things About the Resort:
Nice units. Beautiful views from lanai. Beach across the street.

Resort Experience:
We stayed in a two-bedroom at the Lawaii Beach Resort the last week of March. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! We were lucky in unit placement--3rd floor, Alli building. I believe it was unit 1315. The views from this unit are fantastic! The lanai has a table and four chairs and a lounge chair and small side table.

The unit was comfortably appointed in pleasing colors. The kitchen was nicely equipped. We ate every meal on the lanai. The unit was very nice--not as upscale as Pahio Shearwater, but the views were better, and we had no ants. There is a TV and DVD player in the living room and web TV, which you can rent for $10 a week. The master bedroom has a king-size bed and sliding doors to the lanai, and you can see the ocean and listen to the surf from the bed. It also had a walk-in closet, which was a pleasant surprise. The second bedroom had two twin beds. There are two bathrooms, neither of which has a Jacuzzi.

There are several pools, and the Banyon pool has a nice rock hot tub with a waterfall but beware: the surfaces are very rough, and my daughter skinned her hand getting in. The Alli hot tub is a standard, round, smooth one. There are gas grills in the pool area. We hope to return to LBR and lush, beautiful Kauai again.

The south side has a lot of activities. We tried scuba and snorkeled at various locations. There was a monk seal on Lawaii beach one day too. It's also convenient to go to Waiema Canyon from there. The Beach House restaurant was very good for adults, but expensive--the children's menu left a lot to be desired for picky kids, because they put sauce on the grilled fish and onions in the rice. Brick-oven pizza was good.

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

We went to the breakfast buffet our first morning, and it was $12 a person. It is in a lovely sugar plantation. They had French toast, eggs, breakfast meats, homemade breads, pastries, and fruits. They also served Hawaiian juices and coffee. It was somewhat standard but tasty fare. We were seated at a table with a lovely view of their gardens. They provide a lei for the adult women, but decided to give my 12-year-old daughter one, too.

Afterwards, you can do a two-for-one carriage ride of their lovely and interesting grounds and see things like banana trees. I later saw in one of the tourist coupon books you pick up all over the place and at the airport that if you mention their ad, you can save 20% off their regular buffet price.

There are also several nice gift shops, including a glassmaker's shop, Hawaiian clothes shop, jewelry store, and pottery studio to browse through before or after your meal. It was a pleasant start to our trip!

We wanted to try zip lining and chose Princeville Ranch Zip N' Dip. There are two others in Kauai, one that only has one zip line that allows children 10 and over and a canopy tour on the south side, but you have to be 15. My 12-year-old really wanted to do it, so we chose the Princeville Ranch's version, which has a minimum age of 12. It was quite an adventure!

You are attached to a cable by a harness and zip across ravines etc. There were a total of eight zips. You start out with one that's probably about 100 feet to get comfortable with it. It's very safe, because the lines are made to hold 3,100 pounds, only one person goes at a time, and you have a backup cable. The weight range is 80 to 270 pounds. You need to weigh enough to zip across. The heavier you are, the faster you go. I never mastered the landings; some zippers could land on their feet, but I usually came in backwards, doing a crash landing. I'm definitely not athletic. It still turned out okay. They just said it was my style. They have slopes so you land safely. The longest zip is 750 feet.

You also go over a swinging bridge two at a time, are harnessed in for that, and can terrorize your partner by making the bridge really shake. Towards the end, you come upon their private swimming hole, complete with a waterfall. After swimming, and, yes, by then you'll definitely want to cool off, you have a picnic lunch, which consisted of self-made deli pita sandwiches, cut-up fruit, and cookies. It's a steep but short climb down, and the hardest part of the excursion was the steep climb back up. Did I mention I wasn't athletic?? If I can do it, just about anyone can.

The whole excursion lasted around 5 hours. It was exhilarating and a highlight of our trip. You can check out the various Kauai zip lines at http://www.trykauai.com/Kauai_Ziplines.htm.

We drove to Waimea Canyon from the south side, which took about 45 minute. It was a fun drive, even though it was twisty because there are ample shoulders. There are many scenic overlooks with breathtaking views. It doesn't even look real, and it's hard to get the pictures to do it justice. The canyon also abounds with waterfalls. Mark Twain dubbed it the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, but I can't imagine the Grand Canyon being more beautiful.

There are too many hikes to mention, but you can get a map at the visitor's center. Our hiking consisted of driving to each of the overlooks and "hiking" up to them. You can also see the private island of Nihau from one of the overlooks.

There are many, many of the Kauai chickens there, too. My daughter loved them (even the chickens are beautiful in Kauai). They sell chicken feed at the store and diner next to the visitor’s center. The diner has a very limited menu. Their specialty is chili. Make sure you stop at Jo Jo's Shave Ice in Waimea on the way back. It was another great day in Kauai!

We took the Fern Grotto river cruise despite some mixed reviews about it. It was very enjoyable. We were pleased to obtain a two-for-one coupon with a purchase from Hilo Hatties. You do need to ask for their coupons to get the page of coupons for various places. We were also able to use one of the other offers with purchase at Hilo Hatties, which are available in the tourist coupon books, and still get the free coupons. It was a boon to spend $10 and get a free box of chocolates and the coupons that saved us $20 off the boat trip, which is the adult price for a ticket.

You board a wooden river boat and are entertained by the crew as you travel downriver with history, corny jokes, and good-spirited songs. We passed quite a few kayakers on the river as we went. They also point out where a scene from Indiana Jones was filmed. It takes about a half-hour to get there.

Upon arriving, you walk up a sloping path to a stone amphitheater-type seating where they tell you about the history of the grotto. It’s a popular spot for weddings. After that, you go into the Fern Grotto, and while you are standing in the grotto, they play a Hawaiian wedding song and the hula maiden does a hula dance. Then you return to the boat. On the return trip, they do more songs and hula dances. It was well worth the cost (especially with the two-for-one coupon) and a pleasant experience.