Hanalei Travel Guide

  Old Hanalei school house - now shops
by trvlrtom
  • Old Hanalei school house - now shops
      Old Hanalei school house - now shops
    by trvlrtom
  • Hanalei farmers market
      Hanalei farmers market
    by trvlrtom
  • Pier at Hanalei Bay
      Pier at Hanalei Bay
    by trvlrtom
  • Lumaha'i Beach
      Lumaha'i Beach
    by trvlrtom
  • Anini Beach
      Anini Beach
    by trvlrtom

Explore Hanalei

Things to Do  

See the taro fields

See the taro fields, Hanalei

 trvlrtom Says:  Hanalei is situated in a beautiful setting, with a backdrop of taro fields on the inland side and sandy Hanalei Bay on the ocean side. From Hanalei lookout (by the 0 road marker) you can get a postcard looking view of the fields, and continue down the hill to the old style... 

Shopping

Shopping, Hanalei

 trvlrtom Says:  For a town this small, Hanalei has a lot of different shops to cater to tourists. There are stores that sell cheap tourist items and others that sell quality clothes, regional art and surf wear. It is pretty easy to walk from one place to the next. They have done a nice job... 

Anini Beach - Wyllie Beach

Anini Beach - Wyllie Beach, Hanalei

 trvlrtom Says:  Just east of Princeville there is a long beach with shallow waters that is great for safe swimming with kids. It's protected by a reef, that also provides for good snorkeling when the visibility is good. The long beach is great for walking too, and has good views all along... 

Farmers' Market

Farmers' Market, Hanalei

 trvlrtom Says:  Hanalei has a great little farmers market on Tuesday afternoon. Here there will be plenty of fresh fruits and produce, flowers and other items like honey. It starts at 2 pm, and you should know that there will be dozens of people waiting for it to open so they can rush for... 

Lumaha'i Beach

Lumaha'i Beach, Hanalei

 trvlrtom Says:  This is a beautiful, long golden sand beach just to the west of Hanalei. Once you are there you may recognize it from postcards you've seen, or from the movie South Pacific, where Mitzi Gaynor washed that man right out of her hair.While the beach is great for walking and to... 

Hanalei Bay

Hanalei Bay, Hanalei

 trvlrtom Says:  Hanalei Bay is a long crescent of sand that has easy beach access along the way. It is actually considered four beaches: Waikoko Beach, Wai'oli Beach Park, Hanali Pavilion Beach Park and Black Pot Beach. The swimming isn't the best here, but surfing is good, and near the... 

Hanalei Pier

Hanalei Pier, Hanalei

 malianrob Says:  This is another great picture spot and also a fishing spot. When we came here there were alot of local guys trying to catch their breakfast. Also this is a spot for yacht racing during the summer months. In the winter months you can see some top knotch surfing in the Hanalei... 

Hotels  

Princeville Pu'u Poa

 100 Opinions

Restaurants  

Polynesian Cafe: Economical choice

Polynesian Cafe: Economical choice, Hanalei

 trvlrtom Says:  Since this is a tourist town, prices are a bit more than you would expect in other areas. Polynesian Cafe seems to have found a market for reasonably priced food here. The place looks like a taco stand; there isn't indoor seating and you have to eat on tables in the middle... 

Polynesia Cafe: Variety and Freshness

Polynesia Cafe: Variety and Freshness, Hanalei

 Hopkid Says:  Located in the Ching Young Center, this breezy cafe has a varied menu utilizing fresh ingredients including local specialties (kalua pig sandwich), seafood (fresh fish specials), and a few Mexican dishes. Their concept is gourmet on a paper plate and the menu items look like... 

Tahiti Nui: Great little Hawaiian roadhouse

Tahiti Nui: Great little Hawaiian roadhouse, Hanalei

 trvlrtom Says:  This one one of our favorite places on all Kauai. It isn't a fancy restaurant, it is actually very casual. And while the food is good, there is better on the island. What Tahiti Nui has more than any other place is an authentic feel. We were here three or four times and... 

