briansilverstein

Hello. I am going to Kauai for my anniversary for 6 days at the Princeville in August. We have never been to Hawaii. What are the top attractions/events/restaurants/activities that we should not miss?

FTraveler

This is my favorite island. On the West Side, don't miss the drive to Waimea Canyon, a mini-Grand Canyon if you will, and the lookout at Kokee, where you can see beautiful Kalalau Valley which is accessible only by boat.

Parts of Kauai were used as a backdrop for the "Jurassic Park" trilogy. If you liked the scenery in the movies, you'll love Kauai.

l etoile

I don't know if you're into hiking, but Kauai has some great hikes. The Kalalau Trail is one of the all time greats and takes you along the cliffs of the Na Pali Coast. It's about 11 miles and most people camp on the beach at the end and hike out the following day, but you can do it as a day hike and arrange for a boat to pick you up. The Alakai Swap in Kokee State Park is wonderful too - through rainforest. It used to get you all muddy - there were lots of knee-deep and higher bogs - but I understand it's all boardwalk now. It's about 4 miles long. You can also kayak in the river - I forget the name, but you'll see brochures. That's pretty fun. There are a couple of rope swings along the way for jumping into the water and at the end there's a short hike to a waterfall.

Congratulations and enjoy!

squeakr

somehow when I think Kauai I dn;t think attractions or events - I think natural beauty, challenging hikes ad a quiet time...

briansilverstein

Thanks for all of the great suggestions.

Just to clairify, I was looking for anything special about Kauai that we should be sure not to miss. Although I know that we will figure out a lot of it when we are there, I also know that my friends @Flyertalk usually have the inside advise that is hard to come by.

Also, I never fully trust resturant reccomendations from a hotel.

SFFlyman

I highly recommend Polihale State Park on the far west side of the island. The trip there is a bit bumpy over a farm road, but well worth the effort. At the end of the road you will find a beautiful secluded beach surrounded by majestic cliffs and aqua blue water... a great place for a picnic. If you have time to go to a bookstore, Wilderness Press publishes a great book, "Kauai Trails", which I have used on several trips to explore the island. Aloha!

Leisuremiles

Staying at Princeville your fine dining options are somewhat limited unless you don't mind driving 30-40 minutes to Kapaa or beyond. Hanalei may have some restaurants now but last time I was there,there was really nothing I would consider fine dining, if you find something on your trip please post it here or on the FT Dining board.

LHR Tim

Well I guess you can always have a chat with Puff the Magic Dragon and "wash that man right out of your hair" in Hanalei

On the serious side, we did regret not doing the hike - if you can it is a must do!

Also there is there is the Queen's Bath near Princeville. It's a natural pool not too far away. You park in a residential nieghborhood and it is a short walk - very nice. See:

www.hawaiiweb.com/kauai/html/sites/queens_bath.html

As said, if you want to eat elsewhere, you'll need to drive. However, evening cocktails in the Living Room are a must.

Also, just a warning, don't expect brilliant sunshine every day - Kauai is one of (if not the) wettest places on Earth!

julleflyer

Do not miss Friday evening's seafood buffet at the Princeville Hotel. Call ahead for reservation.

Everybody claims that the beach by Poipu is the best in among the best in the world.
Otherwise Kausi has much beaity and peace compared to other islands.

briansilverstein

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. I am definitely looking forward to some great natural beauty on Kauai.

Many people mentioned that most restaurants are a 30-40 minute drive from the hotel. Is this a scenic drive? What are the names of some of your favorite restaurants?

Thanks again.

Brian

scrog

I read that the Queens Bath is off limits now. Some tourist(s) got swept out to sea and drowned recently.

snorkeldan

The path to Queen's bath is open again.

http://www.kauaiworld.com/archives/i...689-news02.txt

cblaisd

General info:

http://www.coconutpalace.net/index.html
http://www.mindspring.com/~lavarock/kauai.htm
http://www.jans-journeys.com/kauai/

A must see:

http://www.ntbg.org/limahuli.html

We enjoyed the Hanalei Dolphin restaurant very much
http://www.cityspin.com/kauai/shoppi...s/e210han0.htm

A bunch of Kauai restaurants listed:

http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/rest/kss.htm

LIH Prem

Good places to eat near Princeville:

Chucks Steak House in the Princeville Shopping Center. (Open for lunch and dinner)

Postcards in Hanalei Bay, for breakfast

Zelos in Hanalei Bay for drinks, pupus and lunch, but I don't like their dinner menu.

Tropical Taco in Hanalei bay. Used to be a truck-based business, now in a little shop on the right.

The sushi in the Princeville Hotel library bar when the sushi chef is there.

Monday night sushi at the Prince Course golf club. (same sushi chef as the hotel.)

And further down the road ...

Kintaro's in Waialua .. best sushi on the island .. not to be missed.

Roy's in Poipu. (make a reservation, dinner only, excellent food and service.)

-David

LIH Prem

The luau at the Princeville hotel is also very good.

-David