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Sunset Dinner cruise

Airport to costco

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To Do

Restaurants

Kauai Grand Hyatt menus

BEACHES

Hanalei Bay Beach, Kauai [swimming, snorkelling, bodyboarding, surfing, body surfing, windsurfing ++]
Hanalei Bay on the north shore is a large circular bay, with more than 2 miles of clean white sandy beach backed by mountains, said to be the most scenic setting in the Hawaii islands. It is also one of the best recreation beaches in the island. Loads of ocean activities include kayaking and sailing. There are 3 beach parks with facilities in this bay, Black Pot Beach Park, Hanalei Pavilion Beach Park, and Waiolli Beach Park. The beach is exposed to high surf during the winter. Beware strong currents.
Kee Beach, Kauai [swimming, snorkelling]
The tropical-looking Kee Beach, located at the western end of Na Pali Coast State Park on the North shore of Kauai, is the best snorkeling spot in the island. Its shallow lagoon offers great swimming, especially for families with children. The beach can have high surf during the winter, sometimes summer as well. Beware strong currents.

HPoipu Beach Park, Kauai [swimming, snorkelling, bodyboarding, surfing]
Kauai island is loaded with unspoiled beaches, some secluded and only accessible by boat [such as Honopu Beach or Kipu Kai Beach]. Poipu Beach Park is not only one of the great Hawaii beaches, but it is also packed with things to do and places to see. It is known for its unique shape and excellent swimming beach, especially for families with small children, because the lava borders create a sheltered pool with still, shallow water. A few blocks from Poipu Plantation is good for snorkelling due to the calm, clear waters and plenty of colourful fish . Because of its popularity, this coral beach can be crowded. Beware high surf during summer. A more isolated place, a couple of miles east is Mahalepu Beach with a wild beauty. Swimming is not quite as easy as Poipu Beach, but the views are sensational.
Salt Pond Beach Park, Kauai [swimming, snorkelling, bodyboarding, surfing, windsurfing, scuba diving]
A wide white sand beach with a large pool-like swimming area protected by rocky ridge, Salt Pond Beach is an ideal place for families with children. It is a great surfing and windsurfing site on surf days, and a popular spot for snorkeling and diving on calm days. Salt making is still active there in summer. Beware seasonal high surf [usually summer].

Lydgate Park on Kauai is a family favorite. A rock-rimmed pool provides safe swimming for babies and toddlers, even in winter months. Adjacent is an enormous rock-rimmed pool which breaks the surf into rolling swells excellent for swimming, rafting, and floats of all kinds.

Tunnels beach on the north shore offers protected snorkeling between two reefs. Colorful fish feed on the coral formations, which are like tunnels that are fun to explore. In calm conditions, you can bring the kids and let them play in the shallow water or float on rafts. Great views of the spectacular Na Pali cliffs.

Located literally at the end of the road, Ke’e Beach is probably the most visited beach on Kauai. The famed Kalalau Trail begins at the western end of the beach. Several movies and min-series have been filmed here such as The Thorn Birds and Castaway Cowboys. Ke’e’s inviting lagoon is teaming with fish and perfect for snokeling. Beware, however of the Puka Ulua, an opening on he left side from the lagoon to the sea. Currents can be very strong here. People often fish for the large, prized Ulua fish in this area

Queen’s Bath is one of the most unique and refreshing swimming areas on the island. The “pool” is carved into a lava shelf and is the size of several large swimming pools. The government has recently closed this site during the winter months due to law suits from tourist who have been hurt from natural conditions. When the surf is cooperating, usually in the summer months, the water is calm and crystal clear. However, if the surf is pounding you can’t even find the pool. A small, freshwater stream flows nearby and is the perfect place to rinse off after sunning and swimming in the Bath. Views of the ocean and the rocky shoreline here are fantastic. Even when the surf is fairly calm, waves crash on the rocks shooting spray high into the air. Small fish and tiny sealife also call Queen’s Bath home.
Directions:
Take Highway 56 to Princeville. Turn right on Ka Haku Road. Turn right on Punahele and right again on Kapiolani. Park along the road at the end of Kapiolani and follow the dirt trail along the stream for about 25 yards. At the end of the trail turn left for about 300 yards to the Bath.

FOOD

On Fridays starting at 4pm is happy hour at Hanalei Bay Resort’s Happy Talk Lounge. You can hear Normon Solomon play wonderful Hawaiian and contemporary music. A gifted composer, Norman will play songs from his latest album–you’ll love Kalapaki which is really special. Norman’s partner Darren plays great music as well, and his daughter sometimes dances. The free food is nothing to write a postcard home about, but the music is wonderful and the sunset, beyond compare! Come early to get a seat. A new Day Spa has opened at the remodeled Hanalei Colony Resort in Haena, including treatment rooms on the beach “hale” and yoga classes at 8:30 am (M, T, Th) in the ocean front dining room. (80) 826-6621. www.hanaleidayspa.com. This is a center for ayurveda, an ancient tradition of healing. An established Ayurveda center in Kilauea, Tri Health, can be reached at www.oilbath.com, with amazing synchronized four-hand massage.

Family Friendly Dining
‘Family friendly,’ describes Kauai itself! On this special island, local people really love children, and many restaurants welcome families with a smile, and go the extra mile to make kids feel at home.

HWe’ve been visiting some of these restaurants for more than twenty years, and here are our all time family favorites! At the top of our list are Hanama‘ulu Tea House and Brick Oven Pizza. Children will also find a special welcome at Barbecue Inn, Ono Family Restaurant, Bull Shed, Brennecke’s, Tip Top, and Kintaro.

On the north shore, enjoy Café Hanalei’s spectacular view of the sun setting into the ocean, while you enjoy first rate Pacific Rim cuisine. Nearby Postcards Café creates an imaginative natural cuisine using no meat ingredients or additives.

For more than fifteen years, Kintaro has remained Kauai’s best Japanese restaurant, a must if you are looking for delicious food in an attractive, comfortable setting. In fact, you will probably see the owner, Mr. Kim, hard at work running the smooth operation begun by his father.

Enjoy your favorite drink at the Honu Bar during sunset
The Mauna Lani Resort is home to one of the island’s most chic and tasteful lounges. A memorable menu with ambiance to match.

ACTIVITIES

Farmers Markets: Update the schedule to include the Hanalei market on Saturday 9:30 am; Kilauea starts at11:00 on Saturday.

Just for Kids! The Na’ Aina Kai Gardens has opened a section just for children. Enter the rainbow gate and explore kid-friendly features like a treehouse, a gecko-shaped maze complete with Jack and the Beanstalk. Visit the children’s garden as part of the famil walking tour of the gardens, which includes the formal gardens, the poinciana maze, the tropical lagoon, japanese tea house, Shower Tree Park, and orchid house ($15/children and $25/adults). For those older than 13, longer tours range from 2-3 hours ($35) and 5 hrs ($70), to see all kinds botanical discoveries-a desert garden of cactus, an enormous shrubbery maze, even a garden of carnivorous plants which are misted by a clever overhead system, as well as groves of 40,000 hardwood trees of different varieties, an exhibit of beautiful statues, and a gazebo with a great ocean perch overlooking the spectacular north shore coastline just south of Rock quarry Beach (available for weddings). On Wailapa Road, Kilauea. The 3-hour tour by tram and on foot ($35/pp), as well as a 5 hour tour ($70/pp) which includes a box lunch). For more details, visit www.naainakai.com (808) 828-0525 Sierra Club organized Kauai hikes are published online at www.hi.sierraclub.org/Kauai/kauai-hikes.html

TREETOP FLYERS ZIPLINE
We gathered around picnic tables in the large warehouse that serves as headquarters for Kauai Backcountry Adventures, nervously munching on sweet home-grown apple bananas and wondering what we’d gotten ourselves into. Fellow aspirant Bonnie asked if anyone had ever done this before. When each person replied in the negative, she cheerfully announced, “Good, we’ve found something that we’re still virgins at!” Two plucky souls in our group had decided this was a great way to celebrate their Big Five-O birthdays. The rest of us had no excuse other than a unfathomable sense of adventure.
After being outfitted with harness and helmet, and a somewhat nervous drive (due to our anticipation, not our driver’s ability), we found ourselves deep inside the former Lihue Plantation. Situated on the flanks of Kilohana Crater, it is an area of lush forested valleys and up-close views of 5,000-foot Mt. Waialeale. Sugarcane is no longer grown on Kauai, so these 18,000 acres of private land now provide pasture to a few herds of cattle and a playground for thrill-seekers like us.

TOTALLY TUBULAR RAFTING
“Don’t panic. When you panic your guides freak out. Just close your eyes and go to your Happy Place. Sing ‘It’s a Small World’.” This was Cathleen’s way of reassuring us that the tunnels we’d be traversing would be manageable by even the most claustrophobic among our group. Once again I was enjoying the wit of a Kauai Backcountry Adventures guide, and this time we were headed for some play time in the water. The historic Hanamaulu Ditch, which runs through the old Lihue Plantation, was hand-dug out of hard basalt rock in the 1870s. It takes one million gallons of water to irrigate one acre of sugarcane, and a 5-8 foot section of sugarcane stalk to produce one sugar cube. So back in Kauai’s sugarcane glory days, it took a lot of crop and a lot of water. The crops are no longer there, but the water from Mt. Waialeale still runs two to three feet deep in these irrigation canals, providing the perfect pathway for our voyage.

