Kauai residents and fans, need your help deciding between two locations.

[grace0418]

We are going to Hawaii at the end of June, spending half the time in Oahu and half the time in Kauai. We've been to Oahu before so we have a good idea of where we want to eat and visit, but we're having trouble deciding between two locations in Kauai.

We don't want to have to eat out for every meal, so both of our options include a kitchen. The first is a place in the Princeville Ocean Resort Villas and the second is in the Waipouli Beach Resort. Both have their pros and cons but in the end come out pretty evenly in our minds, so we need something to help make the final decision. The Princeville location is a something of a known quantity for us because we stayed in its sister property in Kaanapali, Maui (and loved it).

Like I mentioned, we don't want to eat out every meal and would rather pick up something fresh yummy at farmer's markets and/or small local places to bring home and enjoy with a salad or greens. We're not opposed to driving and will definitely be visiting different locations around the island during our stay, but in your opinion, where will it be easier to find markets and delicious take-out–Princeville area or Waipouli area?

Those who live in or have visited Kauai, given the option to stay in Princeville or Waipouli, which would you choose and why?

I'd really appreciate your help!

P.S. Believe me, I understand what a "horrible" problem this is to have. On par with "my gold shoes are too tight" or "my pockets don't hold all these diamonds". :) I couldn't be more excited or thrilled that we have this opportunity, and I know either place will be great.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear grace0418!

I can't help you, alas!

I just wanted to say hi, and what a wonderful trip you two will have...

How long will you be out there?

And...if you haven't read "Hawaii" by James Michener, then you should. It is probably the best fiction story about the islands, and the descriptions of the geology are second to none.

:hug:

[grace0418]

15. Thanks Peggy!

We'll be in Hawaii for 10 days, splitting the time between Oahu and Kauai. I can't wait, we absolutely loved our last trip there.

[Arugula Latte]

2. This is where we stay in Kauai:

My favorite place on Earth ... Waimea Plantation Cottages -- on the absolutely stunningly beautiful grounds of a former sugar cane plantation. The cottages are adorable and very comfortable. They all have kitchens and options for a studio, one, two or more bedrooms. I LOVE it there.

http://www.waimeaplantation.com/photo-gallery.php

Waimea is in the southwestern corner of Kauai, which isn't the usual tourist area, except for the entrance to Waimea Canyon (Grand Canyon of Hawaii). Waimea is a cute, laid-back town. You are close to fabulous snorkeling at Salt Pond Beach, great boogie boarding at Kekaha, and the cute artisty town of Hanapepe. I believe it is less likely to be rainy in Waimea.

If you stay somewhere else I'd suggest a little side trip to the plantation (maybe after a Canyon hike?). They have a restaurant/brewery on site and there is nothing better than sitting out on their grand porch enjoying a beverage as the trade breezes blow ... *sigh*

[arbusto_baboso]

3. Stay in Princeville, but be prepared to drive for pretty much everything.

Most of the markets and such are on the east and south side of the island. But the proximity to the Hanalei area is worth it.

[DFW]

4. We rather liked Poipu

But we heard good things about Princeville, too. Alas, we never made it that far up. We did take the helicopter
through the Waimea Cqnyon and up the Napali coast, which all by itself was worth the trip (12 time zones for us)

[arbusto_baboso]

5. Napali by boat is even more impressive, actually.

You can get close-in to several places that you can't see that well from the air. Amazing place!

Don't get me wrong; Poipu is nice (I have yet to find any place in Hawaii - other than the more urband areas of Honolulu - that I haven't liked), but I just really loved the more green side of the island.

[DFW]

6. I got that impression from the air.

If only we had more time!

I was amazed that I managed to get my wife to come with me halfway around the world as it was.

[arbusto_baboso]

7. Well, you just gotta go back sometime.

At some point, my wife and I hope to go back for a lengthy trip and spend a week on each of the major islands to see the things we'd missed on previous trips.

[DFW]

8. You're absolutely right, of course.

Sometimes, I think I should just chuck my job, retire early and do all that stuff.

All I have to do is figure out how to stick $20 million in my bank account, find a year with 40 months in it, and I'm outta here.........

[arbusto_baboso]

9. That IS the trouble, isn't it?

Sometimes life just interferes with my vacations.

[DFW]

10. With mine, too.

The nerve, eh?

