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Kauai in June?
We booked our trip for H's birthday in the end of June. We flying RT HNL for a week. H is pretty content with doing the week the same as all of our other trips... staying on Oahu. However, since it is his birthday, I thought it would be fun to throw in something extra. Kauai is sounding like the best match. June on the north shore is supposed to be the best. The helicopter tours look amazing. You fly over the Na Pali coast and see Waimea Canyon from overhead... and, one of the tours lands at a waterfall.
How should we split the trip? We fly to Oahu on a Saturday... maybe stay Saturday and Sunday... go to Kauai for 3 nights... then, back to Oahu.
If you've been to Kauai, what did you see/do? Was there one thing that you thought everyone should do at least once in a lifetime? What did you do that you wish you could switch for something better?
Is the best way to travel to go back to HNL and fly to the main airport on Kauai? Are there smaller or better airports?
Places to stay?
Anything else I should know?
Newlyweds since 2007
Re: Kauai in June?
3 Nights on Oahu and 3 nights on Kauai sounds nice. If you can, I'd recommend a Na Pali Coast Sail...either a sunset cruise or a longer snorkel tour. I like Captain Andy's. Also, try to see the Waimea Canyon (which you probably will if you're doing a heli tour). I also like to kayak up the wailua and hike to Secret Falls, but in June that might be crowded with tourists.
The North Shore can be pricey for accomodations and dining...if that's not a concern I'd check out Hanalei Colony Resort or Hanalei Bay Resort. There are also a ton of cute vacation rentals up there...maybe a cute little cottage or bungalow would be fun? Check out VBRO. If you want to splurge, I'd say this place would be AWESOME!
http://www.kauaihoneymoon.com/
TTC/PG Blog | Mommy Blog
I think June is a fantastic time to go to Kauai. I went in June a few years ago and stayed on the North Shore. For things to do, I highly recommend getting the Kauai Revealed book. It was so incredibly helpful. I'm not into helicopters so I can't speak to those tours, but I recommend hiking the Kalalau Trail that starts at Ke'e Beach. I also loved Waimea Canyon and kayaking on the Wailua River and then hiking to Secret Falls. The island is pretty small, so it's pretty easy to stay on the north shore and drive wherever you need to go. Honestly, I loved just driving around and taking in all the gorgeous scenery and when we saw something interesting or a nice stretch of beach, we would just jump out of the car and explore.
Restaurants that I loved are Beach House, Roy's, Bar Acuda and the Shrimp Station (more of a shack then restaurant on the way to Waimea Canyon). There are a bunch of condos/villas that you can look into to rent while you are there. In terms of traveling there, when you get to Oahu on Saturday, I would go straight to Kauai if you can. I think you should enjoy the relaxation that Kauai has to offer for the majority of your trip and then stay maybe 2 nights on Oahu at the end of your trip if that is what YH wants to do.
Have fun!
I REALLY loved the N. Shore of Kauai the best; the lushness, solitude and views truly can't be beat. We stayed in a house on the beach in Ha'ena, which is a little farthur past Hanalei. You had to drive back to Hanalei for everything, but it was so beautiful, who cares!
I HIGHLY recommend driving all the way to the end of the road (where the trail starts) and spend some time hanging out at Ke'e Beach. I don't know if I've ever been to a more scenic place before. The tall, green cliffs are right beside you as you frolic in the turquoise green lagoon. Super LUSH! I took this when we visited!
Also, if you stay on the N. Shore, I really preferred the boat trip from there, rather than the other side of the island. The main beauty of the Napali Coast doesn't start until you are almost all the way up north. You can cut out a lot of the boat travel by taking the boat from the North.
I am SO jealous, I was just thinking about takin my daughter back. She loved it SO much there!
How fun! The north shore of Kauai is my favorite part of the island.
Places to stay:
I also second Hanalei Colony Resort and Hanalei Bay Resort. Also check VRBO for affordable options in Hanalei and Princeville. I've stayed at the Sea Lodge in Princeville for super cheap - it's not the greatest condo complex but it can be very affordable. Units are hit and miss so really do your research. What I liked best about it was that it was right on the cliff and most of the units have awesome ocean views.
You could also look into staying in Kapa'a if you aren't having any luck with affordable options on the North Shore. It's not the prettiest part of the island and traffic sucks but it's so much easier to stay there than Poipu if you plan on spending most of your time on the North Shore. Wizardpub.com is a good place to do research.
Things to do:
If you want to do a helicopter ride, Kauai is the island to do it. Absolutely exotic and gorgeous. We booked through Blue Hawaiian but there are many, many other companies. Our trip was great and our pilot was funny and informative. We booked last minute and didn't do any research so I don't know which company has the "best tour".
Rent a kayak through a company that does not require that you paddle with their tour groups. This way you can paddle down Wailua River at your own pace and spend as much time exploring as you want. Secret Falls was OK in my book but I think we're spoiled because we go to Hana here on Maui pretty often. One thing that you should be aware of is that depending on the water level conditions, you might have to walk through waist high water after beaching your kayak to get to the trailhead for Secret Falls. Tabis/water shoes are a must have. We felt horrible for the tour groups who were told it would be an easy, shallow crossing - the river current was strong and the water deep that day and almost everyone bit it. Also, we snuck into the Fern Grotto. You're not supposed to but we just tied our kayaks up away from the dock and hiked through the woods a short ways. Bring bug repellant.
We love to spend our time at Ke'e Beach (see my review on TA) and at Hanalei Bay. Tunnels can get busy but has good snorkeling. Haven't been there yet but I've heard good things about Anini.
In Princeville, you can hike down to Queen's Bath. It was muddy the day we went and it was a slippery hike. Wear shoes. Depending on the ocean conditions, it can be a nice place to take a dip in the lava tidepool. The views are beautiful - just be careful!
I definitely vote for taking the Na Pali cruise. There are also a ton of hiking trails on Kauai - see Kauai Revealed for ideas. We've hiked Sleeping Giant and part of Kalalau- I recommend both, with Kalalau being the better of the two by far.
On our last trip to Kauai, we finally saw Waimea Canyon. Yowsers! So glad we made the time to do it. The earlier you get there, the better. The clouds seem to roll in at the very last viewpoint a little after noon. It's a long drive from the North Shore though. If you do it, I recommend stopping in Hanapepe for lunch and shopping at the Banana Patch Studio (they make the cute no slipper tiles you see at a lot of shops).
Things we wish we had done/will be doing next time:
Tubing. Might be lame but I think it sounds fun and different. You sit in an intertube and float down an old plantation irrigation ditch.
Zipline Safari. We've zipped here on Maui a few times and enjoyed it but we've heard really good things about this trip. There's hiking, kayaking, and ziplining on this trip. The company is Outfitters Kauai.
Places to eat:
Kalypso in Hanalei for breakfast, Cafe Hanalei or Bali Hai for a romantic dinner with a view, Bar Acuda in Hanalei and the Happy Talk Lounge in Princeville for pupus and cocktails, Hanalei Mixed Plate for local food. There are also a ton of options in Kapa'a.
Sorry this ended up being so long! Have fun!
Impressive. Thanks for taking the time to give me details. That's exactly what I need.
Lori - I wish we didn't have to worry about money. It seems like we never have much $$$ in the splurge fund.
The Sea Lodge is a great price. TA has lots of reviews, which I'll sort through once my daughter is asleep. I'm also going to read about the different activities all of you mentioned.
Thanks!
Newlyweds since 2007