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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,
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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 824304 times)

Offline Dan

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #400 on: July 18, 2012, 12:05:08 PM »
Way too short of a trip.
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.

Offline momo

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #401 on: July 18, 2012, 12:14:22 PM »
Hi, my wife will be staying at the Grand Hyatt Kauai at the end of the month. Could someone clarify whether the person who got the 2 free nights has to be at check-in. I am letting my wife use my 2 free nights along with hers so she can take the kids on a 4 night vacation but I wont be able to go along. She called the Hyatt Diamond line and they told her that the nights are non-transferable and that I would have to be at check-in. She even asked if they could just add her name to the reservation and they still said these awards did not work like other awards and that the person who has the 2 free nights in their account HAS to be there. Will the hotel give her a problem over this?
Contact the hotel in advance and tell them you would like to combine the 2 reservations into one so that she does noes not have to check in and out. Make the resevation for the 1st two days in her name and the second 2 days in yours and add her name to the reservation. Should not be a problem I actually did this at this hotel and it worked out just fine! Just tell your wife not to mention the fact that you are not there.

Offline MLM

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #402 on: July 18, 2012, 02:03:06 PM »
Way too short of a trip.

I take whatever I can get

But what about my itinerary?

Offline dhalpern1

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #403 on: July 18, 2012, 02:04:15 PM »
I take whatever I can get

But what about my itinerary?

Sounds exhausting!

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #404 on: July 18, 2012, 02:07:05 PM »
I'll be there 7/30-8/1

What's the best way to see wailua river? Should I do canoeing there? Anyone have any good guided tours for the secret falls?

Also is there a way to do scuba of the Napali coast?

Right now this is my plans:

Land on 7/30 at 12 PM do the helicopter tour right away

7/31 Scuba in morning and zodiac boat ride to Napali coast (looking to combine into one trip)

8/1 Hike and canoe to secret falls and them leave at night

Looking for suggestions.
You need some beach time

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #405 on: July 18, 2012, 02:14:08 PM »
Sounds exhausting!

From LA its a short flight! I can do beach time in Southern California, its the waterfalls, hikes and scenery I am going for. Also, this will be my second time on Kauai, last time I stayed in a private house for 4 days in Kekaha with a private pool and beach access. I also spent most of my time on the South and West side focusing on Waimea Canyon and Polihale Beach. (along with Snuba, Helicopter tour). This time I want to do more hiking, waterfalls and diving.

I was in Maui for two days in April and although it was too short to see the south side of the island (Hana) I still had an amazing time. Next trip will either be to Kona to  to Maui (hopefully) but focus on (South) Hana.

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #406 on: July 18, 2012, 02:17:19 PM »
what part of the year is the best time to go to HI

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #407 on: July 18, 2012, 02:22:49 PM »
anytime :)

Offline dhalpern1

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #408 on: July 18, 2012, 02:24:12 PM »
what part of the year is the best time to go to HI

Dry season is April- October (those are the recommended months) but the rainy season isnt so bad. A lot of people go in December when the weather starts to get bad around here.

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #409 on: July 18, 2012, 07:47:32 PM »
Anyone been to secret falls? What is the best way to go?

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #410 on: July 18, 2012, 07:50:05 PM »
Anyone been to secret falls? What is the best way to go?
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/6088
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 #411 on: July 18, 2012, 08:25:09 PM »
"Kayaked to Fern Grotto and Secret Falls (Kauai Revealed, Pg. 163). Both sites are very impressive! It is a little tricky to dock at Fern Grotto and to actually find the beautiful Secret Falls with its swimmable pool…but well worth it. We started from Hawaiian Village where it’s just a short 5-10 minute kayak to either site. We ran out of time and couldn’t find Secret Falls before they closed, but they let us come back a couple days later and try again for free-and we made it! Bring Off or you will get eaten alive. : 4.5/5"


Why did you run out of time? If its only 5-10 minutes kayak? Where did you rent Kayaks? Kauai Revealed says you need a guide for the Wailua River?

Thanks

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #412 on: July 18, 2012, 08:47:53 PM »
It's a nice hike from the kayak landing point to secret falls.
 
We started from Kamokila Hawaiian Village and they give you a map, but it's not entirely straightforward and you will get wet during the hike wading through water.
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 #413 on: July 18, 2012, 10:37:58 PM »
It's a nice hike from the kayak landing point to secret falls.
 
We started from Kamokila Hawaiian Village and they give you a map, but it's not entirely straightforward and you will get wet during the hike wading through water.

and its very slippery path, i wore crocs and i was slipping the whole way,
and don't forget it might be a little muddy so i would say don't use sneakers,

Offline Dan

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #414 on: July 18, 2012, 10:39:41 PM »
and its very slippery path, i wore crocs and i was slipping the whole way,
and don't forget it might be a little muddy so i would say don't use sneakers,
Tabi's are perfect.  They sell them in WalMart on all 4 major Hawaiian islands.
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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #415 on: July 18, 2012, 10:53:55 PM »
Do Tabi's take forever to dry out?

You use em for the whole hike?

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #416 on: July 18, 2012, 10:59:06 PM »
Do Tabi's take forever to dry out?

You use em for the whole hike?
Not too bad.
Yup.
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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #417 on: July 18, 2012, 11:04:22 PM »
Not too bad.
Yup.
Are these what youre talking about?

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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #418 on: July 18, 2012, 11:09:44 PM »
Are these what youre talking about?
Not quite, and the ones I bought didn't have the split hooves.
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Re: Kauai, HI Master Thread
« Reply #419 on: July 18, 2012, 11:12:02 PM »
Not quite, and the ones I bought didn't have the split hooves.
Same idea? More sturdy than the socks?