I first visited Kauai with my husband during a small weekend away. I had never heard that much about Kauai other than prepare to be stunned and amazed by its lush tropical beauty and by of course Waimea Canyon, commonly referred to as "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific" by writer Mark Twain.
My husband and I arrived at the airport on a cloudy Saturday morning, picked up our luggage, which by the way was waiting on us at the luggage claim area, signed our agreement with Avis Rental Car, which is located right across the street from the luggage claim area and we were then on our way to see a bit of the local area.
As we drove from the airport towards our hotel in Poipu we were truly stunned by the lush vegetation, the magnificent and awe-inspiring mountains, the smell of tropical flowers and the serenade of local birds, yet something, somehow seemed to be different.
It took us both about half a day to figure out what was so out of the ordinary. Unlike Oahu with its hustle and bustle, The Big Island with its truly Aloha spirit, or Maui with its kind of party atmosphere, Kauai was very quiet and reserved. There were vehicles here or there that we passed, yet we couldn’t shake the feeling that we had just arrived on a remote paradise island inhabited by quiet and watchful natives.
As we neared Poipu there were definite signs that we were getting more and more into the "touristy" area. Here and there we saw shave ice stands, small bars, pubs, local restaurants and clothing stores all advertising in bright colors to those passing by, however our interest at that time was to get straight to the hotel and get settled and then check out the local highlights.
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency, a resort off a supposedly superb golf course but also located right off a rather rocky beach. Once being greeted with lei’s made of plumerias and checking in we got right back into the car to take in a bit of the scenery.
I have to advise anyone planning to visit Kauai for a short trip to have an agreed upon travel plan already in mind. This is a somewhat small island but it is also a very mountainous one. The roads are a lot of ups and downs and lefts and rights. It’s best to sit down with a map prior to even visiting because otherwise you spend too much needless time figuring out "what do we do next?"
We first came upon a small shopping center that we had passed earlier on our way from the airport to our hotel and decided to make a quick stop. It seemed like there really was very little demand in this area as there were only about 5 to 10 stores out of approximately 30 that were actually open. We spoke with a few locals at a gift shop selling locally made products, such as delicious pina colada fudge, chocolate macadamia nut fudge and wind chimes and picture frames made out of Koa wood and while they were friendly they also seemed somewhat reserved and quiet.
My advice to anyone who is looking to relax, meet some of the more friendly locals as well as being reasonably close to local tourist attractions is to stay in the Lihue vicinity. During my second weekend trip to Kauai with my husband and our friends we stayed at a two-bedroom timeshare condo by Outrigger right outside of Lihue and we all found that there was an abundance of shops, scenic areas, and restaurants.
We were amazed by beautiful waterfalls, stunned by the cliffs, mountains, and excellent views of Waimea Canyon, got quite a few good deals on the roadsides as we drove along, and even managed to stop for an ice cream in the afternoon at a local TCBY.
I feel that this island, while relaxed, and quiet is also a good place for anyone wishing to get away from it all. Its scenic beauty, historic towns, and remoteness make this tropical island a great travel destination.