We have been to Hawaiian islands four times in the last 2 years (5 days Oahu, 9 days Oahu, 4 days Oahu/2 days Big Island, 8 days Oahu/10 days Big Island) and I am getting the itch again, thinking about visiting Kauai in November. We like a "leisurely active" vacation where a good day may consist of about 3 to 4 hours of light hiking and 3 to 4 hours at the beach with snorkeling or boogie boarding (depending on conditions). We also like leisurely sight seeing and find cruising around with The Bus on Oahu enjoyable.

I am wondering how many days I should allocate so that we can visit the key beaches, hiking/nature areas, and other main attractions at least once on this trip. Also, where should we look for a Hotel as a base for day trips to the rest of the island - walking proximity to a beach would be neat too.