Kauai, Hawaii: The Garden Isle
Airport Information:
Lihu’e Airport- LIH3901 Mokulele Loop
Lihue, HI 96766
808.274.3800
http://hawaii.gov/lih
Hotel Information:
Sheraton Kauai Resort2440 Hoonani Rd
Poipu Beach, Koloa, HI 96756
808.742.1661
http://www.sheraton-kauai.com
*12.4 miles from the airport
The Sheraton has a Social Hour in front of their RumFire (Seafood, Dinner: $$-$$$) restaurant. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5:30 p.m.
The Sheraton also offers spa services: Hawaiian Rainforest Poipu
The Big Shindig Information:
Beach House Restaurant
5022 Lawai Road
Koloa, HI 96756
808.742.1424
http://www.the-beach-house.com/
*1.7 miles from The Sheraton
Rain, Rain Go Away:
June (Summer is usually their dry season)
High: 86 F
Low: 70 F
Water: 77 F
Average rainy days in Poipu: 1.7 (All I can say is pray this day isn't on the 12th!)
Low: 70 F
Water: 77 F
Average rainy days in Poipu: 1.7 (All I can say is pray this day isn't on the 12th!)
What am I Going to Wear?!:
-Sunscreen -Sunglasses
-Hat -Light jacket
-Long pants -Mosquito Repellent (with DEET)
-Camera -Tennis Shoes
-Reef shoes (for walking on rocks in the ocean)
-One Summer/Business Casual outfit for the wedding (remember we will be getting pictures of and with everyone)
-Reef shoes (for walking on rocks in the ocean)
-One Summer/Business Casual outfit for the wedding (remember we will be getting pictures of and with everyone)
Let's Go Play:
AIR:
-Helicopter tour of the island- Blue Hawaiian rated safest and nicest (Tours are cheaper booked online $210/person for 1 hour tour of the entire island with views of the canyons, beaches, waterfalls, and cliffs)
-Niihau Helicopter Tour if you really really want to visit the "Forbidden Island" you can for half a day with lunch and refreshments, and swimming at Hiihau beach for $385 per person. (5 person minimum)
WATER:
-Kayak Kauai (They also offer paddle boarding and surfing lessons)
-Sail/Snorkeling tour -$175/person (7 hours, includes snorkeling gear, breakfast, lunch and free beverages all day) for the Napali Coast & Niihau Forbidden Island Super Tour (This is my dream post wedding honeymoon experience-talk David into it!)
-Wailua Waterfalls (if you don't want to hike to this you can see it off Maalo Rd. the 4th mile)
-Queens Bath (Made of Lava rocks with mini-pools, use caution when exploring here)
-Tubing the old Lihue Sugar Plantation ($102/person for 3 hour tour) This is very popular and is recommended to be booked way in advance!
-Windsurfing (Lessons offered for $100 or equipment rental $25)
-Tubing the old Lihue Sugar Plantation ($102/person for 3 hour tour) This is very popular and is recommended to be booked way in advance!
-Windsurfing (Lessons offered for $100 or equipment rental $25)
LAND:
-Hike the Na Pali Coast
-Limahuli Garden of the National Tropical Botanical Garden (North Shore Kauai, $15-30/person)
-Waimea Canyon (Hawaii's Grand Canyon)
-Kokee State Park
-Kilauea Lighthouse
-Allerton*** ($45) & McBryde ($10-20) Garden of the National Tropical Botanical Garden (South Shore Kauai)
-Ziplining ($130/person for 3.5 hours)
-Horseback Riding ($100-150/person for 2 hours)
-Poipu Area:
Stevenson's Library at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort with live Jazz (no tank tops or flip flops)
Keoki's Paradise at Poipu Shopping Village with live music every night.
**For more on Kauai's nightlife click here!
Feed Me:
$=Inexpensive $$=Moderate $$$=Expensive # ="Locals" Favorites ***=Named a "must try"
-Hanalei Wake-up Café # - Breakfast: $
-Kalaheo Café & Coffee Co. *** - American: Breakfast/Lunch $, Dinner $$
-Postcards Cafe *** - Gourmet Seafood/Natural Foods: $$-$$$ (Vegan Friendly)
-Gaylord's *** - Continental: Lunch $$, Dinner $$$ (Reservations Recommended)
-Kalapaki Beach Hut # - American: Breakfast/Lunch $ (Packed lunches for hiking)
-Merriman's Fish House *** - Seafood: $$$ (Reservations Recommended) .... I WANT TO GO HERE!
