Frommer's Kauai - Jeanette Foster [47]
The symptoms of a coral cut can range from a slight scratch to severe welts and blisters. All Stings Considered recommends gently pulling the edges of the skin open and removing any embedded coral or grains of sand with tweezers, or rinsing well with fresh water. Next, scrub the cut well under fresh water. Never use ocean water to clean a cut. If the wound is bleeding, press a clean cloth against it until it stops. If bleeding continues or if the edges of the injury are jagged or gaping, seek medical treatment.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET SICK AWAY FROM HOME
In most cases, your existing health plan will provide the coverage you need. But double-check; you may want to buy travel medical insurance instead. Bring your insurance ID card with you when you travel.
We list hospitals and emergency numbers under “Fast Facts: Kauai,” in chapter 11.
If you suffer from a chronic illness, consult your doctor before your departure. Pack prescription medications in your carry-on luggage, and carry them in their original containers, with pharmacy labels—otherwise they won’t make it through airport security. Visitors from outside the U.S. should carry generic names of prescription drugs. For U.S. travelers, most reliable healthcare plans provide coverage if you get sick away from home. Foreign visitors may have to pay all medical costs upfront and be reimbursed later. For information on medical insurance while traveling please visit www.frommers.com/planning.
We list additional emergency numbers in the “Fast Facts.”
6 Safety
IT’S THE LAW
NUDITY Going bare in Hawaii is illegal and you can be arrested. No matter what you have heard or read, nudity in Hawaii is against the law.
TRESPASSING Walking across someone’s private property to get to the beach is illegal and called trespassing. Yes, Hawaii law guarantees that the beaches in Hawaii are open to the public, but only at designated “beach access” points. Unfortunately there are some guidebooks that recommend trespassing across public property to get to “remote” beaches. Be warned: This is illegal and you could be arrested. All of the beaches we recommend in this book have public beach accesses, which provide safe, legal access to the beach.
SMOKING Hawaii has very strict nonsmoking laws. It’s against the law to smoke in public buildings, including airports, shopping malls, grocery stores, retail shops, buses, movie theaters, banks, convention facilities, and all government buildings and facilities. There is no smoking in restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Most bed-and-breakfasts prohibit smoking indoors; more and more hotels and resorts are becoming nonsmoking even in public areas. Also, there is no smoking within 20 feet of a doorway, window, or ventilation intake (no hanging around outside a bar to smoke; you must go 20 ft. away). Even some beaches have nonsmoking policies (and on those that allow smoking, you’d better pick up your butts and not use the sand as your own private ashtray—or face stiff fines). Breathing fresh, clear air is “in” and smoking in Hawaii is “out.”
HIKING SAFETY
In addition to taking the appropriate precautions regarding Kauai’s bug population (see above), hikers should always let someone know where they’re heading, when they’re going, and when they plan to return; too many hikers get lost on Kauai because they don’t inform others of their basic plans.
Always check weather conditions with the National Weather Service ( 80 8/245-6001) before you go. Hike with a pal, never alone. Wear hiking boots, a sun hat, clothes to protect you from the sun and from getting scratches, and high-SPF sunscreen on all exposed areas of skin. Take water. Stay on the trail. Watch your step. It’s easy to slip off precipitous trails and into steep canyons, with often disastrous, even fatal, results. Incapacitated hikers are often plucked to safety by fire and rescue squads, who must use helicopters to gain