# Back from Kauai and Maui



## meatsss (Feb 5, 2008)

Just back from 2 weeks in Hawaii. Spent the first week on Kauai at LBR with 2 other couples. We played golf twice. At Puakea near Costco. I got 6 certificates from Ebay auctions that got our cost down to $50 pp. Had a great time there and all the staff there were very friendly and helpful. We played our other round at Kiahuna. Happened to catch a very windy day and we weren't that impressed with the course. 
We picked the one drizzly day to go to Hanalei. Went and saw the falls around Lihue and Kapaa on the way there and our friends were impressed. Had planned to go to Kiluaea Lighthouse, but didn't realize it was MLK Day and the Federal park was closed. Bummer. Went through the shops in hanalei and then to the Lava tubes. Our friends couldn't believe how big they were. 
We did the irrigation canal tube trip with Kuaui Backcountry Tours and had a ball. My wife and one of the other girls were more than a little hesitant about going through the 5 tunnels on the trip. But they did fine and we have a lot of great memories that we brought home. 
We did a lot of walking, ( to try and burn off all the calories from all the food and wine we had). I was in front of the Waiohai Marriott on the beach headed for Brennecke's when a monk seal literally wades out of the ocean in front of me. He/she just plopped down to take a nap. Way cool. I continued on my way and it had drawn a crowd by the time I returned on my way back to the condo. There was a bigger adult on the Lawai beach several days while we were there. Everyone gave them plenty of space and I never saw anyone try to bother them.
We had great meals at the Beach House and Keoki's. It's a challange getting around Poipu as they are in the midst of constructing a roundabout at the Lawai/Poipu split. Our frinds left after a week and we headed for Maui.

We had booked our units for June in Kahana, so my wife wanted to try staying at the Wailea end of the island. I found a nice studio condo that was a very short walk from the beach and the pool. We came to really like the area. The weather starting turning and the Kahalui side was getting drenched each day. Even Lahaina was getting lots of rain. But Wailea stayed sunny the longest, and if it did rain, it didn't last long. We were soon out in the sun again while the rest of the island was rainy. 
We went on a whale watch with Blue Water Rafting out of the Kehei boat ramp. They use a smaller zodiac then we're used to and it was a little bumpier. But we did get to see a large pod of spinner dolphins and some good Humpback whale activity. Saw a mom teaching a new calf how to breach and tail slap. I went on their 5 1/2 hour snorkle trip Starts out with a tour of the big lava field on the south shore of the island. Then snorkling in La Perouse Bay. The sky was cloudy and the snorkling so-so. We went form there to Turtle Town. I saw one turtle doing his damndest to imitate a rock on the seabed. The last stop was Molokini. The inside of the crater was too rough, so we went to the backside. This was the best part of the trip as the sun ahd broke through. The sun rays piercing down over 100 feet in the water was awesome. So many fish, you felt like you were in an aquarium. They had swam with a whale shark the previous weekend, but he was a no show for our trip. Quite a long day. 
We did do a little shopping in Whaler's Village. I combined my wife's upcoming birthday and Valentine's day and she got a black pearl pendant for Island Pearls to match some earings I got for her last year. Managed to deal the price down by 15%. On Kauai, nobody wanted to negotiate price, so we left empty handed. 
We had a great breakfast at Kauai Caffe in Kehei. Large servings for a good price. We celebrated her upcoming birthday with a trip to Mama's Fish House. A word of warning. Count on a minimum of $125 per person for drinks and dinner. She's worth it. Had good meals at Moose Magillagudy's and Tommy Bahama's, although I think TB is a little overpriced for what you get. We had some great appetizers at Fred's Mexican Rest. while looking out over the beach. We tried Buzz's Wharf for lunch one day when our golf was rained out. It was okay, but I don't know if I'd go back again. There is a second Cheeseburger on Maui now, Called Cheeseburger Island Style. It's in the Shops at Wailea one floor down from Ruth Chris'. Had drinks there and a very nice time. 
All in all a very nice trip. Look forward to going back to Maui in June for my niece's wedding.


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## andypoole (Feb 5, 2008)

Thanks for that great report, as we're due in Kauai on 22nd Feb. We're at Marriott Waiohai, so it would be cool if the monk seal hung around for a week or two!


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## meatsss (Feb 5, 2008)

The monk seals seem to be in the process of molting their winter coats. Once they're done, they are out of there. Hope the storms have passed by the time you get there. Hanalei got over 7 inches  of rain a couple of days ago.


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## dive-in (Feb 5, 2008)

andypoole said:


> Thanks for that great report, as we're due in Kauai on 22nd Feb. We're at Marriott Waiohai, so it would be cool if the monk seal hung around for a week or two!



We were at Waiohai last year in late February and saw monk seals on Poipu beach every day.  I would be surprised if you didn't see one.  What was cool was the Captain Andy's trip around Na Pali where we saw 3 endangered species while at sea, humpbacks, green turtles, and monk seals.  Also saw spinner dolphins.  Way cool.


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## lprstn (Feb 5, 2008)

What did you like most? Maui or Kaui?  Which would you choose to return too?


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## gnipgnop (Feb 5, 2008)

I would take Kauai over Maui any day.  Both are special places since it is Hawaii....BUT Kauai gets my vote, hand down~


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## meatsss (Feb 5, 2008)

We like both islands and own units on both. Kauai is quiet and we enjoy our units at LBR. There's great restaurants nearby, good snorkling, and I like several of the golf courses there. We also have a favorite artist who has a gallery in Hanalei. We always like going to see what new items he's created. 

On Maui, we love our Hono Koa , Koa unit. It looks out over the channel towards Molokai, and is the perfect spot to watch whales. There are great restaurants nearby, good golf courses, and lots of shopping in Lahaina. We love going out on the Maui Explorer to go whale watching. It's a little busier than Kauai, but we won't give up either island in favor of one over the other. I do like the fact that we can fly non stop from Sacramento to Maui without having to go through Honolulu.


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## Henry M. (Feb 5, 2008)

I would say each of the islands has its own charm and they are all different from each other. I would not recommend just relying on a person's opinion since the individuality of each island makes them attractive to different people. I have my favorite but rightfully it might not be your favorite. You really have to weigh your own personal tastes along with other opinions. There's no one clear winner of the beauty contest.

From my perspective:

Oahu - busy, more populated, more night life than any of the others. World famous surfing in the winter.
Maui - good mix of civilization and tropical paradise. More activity than Kauai, but less than Oahu. Best beaches of all.
Kauai - Oldest of the man islands, quieter that the others. Dramatic landscapes, fewer beaches than Maui but great hiking and inland features.
Hawaii (Big Island) - also quiet, and much larger than the others, not many beaches but has Volcanoes National Park. Dry Kona is far away from volcanoes, wet Hilo is closer but it rains more.

Lanai and Molokai - great to visit for a couple of days. More laid back than the others, smaller, little or no traffic, less tourism infrastructure (no international airports, few hotels, few restaurants, more limited organized attractions than in the other islands). 

I usually go to two islands when I travel to the state - usually a week on Maui and then a week on one of the other large islands. Lanai and Molokai can be day or overnight trips from Maui. Once you go to Hawaii you'll keep coming back!


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## Cathyb (Feb 5, 2008)

meatsss:  re your irrigation tube tour -- had that been closed and reopened?  I may be confusing it with Big Island's ride.  Is this one in the huge tire tubes?  I got stuck in the cave with another rider and had to be 'rescued' -- embarrassing!


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## hibbeln (Feb 6, 2008)

_Went through the shops in hanalei and then to the Lava tubes. Our friends couldn't believe how big they were. _

Couple of questions for you!  Where on earth did you find lava tubes on Kauai?  It sounds like they were on the North Shore......the only one we've ever found is down near Koloa (and it's icky and full of beer bottles with a very scary homemade ladder down into it).  Are you talking about the Wet/Dry cave on the North Shore?????    Hmmmm, you sure have me wondering now!

What did you think of the construction behind LBR? 
How was the runoff of red dirt into the beach across the street from LBR?  Any problems?

Thank you!


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## meatsss (Feb 9, 2008)

The irrigation canal tour used regular heavy duty inner tubes. You could get stuck if you worked at it. There were 10 in our party and it was a blast, if a little chilly. http://www.kauaibackcountry.com/
The tubes are almost to KA'a beach on the north shore. 2 big ones that have water in them, but they must be 20 ft. high. 
The construction workers started at 7 AM, but we were early risers, so it wasn't much of a problem. Saw no problem with runoff, but didn't have that much rain while we were there. Boy did it rain 2 weeks later by what we saw on the news. 
We saw more idiot drunk drivers. First morning there was a SUV that had the whole right side scraped up and several pieces pulled off. The passenger window was broken and the air bags deployed. It apparently had run for a while along a rock wall just east of the Spouting Horn. Looked like it may have been a girl driving as a polish bottle was on the seat and a pink steering will cover looked too feminine for a guy to use. Up at Spouting Horn, the remains of a 12 pk were on the ground as well as an empty liquor bottle. Add those up and you have a totaled SUV.
Next day there was a car with 2 blown right side tires that appeared to have come up on the sidewalk. It was just past Prince Kuhio park going towards Poipu. The driver lost control on the curve and did a 180 before both passenger side tires jumped the curb, blowing at the same time. Both vehicles belonged to locals, So a word of advice.


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## teepeeca (Feb 9, 2008)

I think that the "lava tubes" are actually the sea caves, on the way to K'EE beach.

Tony


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## meatsss (Feb 9, 2008)

Lave formed them and they go back a ways into the remnents of the old volcano. Hence they are lava tubes.


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