What are great activities to do on Kauai?
BobKnight wrote: We will be heading to Kauai on our honeymoon for a week next month and I’d love to hear about great activities on the Island.
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on Tuesday, September 20th, 2011 at 10:51 am and is filed under Kauai Vacation Packages.
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September 21st, 2011 at 4:31 am
I love going on the movie tour, the 4×4 tour and the Napali coast helicopter ride. Of course snorkeling is great there from beginner beaches to advanced. My favorite restaurants are Roys and the beach house in poipu area. Also drive out to the end of Ke ke beach,(sp) real pretty. Kauai is my favorite island and I have been there many times.
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:56 pm
I would recommend you to go to a luau, and a dinner cruise. also there is a snorkeling cruise to Niihau. it is very cool.
September 23rd, 2011 at 8:58 pm
theres zipline tours, kayak, snorkleing, beach horseback (would be romantic) as well as dinner cruises. thats what my wife and i did on our honeymoon there, and of course…just relax on the beach
have a great time!
hope this helps,
Fred
September 24th, 2011 at 6:20 am
I’m from Hawai’i…the island of ‘Oahu to exact!! Kaua’i is where I go to get away from it all and just relax and enjoy the beauty of it all!! I’m also in the Tour Industry so I have some recommendations!!
If this is your first time to Hawai’i (any island) you must do a Lu’au!! I would definitely do a helicopter ride on this island seeing that only 20% of the island is accessible by car!! Snorkeling is a biggy and a horse ride on the beach is just the best!! Those 4 things should keep you busy!! Use your other time to just relax on the beach and take it all in!!
Have a wonderful time and Congratulations!!
September 25th, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Aloha,
This is a list I’ve compiled over the past couple of years. The pages I quote are from Kauai Revealed, 5th edition.
I live on Kauai!
Activities
1. Kayaking – either Wailua River or Nawiliwili Bay. Lots of companies to take you out.
2. Take an innertube ride down an old sugar cane irrigation ditch – Kauai Backcountry Adventures, Hanamaulu (p. 180). They also have a zipline tour which is a lot of fun!
3. Take a boat tour to see dolphins, whales, and other wildlife. Deli lunch is served on board — I like longer tours better because you will get to snorkel and possibly see the Na Pali coast if you aren’t going during the winter. Great views of Ni’ihau (the “Forbidden Island”) and probably the closest to the island most of us will get!
4. Beaches – All of Kauai’s beaches are beautiful and everyone has his or her favorite. Poipu, Tunnels, Hanalei, Lydgate, and Kealia are great. Polihale is an incredible beach on the far west side of the island. 15 miles long and rather difficult to get to, but you can take a car most of the way in. There is no shade here and the sand gets ridiculously hot, so be prepared! Best to take a beach umbrella with you if you plan to spend the day (takes a while to get to from just about anywhere on the island) so you won’t get fried. You’re really close to Ni’ihau from this point and the views are fantastic. This is as far up the west side of Kauai you can go without a boat. It feels like you’re on a deserted island — very beautiful.
5. Waimea Canyon – Mark Twain nicknamed it the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” Very beautiful canyon on the west side of the island. You can drive right up into it and take various short hikes to scenic view points.
6. Spouting Horn, Tree Tunnel, drive up waterfalls – All on the east and south shores of the island. Easy to get to and quite pretty. (The waterfalls are named Opaeka’a and Wailua.)
Restaurants, etc.
1. Hamura’s Saimin, Lihue (p. 214) – Counter-style seating, very local! Excellent saimin (kind of like Top Ramen but much better) with little goodies inside like Spam chunks, fish cake, etc. BIG bowls, very inexpensive.
2. Java Kai in Kapaa and Hanalei – Really good locally grown coffee. They make the frou frou drinks too, which I love. Try the blended mocha anu — it has coconut syrup in it! Mmm…
3. Lappert’s Ice Cream – Hanalei, Coconut Marketplace, Koloa – The BEST locally made ice cream, ever! Beats Tropical Dreams from the Big Island hands down. Lots of fun flavors; my favorites are Kauai Pie and Banana Fudge. Totally decadent and not cheap, but worth every penny! If you like it and think you’ll get more, be sure to get a punch card so you can get a free treat at the end of your trip!
4. Olympic Cafe, Kapaa – eclectic mix of salads, sandwiches, pasta…etc. Upstairs off of the main highway so you can watch the street traffic go by on one side or have a view of the ocean from the other! Open air and very comfortable.
5. Caffe Coco, Kapaa – Cute little outdoor restaurant with counter style ordering. They provide cans of Off to help you battle the mosquitoes and it’s well worth it. Good food, inexpensive, great atmosphere outside among plants and flowers.
6. Kauai Pasta, Kapaa and Lihue (p. 213) – Really good pasta dishes! Very small catering co. with some tables inside. Friendly service and delicious food. Everything I’ve tried is wonderful but I especially like their pesto sauce on spaghetti.
7. Tropical Taco, Hanalei – taco place that used to be inside an old VW van! It has moved into a building and the food is great. A little more than you usually spend for tacos, but quite good. Be sure to stop at Kai Kane (local surf shop) in the same complex while you’re there. They have great stuff to take home as souvenirs!
8. Tip Top, Lihue – Local type place with a mixture of Japanese, Filipino, and Hawaiian food. Their loco moco is fantastic! (Rice, hamburger patty, gravy, and an egg on top! Filling, delicious, and full of carbs!)
9. Duke’s, Kalapaki Beach – Duke’s is part of a chain that has restaurants on Maui and Oahu as well as in California. Very good food — ono salad bar! — and relaxed, slightly upscale atmosphere.
10. Tropical Burgers, Poipu – Trust me, this is NOT the same as the one at Coconut Marketplace in Kapaa! I have been to both and the one in Poipu is far superior. Seating is in a plantation style building, all open air. I have only eaten breakfast there, which is fabulous. I highly recommend the crunchy french toast with a side of Portuguese sausage. Make sure to get the coconut syrup and mix it with a little maple…MMM!
11. Kountry Kitchen, Kapaa – Very popular with locals and tourists. Only open until 2 pm (or thereabouts). Great breakfasts, cozy atmosphere with chicken designs everywhere.
12. Keoki’s Paradise, Poipu (p. 219) – fun place! They have live music at times and it is almost always crowded, so make a reservation. Neat atmosphere. I got one of the best steaks I’ve EVER eaten at Keoki’s!
13. Roy’s, Poipu (p. 222) – Fantastic Pan-Asian food. Roy’s is a chain throughout the islands as well as on the mainland and we have loved every one we’ve been to! It’s a bit pricey but totally worth it. This is the only Roy’s on the island, so if you’re going to Poipu and you want to eat GOOD food, Roy’s is the best choice.
14. Duke’s, Kalapaki Beach – Duke’s is part of a chain that has restaurants on Maui and Oahu as well as in California. Very good food — ono salad bar! — and relaxed, slightly upscale atmosphere.
15. Tropical Burgers, Poipu – Trust me, this is NOT the same as the one at Coconut Marketplace in Kapaa! I have been to both and the one in Poipu is far superior. Seating is in a plantation style building, all open air. I have only eaten breakfast there, which is fabulous. I highly recommend the crunchy french toast with a side of Portuguese sausage. Make sure to get the coconut syrup and mix it with a little maple…MMM!
September 28th, 2011 at 8:34 am
Congrats BobKnight and have a great honeymoon on the Garden Island
to alohagirl: I see you’ve listed Hamura Saimin as #1 …it is no ka oi`, broke da mout`, LOL…mmmmm, ono!!