# Trip Report - Kaua'i in September



## Werner (Oct 9, 2010)

Dollie and I just returned from 3 weeks on Kaua’i, our favorite Hawaiian Island.   We spent one week on the north shore at Hanalei Bay Resort and two weeks on the south shore at The Point at Poipu, our home resort.  We traded into HBR with Diamond points via II.  Dollie has posted reviews of both resorts so I won’t repeat any of that.  Dollie has also posted a report about the various management meetings we attended at the Point here on the bb.

This was a very casual and relaxing trip since we have been to Kaua’i quite a few times now and didn’t feel the need to run around touring everything there is to see.   On past trips we stayed at the Point and made day trips to the north shore.  That doesn’t leave much time for exploring the more out of the way places.  With HBR as a base we could spend more time in favorite places, like the Kilauea Lighthouse National Wildlife Sanctuary watching the shorebirds….

Red-tailed Tropic Bird





and north shore beaches like Ke’e and Ha’ena, Tunnels, and ‘Anini.   We also toured Na 'Aina Kai Gardens, a botanical and sculpture garden, and explored some of the smaller beaches that we have never been to, like Lumaha’i.  We also spent some time on the Kalalau Trail, getting to the viewpoints that provide spectacular views back to Ke’e Beach….

Ke'e Beach from the Kalalau Trail





On the north shore it was the evening light just before sunset that attracted attention since it is relatively easy to get to good viewing spots.   The scenic lookout near the Princeville Resort looks out over the Hanalei Valley and the evening sun lights the ridgelines across the valley.   Sunsets viewed from the HBR/St. Regis Beach were also spectacular.

Back at our home resort at The Point it was the sunrises that attract attention because at this time of year the sun rises just off Maka’huena Point but sets behind the resort…






We snorkeled at Lawai Beach (aka, Beach House Beach) where this cutie came by to say hello …

Sea Turtle at Lawai





A couple of years ago flooding took out the road to Polihali.  The locals got impatient with the State’s slow response and fixed it themselves.  They did a terrific job.  It is now a gravel superhighway compared to the old road.  We turned left at the big monkey pod tree and as usual, even on the weekend, the long beach to the left was completely deserted and to the right, toward the park, there were a couple of families fishing….  

Polihali looking towared the Na Pali





In a 2WD sedan drive cautiously and watch out for soft sand when you get close to the dunes. It is a delightful place.

We have been to the National Tropical Botanical Gardens several times, both the Limahuli Valley on the north shore and the Allerton / McBride Garden in Lawai.  This time we took a new tour, the Ho’ike Tour at Lawai, which covers the entire Lawai Valley from the beach to the waterfall at the mauka end of the valley.  The highlight for me was the lotus garden near the beach.  The flowers are stunning and the seed pods are almost surreal….

Lotus Garden, NTBG





The tour includes a visit with the director of research at the greenhouse/laboratory where they are learning to propagate endangered native Hawaiian plants.  

Even with all these beautiful places to visit, our favorite pastime was just to relax at The Point and hang around the cliffs, watching the sea turtles getting tossed around in the surf, and at times just watching the surf itself, like these folks are doing….

Big Surf at Maka'huena





…but we did miss “our” whales.  

For this trip weather was as perfect as can be.  On the north shore, 2 or 3 gully washers a day along the coast, photogenic rain showers on the distant NaPali, and moderate temperatures and humidity; on the south shore very little rain and mostly at night, moderate temperature and humidity but a fiercely burning sun.  We are now on an 18 month cycle, alternating between summer and winter trips.  Kaua’i is different in winter and summer, especially the sea conditions.  We have always had delightful weather in summer.  In winter we have occasionally had long periods of clouds and rain, even on the south shore.   But except for one really bad two week period a few years ago, it is easy to work around the weather.  And of course, “our” whales are there in winter, just off shore at the Point.  

A short list of favorites;

Small Plates;
•	Hamura’s saimin bowl, BBQ chicken and steak, and Lilikoi pie; too much to eat but too good not to,  in Lihue
•	Ribs at Keoki’s Paradise, Poipu
•	Coconut Shrimp at the Shrimp Station in Waimea
•	Real smoothies at the Moloa’a Sunshine Fruit Stand, (all fruit, nuts and juice, no ice) in Moloa’a along the main highway.​Big Plates;
•	Beach House – we didn’t get there this trip but sunset at the Beach House in winter is spectacular.  The food is ok but pricey.  This trip we tried Roy’s in Poipu.  Also pricey, shopping center views, adequate.  We have now been to Roy’s on Kaua’i, Oahu, and Maui.  All are in shopping centers or on golf courses.  Not exactly dripping in Hawaiian atmosphere.​Beaches North
•	Of course, Ke’e, Ha’ena, and Tunnels.  ‘Anini seems always to be calm and swimmable even when every other north shore beach is churning.  (BTW, don’t risk a ticket trying to park in the alleys near Tunnels, park at Ha’ena Beach Park and walk the short distance along the beach to the start of tunnels.  It’s much nicer and less worrisome.​Beaches South
•	For swimming; Poipu Beach Park and Salt Pond Park
•	For snorkeling; of course Lawai.  The beach itself is a postage stamp at high tide and if a monk seal comes ashore for a rest there is no room for people.  But the lawn at the Beach House Restaurant appears to be treated like public property (maybe it is) and there are shady palms and a nice walkway long the side of the cove.  
•	For walking; Maha’ulepu and Polihale – If you start at the Point resort, walk across Shipwrecks Beach in front of the Hyatt, then climb up the back of the Makawehi Cliffs, you can continue walking a 3 mile shoreline trail to the far end of Maha’ulepu.  It is a delightful cliff and beach walk. Since you can also drive there, you can work out some logistics so that you don’t have to walk back, or a driver can drop a car at Maha’ulepu and walk back the other way. (The last part of the drive to Maha’ulepu is rocky, not loose rocks but bedrock lava.  It won’t move if you hit it.  If you bottom out you will likely lose some important car parts, like an oil pan, differential, or muffler.  Take it very slow and pick your way along carefully.  We did it several times in a small sedan.  Remember, you are not insured off-pavement.)​And of course the road though Waimea Canyon to the lookouts and trails at Koke’e State Park on Mt. Wai’ali’ali

We have an album with more pictures from this trip here.  If you are a Kaua’i fan you will probably recognize most of the places in the album.  The easiest way to view the album is to click on the slideshow button in the upper right.  If you back up one level from this album using the links in the upper left, there are more albums from prior Hawaii trips to all the major islands.  

Mahalo for reading


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## lll1929 (Oct 9, 2010)

Thanks for sharing and your pics are beautiful!


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## alwysonvac (Oct 9, 2010)

Thanks for the great photos and trip report.


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## Jaybee (Oct 9, 2010)

That was wonderful, helpful information, and some lovely reminders of Kauai... and your pictures are spectacular!  Thanks so much for sharing them.  I love the one of "the smiling fish".  
Thanks for a very nice post.


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## Kauai Kid (Oct 9, 2010)

Only 77 days and we'll be at Princeville again at our 1st and favorite timeshare:  Alii Kai.

Thanks for the pix and great write ups.  


Sterling


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## JanT (Oct 9, 2010)

Thank you, Werner for the information and beautiful pictures.  I took a look at your other site, too and all I can say is WOW!  You are fantastic photographer and the shots you grabbed were amazing.  Thank you so much for sharing!  Guess we'll have to include another week in our planned trip next year so we can include Kauai.  Mahalo!


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## Tiger (Oct 9, 2010)

nice pictures that was some big surf


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## Karen G (Oct 10, 2010)

Loved seeing all your pictures. What kind of camera do you use?


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## Werner (Oct 10, 2010)

*Thank you*

Thank you all for the encouraging comments.