Actually, SOME people think I live a vacation. When we go on vacation, friends from the USA often come over and
house sit for us, and think they're on a fantasyland vacation, just because we have a 1000 year old castle in
our back yard. But it's a far cry from Kauai.



Still, it beats being next to the neighborhood cement factory.........

[arbusto_baboso]

11. Too cool. Where are you?

[DFW]

13. Just outside of Düsseldorf, in the Rheinland

Slightly to the northeast. 10 minute drive to the banks of the Rhein. 80 minute drive to the Dutch border.

*on edit--I notice our sig lines are almost identical!

[arbusto_baboso]

14. Ah, Dusseldorf! Home to a rare Alt-style beer!

It's also on my list of travel "must-sees".

Huh. Interesting about the sig-line. Coincidences never cease to surprise me.

[grace0418]

18. Thanks! We did the helicopter in the West Maui mountains. It was amazing. We

could see humpback whales fully breaching right underneath us. And the 1800 ft. sea cliffs and waterfalls...wow!

[grace0418]

17. Thanks. I think we're leaning that way. We figure we can get great food in Chicago but we

can't get spectacular scenery, so we're opting for the best views over driving convenience/proximity to good food. I can't wait.

[KamaAina]

12. Waipo'uli is in Kapa'a, Kaua'i's second-largest "city"

markets and takeout, especially "local kine grindz", are more likely to be found near there.
The one time I was ever over there (in nearly nine years! :( ), I did nicely with some Japanese takeout from the Kukui Grove Shopping Center in Lihue; they even had nishime, a vegetable stew usually served only in people's homes!

[grace0418]

19. Thanks KamaAina. I think we're starting to lean towards scenery over food/convenience.

The more we talked about it, the more we thought that we get good food all over Chicago, but we have no ocean, sea cliffs, waterfalls or rain forests. So if we have to do a bunch of grocery shopping when we first get there, so be it. I know we'll be traveling around during the day, so we can stop for lunch in Kapaa. I can't wait!

You should go back! :)

[Mendocino]

16. I've been to Kauai twice.

Best advice I can give buy the book "The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook" by Andrew Doughty & Harriet Friedman.

Groceries are very expensive. You can get a discount card for Foodland and Safeway which will bring the cost from jaw dropping to just outrageous. The best combination of restaurants, markets and takeout will be on the east shore rather than Princeville. Princeville charges more for anything because they know people don't want to drive 25 miles for a meal.

We stayed on the East shore both trips. It's a better location for trips all over the island and more services are available. We had an oceanfront balcony room on our second trip that was wonderful.

But that North Shore is gorgeous. I want to retire to Kauai and stare at Hanalei Bay for the rest of my days. See the Na Pali Coast. As other poster brought up, you need to take the boat tour. And not just any tour but one that leaves from Hanalei (Na Pali Catamaran or Captain Sundown) Other tours leave from south shore ports so you spend most of the trip just getting to the west end of Na Pali. You will see actually very little of it. The Hanalei tours follow it out and back.It is beyond words. We snorkeled among dolphins and sea turtles as part of this trip.

Either location is great. East shore for practicality, North Shore for on-sight scenery.

[grace0418]

20. Thanks Mendocino.

I think we're leaning towards scenery over practicality. I'm so excited, I can hardly wait!

[CabalPowered]

21. Tough choice

I'd probably do Princeville, I really like Hanalei and the areas up to the Na Pali coast. The boat tours are a good idea but make sure to go the Kalalau trailhead and hike the first mile. I've backpacked the Kalalau trail to the end and it was one of the most amazing trips I've been on.

It sounds like you've picked the property but if memory servers correctly, some of those Princeville resorts are getting kinda old. I've also stayed NW of Hanalei in a rental house. There won't be any room service but there's a small cottage industry of jungle rental houses in that area.

Have fun! :hi:

[grace0418]

22. Thanks CabalPowered

It was a tough choice, but not such a bad choice to have. :)

We're staying at the Westin Ocean Resorts. We stayed at a larger but otherwise almost identical Westin in Maui and loved it. Super clean, tasteful, not tacky or overdone. So many of the mid-to-higher-end resorts either go overboard with the Hawaiian theme or just have way too much marble and bling. The Westin definitely has an island flair but in a lovely way.

We're definitely planning on some hiking, that was what ultimately made us choose North Shore.

:hi: