Please help us with our Kauai itinerary!

[YoungRestlessOne]

My DH and I will be on the POA Oct. 30 - Nov. 6, 2010. I have been doing lots of research on each port, and so far we have quite a list of things we'd like to see and do in Kauai. I'm almost positive we will not be able to cram everything we'd like to do into the day and a half that we have on this island. That's why I'm seeking advice from those who have done this cruise already as well as locals who know the island, the time involved in seeing/exploring each sight, and the travel distances between sights.

 

Our list includes:

• Kalalau Trail - first 2 miles to Hanikapi'ai Beach and maybe to the falls if time permits
  
• Kilauea Lighthouse and Bird Sanctuary
  
• Ziplining at either Princeville Ranch or Kauai Backcountry
  
• Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tour
  
• Wailua Falls
  
• Waimea Canyon
  

 

We are planning to rent a car the first (full) day we are there, and we will get an early start. We don't feel compelled to return to the ship by dinnertime as we are there overnight. We would rather eat dinner someplace nice on the island (any recommendations?) instead of returning to the ship and wasting what - to us - would be precious sightseeing time. I am torn on whether to keep the car overnight since Friday will be a half day on the island.

 

Any advice and help you can provide is MUCH appreciated! Right now I feel overwhelmed. This will be our first - and possible only - trip to Hawaii, so I feel like we really need to do it right.

[BopRN]

I can comment on Waimea Canyon....We picked up our rental car at 10am and headed right for the canyon. As we were driving up to the canyon, we stopped at a couple places along the way to take pictures of a waterfall, etc. There are 3 marked lookouts....we stopped at the first 2 which were great but supposedly the 3rd one at the end is the best. We reached that one about 12:30...but the fog had already set in and we couldn't see a thing! So my suggestion to you is ...start earlier than 10am! That was pretty much the theme for the whole trip...we missed some other views through the week because of fog setting in as well. We are late-risers and found out the hard way that we should have started out an hour earlier.

 

We also stopped at a roadside restaurant on the main street on your way from the ship to the canyon called the Shrimp Station...it was a very popular stop....very delicious!

 

After we left the Shrimp Station, we headed south...we stopped at the Kailua Coffee Plantation...very nice and informative. (Still drinking my Kailua coffee I bought there...yum!) We then went to Poipu Beach where we wanted to spend the afternoon, however we were at the canyon longer than expected and didn't get there til 4pm...so sat for a half hour and moved on to the Spouting Horn which was 5 min. away. From there, we headed back toward the ship....stopped at Wailua Falls not too far from the ship and back to the car rental around 7. We didn't keep our car overnite as the 2nd day, we had to be on the ship before 1:30. So that day, we went to the beach near the ship...it was a really nice beach at the Marriott. You can walk or there is a shuttle from the ship every 15 min.

 

IMHO, I don't know how you could fit everything in that you mentioned...but I am sure others may have more experience with that.

 

Have a wonderful time! All of your hours of planning are worth it. Our trip went very smoothly...we cruised the first week and spent a week in Oahu the 2nd....Actually you need about a week on each island to fully appreciate them. But it was a great experience!

 

PS Our GPS saved our marriage!!! There is NO way we could have done all we did with just trying to follow a map. We would have been bonkers after 4 islands where everything starts with a K or M and ends in an A...LOL HIGHLY suggest you bring one. We even got lost a time or 2 trying to get back to the car rental place where you are on a time limit and have to fill up with gas first, etc. KNOW the addresses of your car return places...they can be different from where you picked it up. Watch for gas stations...you have to fill up within 10 miles and show them your receipt....the process can be stressful when you are trying to catch shuttles, etc. Oh and DON"T wait to get on the LAST shuttle. Just a few pointers!

[annecolorgreen]

We are doing powered hangliding, so I think we are going to skip driving into Waimea Canyon since we will see it from the sky! That gives us a couple of extra hours someplace else. Just a thought since you mentioned the helicopter tour.

[ohmandy99]

We had a wonderful and romantic dinner three years ago at a place named Gaylords. I believe it was outside of Lihue heading west. We rode a horse drawn buggy first and then dinner.

[Raison]

I am interested in the replies here as well. We are doing back to back cruises, so we will have 2 full days and 2 half days in Kauai. I still don't think we will get everything in that we would like - especially as we want to have a restful day on the final Friday as we will have a long flight back to Sydney on the Saturday.

 

At this stage we are planning an early start on the first Thursday, drive to Waimea canyon and all points south of Lihue that we wish to visit. Helicoptor on Friday and nothing else planned for that day at this stage. Second cruise we will hire a car and go north as far as we can go and stop off at all the lovely spots. We intend only having the hire car for the full day each time.

[riofriotex]

I am interested in the replies here as well. We are doing back to back cruises, so we will have 2 full days and 2 half days in Kauai. I still don't think we will get everything in that we would like - especially as we want to have a restful day on the final Friday as we will have a long flight back to Sydney on the Saturday.

 

At this stage we are planning an early start on the first Thursday, drive to Waimea canyon and all points south of Lihue that we wish to visit. Helicoptor on Friday and nothing else planned for that day at this stage. Second cruise we will hire a car and go north as far as we can go and stop off at all the lovely spots. We intend only having the hire car for the full day each time.

 

Back-to-back! That sounds marvelous. Curious - do you have to get off the ship at the end of the first cruise? If you're in the same cabin for both, can you leave your stuff in the cabin?

 

Your plans for Kauai sound great to me.

[Surpriseotter]

My suggestion would be to rent the car for the first day and then schedule the Blue Hawaiian Helicopter ride for the second day morning. You can walk to the Blue Hawaiian offices from the ship. That would also give you more time to rest before returning to Honolulu the next day.

[sceptic]

Our list includes:

• Kalalau Trail - first 2 miles to Hanikapi'ai Beach and maybe to the falls if time permits
  
• Kilauea Lighthouse and Bird Sanctuary
  
• Ziplining at either Princeville Ranch or Kauai Backcountry
  
• Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tour
  
• Wailua Falls
  
• Waimea Canyon
  

Kalalau trail to Haniapi'ai beach is a long hike in terms of time. we love it, but it is not easy. any rain or showers can make the trail slick, and the up-and-down is demanding. but it is utterly gorgeous. Expect it to take 4-6 hours+. Really.

 

Kilauea Lighthouse is wonderful, and I doubt it would take much more than an hour+ total. Both this and the trail are easily doable on a north shore day.

 

Never done the ziplines. No comment. ditto blue Hawaiian.

 

wailua falls is worth a stop, but I doubt it will take longer than 30 minutes.

 

Waimea canyon can be almost all day, especially if it's clear and you like to hike.

 

Realistically, I'd do north shore the first day (go to Kalalau Trail EARLY - parking is a bugger). Just exploring from Hanalei to Ke'e can take a day. Then Waimea canyon early the second day - best early anyway because of less clouds.

 

Food? My choice is local stuff, so have no opinion on 'nice' restaurants.