Island of Kauai

I’ve been coming to Kauai for years. It’s a beautiful place, but not without it’s problems.
The traffic can be a real problem; something that is not shown in the travel brochures.
They do this thing called Contra Flow where they reverse traffic lanes to help facilitate the rush hour — it’s better than nothing but does not fix it. During traffic hours it can take an hour to get four miles. They also continue to build malls, resorts, and apartments but do nothing to the roads. Kauai is headed for a serious head on collision with traffic problems.
People can be darn right rude. It seems as if there is a general population that hate tourists. I’ve gotten stink eye and cold shoulder from way too many people. I travel with a smile, so it’s extra obvious that they have their attitude.
Most restaurants serve seriously over priced meals; we are talking $ 15-​$ 30 for lunch and double that for dinner. This is without drinks. How restaurants can justify $ 13 to $ 22 for a hamburger is beyond me. Kauai is absolutely the most expensive Hawaiian island to visit. They have their reasonably priced restaurants, but they are few.
That said, there is a lot of good food on the island.
This is also considered the drowning capital of Hawaii. Many people drown here every year. Over 100 drowning in the past 10 years. The ocean is very rough around Kauai; people are swept off of the beaches that are not even in the water, and riptides are common and vicious. If you go to the beach make dang sure you know exactly what the risks are or you will be joining them.
That said, there are a lot of beautiful beaches on Kauai.
There is much good on Kauai but it continues to dwindle with every passing year.
You ask, then why to you go there? It’s not me, it’s a family thing.
My recommendation — go to a different island. Kauai is drowning in tourists and the result is not good.

The best island in Hawaii!!!
Okay, I am totally bias! We spent our honeymoon here, and it was simply perfect!
We’ve been back 3 times since then, and each time is just as wonderful (well almost as wonderful as that first amazing visit)!
This little island is very beautiful! There is so much to see and explore! The Waimea Canyon and Na Pali Coast are two of the must visit destinations on the island of Kauai. If you ever wanted to take a helicopter ride, then this island is the best one to view from a helicopter! Truly breathtaking!
Highly recommend visiting the island of Kauai whenever you visit Hawaii! You will not be disappointed!

Very beautiful island but we found that all of the places we ate at were not that great and even the mediocre restaurants and/​or stands are very expensive for what you get.
I guess it’s true that there are no great restaurants on this island and we ate from Roy’s to Duke’s to stands.

I just recently moved to the North Shore of Kauai from San Diego, I am in love with Kauai!

Like walking around in a dream.
The «highway» that almost circles the island (except Na Pali Coast) is mostly 2 lanes of stop & go. I did not even try the «night life».
My first morning, I hated the sound of roosters. All mornings after, I was gone before they started.
I spent a week here & felt like I needed a lifetime. I was jealous of the campers in Na Pali Valley & with tarp tents on the beach.
Even when I hit the wrong trail, I found myself amazed at the sites.
I had a great & expensive meal at The Beach Restaurant on South Shore. I had tasty meals from vendors permanently parked on the side of the road.
I grew to apperciate the Kauai raised beef. 365.25 days a year of free roaming and grazing on green grass makes some very tender and tasty beef.
I left wanting more.

Truly a paradise. Every time I visit I find something new. Last trip I made a new friends with the life guards at Tunnels and a neighbor on the beach. Wonderful people live here and the air is magical. Take a walk to Tunnels from Haena in the morning and you will feel the air send a quiver of energy. Aloha check out my blog
Ernie

Waiting for the fog to part for a glimpse of Kalalau Valley.
Discovering hundreds of waterfalls on the North Shore.
Jumping off Hanalei Pier into the warm Pacific Ocean.
I saved my 1000^th Unilocal review to celebrate the Island of Kauai, one of my fave places in the world.
I first visited the island in 1998, for a biz meeting. I then returned over and over again for… well, more meetings, and for vacations and even daytrips. Who gets to boast that my monthly meetings rotate around the best hotels in Kauai?! From the Hyatt to the Sheraton to the Marriott… I’ve never been to a staid biz meeting on Kauai.
As a vacation spot… i’ve never been more relaxed or carefree… I can truly say that it’s the place i think of when i think *Vacation*
Kauai is the true Hawaii.
Quiet, white sand beaches.
Friendly locals
Quaint towns and neighborhoods
Discoveries everywhere…
Here’re some jewels of Kauai:
— Hanalei Beach & Pier
— Waimea Canyon
— Wai’oli Hui’ia Church
— Kong Lung Trading
— Island Soap & Candleworks
— Princeville Resorts
— Poipu Beach
— Na Pali Sunset Cruise
— Postcards Café
I almost don’t want to share this island with anyone else.
Almost.

