Honeymoon Trip to Hawaii

We stayed at the very posh Princeville Resort. This hotel was absolutely fabulous. It reminded us of a seen out of the “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”. We almost expected Robin Leach to pop put and give us tour.

The entrance has an elegant statue in the center of a pond and the foyer is decorated in dark marble and roman columns.

We stayed in the Princeville Jr. Suite ($850 per night and 1,000 square feet), however if you are a member of Starwood Preferred Guest Program you qualify for a 35% discount.

We stayed in room 1017, which had a breathtaking view of the Hanalei Bay. The room also had a pop-up television, a Jacuzzi bath tube and electronically controlled privacy windows. The came wired with surround sound and had fully retractable windows to allow the ocean breeze to permeate the room.

The Beach was awesome and some what secluded. The beach concierge rents out snorkel gear for $7 per hour or $20 per day (best to rent elsewhere). To my chagrin, drinks average about $11 each, note to self, don’t order four Mia Ti’s, when two will do.

The work out room was awesome.

In the “Living Room”, a very upscale lounge has live entertainment each night and a Hawaiian sunset dance ritual. The sunset viewing is awesome and a must see.

The food there is great but very expensive. Parking is $15 per day whether you vallet or self park.

If we go back to Kauai, the Princeville Resort is where we will be staying.

If you only have time for one activity, this is the one to do! The Jason, our pilot, was excellent and very smooth. They know Kauai very well and show you the best of it.

We could not have imagined not doing the helicopter tour. The island takes on a whole new meaning for the air. We saw where they filmed Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Arc. The coast line is breath taking, the waterfalls simply stunning and the rain forest was mystical.

Our copter ride was smooth and comfortable. When boarding  they tell you that it’s okay to stand fully upright, but I did not trust them and walked in and out of the craft hunched over. On board they gave us headsets to hear the theme music and to talk to the pilot and each other.

Some words of advice, bring a video camera, pictures alone don’t do it justice. Also wear a black or very dark outfit, light colors reflect in the window and will show up in your photos.

At $209 each, this 60 minute ride was worth every dime. We heard from others that shorter duration rides (30/45 min) left you wanting more. It was worth spending the extra $30 per person to get the extended ride.

Next time I plan to take a ride on a "doors-off" helicopter.

An additional note, most helicopter rides take off from near the airport.