Kauai

Kauai is fourth largest of the islands and is sometimes called, "The Garden Isle." When you arrive here and spend some time exploring, you will see exactly why it's called that. Oh my, is it stunning here! 

The island of Kauai is broken apart into different regions, with each one offering something unique. There is so much to do here! We spent seven days and six nights on Kauai and it wasn't long enough. I feel like we have so much more to see and will definitely be back as soon as we can. We had a trip booked and we were two weeks from being there when the whole world shut down because of Covid back in March 2020. When it was finally time to get back to Hawaii, we found a deal for the Big Island we couldn't pass up, so we decided to postpone Kauai and check out the Big Island. 

​When we went to Kauai, we went with my whole extended family. Because we had so many people going, so much planning went into this trip. I think the first thing we planned was where we would eat our first meal when we landed on the island. My parents had never flown together, had never been to Hawaii together, and this was their very first real vacation together. So, we knew wherever we chose, it had to be the perfect introduction to Hawaii. My brothers had both been to Kauai and they knew Duke's would be the perfect spot.

Duke's is located in the town of Lihue, which is also where the airport is located. So, as soon as we got our rental cars, we headed to Duke's. To get to the restaurant, you have to meander through the Marriott. That walk alone puts you into the aloha spirit. The hotel's grounds are filled with tropical foliage and makes you feel like you have entered paradise. Once you reach Duke's you walk into the open air restaurant and you see the beach and ocean. The view alone is worth coming to this restaurant. My parents who had been quite stressed through the travel part of our day instantly relaxed as they sipped on their drinks and took in the view. This will now be our first stop each time we come to Kauai because it sets the mood for your perfect tropical vacation.

After Duke's we hit up Costco. This is also located in Lihue. If you've never been to any of the islands before, then you might not know that stopping at Costco is a must. The Costcos on each island are located fairly close to the airports and for good reason. No matter if you are staying in a hotel or condo, stop at Costco to get supplies like bottled water, snacks, and Koloa Rum, which is made right on the island of Kauai and our favorite rum.​

Drink at Duke's in Lihue

Kid's pool at the Waipouli Beach Resort

After loading up on the essentials at Costco, we headed to our hotel. When we decided on a hotel for our family, we were trying to keep this trip budget friendly and find accommodations that would accommodate all of us. We also were going to two islands, so we wanted a condo situation in which we could do laundry before heading off to Maui afterward. After looking into everything, I decided on the Waipouli Beach Resort. 
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Overall, this resort was wonderful. We were able to get a few different sizes of condos to meet our family's needs, it had a big, kid-friendly pool, it was clean, and the price was reasonable. I would say the only downside to this resort was that it is located in Kapaa. Kapaa is a main city on Kauai and offers a lot, but after exploring the city of Poipu, we decided that the next time we came to Kauai, we would stay in Poipu. In fact, we had booked the Grand Hyatt Kauai in Poipu for when we were supposed to go in March 2020. Poipu has more of a resort feel to it and it felt a little more upscale with better restaurants.

The Waipouli  Beach Resort did provide an awesome pool with a slide, beach access kid's pool, live music (see the video below), and more. So, if you are looking for a more economical choice that is great for families, this would make a perfect place to stay. 
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After booking the hotel, I carefully planned opportunities to explore the different parts of the island. When planning my Hawaii trips, I always buy this guidebook. In fact, they come out with new editions all the time, and always buy the most current one before heading back to an island, even if I have already bought a previous edition. Below, you can click on each day to see how I laid out each day to fit in a little for everyone on our trip and to make sure the kids had a good time.

This can be used as an itinerary to help you plan your own trip to Kauai. Each day will tell you a little about what we did and places I suggest adding to your own trip itinerary. And, if you don't see something that you feel needs to be added, feel free to message me on Instagram or email me with suggestions. I would love to hear about more things to do for our next trip to this beautiful island.​

Day 1 - Waimea Canyon

Day 4 - Tunnels Beach and Hanalei

Day 2 - Lydgate Beach Park and the Kilohana Plantation

Day 3 - Princeville Golfing and Poipu Exploring

Day 5 - Wailua Falls