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Kauai Overview/DansMeals:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/39185

Trip Reports:
Dan 2014
Dan 2009, Auntiemus, Benarroc, Westman812, Hudi, Yellow, Lechaim2life, DanFan2010, Jmansour, Something Fishy, Rivky, chuchem, dealvr, Amusch,
Tzadik Nistar, an613, @Yehuda, @Ygygold, Wizmanison 2017, CGR

Dan's concierge packet.


Related DDF Threads:
-Big Island Of Hawaii Master Thread
-Kauai Master Thread
-Maui Master Thread
-Oahu Master Thread


Before you go:

How long should I go for?
You could spend 10 years on Kauai and not get your fill. That being said, the bare minimum to enjoy your stay is 4 days on the ground. A week is ideal.

It's possible to do a short trip by leaving early Sunday morning, getting there in the afternoon, and then leaving Thursday night and being back home for shabbos.

Do I need a guide book?
Very definitely. Sure you could find most info online, but nothing compares to a good, written-by-a-local, guide book. Kauai Revealed is by far the best option, and will possibly be the best $16 you spent on your trip.

What about Shabbos?
Some authorities hold that there's a dateline issue with Shabbos.
The local communities keep shabbos on Saturday.
Definitely ask your LOR before you go - some hold simply that Shabbos is on Saturday, some hold that you have to keep Shabbos on both Friday and Saturday, and some hold that you have to keep D'oreisas on Friday and full Shabbos on Saturday.

If you must keep 2 days, remember that there are many questions that could come up (such as when to light Shabbos candles, how to warm up food, etc.), so make sure to discuss it all with your LOR.

There have been books written about the Chabad opinion of keeping shabbos only on Saturday. Rabbi Aharon Dovid Gancz gives an absolutely fascinating pilpul on the topic, if you get a chance to attend one please record it (with permission) and upload the video online.


Getting there and getting around:

Air:
The main airport is in Lihue, and is designated LIH.
You could fly directly from the mainland to LIH from
DEN (UA)
LAX (AA, DL, HA, UA)
OAK (AS, HA)
SAN (AS)
SEA (AS)
SFO (UA)
SJC (AS)
PDX (AS)
PHX (US)
YVR (WestJet)

There are no direct flights from the East coast, so you will stop in one of these cities.
Alternately, you could fly directly to Honolulu (HNL) and continue to LIH from there.

Hawaiian, Go, and Island Air fly interisland to LIH from HNL and OGG. There are no direct flights between LIH and the Big Island (ITO/KOA).

You can also use 5K AA or, 6k UA, or 7.5k HA miles each way to fly interisland. United allows a free stopover on a round-trip, so for instance you can fly HNL-LIH-OGG-HNL for just 12K miles.

Car:
A car is necessary on Kauai. All major companies have branches, mostly at the airport. There are also some local companies.

National has Executive Aisle/Selection at the airport, but Hertz doesn't have Gold Choice. Avis also has a desk at the Grand Hyatt Kauai. Check out www.discounthawaiicarrental.com - they book from the major brands, and are worth a try.

There's nothing like a convertible on Kauai, but a 4WD is better (sometimes even necessary) for certain places such as Polihale Beach or Milolii Ridge Road. Taking a convertible for most of your stay and a 4WD for a day or two is a good idea.


Where to stay:

There are 3 major areas where to stay. The South side is drier so good weather is more or less guaranteed. The North side is far prettier, with sheer cliffs and a backdrop of lovely green mountains. However, the weather in winter could be rainy and it can be buggy as well.
The rain typically doesn't last long, and is usually accompanied by numerous rainbows, so it's usually not too bad. However, it's something you should take into account. The East side has the cities of Lihue and Kapa'a, alone with countless hotels and resorts. This area isn't as beautiful and the North or South side.

When choosing an area also consider how far it is to your chosen activities, not just the weather, For example, it takes about an hour from the Grand Hyatt to Waimea Canyon, but over two hours from the St. Regis.  On the other hand the St. Regis is much closer to north shore activities.

Here are some places that are discussed in this thread:

NameAreaMore InfoComments
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Grand Hyatt KauaiSouth sideWebsiteGenerally considered to be the top hotel on Kauai, and countless DDF'ers have stayed there. The weather is perfect year-round, it's right by Poipu beach, and you drive through an awesome tree tunnel to get there. There are countless pools and exotic birds all around.
St. Regis PrincevilleNorth sideWebsiteAnother beautiful hotel, this is an SPG category 7. The setting of the SRP is absolutely breathtaking, with the ocean crashing on the cliffs below and the waterfall-filled mountains in the background. The views from the rooms are unparalleled, but most rooms have no balconies.
Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas North sideWebsiteSPG category 6.
Sheraton Kauai Resort South sideWebsiteSPG category 5.
"Get your own place"AnywhereWebsiteThere are countless condos, timeshares, or villas available to rent on the island. The advantages are that you get more for your money - a couple of bedrooms, living/dining rooms, and a full kitchen. There will usually be a pool, sometimes even a private one. Additionally, they're often cheaper than a hotel. There are many places to find them -
 HomeAway Kauai
VRBO Kauai
Airbnb Kauai, etc.


What to do:

Beaches:
There are countless beaches on Kauai, and all are public. Most offer amazing snorkeling. The East and South side beaches are safe for swimming / snorkeling year round, while some North and West beaches could be deadly in winter. Here are some popular ones, in no particular order:

NameAreaComments
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PoipuSouth sideThis beach is right by the GHK. Full amenities (lifeguard, showers, etc.). Snorkeling is amazing here, especially in the morning. Sea turtles and the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal are commonly seen here. Gorgeous sunsets.
Ke'eNorth sideThis beach is the gateway to the famous Kalalau Trail. The view from here is amazing, looking out over the majestic Na Pali cliffs. Great snorkeling, with a large fringing reef. This beach could be deadly winter, when 20-foot waves crash onto shore. However, at times it's perfectly calm. Use common sense. The beach is part of Hāʻena State Park
TunnelsNorth sideBeautiful crescent beach, with a lovely view of "Puff the Magic Dragon" mountain. Great snorkeling, and beautiful sunrises. May be dangerous in winter.
LumahaiNorth sideVery pretty beach, where they filmed South Pacific. Extremely dangerous winter.
PolihaleWest side17 solid miles of uninterrupted sand. Fairly remote, and accessible only via dirt and sand road, so 4WD is preferred. Unswimmable most of the year, but the area called Queens Pond is safe all year round. Since it's so huge, you could easily find a secluded spot. Great view of the south side of Na Pali, with amazing sunsets.
Queen's BathNorth sideThis is a rocky beach by the cliffs under Princeville. Very cool during the summer, when you could swim in a rock pool with the fish, but absolutely deadly during the winter (people die there all the time).
KalalauNorth sideOne of the most beautiful beaches in the entire world. Unfortunately, it's only accessible via one of the most difficult and most dangerous hikes in the world, the Kalalau Trail.
HonopūNorth sideAnother one of the top ten beaches in the world. The only way to get there is by swimming - from Kalalau beach :o!
Hanalei BayNorth sideA beautiful crescent beach with wonderful views. Mediocre snorkeling, but safe even in the winter. Very predictable waves, so this is the top spot for learning to surf or paddle. Breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.
SecretNorth sideRelatively secluded beach, and needs a bit of a hike to get there.
LydgateEast sideA fully protected beach, with pretty good snorkeling. Great for little kids, but is usually very busy.
NawiliwiliEast sideBoring beach, but the park of the the side is a nice place to stop for lunch and watch the kitesurfers.
Kapa'aEast sideAnother relatively boring beach, but a nice place to have lunch if you're in Kapa'a.


Hiking:
There are a tremendous amount of great hikes on Kauai. Check the Kauai Revealed book for detailed info on all of them, with maps, difficulty ratings, etc. These are just a few which are discussed in this thread:

NameAreaComments
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hike 1Area 1Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Hike 2Area 2Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.


Other activities:

ActivityComments
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Helicopter toursEasily the most expensive activity on Kauai, and easily the most amazing. You get to see otherwise inaccessible places - among others, you fly into Waimea Canyon, along the stunning Na Pali coast, and into the crater of the extinct Mount Waiʻaleʻale, now the wettest place on earth. It's an experience that could simply not be matched. Blue Hawaiian is the most popular and usually recommended. Jack Harter also flies amazing doors-off tours, which are wet, windy, and exhilirating :D.
Powered hang glidingThis is a unique flight lesson (counts a flying time for a pilot's license) in what's basically a motorized tricycle with wings. Supposed to be tremendous fun. Offered by Birds in Paradise.
Waimea CanyonLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Kalalau Valley overlookLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Hanalei Valley overlook
Kayaking
Biking
ATVing
Horseback riding
Ziplining
Cruises
4 Wheel Driving


Shopping:
  • Costco in Lihue has some kosher food, as well as the cheapest gas on the island
  • Wal-Mart, also in Lihue, also has some kosher food

« Last edited by cgr on February 24, 2022, 09:16:59 PM »

Author Topic: Kauai, HI Master Thread  (Read 962372 times)

Offline robi

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #440 on: July 26, 2012, 12:55:02 AM »
Well my wife and i took captain andy raft tour from kikiaola (45 min drive from GHK) on our last day in kauai and i can tell you it was one of the best activity/adventure we did. We were blessed by a beautiful day and our captain Ted told us straight from the beginning that he would do his best to do the entire napali coast (which he did!) and we entered 3 different caves and snorkeled 45 min. He didnt even care that we ran 10 min late (4 hours total) and was happy about the ride and the experience just like it was his first time (he s been doing it for 30 yrs) and thats exactly what i am looking for when on a tour.
+1, had the same experience. Only downside was the crappy snorkeling
"I'd rather be hated for who I am, then loved for who I'm not"

Offline Yossi.

