What to do in Kauai (Nawiliwili), Hawaii??

[Kiwi_cruiser]

We have never been to Kauai (Nawiliwili) before.

 

I was wondering what not to miss in Kauai (Nawiliwili)??

 

And what would you recommend doing in Kauai (Nawiliwili) for the day??

 

Any ideas / suggestions are welcome :)

 

Also is there any private tour company's you would recommend??

[Mothballs]

It has been a while since I have been to Kauai but I remember it is not as developed as the other islands and the locals were trying to keep it this way.

There is beautiful scenery including Waimea Canyon and the Napali Coast.

If you are an Elvis fan have a look at the Coco Palms Resort where a lot of the movie, Blue Hawaii was made. It is no longer in use because of Hurricane Iniki in 92 but there was talk of it being brought back into use. Don't think it has happened though.

Also watch out for the chooks!

Regards Elaine.

[Vader1111]

I spent 3 weeks on the island back in 1998.

 

For me the biggest highlight of the island is the Waimea Canyon, which is frequently referred to as "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific". Continuing to the end of the road, the view from the lookout over the Kalalau Valley is amazing, provided it's not completely shrouded in mist.

 

I also did a boat trip along the Na'Pali Coast (where the mountains meet the sea, on the western end of the island - inaccessible by road). I would highly recommend this as well.

[annenic]

On our cruise around the Hawaiian Island in 2011 we absolutely loved Kauai.

 

We organised a fixed wing plane trip over Waimea Canyon with Wings over Kauai and I can definitely recommend this company. We have a wonderful tour with them. EVERY seat in the plane is a window seat so EVERYONE gets a good view!! (Not like in a helicopter where there are good and bad seats - especially the one in the middle at the back!) This tour much cheaper than the helicopter flights as well!! Its a family owned business and they were sooooo helpful. Ellen picked us up from the shops near the dock and dropped us back.

 

After that we had organised for the afternoon (last minute at the tourist info stand at the shops just before Ellen picked us us) a catamaran cruise of the Na Pali Coast. This included a taxi ride to and from Port Allen where the cruise started. This also was a brilliant tour and we would definitely recommend - to sail past the cliffs so close was awesome. We were lucky enough to see turtles, dolphins in the water ... and mountain goats on the cliffs.

 

On both tours the commentaries were very informative - loved both of these tours.

[PAsailors2]

We were there mid-June and agree with the other posters. The canyon is spectacular. Wings Over Kauai is a must-do. It is a wonderful way to get to see the entire island. They even give you a short (10 minute) DVD after the flight as a momento. If you are there overnight, try to get to the Poipu area - lovely beaches, and Spouting Horn is near here as well as the Botanical Gardens. There are some little tented sales areas with jewelry and souvenir items set up by the Spouting Horn. Right near your terminal there is a restaurant called JJ's Broiler. The outdoor tables give a wonderful view of Kalapaki Beach. We also enjoyed travel along the Coconut Coast (eastern side) up to the north where Hanalei is located. On the east side you will also find the Fern Grotto. It is a boat ride up the river, then a short walk to see the cave. The place was destroyed during the last hurricane so you can no longer enter the caves. Also, the ferns weren't all that great -at least not what we were expecting. Still, it makes for a nice trip and they do entertain you on the boat ride with live music and Hawaiian dancers. There are chickens everywhere. Don't be surprised to see them in restaurants with open areas! You will love the scenery and the lush tropical plants. If time permits, perhaps rent a car. You can cover a lot of territory that way.

[MicCanberra]

On our cruise around the Hawaiian Island in 2011 we absolutely loved Kauai.

 

We organised a fixed wing plane trip over Waimea Canyon with Wings over Kauai and I can definitely recommend this company. We have a wonderful tour with them. EVERY seat in the plane is a window seat so EVERYONE gets a good view!! (Not like in a helicopter where there are good and bad seats - especially the one in the middle at the back!) This tour much cheaper than the helicopter flights as well!! Its a family owned business and they were sooooo helpful. Ellen picked us up from the shops near the dock and dropped us back.

 

After that we had organised for the afternoon (last minute at the tourist info stand at the shops just before Ellen picked us us) a catamaran cruise of the Na Pali Coast. This included a taxi ride to and from Port Allen where the cruise started. This also was a brilliant tour and we would definitely recommend - to sail past the cliffs so close was awesome. We were lucky enough to see turtles, dolphins in the water ... and mountain goats on the cliffs.

 

On both tours the commentaries were very informative - loved both of these tours.

Hi annenic, do you know if you can do the flight over Waimea Canyon from Lahaina? As you know our cruise does not go there.:D

[annenic]

Hi annenic, do you know if you can do the flight over Waimea Canyon from Lahaina? As you know our cruise does not go there.:D

 

Hey Mic! Good to hear from you. You've gone very quiet lately on our forum - I (and many others too I'm sure) have been missing your welcomes to all the newbies to our cruise ..... and all your quirky one liners:D

 

No. Sorry you won't be able to do the flight over Waimea Canyon from Lahaina. Each island has its own over-island tourist flights. We've done a fixed wing and a helicopter flight over Oahu and they were both really worth it. We've not done any flights over Maui but to fly over (or around) Haleakala and out to Hana as well as over Kaanapali Beach would be good to do I'm sure.

 

We enjoyed doing a Road to Hana tour the last time we were in Maui. We did it from Kahului where we docked and it was an all day tour. I 'm pretty certain that there would not be enough time for you to do it from Lahaina as it is a tender port arriving at 8am and departing at 6pm.

[Aussiegirl58]

You may want to post this question on the Hawaii boards to get a more up to date answer. We did a 7 night cruise around Hawaii in May this year and I found this board very helpful in planning our trip.:)

[MicCanberra]

Hey Mic! Good to hear from you. You've gone very quiet lately on our forum - I (and many others too I'm sure) have been missing your welcomes to all the newbies to our cruise ..... and all your quirky one liners:D

 

No. Sorry you won't be able to do the flight over Waimea Canyon from Lahaina. Each island has its own over-island tourist flights. We've done a fixed wing and a helicopter flight over Oahu and they were both really worth it. We've not done any flights over Maui but to fly over (or around) Haleakala and out to Hana as well as over Kaanapali Beach would be good to do I'm sure.

 

We enjoyed doing a Road to Hana tour the last time we were in Maui. We did it from Kahului where we docked and it was an all day tour. I 'm pretty certain that there would not be enough time for you to do it from Lahaina as it is a tender port arriving at 8am and departing at 6pm.

Thanks, yes as we tender it will make it very difficult to include everything on a full day tour. :D

[MicCanberra]

You may want to post this question on the Hawaii boards to get a more up to date answer. We did a 7 night cruise around Hawaii in May this year and I found this board very helpful in planning our trip.:)

Thanks, I will check it out.:D

[rugbypopsie]

Whatever you do absolutely don't do Fern Grotto...the area has been trashed you cant get into the Grotto anymore and the ships tour was unbelieveably cheesy...think group singing and hula lessons with a cardigan wearing totally disinterested dancer.

 

Nice scenery though..if you are a shopper checkout Ross store.:)

 

Sue

[MicCanberra]

Whatever you do absolutely don't do Fern Grotto...the area has been trashed you cant get into the Grotto anymore and the ships tour was unbelieveably cheesy...think group singing and hula lessons with a cardigan wearing totally disinterested dancer.

 

Nice scenery though..if you are a shopper checkout Ross store.:)

 

Sue

I will avoid it then, cheers.:D

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Thank You everyone for your ideas and information :)