How to get around Kaui - by bus?

[sage]

I have booked my first trip to Hawaii and have managed to get a trade into Marriott's Kaui Beach Club. I have never driven in the US and so really do not want to hire a car if possible.
Is there any public transport near there?
I have heard there is a public bus service going around the island. Does it go to the shopping mall and any of the attractions?
Also, if you book a tour to Waimea Canyon or to a luau, will they pick you up and drop you off?
Is there a shuttle from the airport to the t/s? Is it complementary and if not, how much does it cost?
What do you fellow tugger recommend me seeing as a possible solo traveller.

 

[Steve A]

The KBC is a very, very short distance from the airport. There is a shuttle from the Marriott. I think you call when you get there. I can't remember. Email them and ask.

We always rent a car so I can't comment on the public transportation. There are a number of tours. I highly recommend the tour of the film sites on the island especially if you are interested in Elvis Presley. They take you to the hotel, now ruined by a hurricane, where Blue Hawaii was filmed. We also went to the place where Jurassic Park was made. It was one of the best tours we have been on anywhere.

 

[Darlene]

When you get to Lihue, you simply call the resort to pick you up. The phone is outside the baggage claim area against the information booth wall.
There is a public bus. I checked out their website, but you are not allowed to bring any large items on the bus. We wanted to bring chairs and cooler for the beach, but that is not allowed.
You can book bus tours. The concierge can help you once you arrive.
Darlene

 

[jme]

rent a car !!!

---there are many gorgeous beaches you'll want to visit (Ke'e is a must), along with the state park/gardens--- Allerton Gardens). (http://www.ntbg.org/gardens/allerton.php)


Can't miss that. also some nice restaurants (Beach House Restaurant-------get reservations days ahead---then get there early for a good table, watch unforgettable sunset.)

 

[Steve A]

Note that the OP is from Australia--they drive on the different side of the road. If the OP is as old as me my brain is just about hardwired to drive on one side of the road. It is very hard to do otherwise especially in Kauai where the roads are nice by usually only a total of two lanes with some being very narrow.

 

[DeniseM]

Kauai is very rural. You are staying in a good location to walk around the Lihue port area, but you will need tours to visit other places. The public buses will take you from town to town, but they don't have public bus transportation to the major tourist locations or beaches.

 

[rbwyman]

Kauai buses

Marriott offers free shuttle. Call from kiosk outside baggage. Next time you will see your luggage is in your room.

Public bus runs around island. Nearest stop to KBC is a short walk. Service has reputation for being of a little erratic and most of the passengers are locals.

Free buses are available for transit to shopping:

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Hilo Hatties runs all the time. Goes to their store which is near Walmart and small shops of Lihue. The walking distances are a level few blocks.

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Coconut Shopping Mall. Not sure of frequency, but the mall has many small shops and (lo-end) eating places.

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Kukui Shopping Mall. Bus runs a few times on Monday and Tuesday. Mall is more upscale. Anchor is Macy's. Grocery, Bookstores, Jewelry.

There are a couple of Taxi companies - fairly expensive. Only cheaper than rental car if you use less than twice a week.

There is Hertz agent in KBC. Prices are high to rent for one day a a time - almost as high as weekly rates at Thrifty and car inventory seems low.

Concierge can tell you all the rest.

 

[MichaelColey]

Also, I think the public buses are fairly limited hours. We got to Ono's Shave Ice a little after 6pm (when they were supposed to close) and the worker was happy to serve us anyway, but commented that she had to hurry so she didn't miss the last bus.

A car would be much more practical on Kauai.

 

[winger]

How is the taxi service on the island? This could be viable alternative depending on the OP's plans while on the island.

 

[DeniseM]

Kauai is very rural - I don't think taxi service is viable as far as getting to tourist destinations, which are often miles away from the closest town. Plus, once you got out there, there would be no taxis waiting to take you back, unless you paid them to wait.

 

[linsj]

I've been on Kauai multiple times, and it wasn't until my last trip in February that I even saw a public bus. I didn't know there was one there. So trying to rely on it will be tricky at best. However, there are a number of tours that will pick you up, so you may be OK without a car.

