We have been to Kauai numerous times since 1999. It is one of our favorite places to vacation, and our favorite of the Hawaiian Islands.
NIcknamed the Garden Isle, Kauai is the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands and is very laid back. You won't find a ton of night life on the island. There is some, but nothing like Oahu. You will find beautiful beaches and stunning scenery.
We have compiled the information in the accordions below to help us remember places we have been to and enjoyed, as well as recommendations from others for places we might visit on future trips. We hope you find this information useful as well.
KAUAI RESORTS
Makai Club (Princeville)
- 0.2 miles to Makai Golf Club
- Clubhouse
- Outdoor pool & hot tub
Makai Club Cottages (Princeville)
- 0.2 miles to Makai Golf Club
- Clubhouse
- Outdoor pool & hot tub
Wyndham Bali Hai Villas* (Princeville)
- 0.4 miles to Makai Golf Club
- 2 pools & 3 hot tubs
- Considered the flagship resort on Kauai
- Has AC in some units
- Nice resort
- No ocean view units
- Units are very nice
Wyndham Ka ‘Eo Kai (Princeville)
- 1 mile to Makai Golf Club
- Nice resort
- Pools & hot tub
- Putting green
- Request an upper level unit
- Very spacious units
Wyndham Shearwater (Princeville)
- 1 mile to Makai Golf Club
- 2-bedroom presidential are fantastic
- Does not have AC in units
- Great ocean views from all units
- On cliff, right above ocean
- Pool with panoramic ocean views
- Small pool & hot tub
- Small resort with large units
- Very good resort to stay at
Wyndham Kauai Beach Villas* / Kauai Beach Villas (Bluegreen Direct Exchange) (Lihue)
- 3.5 miles to Lihue
- Beachfront resort
- Buildings G & H have ocean views
- Centrally located
- Close to airport
- Has AC in the bedrooms of the units
- Most convenient for exploring Kauai
- Nice resort
- Older but nice units
- Quieter than Princeville resorts
- Request an ocean view unit
Worldmark Kapaa Shore (Club Pass Resort) (Kapa'a)
- Beach access
- Outdoor pool & hot tub
Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy* (Kapa'a)
- Outdoor pool & hot tub
- Restaurant on site
- Fitness center
- Beach access
- Walk to Coconut Marketplace
- Outdoor pool & hot tub
- Fitness center
- Beach access
- Tennis court
- BBQ area
Pono Kai Resort* (Kapa'a)
- Tennis Court
- Putting green
- BBQ Area
- Outdoor pool & hot tub
- Beach access
The Cliffs Club (Princeville)
- Outdoor pool & hot tub
- Fitness center
- Tennis court
- Volleyball court
- Playground
- Basketball
- BBQ area
Hanalei Bay Resort (Princeville)
- Outdoor pool & hot tub
- 1 bedroom units
KAUAI RESTAURANTS/FOOD
- AMA* (Hanalei)
- Bangkok Happy Bowl* (Poipu)
- Baracuda (Hanalei)
- Brennecke’s Beach Grill* (Koloa)
- Brick Oven Pizza* (Kalaheo)
- Bubba’s Burgers* (3 locations – Hanalei, Kapaa, Poipu)
- Bull Shed* (great steaks)
- Cabana Gar & Grill
- Chicken in a Barrel* (Hanalei, Kapaa 2 locations, Waimea)
- Da Crack
- DC Sweets* (Waimea)
- Duane’s Ono-Char Burger* (Anahola)
- Duke’s* (Lihue)
- Hanalei Bread Company* (Hanalei)
- Hanalei Poke (was on Diner's Drive-ins and Dives)
- Holoholo Grill
- Holy Grail Donuts* (Hanalei, Kapaa)
- Island Craves Kauai* (Kapaa)
- Island Country Market* (Kapaa)
- Kalypso* (Hanalei)
- Kalapaki Joes* (Poipu)
- Kauai Island Brewery and Grill
- Kauai Juice Company* (Kapaa, Kilauea, Koloa)
- Kenji Burger* (Kapaa, Koloa, Lihue) (was on Diner's Drive-ins and Dives)
- Keoki’s Paradise* (Poipu)
- Kilauea Fish Market (great food & reasonably priced)
- Koke’e Lodge*
- Koloa Pizzeria
- Kountry Kitchen (Kapaa)
- Lappert’s Ice Cream* (Poipu, Princeville)
- Lava Lava
- La Spezia
- Luau Kalamaku*
- Lemongrass Grill (Kapaa)
- Lilikoi Bar & Grill (Lihue)
- Lotus Garden Chinese & Thai Cuisine* (Princeville)
- Mariachis* (Kapaa, Lihue)
- Mediterranean Gourmet (amazing views) (great food) (Hanalei)
- Monico’s Taqueria* (Kapaa)
- Olympic Cafe* (Kapaa) (great bloody mary's & loco moco)
- Paco’s Tacos (great fish tacos) (inexpensive) (Anahola, Hanapepe, Kapaa)
- Passion Bakery Cafe* (Kapaa)
- Pono Café & Bakery* (Kapaa)
- Poipu Rock’n’Roll Sushi* (Poipu)
- Porky's (Koloa)
- Puka Dog (Poipu)
- Rob’s Good Time Grill*
- Saimin Dojo (was on Diner's Drive-ins and Dives)
- Sam’s Ocean View* (Kapaa)
- Shrimp Station (Waimea)
- Sleeping Giant Grill
- Sone's Deli & Catering* (Lihue)
- Tahiti Nuis Restaurant* (Hanalei) (was on Diner's Drive-ins and Dives)
- The Dolphin (was on Diner's Drive-ins and Dives)
- The Plantation House by Gaylords*
- Tidepools
- Tiki Iniki* (was on Diner's Drive-ins and Dives)
- Tiki Tacos* (Waimea & Kapaa) (must stop, every visit)
- Wailua Shaved Ice (Kapaa) * (Kapaa)
- Waipouli Deli & Restaurant* (Kapaa)
KAUAI BARS
- Tiki Iniki* (Princeville)
- Big Wave Dave’s Bar & Grill*
- Hukilau Lanai*
- Driftwood Bar & Grill* @ Kauai Beach Resort
- Honu Cove Bar & Grill*
- Kauai Island Brewing Company* (Elele)
- Port Allen Sunset Bar & Grill*
- Koloa Rum Company* (tasting)
- Kauai Beer Company* (Lihue)
ATTRACTIONS/ACTIVITIES
- Anahola Beach Park*
- Anini Beach
- Best of Kauai Tour*
- Add the air tour. It was worth it.
- Blue Hawaiian Helicopters
- Brennecke’s Beach
- Coconut Marketplace*
- Fern Grotto
- Fuji Beach
- Hanapepe Salt Ponds*
- Haena Beach Park
- Hanakapi Falls
- Hanalei Bay*
- Hanalei Center*
- Hanalei Pier* – MUST SEE!
- Hanalei Valley Lookout*
- Hanapepe Swinging Bridge*
- Hawaiian Style Fishing *
- Ho’opi’i Falls*
- Ho’olalaea Waterfall
- Island Helicopters Kauai
- Kalapaki Beach
- Kalalau Trail
- Kalepa Ridge Trail
- Kalihiwai Beach
- Kauai Sea Tours *boating adventures along the Na Pali Coast
- We have done the catamaran as well as the raft adventure. The raft adventure took us inside caves on the Napali Coast that the catamaran could not even think of going into…
- Kauai Path
- Kauai Chocolate Company*
- Kauai Coffee Company*
- Kauai Cookie Company
- Kauai Village Shopping Center*
- Ke’e Beach*
- Kealia Beach
- Kekaha Beach Park
- Kiahuna Beach
- Kilauea Lighthouse*
- Kilauea Point Wildlife Refuge*
- Koloa Heritage Trail
- Koloa Rum Company (rum tasting) (property tour)*
- Kukui Grove Shopping Center*
- Lawa’i Beach
- Limahuli Garden and Preserve*
- Lumahai Beach
- Lydgate Farms * – Chocolate Farm Tour & Botanical Garden
- Lydgate State Park* (safe snorkeling for the whole family)
- Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail
- Mahaulepu Beach
- Manawaniopuna Falls
- Menehune Fish Ponds*
- Mountain Tubing with Kauai Vackcountry Adventures*
- The tubing was a blast, we laughed our butts off. Reserve early!
- Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens*
- Na Pali Coast State Park*
- National Tropical Botanical Garden*
- Old Koloa Town*
- Opaekaa Falls*
- Original Red Dirt Shirts*
- Pali Ke Kua Beach (Hideaway’s Beach)
- Pine Trees Waioli Beach
- Pohaku T’s Koloa*
- Poli'ahu Heiau*
- Poipu Beach Park*
- Poipu Coast Trail
- Polihale State Park* (very rough roads getting here, but worth it. Rent a Jeep if you want to go)
- Queen’s Bath (wear shoes with good ankle support) (dangerous in winter, people die every year!)
- Russian Fort*
- Salt Pond Beach Park*
- Secret Falls (Uluwehi Falls)
- Secret Falls Trail
- Shipwreck Beach*
- Sleeping Giant Trail (east)
- Sleeping Giant Trail (west)
- Smiths Tropical Paradise */ Fern Grotto*
- Great food, good show and an awesome botanical garden to walk around before the feast and show. They have been there for over 50 years for a reason!
- Spouting Horn*
- Tree Tunnel
- Tunnels Beach* (get there real early if you want to park)
- Turtle Cove
- Wailua Beach
- Wailua Falls*
- Waimea Canyon, Kalalau Lookout, Koke’e State Park, Waimea Canyon State Park* – MUST SEE!
- Waipo’o Falls*
- Wailua River State Park*
KAUAI GROCERY STORES
- Big Save (Kapaa)
- Foodland (Princeville)
- Safeway (Kapaa)
- Costco (Lihue)
- Walmart (Lihue)
- Target (Lihue)
- Kmart (Lihue)
- Farmer's Markets* You have not tasted fruit until you buy it fresh from the tree.
- Sueoka's Store (Koloa)
KAUAI OTHER INFO
- Costco gas cheaper than elsewhere
- July most expensive month to go to Hawaii, winter has best airfare rates
- Need a car
- small quiet island
- gohawaii.com
- kauai.com
KAUAI ADDRESSES
Makai Club & Makai Club Cottages
4180 Lei O Papa Road
Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii 96722
Phone: 808-826-6549
Wyndham Bali Hai Villas *
4970 Pepelani Loop
Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii 96722
Phone: 808-826-2802
Wyndham Ka ‘Eo Kai & Wyndham Shearwater
3970 Wyllie Road
Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii 96722
Phone: 808-826-6549
Wyndham Kauai Beach Villas / Kauai Beach Villas*
4330 Kauai Beach Drive
Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii 96766
Phone: 808-241-1000
Worldmark Kapaa Shore
4-0900 Kuhio Highway
Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii 96746
Phone: 808-822-3055
Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy *
520 Aleka Loop
Kapaa, Hawaii 96746
Phone: 808-822-3441
Lawai Beach Resort
5017 Lawai Road
Koloa, HI 96756
Phone: 808-240-5100
The Cliffs Club
3811 Edward Road
Princeville, HI 96722
Phone: 808-826-6219
Pono Kai Resort *
4-1250 Kuhio Highway
Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii 96746
Phone: 808-822-9831
Hanalei Bay Resort
5380 Honoiki Rd.
Princeville, HI 96722
Phone: 877-344-0688
NOTE: This is information I have compiled from comments posted on this site and other timeshare Facebook sites. I have been to some of these places (with * at end of name) and the others are recommendations from other people.