-Red Salt - Hawaii Regional: Breakfast $, Dinner $$$
-Roy's Poipu Bar & Grille *** - Euro Asian: Dinner $$$ (Reservations Highly Recommended)
-Brick Oven Pizza # - Pizza: $
-Joe's on the Green # *** - American: $$ (Locals go here for breakfast)
-Mermaids Cafe - Organic/Hawaiian: $
-Bar Acuda *** - Tapas: $$
**Click here to view all Kauai has to offer food wise. I only listed some of the most "raved about".... there's 278 places to eat on the island so definitely do not be limited to just what is listed above.
-Kalapaki Beach Hut # - American: Breakfast/Lunch $ (Packed lunches for hiking)
-Merriman's Fish House *** - Seafood: $$$ (Reservations Recommended) .... I WANT TO GO HERE!
-Red Salt - Hawaii Regional: Breakfast $, Dinner $$$
-Roy's Poipu Bar & Grille *** - Euro Asian: Dinner $$$ (Reservations Highly Recommended)
-Brick Oven Pizza # - Pizza: $
-Joe's on the Green # *** - American: $$ (Locals go here for breakfast)
-Mermaids Cafe - Organic/Hawaiian: $
-Bar Acuda *** - Tapas: $$
**Click here to view all Kauai has to offer food wise. I only listed some of the most "raved about".... there's 278 places to eat on the island so definitely do not be limited to just what is listed above.
Must Sees:
-Hanalei Beach/Bay (Named America's Best Beach in 2009)
-Poipu Beach
-Waimea Canyon
-Niihau: The Forbidden Island (visitors are not allowed on it but you can sail to it, or fly over it)
-The Na Pali Coast
-Spouting Horn
-Anini Beach County Park (voted the safest and one of the most beautiful on the North shore)
-Queens Bath
-Anini Beach County Park (voted the safest and one of the most beautiful on the North shore)
-Queens Bath
Shopping-Don't Mind if I do:
-Sunshine Markets- weekly market with all of Kauai's freshest fruits, herbs, and vegetables. Kauai also have a special low-acid white pineapple called Sugarloaf
-Koloa Rum Company Tasting Room & Store- this is Kauai's first rum distillery and it's next door to the Kilohana Plantation. It is 21+ tasting.
-Poipu Shopping Village
**For a full list of your shopping options click here.
Woah Kauai I Didn't Know That:
-There are laundry facilities everywhere so if you can’t fit all your attire don’t forget it can be washed.
-Most everyone in Kauai speaks English but a couple good words to know are: “mahalo”- Thank you, and “ono”- Delicious!
-There are a lot of movies filmed in Kauai such as: Donovan’s Reef, Jurassic Park (Manawaiopu Falls and Mount Waialeale), Raiders of the Lost Ark & Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Kauai's rain-forests were the backdrop for these movies) , Waterworld, 50 First Dates, King Kong (1976-Honopu Valley), Hook (Kauai appeared as Never-Never land), and Pearl Harbor.
-Kauai has a Tree Tunnel road with Eucalyptus trees that cover the drive. This is considered a beautiful "must see".
-June 8, 2013 (when we arrive) is near the new moon and the sky is at it's darkest, so this is when the stargazers recommend going to your closest beach and looking up!
-Watch for the green flash- people will gather outside while the sun is setting and as it set's people have reported seeing a "green flash". The videos do not capture it well but, apparently it is something spectacular to see.
-June 8, 2013 (when we arrive) is near the new moon and the sky is at it's darkest, so this is when the stargazers recommend going to your closest beach and looking up!
-Watch for the green flash- people will gather outside while the sun is setting and as it set's people have reported seeing a "green flash". The videos do not capture it well but, apparently it is something spectacular to see.
"Oh No" Warnings:
-Most of the island is smoke free so if you are a smoker then you might have a hard time finding a place to go. Even their bars and beaches are smoke free.
