Frommer's Kauai - Jeanette Foster [49]
If you want help planning your trip, the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA; 80 0/448-8550 or 95 4/776-2626; www.iglta.org) can link you with the appropriate gay-friendly service organization or tour specialist. With around 1,200 members, it offers quarterly newsletters, marketing mailings, and a membership directory that’s updated quarterly. Members are kept informed of gay and gay-friendly hoteliers, tour operators, and airline and cruise-line representatives. GayWired Travel Services (www.gaywired.com) is another great trip-planning resource; click on “Travel Services.”
Out and About ( 80 0/929-2268 or 41 5/486-2591; www.outandabout.com) offers a monthly newsletter packed with good information on the global gay and lesbian scene. Its website features links to gay and lesbian tour operators and other gay-themed travel links, plus extensive online travel information for subscribers only. Out and About’s guidebooks are available at most major bookstores and through www.adlbooks.com.
FOR SENIORS
Discounts for seniors are available at almost all of Kauai’s major attractions, and occasionally at hotels and restaurants. Always inquire when you make hotel reservations, and especially when you buy your airline ticket—most major domestic airlines offer senior discounts.
Members of the AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons; 80 0/424-3410 or 20 2/434-2277; www.aarp.org) are usually eligible for such discounts; AARP also puts together organized tour packages at moderate rates.
Some great, low-cost trips to Hawaii are offered to people 55 and older through Elderhostel, 75 Federal St., Boston, MA 02110 ( 61 7/426-8056; www.elderhostel.org), a nonprofit group that arranges travel and study programs around the world. You can obtain a complete catalog of offerings by writing to Elderhostel, P.O. Box 1959, Wakefield, MA 01880-5959.
FOR FAMILIES
Kauai is paradise for children: beaches to frolic on, water to splash in, unusual sights to see, and a host of new foods to taste. Be sure to check out “Family-Friendly Hotels” in chapter 5, “Family-Friendly Restaurants” in chapter 6, and “Especially for Kids” in chapter 7.
The larger hotels and resorts have supervised programs for children and can refer you to qualified babysitters. You can also contact People Attentive to Children (PATCH; 80 8/246-0622;www.patch-hi.org), which will refer you to individuals who have taken their training courses on child care.
Remember that Kauai’s sun is probably much stronger than what you’re used to at home, so it’s important to protect your kids. Keep infants out of the sun; infants under 6 months should not be in the sun at all. Older babies need zinc oxide to protect their fragile skin, and children should be slathered with sunscreen every hour.
Condo rentals are a great option for families; the convenience of having your own kitchen is great for Mom and Dad. See “Types of Accommodations,” later in this chapter. Our favorite condo complexes are reviewed throughout that section.
8 Getting Married on Kauai
Whatever your budget, Kauai is a great place for a wedding. Not only does the entire island exude romance and natural beauty, but after the ceremony, you’re only a few steps away from the perfect honeymoon. And the members of your wedding party will most likely be delighted, since you’ve given them the perfect excuse for their own island vacation.
More than 20,000 marriages are performed each year on the islands, and nearly half of the couples married here are from somewhere else. This booming business has spawned dozens of companies that can help you organize a long-distance event and stage an unforgettable wedding, Hawaiian-style or your own style.
The easiest way to plan your wedding is to let someone else handle it at the resort or hotel where you’ll be staying. All of the major resorts and hotels (and even most of the small ones) have wedding