Kauai is The Garden Isle | Kauai Honeymoon Vacation

Kauai Honeymoon Vacation

Kauai is perfect for a honeymoon vacation. "The Garden Isle" has tropical foliage, magnificent cliffs and luxury resorts.

Kauai is considered by many to be the most beautiful island in Hawaii. Many different movies have been filmed on location here. Kauai has the nickname of "The Garden Isle" because of its tropical lush foliage. The north side of the island is where you will find the majestic Napali Cliffs that look down 3,000 feet into the turquoise ocean waters.

Waimea Canyon is located on the west-side of the island and is considered to be the miniature version of the Grand Canyon. On the North coast is Princeville and Hanalei. This part of the island is lush with perfect views of the jungle, mountain, and the sea. To the south is sunny Poipu Beach which has the biggest number of tourists. Inaccessible mountains are located in the middle of Kauai. The wettest spot on earth is Mount Waialealer. Almost all of the island is very scenic. The readers of Travel & Leisure have voted Kauai the world's second best island destination. Bali received top honors.

In Kauai there are less than 63,000 inhabitants. With building restrictions allowing no new buildings to be higher than a palm tree, Kauai has the charm of a small island and the "aloha" spirit. Over half of the island is protected as parkland, ninety seven percent of Kauai is still undeveloped and the Napali Coast can only be reached by experienced hikers.

Most tourists rent cars to explore the island. It is easy to get around the island and hard to get lost. There are just a few roads with easy to navigate road signs and friendly courteous drivers on the island. Visitors are surprised at the cost of the food and higher cost of activities on Kauai. On the remote island nothing is inexpensive.

A Kauai vacation is a perfect for destination weddings and for couples, honeymooners and families.

Kauai Attractions

One of the most popular activities on Kauai are helicopter trips. This is the only way to view the center of the island and a great way to see Napali Cliffs. There are a few helicopter companies that have hour long flights, sweeping close to the Napali Cliffs, and dipping into Waimea Canyon to get a closer look at its tallest-waterfall.

You can also take a catamaran ride to see the cliffs. This trip is a 5 1/2 route, with breakfast, a buffet style lunch and snorkeling. There is a great chance that you will see dolphins and turtles along the way.

All of Kauai's beaches are not safe to swim in. Tourists should only swim where there are lifeguards present. Snorkeling and Scuba diving is best with the smoothest waters and most visibility during summer season.

The island has eleven golf courses, of which five are considered to be Hawaii's best; and none of the resorts are far from a golf course. Allerton and McBryde in Poipu and Limahuli are three National Tropical Botanical Garden sites you can tour.

Drive to the Waimea Canyon which is fourteen miles long and 3,567 feet deep. You will have a wonderful view of the canyon and see the start of Napali Cliffs. Another place worth visiting is the natural geyser of seawater, near Poipu, at Spouting Horn.

More activities include kayaking, waterskiing, horseback riding, jet skiing, kite surfing, windsurfing, parasailing, trekking, sportfishing, rafting, and surfing. Whale watching is best from December to April.

For the best luau on Kauai go to the Smith Family Garden Luau. Arrive early to enjoy the private botanical gardens. It is also a special place to have a wedding.

Kauai Dining

Reservations are required at the fine dining restaurants that are open for dinner only. Fresh fish from the island is the highlight in most of these restaurants. Dress is mostly casual.

In Poipu, The Beach House is one of the favorites with locals and visitors. In the Poipu Shopping Village, Roy's, is a chain restaurant that says they are the original Hawaiian fusion cuisine. Plantation Gardens at the Kiahuna Plantation Resort and offers a romantic setting in the large orchid garden. Tide Pools located in the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is in thatched huts overlooking the ocean. Keoki's Paradise also located within the Poipu Shopping Village, provides a tropical atmosphere and is a not as costly as some of the others.

For less fancy and less expensive fare choose, Brennecke's Beach Broiler, located on Poipu Beach. Serving lunch and dinner it has a beachy relaxed atmosphere, with a popular bar and a wonderful salad bar.

Dine and save like the locals at lunch and order a low cost plate lunch. The best choices are Shrimp Station in Waimea; the Fish Express in Lihue across from the local Wal-Mart; and Koloa Fish Market, which is across from the Koloa post office.

Eat at Joe's on the Green, for breakfast. Located at the Kiahuna Golf Club Clubhouse in Poipu, this is a reasonably priced option. Joe's on the Green also offers lunch and dinner.

Kauai Accommodations

The Travel Channel named Poipu Beach, America's best beach in 2001. This is the sunnies part of the island and here you will find rare Hawaiian monk seals and the sea turtles will come up to rest on the sand.

The Sheraton Kauai Resort has the best location on the beach. Book the Ocean Wind or the Beach Wing which has the larger rooms Honeymooners love this resort and make up about a thrid of all the guests.

The Grand Hyatt Resort & Spa is located on the far end of Poipu Beach. This resort has a five acre lagoon and huge swimming pools with a two story tall waterslide. There are 10 restaurants and a spa to enjoy.

The ritzy Princeville Resort, located in the north is built on a cliff with a great beach below - overlooking Bali Hai. This property is part of a large resort community - Princeville at Hanalei, and includes a spa and two Robert Trent Jones II golf courses. The championship Prince Course is Hawaii's top course.

Getting to Kauai

United Airlines flies into Kauai's Lihue Airport from both Los Angeles and San Francisco. American Airlines flies to Kauai from Los Angeles. Several other airlines offer the 25 minute flight from Honolulu.

Lihue Airport is just three miles east of the town of Lihue and a Visitor Information Booth is located outside each baggage claim area. Flying time is approximately 10 hours from New York, eight hours from Chicago, five hours from Los Angeles, and 15 hours from London, not including layovers.

Kauai

The island of Kauai has landscape ranging from the dramatic mountains and the rolling countryside to spectacular canyons and sandy dunes.