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #441 on: July 26, 2012, 01:04:28 AM »
Only downside was the crappy snorkeling
+1 but we dont really do napali coast for the snorkeling ;)
But actually when i was snorkeling there, another raft arrived and threw some food in the sea and at that point i had maybe 60-70 fishes all around me. That's where i took the best close-up pictures. Their guide actually caught a fish bear hands from his boat.

Offline sky121

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Re: Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #442 on: July 26, 2012, 09:25:41 AM »
+1 but we dont really do napali coast for the snorkeling ;)
But actually when i was snorkeling there, another raft arrived and threw some food in the sea and at that point i had maybe 60-70 fishes all around me. That's where i took the best close-up pictures. Their guide actually caught a fish bear hands from his boat.

Sounds fun- any pictures?
"Not all who wander are lost"

Offline Dovi84w

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #443 on: July 26, 2012, 09:59:10 AM »
sounds fun. the Kauai revealed recommends from the north shore so was just curious if anyone did from there

Offline robi

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #444 on: July 26, 2012, 10:22:20 AM »
I did captain Andy's from both, truth be told,I wouldn't drive all the way to the north shore from GHK again, it was a bit nicer, but hard to justify the extra driving imho
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Re: Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #445 on: July 26, 2012, 10:42:44 AM »
Sounds fun- any pictures?
One of the 1,350 pictures taken on that trip :)


Offline mbmiles88

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #446 on: July 26, 2012, 01:24:38 PM »
Dan,

I will be staying at the Hyatt as a Diamond in a few days using free nights from the Hyatt card. Any advice on how to score a suite? Thanks.

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #447 on: July 26, 2012, 03:22:06 PM »
I did captain Andy's from both, truth be told,I wouldn't drive all the way to the north shore from GHK again, it was a bit nicer, but hard to justify the extra driving imho
Thanks for info

Offline MLM

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #448 on: July 30, 2012, 03:18:16 AM »
Just curious anyone want to make a minyan at the GHK this week. We are 4 guys will be there Mon Tues Wed.


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Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #449 on: July 31, 2012, 02:10:22 AM »
Checked in got gorgeous ocean suite!!! This place is awesome!! Thx Dan!

Offline Dan

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #450 on: July 31, 2012, 10:24:46 AM »
Checked in got gorgeous ocean suite!!! This place is awesome!! Thx Dan!
Pics please!
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #451 on: August 01, 2012, 03:34:35 AM »
Is anyone is interested in buying a raffle ticket for a 1 week stay at an Exclusive Private Ocean-Front Estate?

this is a Fundraiser for the Chabad in Kauai (a.k.a GANI)

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #452 on: August 12, 2012, 09:37:41 PM »
got back from kauai friday. Had agreat time, thanks to Dan and forum members who helped with all the planning and deals!

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #453 on: August 12, 2012, 10:25:19 PM »
Just came across these. Better late than never!!
"Not all who wander are lost"

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #454 on: August 12, 2012, 10:27:56 PM »
And more...
"Not all who wander are lost"

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #455 on: August 12, 2012, 10:33:38 PM »
.
"Not all who wander are lost"

Offline Something Fishy

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Grand Hyatt Kauai Question
« Reply #456 on: August 15, 2012, 12:16:27 AM »
I'm going to Hawaii in November - 4 days on Kauai and 5 on the Big Island. I booked a house on the Big Island through Homeaway, and I'm trying to sort out Kauai now. I'd love to stay in the Grand Hyatt in an ocean view suite, which for 4 nights (11/11-11/15) is an insane $4001.84.

I'm quite confused at this point and can't figure out how to go about it. If anyone could help, please do!

I currently have 70k and 50k MR (two separate accounts). I also have signup bonuses for the Visa Sapphire and United cards pending (should come through at the end of either this month or the next). I don't have any Hyatt status.

Here are my options as I see it:

I could sell some MR points and use it to pay for a standard room, then transfer 6k UR to Hyatt for a suite upgrade for the entire stay. This would still cost me $1728.90, far more than I would like to spend.

I could also get a standard room through Priceline, where I'll pay about $180/night according to BetterBidding. The question then is if I could use the 6k for a suite upgrade. I couldn't find a definitive answer to that anywhere.

I'm also wondering about buying someone's free stays - but I have no idea how that would work as far as a suite, names on the reservation, status, etc.

I don't think that using UR for this is the best idea, since I won't even have enough for two suite nights. In any case, the point are still not showing up for a bit, and I'm worried about cutting it too close as far as availability.

Any ideas?
« Last Edit: August 15, 2012, 12:23:02 AM by Something Fishy »
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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #457 on: August 15, 2012, 12:30:32 AM »
Suite upgrade on Priceline is YMMV but very unlikely
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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #458 on: August 27, 2012, 04:27:21 PM »
Anyone at the GH Kauai this week?

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #459 on: August 28, 2012, 09:43:58 AM »
Anyone at the GH Kauai this week?

Just came back....Weather was great though.