Safety Tips in Kauai

Anyone who will be driving on the island of Kauai must take heed of the speed limit signs. The police strongly enforce the posted speed limits. Now anyone who drives on the mainland freeways or internationally as on the Autobahn will find these limits extremely slow. You may be tempted to push it a bit but rest assured, the Kauai police force is out on the side of the road with a radar gun and will pull you over should you exceed these posted limits.

While you are at it make sure your seat belt is buckled as it is a $92 fine for not "sticking and clicking"

The highest speed you can travel on Kauai is 50 mph but generally the posted speed limit ranges from 25 to 35 mph and on residential streets 5 to 15 mph!

So hang loose, slow down and enjoy the beautiful scenery. No one wants a speeding or no seat belt ticket.

We rented a convertible. Our rental agency and our guidebook warned us not to leave anything valuable in the trunk. They are very easily to opened by theives looking for purses and other valuables stashed there while the owners are swimming at the beach nearby.

Okay, it's your honeymoon. You're exhausted from the wedding. Free from work obligations. And ready to sleep in! Not if the chickens wandering the grounds of the hotel have any say. There was a rooster that would crow at the top of it's little lungs first thing in the morning. These wild chickens are everywhere. They aren't dangerous, just annoying and funny sometimes.

We were surprised that even at the "baby beaches", where the water is always calm because they are protected by big coral reefs, the current was so strong that it was still a little scary to get in the water.

It's definitely a good idea to listen to the surf report on the radio as you plan your day. The nice thing is that even if there are big swells on some beaches, it's invariable pretty nice on others around the island. We were there in the winter and got to see some pretty huge waves along the north shore. The next day at the same beach we were able to swim, so be prepared for anything I guess.

There are chickens everywhere!! They're not so much of a danger as a nuisance, as they don't seem to care what time it is as they are crowing their little heads off day and night. It's definitely something that you get used to in a day or two though.
The story goes that they all escaped when a big hurricane hit Kauai. Since there are no predators, the chickens have flourished and can be seen, literally, everywhere!

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Here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean the surf can sometimes be calm (pacific), but at other times, and especially in the winter, it might be dangerously high. On the north shore of Kauai during our November visit we saw raging surf that only a fool or an idiot would go near. Always study the waves carefully before entering the water, and inquire locally about safe places to swim. Sometimes a dangerous beach can be only a short distance from a safer, more sheltered one.

Take a look at the signs in the accompanying photos. One of them notes that 82 people have drowned at a single small beach along the Na Pali Coast. Not all of them were swimming. Some were simply too near the shore when an unusually large rogue wave overcame them and swept them away.

Please be aware of the most beautiful creatures next to the humpback whale - the Hawaiian Monk Seal. There are only 30 around the island of Kauai. Occasionally you will find one on the beach sunning itself so please give the animal space and respect. There is a $25,000 fine for bothering these animals.

We were fortunate enough to see these animals two times on the beach. The second time I had my camera with me. I used my zoom lense to take closeup pictures and give her privacy. This one pictured here came upon my husband while his back was facing the water. He heard a grunt and turned to see this seal coming out of the water about 5 feet from him! Matt decided to stay where he was and the seal kept eyeing him, I guess measuring him up. When she found that Matt was not a threat she moved further out of the water to work on her tan.