HELP!!! Where to go in Kauai when renting a car

[chris153]

I have done searches on both the ncl main bd and here on the hawaii boards. But wanted to get more direct answers. We are going to rent a car in Kauai. We want to see the Canyon, spouting hole (I think that is what it is called) and the beach at Poipu . I also read somewhere about a place to eat shrimp in the town of Waimai. Can anyone give me an idea of an order to do this in and if there is anything else that would be good to see. ALso, is it worth going all the way to the end of canyon, or are the first two look outs good enough. I know this is alot to ask, and I really appreciate any ideas. Okay, one more thing, any reccomendations for a good book on Kauai drivesl. THANK YOU!!

[punkincc]

The only time we attempted to go all the way to the top of Waimea Canyon, it was fogged in at the top by the time we got there, so no view of the back side and the Na'Pali Coast. Well worth it to keep going as long as the views are good. I would put the canyon first on the list and head out early as I believe clouds tend to gather at the summit in the afternoon. You could stop by the other two areas you mentioned on your way back.

 

Another worthwhile trip is up to the Princeville/Hanalie Bay Area which is adjacent to the beginning of the Na'Pali coast. You would have to backtrack completely from the canyon though and then north, so it might be too much for a single day.

[chris153]

The only time we attempted to go all the way to the top of Waimea Canyon, it was fogged in at the top by the time we got there, so no view of the back side and the Na'Pali Coast. Well worth it to keep going as long as the views are good. I would put the canyon first on the list and head out early as I believe clouds tend to gather at the summit in the afternoon. You could stop by the other two areas you mentioned on your way back.

 

Another worthwhile trip is up to the Princeville/Hanalie Bay Area which is adjacent to the beginning of the Na'Pali coast. You would have to backtrack completely from the canyon though and then north, so it might be too much for a single day.

 

Thank you Punkincc Do you know how many overlooks there are before the top. I think the first and second were pretty close to each other but not sure.

[fayerussell]

Our last cruise a couple years ago we did the canyon first thing, first day. Then backtracked and drove all the way north to the end. It was a long day but we had plenty of time to do everything. The next day we went to the spouting horn and the beach. Worked out great! I have read on many boards to go to the canyon first thing in the morning. That's what we did and it worked great. We drove to the very end and then stopped at lookouts that we wanted to on the way back down. We even saw some mountain goats with a baby!! Very cool!!! :o

[Kartgv]

As others have said, do the canyon first. We drove to the top, which is spectacular (4 times, never had fog), then stopped at the overlooks on the way down to make sure we had adequate time. We then drove towards Poipu, where you can stop at Spouting Horn if you want, though we think it's kind of lame. We stopped at the Beach House Restaurant in Poipu for a great lunch with amazing view of waves, surfers, and paddleboards. We were back on the ship by about 4:00.

[Astro Flyer]

If considering a drive north of Lihue after going to south end locations be aware that traffic returning in the afternoon can be bad. To me trying to see both ends of Kauai in a single day is too much to do with not enough time to enjoy the beauty of the Garden Isle.

 

I think the very best guidebooks on any island are the "Revealed" series of guidebooks which would be Kauai Revealed (also have an app) for you. Heed their advice about considering that conditions change quickly & may become hazardous. An example from today's daily walk along Wailea in Maui was a father with young kids who I overheard saying "I thought this beach (Ulua) is suppose to be safe". It is most of the time however conditions change & never assume anyplace is always safe. Too often I hear about tourists who ignore conditions & get injured...or die. :(

Edited February 16, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[punkincc]

Thank you Punkincc Do you know how many overlooks there are before the top. I think the first and second were pretty close to each other but not sure.

 

I just looked at a website which listed three, at mile markers 10 and 13 with the last being between 13 and 14, and this being the best. As others have said, the views only get more spectacular as you go higher. So please take a little time to stop and smell the roses;). Don't get so wrapped up in covering the ground from point A to B to C that you don't really see and enjoy any of it.

 

I'm not big on spending money on guidebooks. I'd rather just google what I want and have a ton of info at my fingertips instantly. Print out what you need or make notes.

Edited February 16, 2015 by punkincc

[fayerussell]

If ur on the pride of America u have an overnight in Kauai. So it really doesn't matter what the traffic is like on the north shore since you don't have to worry about making it back to the ship at a certain time. We did the canyon then went all the way north. We stopped everywhere, had plenty of time, and stayed at one of the beaches on north shore till sunset. Had no trouble with traffic on way back. You're on island time! Enjoy!!

Edited February 16, 2015 by fayerussell

[kjcombs89]

If ur on the pride of America u have an overnight in Kauai. So it really doesn't matter what the traffic is like on the north shore since you don't have to worry about making it back to the ship at a certain time. We did the canyon then went all the way north. We stopped everywhere, had plenty of time, and stayed at one of the beaches on north shore till sunset. Had no trouble with traffic on way back. You're on island time! Enjoy!!

 

We did the canyon on our second, short day in Kauai with plenty of time to go all the way to the top and back. BUT, it was rainy that day, and we decided to take the chance that it 'might' clear up when we got up to the top...yeah, nope. Totally cloudy and raining at the top. My husband loves driving on windy, curvy roads...so we enjoyed the drive anyway. We saw some spectacular views at some of the lower viewpoints on the way back down so the trip was a success in our minds!

 

So, is it worth it to go all the way to the top? Everyone that I got advice from said YES...go early, go all the way up, and it's worth it.

 

We also drove all the way to the end of the road at the north (Ke'e Beach), turned around (b/c there was no place to park...too crowded) and drove all the way back around...then all the way down to Poipu on our first day. Again, plenty of time. We stopped at Tunnels Beach, the dry caves, Kilauea Lighthouse, had coffee at Java Kai in Kapaa, then headed south. We stopped at Koloa Rum, went to Poipu to see the Spouting Horn...plus the coffee plantation. We kept our rental car overnight; parked at Anchor Cove and took the little shuttle back to the ship...in time for a late dinner. Full day, but very enjoyable! Since it was raining off and on, we didn't plan to just hang on a beach.

 

It really all depends on how much and what you want to see. :)

[cb at sea]

I LOVE guidebooks! Libraries have them at NO COST to you!

 

They can be perused at YOUR leisure...no rebooting, no scrolling....a guidebook is awesome!