Frommer's Kauai - Jeanette Foster [145]
Princeville. 80 0/826-1105 or 80 8/826-5070. www.princeville.com. Take Hwy. 56 to mile marker 27; the course is on your right. Greens fees: $200 ($155 for Princeville Resort guests and $130 for Princeville Hotel guests) for the Prince Course. As we went to press, the Makai Course was closed for renovations until 2010, fees were unavailable, call for information.
ALL-TERRAIN-VEHICLE (ATV) TOURS
For those who may not have the stamina to go hiking or bicycling or who don’t really enjoy horseback riding, now there is a new way to explore Kauai’s wilderness: All-Terrain-Vehicle (ATV) tours. Each person is given one of these four-wheel-drive vehicles resembling an oversize motorcycle. Don’t think this is for the weak, either. Wrestling with an ATV and learning how to steer, shift gears, maneuver over ruts in the dirt, and charge up and down hills takes some instruction and practice. That’s partially why we recommend Kipu Ranch Adventures ( 80 8/246-9288;www.kiputours.com)—they emphasize safety. They start out with a lesson on flat ground, making sure everyone on the tour feels comfortable maneuvering and shifting gears on the 300cc or 350cc Hondas. Off you go on the tour. After about 10 to 15 minutes of pretty easy riding, they take you to a very steep hill that has all kinds of ruts and bumps. Patiently, they teach each person how to ride over the rough terrain. Everyone practices until the instructors give the okay to proceed. Once you have passed this torturous hill test, the rest of the 3-hour tour is a breeze. The second reason we recommend this company is that they are the only operator on a 3,000-acre private property never before opened to the public. Here’s your chance to see a part of Kauai that even local residents have not seen. Extending from the Huleia River to the top of the Haupu Mountains, this property has been the filming site for numerous movies (Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Outbreak, Six Days and Seven Nights). The tour provides helmets, safety glasses, snacks, juice, water, fruit, and a stop over a swimming hole with a swinging rope. For those who would rather leave the driving to someone else (or who are ages 6–15), they have a “rhino,” a four-wheel-drive Kawasaki that holds up to four passengers (2 adults and 2 children). Cost for the ATV tour is $125; the rhino is $125 for the driver, $100 for another adult, $72 for each child 6 to 15, and $100 for seniors over 65.
BIKING
There are a couple of great places on Kauai for two-wheeling: the Poipu area, which has wide, flat roads and several dirt-cane roads (especially around Mahaulepu); and the cane road (a dirt road used for hauling sugar cane) between Kealia Beach and Anahola, north of Kapaa.
The following places rent mountain bikes, from a low of $20 a day for cruisers to $25 to $30 a day for mountain bikes (with big discounts for multiple-day rentals): Outfitters Kauai, 2827A Poipu Rd. (look for the small, five-shop mall before the road forks to Poipu/Spouting Horn), Poipu ( 80 8/742-9667;www.outfitterskauai.com); and Kauai Cycle and Tour, 1379 Kuhio Hwy., Kapaa ( 80 8/821-2115; www.bikehawaii.com/kauaicycle). For a great selection of high-quality mountain bikes at reasonable prices, it’s worth the drive to Pedal ’n Paddle, in Hanalei ( 80 8/826-9069;www.pedalnpaddle.com), which has high-grade Marin hybrid road bikes with Shimano components. Rentals start at $20 a day or $80 a week and include helmet and bike lock. The shop also has cruisers. The knowledgeable folks here are more than happy to provide you with free maps and tell you about the best biking spots on the island.
Yes, Virginia, There Are Problems in Paradise—Crime & Weather
You may be in paradise, but be aware there is crime on Kauai. Always lock your bicycle (even if you’re just leaving it for a minute). You are responsible if it is stolen. Remember that weather in Hawaii is not like your weather back home—an island