P.S. I don't blame you for not wanting to rent a car.

 

[sage]

Thanks for all your suggestions.

I really appreciate all the responses I have received.

I also can't believe how many people viewed the question. Possibly there are a lot of people out there who, like me, do not want the added expense of hiring a car. It is very economical for a family but not for one or two.

We'll use the bus to go to the local shops and towns and probably book tours to see the more out of the way places.
I'll keep in mind how erratic they can be and try to get a timetable from the resort.

 

[Liz Wolf-Spada]

It seems to me that all of Kaui would come under the heading of "out of the way places". Even if the bus can take you to another part of the island, once you get there, again nothing is really town like that I remember (and we haven't been there since 05).
Liz

 

[scrapngen]

As a single traveler staying at the Marriott Kauai Beach Club, it just depends on what you want to do with your time. - and how long you will be there. If you intend to do mostly stay around the resort on that beach, (which is lovely) with some excursions or planned trips, then you might be able to manage without a car. In and around Lihue (city) should be relatively easy from the Marriott using local transportation/shuttles like Hilo Hattie, etc. using some of the suggestions made by other posters. Some of the excursions could probably be booked with transportation. Helicopter would be near the airport which is fairly close and you could get transport. Boat trip might be done from Nawiliwili Harbor (close) - although there are other locations that might have better trips. Waimea Canyon could be visited/seen on a bus tour. There are a couple restaurants on site, and several others near the small shopping area that isn't too far away to walk.

However, if you like to explore on your own and find/try different beaches/ restaurants etc, than a car would be a good idea. Poipu area is great, but not sure how you'd get there without a car. Same goes for the Hanalei/Princeville north side of the island. There are many lovely beaches all around the island, and my family likes visiting different beaches throughout our stays, although we have a favorite one and that is where our TS is located.

The reason most people are going to suggest a car is that many of the most famous scenic places on Kauai are not located near each other - they are found all over the island. However, I suppose there are plenty of people who come and just explore one area with a side trip or two. Coming from Australia, it may be your one time to get here, so it is more about what you want to do most with your trip. If you are going to mostly want paid excursions, then you wouldn't need the car as much.

The book The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed http://www.wizardpub.com/kauai/kauai.html might also help you with planning.

I hope you have a wonderful trip!!

 

[chellej]

I absolutely love Kauai - it is my favorite Island However, Oahu has a much better public transportation system. Unless you are absolutely set on Kauai - you might want to think about chaging. We stayed at Hilton Hawaiian village - we could walk downtown and every tour would pick us up at the resort. The public bus system goes all over the island so it is very easy to get around.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Last summer I wound up with four extra days on Kaua'i by myself, staying in Kapa'a after DW returned to the mainland. The car had been rented in her name, and, as noted in another thread, car rental rates for less than one week are quite high. So I opted to not rent a car, planning to use public transit to get around if I needed.

I would up pretty much just staying in Kapa'a. The buses do not run very often and they just stay on the main road. So unless someoplace you want to visit is within walking distance of the main road, you're out of luck.

As I recall, on the north side of the island the bus does not go beyond Hanalei, so all of the beaches beyond Hanalei would not be accessible. The bus also does not go up Waimea Canyon, so those sites would also be inaccessible.

So, if you are intent on not renting a car, plan to cover sites with a tour bus. If you want to just hang out on a beach all day, you will be limited to those that are near the highway, such as the Kapa'a area beaches and Hanalei.

I had also planned on taking the bus to the airport, but as noted above you can't bring large items on the bus. So I had to take a taxi to the airport.

 

[Werner]

Bus Tours

This link might help

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/bus-sightseeing-tours-kauai-hawaii-4493.html

There are lots of tour buses on Kauai. Every ship that docks at Nawiliwili Harbor has a line of tour buses waiting to take passenger's on tours. You should be able to get a Canyon Tour and a North Shore Tour from the link. Of course, all this touring costs money but so does renting a car.