Kauai on Monday!

[keweenawlove]

I'm getting so anxious. We fly out Monday morning for a week on Kauai. We're planning on going a Na Pali coast cruise, hiking the Na Pali coast trail and the bottom of the canyon (with a hired guide), and the luau in Hanalei bay. If anyone had any last minute recommendations of things we should do/restaurants to try (particularly hole-in-the-wall places) I'd love to hear them!

[Deleted]

puka dog! for a quick bite lol. If you are looking for a nice meal, I enjoyed Tidepools at the Grand Hyatt. most of the other food we tried was just okay.
When you are driving to Waimea Canyon, watch out for the speed traps bc the limit changes every 10 yards or so.

[mdgirl]

Hamura's in Lihue makes an awesome first or last meal. Lappert's is also insanely good ice cream. Have fun!

And don't wear anything white on the Hanakapi'ai Trail unless you don't care that it will never be white again.

[catsarecute]

I'm going in 4 weeks and I can't wait! Looking forward to reading about your trip when you get back. Enjoy!

[sarahbear]

Pack less than you think you'll need. It's so casual there you'll hang out in the same tank top the whole trip. LOL. Have fun! We loved Kauai, but it's been almost 9 years since we went so I don't remember the names of restaurants, etc.

[keweenawlove]

We're driving to the canyon early on a Thursday morning. We're meeting our guide in Princeville where we're staying and he's driving us there. Good to know about the speed traps though!

I'm definetely bringing my ready to be retired trail running shoes for all of our hikes. I've never been overly worried about getting them dirty to being with.

[Deleted]

If you're able to, stop at hanapepe cafe for dessert or lunch in hanapepe. Nondescript exterior but holy crap the food is soooooo good. Best cinnamon bun of my whole life.

[Deleted]

I just remembered that Kauai kookie company is worth a stop for edible souvenirs.

[shorty20]

I'm so jealous, have fun!

[keweenawlove]

Oh I just thought of another question. Is it worth it to bring 2 pairs of shoes for hiking? I was thinking maybe since I've heard trails get muddy and it might take more than overnight to dry out shoes...

[aurora]

I am so jealous--Kauai is my favorite place to vacation in the world and it's been a while since I've been there.

If you're staying in Princeville, the "hike" down to the Queen's Bath is neat. It's not an all-day adventure but different from the typical beaches (in that it's volcanic rock with a couple of small swimming holes, not a beach).

Re. shoes, if we had a pair of ready to retire running/hiking shoes we would sometimes bring them and then toss them when leaving the island because they could get really soaked and filthy. It really depends on the year/season, though, and we used to visit during a wetter season than this. Most of the time you will only want to wear flip flops.

[Deleted]

Wishing Well Shave ice or Masa Truck Shave Ice
The Right Slice (Pie) (Farmers Markets)
Hamura's Saimin (Kapaa)
Hukilau Lanai (Kapaa)
Laperts Ice Cream (Princeville)
Aunty Lilikoi (Waimea)

We LOVE Kauai. Going back next summer for the 5th time.

[Deleted]

May 23, 2012 8:28:04 GMT -5 keweenawlove said:

Oh I just thought of another question. Is it worth it to bring 2 pairs of shoes for hiking? I was thinking maybe since I've heard trails get muddy and it might take more than overnight to dry out shoes...

Do you have keens? Those are the best as they dry easily.

[hazel]

We went to Kauai in March and LOVED it. It's now my favorite island and I hope we can return again in a few years.

I would just bring one pair of hiking shoes and bring water shoes if you have those too. I don't recommend using really old tennis shoes like I tried to do. There was no traction and it sucked. Next time we go I think we'll just wear some type of water shoe.

If you like raw/vegan food, there's a fantastic restaurant in Kapaa called Rainbow Living Foods. It was fantastic.

[misshark122]

We had a really delicious meal at the Postcard cafe in Hanalei