Sunset on South side of Kauai Hawaii. Sit back and relax!
Going to Hawaii? Read on.
This was shot on the north end of the Poipu Beach resort area on the south side of the island. In our opinion Kauai is one of the most beautiful places on earth. We spent four nights on the Big Island and three on Kauai; we both loved Hawaii, but Kauai was more beautiful and peaceful, and definitely friendlier! I think people just didn't want to be working or something. The staff at the hotel and the people waiting on us at restaraunts were not as friendly as those on Kauai. Although, on Hawaii, the people at Waipio Ridge Stables were absolutely AWESOME. If you're going to horseback ride, go with them! The Waipio Valley is one of Hawaii's most beautiful places! (Donna and Roy and the gang, if you ever get up to Minnesota, please look us up! Donna, thank you SO much for the awesome ride down!)
Dolphin Quest was incredible, definitely worth the money, but the resort there was way too big. The Hilton Waikaloa is HUGE. It took us a full hour to go from our room down to Dolphin Quest to pick up our pictures, and then back to the lobby and out to our Jeep. And you have to PAY $15 a day for parking! If money is not an issue it'd be a good place to stay if you've already seen the island and want a resort where you don't have to leave for anything.
The volcano is DEFINATELY worth seeing! It's exhilarating to be in the caldera of an active volcano! And the short hike through Thurston Lava Tube is contrasted against the lush tropical rainforest on the way down to and then up from the cave itself. WOW! And don't miss Lava Tree National Monument!
Unlike on the mainland, when you stop at a gas station, don't always expect a restroom to use! And bring your own hand sanitizer or soap! A lot of restrooms don't have it on either island, especially at the beaches.
On Kauai, we stayed at Kiahuna Plantation on Poipu Beach. We LOVED it! After being out sightseeing all day, it was like coming home at night - home away from home! Be sure to take the Captain Andy's Snorkel/Dinner/Sunset cruise along the Na Pali coast. PHENOMENAL! The Na Pali coast defies description - you need to see it, in person, for yourself. Pictures don't do it justice! It was so beautiful it brought me to tears! Captain Ken and his crew, Hans and Justin were awesome!
Waimea Canyon is absolutely spectacular. And seeing the Kalaulau Valley from above was so cool after just seeing it from the catamaran at sea level a couple of days before!
I think snorkeling at Ke'e beach would have been better had we not gone on a weekend. The snorkeling was fantastic, but trying to find a parking spot was TOUGH! The water wasn't that crowded, but the road was!
All in all we were both very satisfied with our trip. We want to go back again, SOON! Everyone says how expensive Hawaii is, but we found plenty of spots to eat at decent places with decent prices. And we got pretty good deals on our hotels and car rentals. And we found some fairly inexpensive souvenirs as well. It IS going to cost you more to go there than somewhere on the mainland, but it is by FAR most definitely worth it!
8 сен 2024
