Info on Wyndham Ka'eo Kai?

[JMLarge]

I have a possible exchange for June 2020 to this resort and wanting more info. The activities and location look great. The resort itself gets mixed reviews. We do have the 2BR unit, and I see a lot of complaints about the lockoffs. So, having never been to Kauai before, here are my questions:

1 Are the 2BR units nice, OK, or rundown?
2 In June with no AC, will it be humid and hot, and if so, is that a deal-breaker for this resort?
3 I notice a lot of activities are on the South side of the island. How long does it take to get there from Princeville?

Any other suggestions are appreciated. Getting to Hawaii through exchange does not pull a lot of opportunities, so I need to know if I should jump on this one or avoid.

Thanks to all who respond.

JL

 

[CO skier]

I have a possible exchange for June 2020 to this resort and wanting more info. The activities and location look great. The resort itself gets mixed reviews. We do have the 2BR unit, and I see a lot of complaints about the lockoffs. So, having never been to Kauai before, here are my questions:

1 Are the 2BR units nice, OK, or rundown?
2 In June with no AC, will it be humid and hot, and if so, is that a deal-breaker for this resort?
3 I notice a lot of activities are on the South side of the island. How long does it take to get there from Princeville?

Any other suggestions are appreciated. Getting to Hawaii through exchange does not pull a lot of opportunities, so I need to know if I should jump on this one or avoid.

Thanks to all who respond.

JL

We stayed at Ka Eo Kai for four nights in June a number of years ago. It will be hot and humid; it rained every afternoon. I wish I had heeded the complaints about no A/C. I thought the resort had been updated to include A/C, but there are still complaints on TripAdvisor. Maybe call the resort and ask.

At this resort, it is all about unit location, location, location. Approximately 1/3 of resort is located adjacent to busy streets. Enough traffic that we did not ever use the deck. I will not ever take a chance on this resort, again. If you do go, call a couple days early and ask for a unit away from the streets. As an exchanger, you may not be high on the list for a good unit, but it cannot hurt to ask.

The pool at the resort is very nice and Hanalei Bay has a very nice beach.

I would suggest putting in an ongoing search more than a year in advance for a Hawaiian timeshare with A/C.

 

[flindberg]

I have a possible exchange for June 2020 to this resort and wanting more info.
Hi JM, I would say Ka Eo Kai isn't everyone's cup o tea. I agree that the unit makes or breaks it. You want a 2nd or 3rd floor unit fronting the golf course or pool, that way you'll catch ocean breezes.
Most beaches are a short drive from this clifftop resort, so you'll need to jump in the jalopy to play in the surf. Anini beach is walking distance and good for kids (but is, of course, at the bottom of the cliff)...
My family owns at Ka Eo Kai and has gone nearly every year since 1992! Tells you something about how long it's been there . What we have always loved is the spaciousness ~1800sf 2-bedroom units! Lots of space to hang out together if rain bothers you - I don't know why you'd want to be inside tho - you miss all the rainbows!! Rainbows above the waterfalls is a signature (& reliable) part of the Princeville experience. And, as I said, not for everyone. The golf & tennis are great, walking, running, biking the trails with breathtaking views-that's Princeville. If you want to walk 100yds and snorkel or boogie board, you want KaPa'a, if you want to shop and eat ice cream you want Poipu or Hanalei Bay. Driving Kauai used to be part of the fun. With increased tourism the slow-moving train of traffic on the narrow winding roads may make Ka Eo Kai & Princeville feel too far away-from-it-all... but to me, in an upper unit with a breeze, it feels like home.
Wyndham manages it but it's still owned by Pahio. Upgrades are ongoing so call as far ahead as possible to request location and an updated unit.
Resort maps with unit #'s are not easily found online - but they are out there. If you go let us know what you think!
Francine

 

[Jan M.]

We just stayed there at the end of November. From what we were told the two bedroom lock off units are all closer to the club house and golf course. If you have a two bedroom lock off you may actually have a view of the ocean and will get a lot more breeze from the ocean than we got back by the road. The two bedroom upper and lower units are the ones that are farther away from the club house and golf course and closer to the main road. So make sure you know what type of unit you are booking and try to find out if you can exactly where in the resort you will be. Location will make a huge difference in your level of comfort.

I thought November, December and January were the rainy months in Kauai but learned that there isn't really a dry season on Kauai. However from what I understand in June it isn't likely to rain all day long or all over the island either.

The units at Ka Eo Kai don't have AC. Makai Club units are only one bedroom but they have AC in the bedroom and the living room. Kauai Beach Villas have AC in the bedrooms. I don't know about the other resorts. If you don't tolerate heat and humidity well then you may be better off staying at a resort with AC at least in the bedrooms.

If you want to do things in the southern part of the island, and you likely will, staying in Princeville means driving and you will experience the Kapaa Crawl. We got in mid evening so were spared the Kapaa Crawl that night but the drive north takes longer than you think it will. The next time we ventured south it was during the daytime and we learned the Kapaa Crawl is aptly named and no exaggeration. Just make sure to give yourself extra time if you have to be anywhere. If you only have one week and want to do and see a lot of things while you are there then you may want to stay somewhere more centrally located.

My favorite thing we did while we stayed at Ka Eo Kai was on a clear night we drove out to the overlook by the lighthouse to look at the stars because it is really dark there. The lighthouse isn't working. I've never seen the Milky Way so vividly. There were so many stars visible that the only constellation we could make out was Orion's belt. I even saw a meteorite or shooting star. It was so quick it was gone by the time my husband turned his head to look.

On a last minute impulse we went to Sunday morning services at the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship Church. We had passed by it on our way to the lighthouse and again the night we went to look at the stars. Everyone there was so nice and we were so glad we went.

 

[flindberg]

Lihue airport is not far as the proverbial crow flies but it takes longer to get there every year...
The heaviest traffic is through Kapa'a & Wialua. During the day it can take the better part of an hour to go 20 miles. Poipu is the other side of Lihue - further but a great place to bboard & snorkel.

3 I notice a lot of activities are on the South side of the island. How long does it take to get there.

 

[geist1223]

Kauai: Remember there is only 1 two lane Hwy from north to south. So depending on time of Day it can take 90 minutes or more to travel from the Princeville area to Waimea. Down south you have Waimea Canyon. To do this properly is about a day. Take a picnic lunch. Drive to the top. Resist the turn outs. Drive as far as you can and then hike past the top parking a bit. There are several View Points up there. Have your picnic lunch in the Park at the top. Then stop at all or most of the View Points on your way down. There is the Kauai Coffee Planation. There is zip lining in Koloa. There is an inner tube float down the old sugar cane canals in Lihue. There is Poipu Beach. There is the Alakai Swamp Trail. There are Cruises out of Hanapepe Bay to the Napali Cliffs and snorkeling. There is the Spouting Horn. There is the Mala'ulepu Trail that starts on the top of the Cliffs just north of Shipwreck's Beach. There is the Makauwahi Cave. Almost forgot about the light house - a National Park. Also a bird nesting area. Luau: some of the large Hotels have Luau. The two I would recommend are Kilohana just outside of Lihue or Smith Family by Kapa'a. Kilohana has the more traditional entertainment telling the Polynesian story through song and dance. Smith Family has greater diversity to honor the many people that have emigrated to the Islands. Remember Poi is not a dish by itself but to dip your Pork. There is Anini Beach. The town of Hanalei. The beach at Hanalei. To go to Ke'e Beach you need to go online and make a Reservation - either AM or PM. Kayaking up the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto and Secret Falls. It is about a mile hike to the falls. Sometimes the trail is very muddy. In Lihue there is a Costco. Cheapest gas on the Island by a lot. Great Fish Tacos at the Food Truck by Hanalei Pier. Some of the best Chili Pepper Chicken is at the Chevron Station in Priceville. Best Loco Moco is at the Food Shack on the side of the Sueoka's Market in Koloa. Jump off the Cliff just north of Shipwreck Beach and swim to Shipwreck Beach.

If you are adventuresome there is the Queens Bath and Hideaway Beach in the Princeville area.

We have been to Kauai many times to include June. We always have a great time. The day time rain would only last about 15 minutes. Kauai like all the Hawaiian Island become uncomfortable if the Trade Winds stop.

 

[JMLarge]

Thanks for the replies. I decided to release the exchange and continue looking. I have had the search on for several months, and this and Paniola Greens are the only two resorts that I have hit on. So, we will continue to wait and see if anything else opens up. Thanks again for your help and advice. JL

 

[Firepath]

I had an OGS for about a year for May and got Lawai Beach Resort 2 BR in Kauai a few months later. We ended up not keeping it, but drove by it when we were there in October and all I can say is Wow, we passed up an amazing location on the south side of Kauai. Might be worth watching for.

 

[geist1223]

Thanks for the replies. I decided to release the exchange and continue looking. I have had the search on for several months, and this and Paniola Greens are the only two resorts that I have hit on. So, we will continue to wait and see if anything else opens up. Thanks again for your help and advice. JL

Too bad we enjoyed KA EO KAI. There is more than enough things to do Kapa'a and north for one week. We also enjoyed Paniola Greens. You are not at Ocean Level but it was a good place for a week for Kona and north. It looks like you would prefer the Lihue or Poipu area on Kauai. Just remember if you are down south you would have that long drive to see anything up north. That is why we always try for two weeks - one week north and one week south. Next September we are doing three week. Two in the Poipu area and 1 week in Kapa'a.