Hi everyone, we have spent the last week reading through posts on this great site. We have yet to narrow down our search as we keep hearing great things about the whole island.
Our questions:
1) Is it better to stay in one place i.e North Shore, or South Shore? Or to move around and stay at a few different areas of Kauai?
2) How big is the island? How many hours would it take to drive the entire highway from one end to the other?
3) What are good ares or villages we should look at where we would be walking distance to the beach as well as restaurants, bars and other ammenities?
4) Any suggestions on reasonable $80-$150/night accomdation for a new young married couple in this/these villages.
I know its a lot of questions, but all we have are our flights booked and we are eager to plan the rest.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Honeymoon in Kauai Sept 25-Oct 7
Congratulations on your marriage!
1) You%26#39;ll hear all kinds of opinions on whether to stay put or move around. We personally like to settle in and stay in one place. But hey, we%26#39;re old :0)
2) Never having timed it from one end of the island to the other, I would think a couple of hours would do it.
3and4) In your price range, right across the street from the beach and within walking distance to the Sheraton Hotel and Poipu Village Shopping Center, I would recommend Prince Kuhio condos.
Have fun!
Honeymoon in Kauai Sept 25-Oct 7
First of all, if you%26#39;re talking about Sept 25th of THIS year, you%26#39;d better get on finding a place to stay like....yesterday! You can probably find hotel rooms, but condos may be booked. The good thing is that it%26#39;s after Labor Day and the kiddies are back in school. Travel to the islands slows down a bit in October and November.
With your price range, I would say to look on the east side for accomodations. The $80 end may be a little tough to find, but you should find something in the $125 - $150 per night range. There%26#39;s a good variety of shops and restaurants within walking distance of many east shore hotels and condos.
Depending on traffic, it could take well over two hours to drive from one end of the highway to the other. If you go from Ke%26#39;e to Polihale, or up into the canyon, I would plan on about 2 1/2 hours just to be safe.
Welcome to the forum! Well, I am a lover of the lush North shore, and the water should still be calm up North in September so I would stay on the Northside, but as I said, that is my beloved area. Many people choose to stay on the East side, so you have access to all areas, but Kauai is simple to drive around, . . . so it%26#39;s more a matter of personal preference.
Hanalei is my favorite town on the North shore, and there are accommodations there and near there. www.vrbo.com would be where I would begin searching for lodging. Many of us here on the forum prefer condos/cottages as you at least have a small kitchen for some basic meal preparation, but you might want a hotel if you want a more service oriented stay.
Are you leaving in a few weeks?? If this is true, you%26#39;ll want to get surfing for a place to stay - the more inexpenisve ones go quick, but you are hitting during the shoulder season, so that should make it a bit easier to find somewhere.
I would also highly recommend you picking up the lastest edition of the Ultimate Kauai Guide - Kauai Revealed - it%26#39;ll be a great help to you in your activities, dining, etc., as well as continued reading here on the forum. Congrats and best of luck! :)
Welcome Happy Couple!
Keep in mind that no matter where you drive, you have to go back the same distance. So, you should stay in the area that holds the most attraction for you and travel from there.
My opinions:
Personally, I like the East Shore for it%26#39;s close proximity to groceries, sundries, shopping and restaurants, and an easy drive to the Northeast Beaches that I like. When we travel up to the north shore, part of the charm is the scenery on the drive up. When we want to go South or West, it doesn%26#39;t take us all day to get there and back.
The North Shore is the most beautiful, and is delightful in September, but gets a little drizzly later in the fall/winter. There is plenty to keep a person occupied up there, with so many beached tucked away here and there, so that would be a close 2nd for me.
I feel that the South shore is too far removed from the rest of the island and you have travel no matter where you go. In the winter time, it might be a good place to stay put when the rains come, but in September, I%26#39;d venture up to the lusher East and North Shores.
For a couple wanting to explore the entire island, staying on the East or North shores would be my recommendation in September.
Many condos and hotels offer the 5th or 7th night free, making their daily rate much less than advertised. Looking for those deals might help you keep to your lodging budget. There are many moderately priced condos in Kapaa and a few in Princeville too.
Hanalei Town is fun to stroll through, with quaint shops with interesting items. Old Kapaa Town also has it%26#39;s charm. Koloa Town is a little too touristy for my taste, but some like it. Old Hanapepe Town is nice to stroll through in the cool of the evening, if you like art. (Friday night art shows) Waimea Town also has its charm. Each town is different, I%26#39;d stroll through them all!
Oops - I forgot Lihue Town. It%26#39;s more of a driving town than strolling, but it%26#39;s got the Museum and other attractions, as well as big shops like Hilo Hattie and Walmart and further down in Kukui Grove Shopping Mall, there is a Macy%26#39;s and other Mall shops. Down by Nawiliwili Harbor (Marriott, Kalapaki Beach) is also a nice strolling area, with shops and restaurants.
You%26#39;ll see all these places as you drive around. Just stop and explore when the mood strikes. Have a great time!
Wow, thank you everyone for your quick response.
We were going to stay at the Kauai Banyan Inn, everything looks great about that place, but we would rather be able to walk to some places (beach, village...)
Yes we are quite aware that we are running out of time. It looks like we want to be on the North Shore or East coast as most of what everyone wrote is what we want to see and do. We actually prefer to have a kitchen and not to be in a hotel, so hopefully we can find some good options in those areas.
I know we are running out of time, so I hope to narrow it down to a few places by tonight.
Hello again! Besides www.vrbo.com there is also this website that lists all kinds of vacation rentals as well: www.kauaivacationresorts.com
I just stayed at a nice and very affordable condo in Princeville in late August - I think they have availability - here is their site - the owners were very pleasant to deal with. http://www.vrbo.com/31656
Good luck! Let%26#39;s know how it goes. :)
Great thank you, I wil check on that right now.
Anyone have any experience with Suite Paradise in Poipu? I know its the oposite of what I just said (south of the island %26amp; on a resort) but the prices look great and the feedback seems good too.
I guess it just comes down to what we want more, and I think its to experience Kauai on our own, not from a resort. But I should check with the future Mrs first ;).
I will look into your suggestion now though
coalminer- I called and spoke to Mike he seemed really nice. The website for the Emerald Suite is Sandpiper is pretty bad, but it seems like it might be a good deal. Is this the suite that you stayed in?
They do have availability and it does look appealing I guess I am just a little weary with a place I don%26#39;t know anything about.
Happy Couple: Well, I stayed in their studio - the Menehune, which is very basic, but it was nicely decorated (clean %26amp; no bugs) and sure beat the basic hotel room - it did lack a view. They also had stuff for the beach - mats, boogie boards, etc. However, I believe his 2 other suites do have a mountain view and are much larger with more amenities than the studio we had. It%26#39;s in a good location, right in the Princeville resort area which is very nice - you could even walk to a few restaurants and you are just a 2 mile drive to Hanalei. I%26#39;m not sure what else you are looking at . . . or what you might find at this date. I hope this helps you some - good luck! :)
Just booked the Emerald suite with Mike in Sandpiper Village for 1 week. He was very friendly and helpful. We are very excited we will let everyone know how it works out for us.
Now we have to decide if we should spend the whole time in Kauai or jump over to Maui for 2 days before we have to go back.
Any ideas?
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