Frommer's Kauai - Jeanette Foster [67]
For those who just can’t get enough beach time, make your way to Wailua Beach on the Coconut Coast. This beach, which features Hawaiian historical and cultural sites, is also a great place to just sit under a palm tree and figure out how you can move here permanently. For those non-beach people, you can visit the great shopping along the coast, or head inland and see the sacred Hindu temple, San Marga Iraivan Temple. Eat lunch in Kapaa at Mermaids Cafe. In the afternoon, consider either hiking up Sleeping Giant Mountain, bicycling along the shoreline, or renting a kayak from Kauai Water Ski & Surf. By dinnertime, you’ll be hungry; head for Caffè Coco.
Day 7: Getting the Most Out of Your Last Day
If this is your last day, spend it in the Lihue area. It’s close to the airport and there are plenty of things to do. You might want to step back in history and visit the Kauai Museum in Lihue or take a train ride at Kilohana in Puhi. Or drive up to the Wailua Falls, just outside of town. Shoppers may like wandering around the old town of Lihue. Die-hard beachgoers can head to Kalapaki Beach for their last few hours of sun. If you are in a casual mode, get some burgers for the beach at Kalapaki Beach Hut. If you are in the mood for a more filling meal—and you know that it won’t get served by the airline—stop at Duke’s Canoe Club for your last meal on the island.
2 Two Weeks on Kauai
Two weeks on Kauai is perfect. It allows you to see everything at a much slower pace with plenty of relaxation and lazy beach days. I’d suggest adding lots of naps, vegging out on the beach, and stopping to smell all the exotic flowers.
Two Weeks on Kauai
Day 1: Arrive in Kauai; Go Directly to the Beach
After you get off the plane, head for the beach closest to your accommodations. Don’t forget the sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat before you leave your hotel. Just as we recommended in the itinerary for 1 week, you might consider a Hawaiian dinner at one of the luau offered (see chapter 6) to get into the spirit of your Hawaiian vacation. Plan on an early bedtime; you’ll be pooped.
Day 2: See Kauai from the Sky in a Helicopter
With the time difference between Kauai and the mainland, most likely you will be wide-awake before the break of dawn. We suggest you book an early morning helicopter tour of the island to get your bearings. The reason you want to book a tour early in your stay is that if weather conditions cancel your flight, you still have plenty of days remaining to rebook a flight. If your flight is canceled, you might as well get up early and watch the sunrise. After your helicopter ride out of Lihue, grab your snorkel gear and head for Poipu Beach to see what the fish are up to. Terrific lunches can be had at Brennecke’s Beach Broiler, just across the beach from the park. As the sun sets, stop by the Beach House for divine pupu (appetizers) and a liquid libation. Then head to Roy’s Poipu Bar & Grill in the Poipu Shopping Center for a fabulous dinner.
Day 3: Dive into the Ocean at the North Shore
With the whole day ahead of you, take a post-breakfast drive out to the end of the road at Kee Beach. If you get up early, have breakfast at the Hanalei Wake-up Café. Head out to the end of the road, park, and hike a couple of miles along the Na Pali Coast and back (make sure you have good hiking shoes, water, snacks, and sunscreen); or you can venture down the highway to Tunnels Beach for an early morning snorkel. After a couple of hours at the beach, continue on to the Limahuli Garden of the National Tropical Botanical Garden and step into Eden.
By now you should be hungry. Head back to Hanalei and grab a bite at the Hanalei Gourmet; take it down to the beach for a picnic lunch. After lunch, wander through the shops at Hanalei, get a shave ice, and take in the slow pace of life on the North Shore. Finish the day with a pau hana–time (quit-work time) cocktail at Tahiti Nui, then enjoy a relaxing dinner at either Bar Acuda in Hanalei or in Haena at Mediterranean Gourmet at the Hanalei Bay Colony Resort.
Day 4: