Sign in with Facebook- Join for free
- Sign In
Sign in with FacebookTop Kauai hotels
Helpfulness
Lihu’e is the capital of Kauai and the only big city actually. It’s the commercial center and the main roads are always busy (it was the only place we noticed traffic in the island). The ancient name of the area was Kala’iamea (calm reddish brown place) but in 1837 Kaiki’oewa planted sugar cane here, moved the capital from Waimea and the first houses and a church appeared. He gave the name Lihu’e (goose flesh) to remember his homeland back on Oahu. The city grew up only after 1930 when the Nawiliwili harbor opened and 20 years the airport turned the small plantation town into a commercial center.
We didn’t spend much time in the city but the two buildings of Kaua’I Museum (entrance from Wilcox building, it was built in 1924 and was the first public library) that was opened in 1960 has some interesting scale models, exhibits about the locals, the monarchy period, the sugar cane industry etc It is located at 4428 Rice St and it is open 9.00-16.00 Monday to Saturday. The entrance fee is $10.
On the southern edge of Lihu’e is the Nawiliwili harbor where you can see the port (pics 1-2), the Kapapaki beach and the huge Marriott resort. We drove in some private dead end roads full of freighters. It happened by accident while we were trying to find Ninini Point Lighthouse (pic 3). It was built in 1932 and marks the north side of the bay’s entrance. It is 36 meters high with a visible light far to 17 miles. Although it was nice to see the jet planes above us (the airport is right next door) we didn’t enjoy the view because it was still cloudy early in the morning.
On our departure from there we passed from Ahukini Recreation Pier State Park which was build in 1920 for shipping needs but since 1978 is a huge area where many locals go for fishing.
Written Nov 29, 2009
Helpfulness
One must do when on Kauai is try some "Shave Ice". Don't make the mistake of calling it a snow cone. Shave ice is a block of ice that is shaved on a machine that works kind of like a lathe, then the finely shaven ice is topped with sweet syrups. One of the best places to try shave ice while on Kauai is Shaka shave ice. right near the beach. make it your first stop when u land, about 2 mi. from the airport.
Written Sep 5, 2009
Address: 3474 Rice st. Lihue
Phone: 808-246-6330
Helpfulness
One must to do activity on Kauai is hike on the Kalalau trail. The Kalalau trail is in 11 mi. treck through the Na Pali coast: "the cliffs" 2,ooo ft. cliffs fall dramaticaly into the ocean. You dont have to hike the whole 11 miles to get an apreciation of the coast line. about a half mile up there is a stunning view of the entire coast.. Two miles in is Hanakapiai Beach this is a great day hike and the end of the road for about 99.9% of hikers. For the brave few that make it all the way they are rewarded with the Beautiful Kalalau valley which can only compare to the garden of Eden. And the untainted Kalalau beach. Plan on camping there. I recommend Near the waterfall the social gathering place. If your there in the summer hike to the end of the beach and swim around to Honopu you will not see a soul, and you will be blown away. Start out early once noon hits the parking lot is like a zoo, whith not many spots.
Updated Sep 5, 2009
Address: Head north on Kuhio Highway
Helpfulness
Ke’e Beach is the end of the road in this direction. It’s the gateway to the Na Pali coast. Bring your hiking shoes when you visit as adventure and breathtaking views await. The trailhead for the Na Pali coast hikes is clearly marked. But bring proper footwear because the trail quickly becomes steep and slippery. You won’t be disappointed if you decide to take a hike on this trail. If you don’t have the time to do the Na Pali coast hike there are several places along the trail to stop and enjoy the view before heading back to Ke’e beach. The beach, itself, is a wide expanse of sand that is just waiting to be explored. When we visited there were hardly any other tourists in the area and at times we had long stretches of beach entirely to ourselves. The water didn’t seem terribly swim-able as the waves were gigantic and rough but our walk along the beach provided us with spectacular views of the Na Pali coast. Our visit to Ke’e Beach was one of the highlights of our trip. I only wish we had more time to explore.
Written Jul 27, 2009
Walk along the beaches to see if a Monk Seal has come up to rest. Please respect these animals because they are endangered. They will be roped off by wonderful dedicated volunteers on the island. The seals come up to sleep on the beach after they have eaten because they slow down so much that a shark could attack them. They sleep on the beach and then go back in. One of my favorite animals on the island
Written Jun 1, 2009
I highly recommend going for a helicopter tour of the island. A lot of Kauai is inaccessible to cars so we chose to take a helicopter tour. The island is really beautiful.
We rode with the door off which was great because our pictures and view were unobstructed.
However I would not ride with our tour company again. The pilot was very racist, and he ruined our flight. We rode with Inter-Island Helicopters.
Written May 18, 2009
Address: Port Allen, Kauai, Hawaii
Helpfulness
There are several companies and locations to try surfing on Kauai. We asked around a little and decided that the north shore, at Hanalei, would be the best place to try. The beach at Poipu on the other end of the island isn't as big and the surf area for beginners didn't look as good.
Our recommendation was for an operation set up right by the beach at Hanalei, where the river meets the beach. They were extremely friendly and accomodating. While our teenager went surfing we used a kayak and went up the river. The Hanalei surf at this location seemed good for beginners, with long, fairly even waves. They surf close to the pier, so if you want to watch, you can go out and get a better view. I think this is great if you are sending your kids out.
Written May 1, 2009
Poipu Beach
Spouting Horn
Makewehi Lithified Cliffs
Sleeping Giant
Ninini Point Lighthouse
Wailua Falls
Waimea Canyon
Ni'ihau Lookout
Kalalau Lookout
Pu'u o Kila Lookout
Kauai Coffee Company
Queens Bath
Kilauea Lighthouse
King Kong Profile
Opaeka'a Falls
Written Mar 25, 2009
Helpfulness
One of the beautiful experiences of Hawaii is the music. Island music is quite varied, with contemporary music that integrates traditional sounds and themes with music from the mainland and around the world. But on Kauai you have a great opportunity to hear weekly concerts of traditional slack key guitar by Doug & Sandy McMaster, who won the 2009 The Hawaii Music Awards "People's Choice Awards" in the Slack Key Category. They have two concerts each week, on Wednesday evening and Sunday afternoon. Each is slightly different, but both are purely the instrumental musical artform created by Hawaiian paniolo (cowboys) in the early 1800's.
The concerts take place in a relaxed atmosphere in Hanalei on the north shore of Kauai, with the backdrop of the green mountains and taro fields, and the sand of Hanalei Bay just a short distance away. It is worth a destination wherever you are staying on the island.
WINNER 2009 Hawaii Music Awards "The People's Choice"!
Written Mar 15, 2009
Address: 5-5299 Kuhio Hwy.
Phone: 826-1469
Website: www.mcmasterslackkey.com/liveshows.html
Helpfulness
Moloa'a Bay is a beautiful, gentle surf bay on the NW corner of Kauai. The bay is absolutely beautiful and is far from crowded. This is a locals beach! We visited this bay around 3:30-4:00 PM on a weekday afternoon, and there were only 4 other people there besides us. The surf is really gentle and offers great swimming--especially on the far right hand side of the bay. My 2 1/2 year old had no problems holding his own in the water.
Written Mar 7, 2009
The Villas at Poipu Kai Poipu
Hale Ho`o Maha Bed & Breakfast Hanalei
Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy Kapaa
1 Review and 398 Opinions It was a great place, good location. However, Kauai Coast Resort business practice is desired to be...
Comments