Karen, I use a Nikon D90 DSLR.  Most of the pictures were taken with the kit lens, a 18-105mm zoom (27-155mm 35mm equivalent).  The birds-in-flight and the surfer were taken with a 70-300mm zoom (105-450mm equiv).  For the birds we went into the refuge and walked the path leading to the lighthouse, the shorebirds are coming and going from fishing at sea and many are soaring along the cliffs.  The Great Frigate is the easiest to shoot because they seem to just hover in the updrafts and are often quite low; and they are big.  Any camera with some amount of zoom should be able lock focus and get a good shot.  The others are not as cooperative and a strong telephoto and a camera with a good focus tracking system helps enormously.  My percentage of keepers was pretty low but I managed to get at least couple of well focused shots of each of the types of birds we saw.   I was disappointed that I didn't get a good shot of the Red-footed Booby's red feet.  I wanted to have some companion photos for the Blue-footed Boobies we photographed in the Galapagos.   "Red's" legs are tuck away under feathers when they fly.  The only shot I got is the one (in the album) of the Boobies resting in a tree.  You can just see a red "toe" sticking out.  

I still had the big lens on when Dollie spotted the Shearwater chick (the little gray fuzz ball that's in the album) in its nest in the naupaka covered hillside along the walkway.  There are lots of Shearwater nests in there.  Spend some time looking into the bushes and you will see quite a few.  

Oh, by the way, the Lighthouse is nice too but it is being refurbished.


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## Cathyb (Oct 10, 2010)

*Pictures were like Life Magazine quality!*



Werner said:


> Dollie and I just returned from 3 weeks on Kaua’i, our favorite Hawaiian Island.   We spent one week on the north shore at Hanalei Bay Resort and two weeks on the south shore at The Point at Poipu, our home resort.  We traded into HBR with Diamond points via II.  Dollie has posted reviews of both resorts so I won’t repeat any of that.  Dollie has also posted a report about the various management meetings we attended at the Point here on the bb.
> 
> This was a very casual and relaxing trip since we have been to Kaua’i quite a few times now and didn’t feel the need to run around touring everything there is to see.   On past trips we stayed at the Point and made day trips to the north shore.  That doesn’t leave much time for exploring the more out of the way places.  With HBR as a base we could spend more time in favorite places, like the Kilauea Lighthouse National Wildlife Sanctuary watching the shorebirds….
> 
> ...



Mahalo, enjoyed every one of the pictures.  We hope to get back to Kauai next December 2012 so we vicariously took a vacation with your shots.  You are quite a photographer!:whoopie:


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## Werner (Oct 10, 2010)

Cathyb said:


> We hope to get back to Kauai next December 2012 so we vicariously took a vacation with your shots.  You are quite a photographer!:whoopie:



Thanks Cathy, maybe we'll see you there.  The plan for the next trip is winter 2011-12


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## Greg G (Oct 11, 2010)

Spectacular shots.   The plant/flower shots in your album are so vivid.

Greg


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## Werner (Oct 11, 2010)

Greg G said:


> Spectacular shots.   The plant/flower shots in your album are so vivid.



Thanks Greg, 
It's easy when the flowers themselves are so remarkably vivid.  The lotus flower at its early bloom stage is deeply colored.  It stands out in the garden because of its size and the background of its own deep green leaves.  The deep red native Hawaiian hibiscus (I think its the Hawaiian State Flower) was at the tour van start point at the NTBG Visitors Center which is also the native plant garden.  They have three separate gardens right at the visitor's center, one for post-European contact plants, one for post-Polynesian contact plants (canoe plants they call them), and one for true native Hawaiian plants.


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## Ann in CA (Oct 14, 2010)

Gorgeous photos of some of our favorite places!  We'll be back in Kauai for three weeks at the end of the month, and can't wait.  Thanks for the beautiful reminders of why Kauai is our favorite island!

Ann


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## MuranoJo (Oct 14, 2010)

I also really enjoyed the trip report and beautiful photos.  We're going next September and it's been about 5 years since our last trip--way too long.


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