As we sailed out of Port Allen’s harbor aboard Holoholo Charters’ 48-foot sailing catamaran, Leila, anticipation was high for the sights we’d see both above and below the water. Despite our excitement, the salt spray off the bow only sharpened our appetites, and when Captain Mel’s crew announced the Continental breakfast was ready, we headed for the large shaded and wind-protected cabin. At various stages of our trip we were joined by playful dolphins, bobbing sea turtles, and inquisitive Monk seals. Dropping sails and casting anchor in a peaceful cove, our snorkeling excursion brought us face to face with a myriad of fish and coral beds beyond counting

Shopping

On the North Shore, explore specialty shops that carry unique gifts and vintage used clothing. Perusing antiques from exotic lands such as Tibet and India, jewelry, Oriental rugs, pearl bracelets, and other fine gifts can be much fun. You can even find the only soap and candle factory in Hawaii. More interesting shops in Hanalei, Princeville, and throughout the North Shore are nothing short of a shopper’s paradise.

On the East Side, Kapaa Town and Kinipopo Shopping Village offer a variety of fun shops and eateries. Aloha shirts, vintage maps, fine art, and jewelry are all available in the area. Wailua Shopping Plaza houses several restaurants and an eclectic antique shop. The Coconut Marketplace is home to more than 70 shops in which you’ll find precious Hawaiian mementos, fine artwork, antiques, jewelry, craft items, and so much more.

Lihue and the Kalapaki area offer country stores, funky and fine art shops, nifty gift nooks, and farmers’ markets (on Kauai, they’re called Sunshine Markets). Authentic Kauai crafts are a treat to shop for after a tour through the Kauai Museum — Niihau shell leis, woodwork, lauhala weavings, coconut products, and more. Beyond the Kauai Museum, you’ll find many more notable mementos to take home including soaps, paintings, clothing, coffee, Kukui guava jams, fabrics, and many other collectible items.

The South Shore has the Poipu Shopping Village with a selection of shops, services, and eating establishments. The medley of gift choices here is incredible. Pillows, Hawaiian handmade paper, unique jewelry, children’s items, formal and fun apparel (including silk dresses), swimwear, candles, soaps, sterling silver items, and enough to keep you browsing for a day or more. The numerous surf shops offers surfwear, swimwear, and watersports equipment. Nearby Old Koloa Town is another stop worth making, with its funky island apparel, Kauai-artist-only crafts, coveted Niihau shell leis, a variety of dining and snacking establishments, local grocery store, candles, soaps, and more.

Eleele Shopping Center on the West Side is where you’ll find a handful of stores, conveniences, and tour boat company offices; it’s a great place to mix with locals. Hanapepe is known for its artists and you’ll love browsing amongst the smattering of wooden furniture, handmade soaps, pillows, plates, and cups — all with tropical motifs; antique prints of Hawaii, limited-edition graphics, and several other Kauai specialty products. Taro chips in numerous flavors make great gifts to take home. Friday night is Art Night with its block party atmosphere, as art galleries open up for viewing and occasional demonstrations, live music, and light refreshments. Port Allen, where red dirt shirts originated, is also a fun stop for souvenirs, yummy chocolates, and boat tours.

Here are the directions on the website to Angeline’s:

Going north from Kapaa on the east side of Kaua’i, Between the 14 and 15 mile markers (on the “makai” – ocean – side of the hiway) you will find our crossroad, HOKUALELE Rd., just north of the Anahola Store and Post Office.
Turn right on Hokualele, then make the next right (Kamalomaloo Pl.); we are the last driveway on the right, before the stop-sign. THERE IS A LITTLE WHITE “ANGELINES” SIGN WITH OUR HULA-ANGEL LOGO JUST BEFORE THE DRIVE.

You will see a parking area there. Walk down the driveway and go left at the arrow sign.
If you come from the north just reverse the directions; remember that we are between 14 and 15 mile markers.
We provide you with a sarong and hand towels, but please bring a bath towel. you will be here for about 2 hours.

Traffic Tips:
If you are staying in Poipu on the south side, it takes about an hour to get here. There is usually some traffic between the airport and Poipu on the south and Kapaa on the East, during commute hours. Best to make your appt. accordingly.
There is a bypass route through Kapaa going east: As you pass Wailua, going into Kapaa, look for Kintaros Restaurant on your right (past the Shell station); the bypass road is about an 8th mile past Kintaros, on your left; there is a turning lane.
remember; no credit cards; and please bring a bath or beach towel.

Mahalo