Hi,
My husband and I are going to Kauai at the end of April. We have rented a cottage for 7 days (great deal, full kitchen) on the east side primarily to be centrally located (we want to spend time on north shore beaches but also check out Poipu, Opaeka'a falls/Wailua falls, and Waimea Canyon without spending too much time in the car). Some of the north shore vacation rental agents have said we made a big mistake. I realize the beaches arent as nice on the east side but we dont plan on spending a lot of time at our cottage (just to eat/sleep/shower). I dont know if these guys are just trying to get us to rent with them or if our logic was in fact irrational. Given our time frame, is the south side and Waimea worth checking out?
Anyone else got an opinion on this? Thanks...
The place is near Wailea Bay. And yeah, I doubt we would spend much time at Poipu unless the weather just really sux on the north side. How about Waimea and the Opaeka'a falls though?
G
The north side is the most beautiful but the south side gets more sun. I'd stay on the north side and plan to make day trips.
It's a tiny island if you have a car. As long as you are not sleeping in the public park near the harbor with the bums, you will be fine.
Waimea looks rather nice. Poipu is strictly a tourist resort area, with very limited parking if you don't stay at a hotel. The main problem with Kapaa is its amazingly congealed traffic. Kilauea and Hanalei are of course classic Kauai, although Princeville, in between, is amazingly sterile.
I like the East side since you can get anywhere easily (time and distance are relative in Hawaii - the other side of the Island is a looong way away).
You can go hiking or up to the north side or down to the sun with ease. It's a little easier on the wallet too.
Since it sounds like this is what you want out of your trip, the East side is the way to go - well done.
We stayed in Lihue in eastern Kauaii many years ago and were happy that it allowed us to easily get to all the parts of the island we wanted to visit. With about 2 hours of drive time maximum. We stopped at the North Shore area hotels and beaches for meals and walks, and found them nice but not significantly better than others we explored on the island. With the tropical plants that grow everywhere and the green hillsides, all of Kauaii was beautiful.
And the Canyon (colorful vistas, nice place for a picnic lunch), Poipu Beach (lots of colorful tropical fish to see while snorkling) and Polihali State Park (amazing views of the cliffs, you'll want good driving directions) were all certainly worth visiting.
You'll be in a central area for day trip exploring. Spend a day on the Northshore. Spend a day in Kokee. Then decide which side you want to spend more time in. If you got a good deal, then be happy with it. I doubt you'll find the same quality for price on the North Shore.
Staying the night in a cabin in the state park on the high plateau is a different experience. Check out guidebook info and maps showing trails and boardwalks on the plateau. It's the most remote cloud forest on Earth, and everything you see up there is only-in-Hawaii. It's the best place to see Hawaii as a great showcase of island evolution.
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