Updated my Kauai Unilocal Review: 4÷12÷2008
The Island of Kauai is unlike the other neighboring Hawaiian Islands of Oahu and Maui. However, Kauai is leaning towards the Islands of Molokai and Lanai in terms as sparsely populated. But, please keep in mind the Island of Lanai only has a few hundred people living on the Island ²⁴⁄₇.
Kauai is an Island of Adventure rather than ²⁴⁄₇ partying nightlife. Most of the activities are accomplished during the day. There are some party spots on the island, but really not much to really offer rave reviews.
Here are my pics I took of the activities and sights I saw while visiting this beautiful Island of Kauai. I hope by posting ALL my Kauai pics, you will be able to identify the location of each pic:
The places I stayed are the International Kauai Hostel and Kauai Beach Boy/​BestWestern Plantation Hale while my girlfriend stayed at Hotel Lani a couple of miles away from Lihue Airport. Please read my Unilocal reviews regarding these accommodations.
The cool place to scuba dive, but parking vehemenently sucks is Tunnels Beach. It’s a very short residential side road, so get to this area by NO LATER than 6 AM otherwise, you will be hoofing it for 2 miles to get to the beach!
I should have gone scuba diving with these dive masters because they treat you like royalty:
Rather than diving with a jaded, old codger who just didn’t want to dive Nitrox with me or give me the crucial Nitrox gas information I needed to annotate in my dive log book! Avoid booking your scuba diving with Dive Kauai Scuba Center-​the blue house on the corner of Kuhio Highway in Kapaa!
Useful URL:
Anyway, pictures speak a million words, so I hope you will enjoy viewing all my pics I took in Kauai and the other neighboring Hawaiian Islands.
If you want to know where I took a picture of a particular secret beach, need scuba diving hook-​ups or need directions to a particular place in Kauai, please send a message and I will answer your question.
BTW: Beach Warnings!
Lumahai Beach is where you will find the very EXPENSIVE Nihau shells, but getting to this beach is trecherous and the drift current is dangerously sketchy! So, just stay on the beach and search for shells ONLY! Do NOT attempt to swim at this beach because you will LUMA-​DIE!
Poipu Beach sucks-​it is ALWAYS too windy to snorkel! My daughter, Joy tried surfing there and the coral reefs chewed, spit her right up!
Hanalei is the Locals hangout, not many tourists hang here. Please do NOT leave ANYTHING in your car or on the beach of value.
Haena State Beach is one frickin’ parking traffic jam nightmare! Get to this parking lot by 7 AM, otherwise the traffic lineup will be like 1 to 2 miles away from beach parking lot. Please see the dry and wet caves while you are at Haena State Park, but do NOT go scuba diving or snorkeling in the wet caves!
Be careful hiking towards Na Pali Coastline because on August 30, 2007, a man died falling off the steep cliff-​3000 ft. ravine while hiking/​climbing down towards the Na Pali Trail to the secluded beach below!
Please stay away from the ancient Hawaiian Heiau burial grounds locat because the area has unstable, dangerously eroding sand:
Do not attempt to kayak to the Na Pali Coastline by yourself because the drift current is very strong. The Na Pali speed boat raft cruisers will cause great back pains if you have a weak core-​the trip is over four hours worth of violent jarring and bouncing through the rough current to Na Pali Secret Beach.
When you are camping at the Na Pali Secret Beach, do NOT eat the Noni yellow bumpy fruit WHOLE or RAW because you must cut the fruit in half SOAKING the entire fruit in water for 72 – 96 hours before eating it= fruit is highly toxic and must be severely diluted before consuming!
Annini Beach is campers paradise, but be prepared by bringing a heavy duty rain tarp and guy line the entire tarp down onto your tent when you set up your tent. Freaky torrential down-​pours are common while camping here for $ 5.00 per night. You must apply for a Hawaiian camping permit ONLINE before camping at ANY Hawaiian State Park anywhere in the Hawaiian Islands.
P. S. The cheapest gas is the Shell Station heading towards Coconut Marketplace on right side heading towards Kapaa/​Princeville or Costco in Lihue/​Nawiliwili, unless you are military-​you can go buy gas at Barking Sands…
O=:-D. .. nyuk-​nyuk-​nyu