Kauai next week!! Any advice?

We will be in Kauai Sept 20-25. I%26#39;ve researched and tried to plan our trip so we will get to do alot. Also we will be staying on east side 2 nights and last 3 nights at Kilauea. Here are the plans: Wed arr 5:36pm, get car, check in at vrbo in kapaa, head to beach to boogie board, snorkel or relax. (What is the nearest and best beach?) Thurs- up early to watch sunrise on beach and beachcomb.(beach suggestions?) 7:30am check in Island helicopters (Lihue) for 8:10am 1 hour tour. 9:15 hit the beach for boogie boarding (best nearby beach?) Lunch then maybe check out some waterfalls or kayak (plan to do both these eventually). Plan to watch free hula at coconut marketplace in evening. Fri-check out of kapaa rental in a.m. I still want to snorkel (tunnels and Ke%26#39;e and Anini), hike (prefer lush jungle hike) and napali by ke%26#39;e beach (2 mile hike to beach), kayak (best spots?) (no tours), snorkel with turtles, maybe see a plantation village (any?), see lighthouse, do Allerton gardens, maybe kai guave farms, beachcomb, Poipu, Hanalei, secret beach, Kealia beach, maybe polihale beach (can one visit barking sands?). We booked Smith%26#39;s Luau for Fri pm. Mon we don%26#39;t depart until 10:40 pm but have to check out by 12:00pm any suggestions on leaving luggage in car? Probably won%26#39;t get in ocean that day unless we can shower somewhere. The ocean activities are my favorite so we want to do some of that every day. Sorry this is so long. Appreciate all the help I can get.

Kauai next week!! Any advice?

any advice you ask?? Yes, bring me!! :) Sounds like you have more than enough planned for a week or two . . . just relax, enjoy the snorkeling, eat lots of yummy meals and some shave ice . . . and we%26#39;ll look forward to your trip report! Aloha :)

Kauai next week!! Any advice?

Your first day sounds a little too ambitious. By the time you collect your luggage, get the rental car, and check in to your accomodations, it%26#39;s going to be dark. Sunset is around 6:30pm and I wouldn%26#39;t recommend boogie boarding at night! Which beach depends a bit on where you%26#39;re staying as well. Many of the east side beaches are a little rough for snorkeling, but you can always relax on the sand.

Your second day you could hit Kalapaki beach by the Marriott in Lihue, or go down to Poipu and check out Brennecke%26#39;s beach for some good boogie boarding.

You have a lot planned, and my guess is you%26#39;ll ditch a few of these in favor of lounging around when you find a nice stretch of comfy beach!

Have fun.

Agree with coalminer...it would take me nearly two weeks to accomplish all you have planned for the four actual days you have on the island that includes that move from one hotel/condo to another. Relax and stop to smell the plumeria in the real time you have.

Depending on where you are staying in Kapaa, you could go to Kapaa Beach Park or Kealia Beach for a sunrise stroll and beachcombing. For safety sake, seriously, talk to the lifeguard on duty or in some way investigate beaches where you can safely boogie board.

The free hula show at Coconut Marketplace is on Wednesday at 5 PM so I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ll make it.

Awhhh, do you know of any other free hula or other island style entertainment?

First of all, try to group your activities geographically.

You say you have booked the luau at Smith%26#39;s. That will be far more entertaining than your plan to see the free hula show at Coconut Marketplace. You can use the time you would have spent there for some other activity or entertainment.

If the Smith%26#39;s reservation does not work out for you, call the Hilton Kauai Beach Resort (was Radisson last year) in Wailua to see if they still have their free sunset torchlighting ceremony, island music and hula show (everyday at 6). Marriott at Kalapaki Beach in Lihue may still have free shows on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

On Thursday (9/21) if you do get over to the west to see Polihale Beach and Waimea Canyon you could stop at the Poipu Shopping Village on the south side. This would be on your way back to Kapaa. Poipu Shopping Village has island style entertainment at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or at least used to. I can%26#39;t remember if Barking Sands is still cordoned off.

Since you are moving to the north side on Friday (9/22), as I said, try to group your north side activities, although you will have to drive back to Kapaa from Kilauea for your show at Smith%26#39;s. For example, you could go to Kilauea Lighthouse, Kai Guava Plantation and Allerton Gardens, then go hang out in the afternoon in Hanalei town and beach. Next day, Saturday, do the beach at Anini and/or the beach and little hike at Ke%26#39;e. Sunday, pick one of those beaches to snorkel and hangout at the beach all day to relax and feel the spirit of the island. If you must check out at noon on Monday, spend that a.m. getting packed and think about what you would like to do. Maybe that kayak trip you want to take would work out. You could launch at Smith%26#39;s for a paddle up the Wailua River. Afterward you could go hang out at Lydgate Park to swim/snorkel again, then use their showers to clean up for the rest of the day until you leave. Carry plastic bags to transport your wet suits back to New Mexico. Walk up to the Aloha Beach Resort right at Lydgate for dinner or use their hot dog stand out by the pool. With time left after dark, you could go back to Coconut Marketplace where you could either watch a movie or snooze in a theater seat....not forgetting you should be at the airport by at least 9 p.m. I%26#39;d say luggage will be safe in the trunk at Smith%26#39;s, Lydgate and Coconut Marketplace, all are quite public and lit after dark.

Islandshell, Don';t be in such a hurry, slow down a little. When you get to Kauai you are going to have to learn to relax....:) The island is a place to re-think your fast paced life...No one is in a hurry on Kauai...

I hope you get to do all the things you have listed, but you make me tired and exhausted with everything on your list.. Enjoy Aloha..

Ditto!

Hi,

Cross Polihale State Park off your list. I just alerted the travel forum that it will be closed immediately due to an unexploded ordinace that must be removed from an area 800 yards from the shore. As for the Kayaking, the big club is located at Hanalei Bay. They have great kayaking events sceduled all year. Give them a call and maybe ask what area would be the most enjoyable if you had only one kayak trip planned on the island. Have fun!

Thanks everyone!! And thanks in advance to future posts. Anyone know the best beaches for shelling?

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