The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed

433 Pages·2011·24.33 MB·English

by  Andrew Doughty

Wai‘ale‘ale Crater, with its 3,000-foot waterfall-etched walls, was the spiritual center of the ancient
Hawaiian universe.
Published by Wizard Publications, Inc.
Post Office Box 991
Lihu‘e, Hawai‘i 96766–0991
© Copyright 2012 Andrew Doughty. All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-9814610-9-0
All photographs (except the cover) taken by Andrew Doughty and Leona Boyd.
Cover space imagery courtesy of Earthstar Geographics (www.earth-
imagery.com).
Cartography by Andrew Doughty.
All artwork and illustrations by Andrew Doughty.
We welcome any comments, questions, criticisms or contributions you may
have, and have incorporated some of your suggestions into this edition. Please
send to the address above or e-mail us at [email protected]
Check out our website at www.wizardpub.com for up-to-the-minute changes.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be translated or reproduced in any
form, except for brief extracts by a reviewer for the purpose of a review, without
the prior written permission of the copyright owners.
Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the
information was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume
and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by
errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence,
accident or any other cause. Information has been obtained from sources
believed to be reliable, but its accuracy and completeness, and the opinions
based thereon, are not guaranteed.

Dedicated to Sammie Dollar, who soars on the wind with the white-tailed tropic
birds.
CONTENTS
ABOUT THIS BOOK
INTRODUCTION
How It Began
The First Settlers
Ni‘ihau
THE BASICS
Getting Here
What to Bring
Getting Around
Getting Married on Kaua‘i
Weather
Geography
Hazards
Traveling with Children (Keiki)
The People
The Hawaiian Language
Music
The Hula
Farmer’s Markets
Books
A Note on Personal Responsibility
A Note About Access
Miscellaneous Information
The Internet
iPhone App
NORTH SHORE SIGHTS
Anahola
Kilauea
Kalihiwai
Princeville
Hanalei
Ha‘ena
North Shore Shopping
North Shore Best Bets
EAST SHORE SIGHTS
Wailua/Kapa‘a
Lihu‘e
East Shore Shopping
East Shore Best Bets
SOUTH SHORE SIGHTS
Koloa
Po‘ipu
Kalaheo
South Shore Shopping
South Shore Best Bets
WEST SHORE SIGHTS
Hanapepe
Waimea
Kekaha
Polihale
Waimea Canyon
West Shore Shopping
West Shore Best Bets
BEACHES
Beach Safety
A Word About Shells
North Shore Beaches
East Shore Beaches
South Shore Beaches
West Shore Beaches
ACTIVITIES
ATVs
Biking
Boogie Boarding
Camping
Fishing
Golfing
(Powered) Hang Gliders
Helicopters
Airplane Tours
Hiking
Horseback Riding
Jet Skiing
Kayaking
Land Tours
Ocean Tours
Parasailing
River Trips
SCUBA
Skydiving
Snorkeling
SNUBA
Spas
Surfing
Tennis
Tubing
Waterskiing
Whale Watching
Windsurfing / Kitesurfing
Ziplines
ADVENTURES
Na Pali Kayak Trip
The Kalalau Trail
Ni‘ihau SCUBA Dive
See the Island From a Native Perspective
Hike to the Blue Hole
Makaleha Hike
4WD Miloli‘i Ridge Road
Honopu Ridge to a Drop-dead View
Mountain Bike/Hike the Other Side of Waimea Canyon
Secret Tunnel to the North Shore
ISLAND DINING
Island Fish & Seafood
Lu‘au Foods
Other Island Foods
North Shore Dining
East Shore Dining
South Shore Dining
West Shore Dining
Island Nightlife
Lu‘au & Dinner Shows
Dinner Cruises
Dinner on a Beach
Island Dining Best Bets
WHERE TO STAY
Hotels
Condos
Bed & Breakfasts
Rental Agents
Where Should I Stay?
Where are the Rest?
North Shore
East Shore
South Shore
West Shore
KAUAI MAPS
Full Island Overview Map
North Shore—Anahola to ‘Anini Map
North Shore—Princeville to Na Pali Map
Princeville Map
East Shore—Wailua & Kapa‘a Map
East Shore—Lihu‘e & Puhi Map
South Shore—Koloa, Po‘ipu & Kalaheo Map
West Shore & Waimea Canyon Map
Hanapepe Map
Koke‘e Trails Map
Nu‘alolo/Awa-‘awapuhi & Honopu Trails Map
Ho‘opi‘i Falls Map
Kalalau Trail Map
Makaleha Hike Map
Tunnel & Jungle Hikes Map
ABOUT THIS BOOK
In a sense, this is not a guidebook, it’s more of a love story. Having first seen
the island as a tourist, I was immediately smitten. I had no idea that a place like
this could exist anywhere in the world. Now as a resident, I marvel at its beauty
every day.
Longtime locals have been stunned at some of the items in our book. We’ve
found many special places that people born and raised here never knew about.
Visitors will find this book as valuable as having a friend living on the island.
Kaua‘i is a unique place. People who visit here recognize this immediately.
There are plenty of places in the world featuring sun and sea, but no other place
offers the incomparable beauty, lushness and serenity of Kaua‘i. Living here, we
get to see first-time visitors driving around with their jaws open, shaking their
heads in disbelief at what they see. Without a doubt, you will never see more
smiles than during your visit to Kaua‘i.
Our objective at Wizard Publications is to assist you in finding the bliss that
can accompany a Kaua‘i visit. We recognize the effort people go through to visit
here, and our goal is to expose you to every option imaginable so you can decide
what you want to see and do.
We took great pains to structure this book in such a way that it would be fun,
easy reading and loaded with useful information. This book is not a bland
regurgitation of facts arranged in textbook fashion. We feel strongly that
guidebooks should present information so you don’t have to read through every
page every time you want to find something. If you’re here on vacation, your
time is extremely precious. You worked all year to get here, and you don’t want
to spend all your time flipping through a book looking for something. You want
to be able to locate what you want when you want it.
You want to be able to access a comprehensive index, a thorough table of
contents and refer to high-quality maps that were designed with you in mind.
You want to know which helicopter, , boat tour or lu‘au is the best on the
SCUBA
island. You want to be shown those things that will make this vacation the best
of your life.
A quick look at this book will reveal features never before used in a
guidebook. Let’s start with the maps. They are more detailed than any other
maps you will find, yet they omit extraneous information that can sometimes