Bubba's: Claim to be the best for burgers

Bubba's: Claim to be the best for burgers, Hanalei

 trvlrtom Says:  Bubba's has two places on Kauai, one here in Hanalei and another in Kapaa. We only went to the one here. There aren't a lot of restaurants in Hanalei, and Bubba's always seemed to have a line of patrons waiting, so one day during our trip we decided to try it. It's located... 

Java Kai: Great local coffee shop

Java Kai: Great local coffee shop, Hanalei

 trvlrtom Says:  This is a great place. Good atmosphere with outdoor deck seating, friendly service, a great variety of specialty drinks and bakery snacks. We were there several times during our stay and it seemed to be very popular with the locals. The T-shirts they sell are nice too. Maui... 

Hanalei Dolphin: Restaurant and Fish Market

Hanalei Dolphin: Restaurant and Fish Market, Hanalei

 delirium874 Says:  The Dolphin has been a part of Hanalei since 1977. It is perched right on the Hanalei River with both indoor and outdoor seating. On beautiful days, take a table next to the river to enjoy the view.My favorite part of this restaurant is the fish market located in the back.... 

Transportation  

One-Lane Bridges
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Hopkid 748 reviews
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As you travel into Hanalei on the Kuhio Highway you'll come to the one-lane Hanalei Bridge at the base of the descent into the Hanalei Valley. Be sure to watch for oncoming traffic that may already be crossing the bridge. West of Hanalei towards Haena and Ke'e Beach are several more one-lane bridges. The rules of the road are that the last car that arrives at the bridge must wait and allow all other cars traveling the opposite direction to cross before proceeding. There is no alternating car policy. If you are the fifth or sixth car in a long line of cars, it is polite to stop and allow the cars in front of you to cross and then to allow cars traveling in the opposite direction to cross. However this is not required.

Enjoy the bridges but approach and cross with caution and don't stop to take photos.

Written Apr 18, 2007

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Shopping  

Yellowfish Trading: A different type of gift shop

Yellowfish Trading: A different type of gift shop, Hanalei

 trvlrtom Says:  This is a store to go to if you have an interest in Hawaiiana, antiques, collectibles or just want to see something different from the common things in the usual shops all across Hawaii. The store has both antique & contemporary furnishings, vintage fabrics, all mixed in... 

Havaiki Oceanic and Tribal Art: Upper end Pacific items

Havaiki Oceanic and Tribal Art: Upper end Pacific items, Hanalei

 trvlrtom Says:  Hawaii has many, many shops selling Hawaiian wares of varied quality and price, and after a few days you begin seeing the same or similar stuff over and over. This shop is different in that it specializes in art and crafts from across the Oceania region with a loosely... 

Local Customs  

Taro

Taro, Hanalei

 Hopkid Says:  Taro is the source for poi. It is also a very important and sacred food to Hawaiians. You can see taro growing in the patchwork fields of the Hanalei Valley. Poi may not be for everyone but it and the plant from which it originates are a very important part of the Hawaiian... 

Shave Ice

Shave Ice, Hanalei

 Hopkid Says:  Shave (not shaved) ice is a tasty Hawaiian treat which is great anytime because it's always hot and shave ice is, well, always cold. Shave ice differs from a sno-cone in that the ice is shaved very finely so it's like biting into flakes of snow rather than a hardened ball of... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Farmer's Market in Paradise

Farmer's Market in Paradise, Hanalei

 Etoile2B Says:  As we continued our journey through Hanalei we stumbled upon a crowd of people lined up waiting for the opening of the Farmer’s Market. We couldn’t resist joining them. I love a good Farmer’s Market. This one didn’t disappoint. Though on the small side, the market features... 

Yuo need to drive threw...

Yuo need to drive threw..., Hanalei

 wikemom_momo Says:  Yuo need to drive threw Hanalei, about 2 miles to see this beach. right off the road you can't miss it. 

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Map of Hanalei