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Kauai Overview/DansMeals:
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Trip Reports:
Dan 2014
Dan 2009, Auntiemus, Benarroc, Westman812, Hudi, Yellow, Lechaim2life, DanFan2010, Jmansour, Something Fishy, Rivky, chuchem, dealvr, Amusch,
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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 824051 times)

Offline 3yummyboys

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2060 on: May 22, 2016, 05:17:33 PM »
Haven't seen any mention of makauwahi cave. Anyone been there?

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2061 on: May 22, 2016, 05:54:18 PM »
Haven't seen any mention of makauwahi cave. Anyone been there?
I definitely saw it in one of the TRs. At least the hike to the lithified cliffs (not sure if I read of someone actually going to the cave). The reason I didn't do it is because the pics I saw of it (from TA) didn't look that great. I thought hiking to the secluded beach would be fun, but the pics said otherwise.

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2064 on: May 24, 2016, 10:16:00 AM »
Wow. 2 plane crashes in one day.
I'll have to stick with helicopters ;)

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2065 on: June 01, 2016, 02:07:58 PM »
Itinerary suggestions please! We are only on Kauai for a short time, and we are 10 ppl, my DH and kids, my parents and my sisters so need to be appropriate for all ages. We are staying in poipu. Here's what I'm thinking:

Arriving 8:00 pm Monday night: crash!

Tuesday: snorkel at poipu
Stock up at Walmart and/or Costco
Heli tour
Short hike on east side (jungle, ho'o'pi ... Any other ideas?)
Lydgate park/Kamalani playground
If not too tired we will stop at wailua and/or Opaekaa falls

Wednesday
Snorkel at poipu beach
Waimea canyon and some short hikes
Cliffs hike off of shipwreck beach

Thursday
Spouting horn
Relax and pack up
Flight to KOA at 12:30


I don't want to skip the North shore but with such limited time and with little kids, I want to minimize driving time!

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2066 on: June 01, 2016, 02:10:04 PM »
2 days on LIH?
Why are you island hopping exactly?
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 #2067 on: June 01, 2016, 04:34:05 PM »
2 days on LIH?
Why are you island hopping exactly?

Everyone really wants to do BI but we have 10 days and I can't imagine being there and not stopping in Kauai.
We have to be in KOA by Thursday afternoon bc of shabbos.

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2068 on: June 01, 2016, 04:34:55 PM »
Everyone really wants to do BI but we have 10 days and I can't imagine being there and not stopping in Kauai.
We have to be in KOA by Thursday afternoon bc of shabbos.

Why does two islands in ten days mean 8 and 2?
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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2069 on: June 01, 2016, 05:00:12 PM »
Why does two islands in ten days mean 8 and 2?
If we didn't have the psak about shabbos Thursday night, we would have been able to make it more even. Arriving Monday night and have to be out by Thursday  afternoon.
Think of it as a trip to the BI with a Kauai teaser

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2070 on: June 01, 2016, 05:03:05 PM »
A. Become chabad.
B. Go to TBI on Sunday
C. Do TBI the whole time. Do much shlepping involved with your itin for just 2 days on LIH.
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 #2071 on: June 01, 2016, 05:05:30 PM »
C. Do TBI the whole time. Do much shlepping involved with your itin for just 2 days on LIH.

+100, especially with such a crowd. Sounds like a nightmare.
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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2072 on: June 01, 2016, 06:18:58 PM »
Can't ya'll stop hating on my lack of time in Kauai and just comment on my itin?

This is what we had to do to keep all parties happy. BH we are pretty good travelers and while it won't be fun, I think we can manage to switch islands without the world ending.

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2073 on: June 02, 2016, 01:09:18 AM »
The world may not end, but I'm with the other two.

Don't ruin Kauai by shlepping 10 people there for ~48 hours so you can check the box.
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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2074 on: June 02, 2016, 06:21:01 AM »
I would love to go earlier but there was no availability. Maybe something will open up ....

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2075 on: June 02, 2016, 09:05:07 AM »
I would love to go earlier but there was no availability. Maybe something will open up ....
DD books tickets :)

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2076 on: June 02, 2016, 09:12:56 AM »
Everyone really wants to do BI but we have 10 days and I can't imagine being there and not stopping in Kauai.
We have to be in KOA by Thursday afternoon bc of shabbos.
If you have a Shabbos issue, then the issue is being in any part of Hawaii after Thursday afternoon. Being in KOA wouldn't help you, no?

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2077 on: June 02, 2016, 09:17:26 AM »
And in terms of your itinerary, you have too much packed into both days. By the time you finish snorkeling and the heli tour, I'd bet you're too tired to go on a hike and certainly not then after to continue onto Lydegate or the falls. For your second day, we also went snorkeling at Poipu and then Waimea, which meant we got too Waimea later in the day and it was cloudy. Then again, it was our first time at Poipu, so maybe we spent more time there than you will if it's your second day snorkeling. Either way, I'd make sure to leave early in the day (well before lunch time) to make sure you have the best views and aren't tired after all the driving to actually go on a hike. Definitely don't count on doing the Lithified Cliffs hike after all that driving (and hiking) in Waimea.

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2078 on: June 02, 2016, 09:29:06 AM »
If you have a Shabbos issue, then the issue is being in any part of Hawaii after Thursday afternoon. Being in KOA wouldn't help you, no?


We keep de'oraisas on Friday, so that means that by shkia on Thursday we have to be settled in wherever we will be for shabbos.

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #2079 on: June 02, 2016, 09:31:22 AM »

We keep de'oraisas on Friday, so that means that by shkia on Thursday we have to be settled in wherever we will be for shabbos.
Ah, understood. Forgot about the 2 day Shabbos option, hehe. Can I ask what your Rav said to do for Tefillin for the men on Friday?