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kauai in summer: stay in north or south?
We are planning to visit Kauai in the summer for our anniversary and can't decide which side of the island to stay on. We love hiking, swimming, snorkeling and exploring the island. I've heard that the beaches in the north are calmer in the summer...how bad are they in the south?
We *think* we want to stay at the Westin in Princeville but are having a hard time trading for a room there (we're using a timeshare). Would it be that big of a deal to stay in the south at a nice resort like Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club or Marriott's Kauai Beach Club and then just drive to the north? Are there enough safe beaches to visit in the south that time of year? Or if the north is really that much better in summer, should we just pick a northern hotel that just isn't as nice?
Sorry for the bombardment of questions, lol! Thanks for all your help!
(I posted this once before but I think the post got lost somehow)
Re: kauai in summer: stay in north or south?
The water conditions can be bad in the north during the winter because of weather/current patterns. Those conditions go away when the seasons change -- they don't move around to the other side of the island. Although some beaches have bad water conditions just due to the natural structure of the beach itself (the Hyatt's beach is never swimmable) and weather has nothing to do with it.
Whether it's a big deal to stay on the south side of the island is up to you. We've stayed in Poipu the 3 times we've been to Kauai and we liked it just fine. However, if you think you'll spend most of your time on the North Shore you should try to stay there. Traffic around Lihue can be bad, and it's nice to not have a long drive after a day of being in the water or getting hot and sweaty hiking. If you're going to be there an entire week and it's an option with your timeshare, you could also try to split your stay.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
Mark Twain
My Travel Blog
I loved the laid back feel of the North side - we stayed in a timeshare near the Westin and it was a great location to explore that area. I loved the Kalalau trail, Kee beach, and Tunnels beach. Get the book Kauai revealed if you haven't picked it up yet. It does take a good amount of time to drive to the other side of the island, we did it early one day to do Waimea Canyon.
I just got back on Sunday from Kauai. We stayed at the Westin in Princeville. yes it is a goof hour drive from Lihue and poipou but it was much more crowded on the beaches on the south end. We absolutely loved Hanalei Bay which is a 5 min ride from the westin and Tunnels beach was absolutely breathtaking and a absolute must (north side). Great snorkeling too! Hiking is right down the road from tunnels. From what i hear the south side is more crowded, but yes there is more shopping and excursions, we had a car so we drove all over anyway so that we could see it all
If I could recommend something you MUST do the helicopter tour it is the only way to see the entire island and it is absolutely beautiful!!! The Napali coast is obviously another absolute must! Have fun!