-There is a poisonous flower called Angel’s Trumpets that will be in bloom while we are there.
-Stay away from activities centers that offer discounts as fronts for timeshare sales presentations. (Apparently these are really rampant in Kauai and they are bad at making you sit through a 90 minute presentation, and they are all about business and are not very safe or knowledgeable when it comes to your booked activity.)
-Do not get your gas from the rental store companies it is more expensive. The Shell gas stations have the best prices.
-Kee Beach State Park (reddish-gold beach)- High surf, a lot of people have drowned here.
-The north side of the island has frequent high surf warnings but don't fear we are staying on the other side. Just a heads up for when traveling to other beaches. When you travel you can click here for the current ocean report for each of the beaches in Kauai.
-If you rent a car DO NOT FORGET your seat belts. They fine you $90 per person and this is super enforced! Also from 7-9 AM and 4-6 PM a 15 minute trip could take up to an hour because of work traffic!
-The north side of the island has frequent high surf warnings but don't fear we are staying on the other side. Just a heads up for when traveling to other beaches. When you travel you can click here for the current ocean report for each of the beaches in Kauai.
-If you rent a car DO NOT FORGET your seat belts. They fine you $90 per person and this is super enforced! Also from 7-9 AM and 4-6 PM a 15 minute trip could take up to an hour because of work traffic!
In case of Emergency:
Main Clinic:
Wilcox Memorial Hospital
Wilcox Memorial Hospital
3-3420 Kuhio Highway, Suite B
Lihue, HI 96766
808.245.1100
911 is still what you would dial for emergencies
Crime Statistics in Kauai (half way down the page, plus good information on driving Kauai)
Kauai Taxi Company "just in case" - 808.246.9554
Mini Helpful Facts:
-808 is the area code
-Sales tax is 4%
-Kauai water is safe to drink, however do not drink from streams on hiking trails.
-Time Zone: FL/GA/TN residents: (5 hour difference) 4 PM at home is 11 AM there.
KS/MO residents: (4 hour difference) 4 PM at home is 12 PM there.
-Liquor is served everywhere 7 days a week.
-If possible avoid park and beach toilet facilities they are the dirtiest and some are unsafe. Seriously just pee in the ocean. :)
-Traveling with your kids: Click here for help hints on long flights
-Have your medical insurance with you just in case.
-Do not leave anything valuable in your rental car because rentals are "targets" for burglars.
-Even though it is still the US your mobile phone might not work. Check with your provider to be sure.
-There are 2 Nude Beaches in Kauai (even though it is illegal) so just a heads up with the kids. Donkey Beach and Kauapea Beach (AKA the Secret Beach) however since this beach is so beautiful and becoming more kid friendly with the naturally made "kiddie pools" the cops are really trying to enforce a nudity ban and you might only see 1 or 2 people that are actually topless.
911 is still what you would dial for emergencies
Crime Statistics in Kauai (half way down the page, plus good information on driving Kauai)
Kauai Taxi Company "just in case" - 808.246.9554
Mini Helpful Facts:
-808 is the area code
-Sales tax is 4%
-Kauai water is safe to drink, however do not drink from streams on hiking trails.
-Time Zone: FL/GA/TN residents: (5 hour difference) 4 PM at home is 11 AM there.
KS/MO residents: (4 hour difference) 4 PM at home is 12 PM there.
-Liquor is served everywhere 7 days a week.
-If possible avoid park and beach toilet facilities they are the dirtiest and some are unsafe. Seriously just pee in the ocean. :)
-Traveling with your kids: Click here for help hints on long flights
-Have your medical insurance with you just in case.
-Do not leave anything valuable in your rental car because rentals are "targets" for burglars.
-Even though it is still the US your mobile phone might not work. Check with your provider to be sure.
-There are 2 Nude Beaches in Kauai (even though it is illegal) so just a heads up with the kids. Donkey Beach and Kauapea Beach (AKA the Secret Beach) however since this beach is so beautiful and becoming more kid friendly with the naturally made "kiddie pools" the cops are really trying to enforce a nudity ban and you might only see 1 or 2 people that are actually topless.
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