Day 3 - Princeville Golfing and Poipu Exploring
View at the Makai Golf Course in Princeville
For our third full day in Kauai, I hadn't planned too much because my husband, Joe and my brother were going golfing. This was a day Joe was looking forward to because golfing here is a unique and special experience for a golfer like himself.
They were headed to the Makai Golf Course in Princeville and it is considered one of the best golf courses on any of the islands in Hawaii. It has stunning views of the oceans and mountains from everywhere you turn. You can see in the picture at the top of this page, it's a stunner!
As an added touch, Joe said that on the 17th hole, an employee showed up and handed them a slice of fresh pineapple. You don't get that at every golf course, that's for sure! It was a golfer's dream. This golf course is expensive. If you are an avid golfer, it would be worth the extra splurge to enjoy this amazing golf course.
They were headed to the Makai Golf Course in Princeville and it is considered one of the best golf courses on any of the islands in Hawaii. It has stunning views of the oceans and mountains from everywhere you turn. You can see in the picture at the top of this page, it's a stunner!
As an added touch, Joe said that on the 17th hole, an employee showed up and handed them a slice of fresh pineapple. You don't get that at every golf course, that's for sure! It was a golfer's dream. This golf course is expensive. If you are an avid golfer, it would be worth the extra splurge to enjoy this amazing golf course.
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Once the boys left for golfing, the rest of the family spent the morning at the pool. The pool at Waipouli Beach Resort has a lazy river, slide, and a sandy beach entrance into a shallow swimming area for kids. There are also three hot tubs. We were able to find plenty to do at the pool area until the boys got home.
After the boys got home from golfing, we decided to head to Poipu to grab a late lunch and check out the farmer's market that takes place there on Wednesdays. The drive to Poipu was a little less than an hour from Kapaa. We were able to drive through the famous Tree Tunnel on our way to Poipu. This is a stretch of road where eucalyptus trees grow along the sides and over the top to form a tree tunnel. There is an interesting history behind these trees, as they were given as a gift to the community from a pineapple baron over 100 years ago. Once we got to Poipu, we instantly head to The Shops at Kukuiula. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law had recommended Tortilla Republic as a restaurant to try, since we love Mexican food, and it was located here. So, Joe, the kids, and I went to eat here. This location is no longer open. |
Tree Tunnel on the way to Poipu
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While we ate at Tortilla Republic, my parents and brothers at at Puka Dog. They highly recommended it and it is an icon in Poipu. The specialize in Hawaiian hot dogs. Essentially, they are good hot dog, shoved into a hole in a bun. But what makes these dogs special is the sauces you put in them. They have tropical relishes and top them off with Aunty Lilikoi's passion fruit mustard. if you find yourself needing a quick meal, you should definitely try Puka Dog. It's delicious!
Also located in The Shops at Kukuiula is Lappert's Ice Cream. This was also recommended by my sister-in-law, as she said it had the best ice cream and a place they make sure to visit several times each time they are in Kauai. Lappert's can be found on Maui, Oahu, and Kauai. It is Hawaiian-made ice cream and has some very distinct Hawaiian flavors, often featuring macadamia nuts. We all enjoyed this place, especially my parents. They really LOVED it. My mom loves macadamia nuts, so it was right up her alley.
My dad was totally enjoying all of the Hawaiian delicacies while we were in Poipu, so when he came across Uncle's Shave Ice in these shops, he also had to try that. Uncle's Shave Ice touts themselves as "The best shave ice on Kauai." No one else tried it because we had all just had Lappert's, but my dad did say it was his favorite shave ice on the whole island, and he tried quite a few while we were there. So, maybe they really are "the best shave ice on Kauai."
My dad was totally enjoying all of the Hawaiian delicacies while we were in Poipu, so when he came across Uncle's Shave Ice in these shops, he also had to try that. Uncle's Shave Ice touts themselves as "The best shave ice on Kauai." No one else tried it because we had all just had Lappert's, but my dad did say it was his favorite shave ice on the whole island, and he tried quite a few while we were there. So, maybe they really are "the best shave ice on Kauai."
The main reason we came to Poipu on this day is because every Wednesday a special farmer's market is held at the shops and at this market they sell Sugarloaf pineapples. Sugarloaf pineapples are white pineapples and only grown at one farm located on Kauai. These pineapples are sweeter and don't cause that weird sensation in your mouth due to its low acid content. Joe had read about them and he wanted to try this more than anything on the whole island. So, we made it a priority to make sure we were in Poipu, on a Wednesday, right when the market opened. These pineapples will sell out, so if you want to get them, you want to make sure to get there early. You can also go take a tour at the farm, but we didn't have time.
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Once the market was open, we went straight to the Sugarloaf table and picked out a beautiful pineapple to take home. I will say, they aren't cheap! Don't expect to come buy a pineapple for $3.99, like at Costco. We picked a fairly good size one and it was over $20. The man running the table was very knowledgeable about the pineapples and very friendly. He even gave my daughter a mini-pineapple still attached to it's stem, which made it look like a scepter. He crowned her "Princess Pineapple," and she loved every second of it.
I remember the first time I saw a pineapple growing and never knew they could be so small and grow on bushes like they do. To see them when they are this small makes them seem unreal. We wanted to take this little pineapple scepter home with us, but airlines won't let you. There are ways to ship these pineapples home, but it's a bit more spendy. After securing our sought after pineapple, we wandered the rest of the market picking out all different types of fruit we can't easily find on the mainland. We made sure to stock up on apple bananas while there. If you have never had an apple banana, make sure to get them while in Hawaii. They are smaller than a normal banana and sweeter, but with a slightly more tangy taste. Unfortunately, after tasting these apple bananas, a regular banana will never quite taste very good compared to these. We always make it a point to stock up on them when at Costco on the islands, as they sell them for a much cheaper price there. |
The Pineapple Princess
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The Spouting Horn
By this point, the kids were ready to head back to the pool. We headed down for a night swim and it was perfect. There was hardly anyone in the pool and we had the hot tub to ourselves. It was the perfect way to end our busy day. The next day, we were headed the iconic Tunnels Beach, so we headed to bed to get our much needed rest! You can read all about our time at Tunnels, here.
Night swim at Waipouli Beach Resort
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Our last stop while in Poipu that afternoon was at the Spouting Horn. This is a location in which you can view a blowhole. It is one of the most photographed locations in all of Kauai. The ocean funnels through a lava tube and forces the water out in a large spray. It can get as high as 50 feet. There is also a Hawaiian legend around it, which you can read about here. There is plenty of parking, chickens roaming, and a good viewpoint to watch the blowhole. I found it fascinating, watching it blow higher and higher. The kids found the chickens more fascinating, so we didn't spend too long here.
We then drove back to our hotel, and since we had a late lunch and ice cream, skipped dinner and instead tried out all of our rare fruits we had picked up at the farmer's market. The pineapple is special. It's the only one I can eat without my mouth going all tingly and taking away my taste buds. Some of the other fruits we tried were quite tasty and others, not so much. But, it was fun to try out these tropical fruits. 
Fruit from the Kauai Culinary Market
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