Kauai, HI Discount Hotels

Main Areas of the Island of Kaua’i

Poipu, a planned community, is Kaua’i's most popular resort, with the widest variety of accommodations, from luxury hotels to B&Bs and condos. It offers 36 holes of golf, 38 tennis courts, and perfect beaches.

Kahaleo/Lawai:  Just a short 10- to 15-minute drive inland from the beach at Poipu lie the more residential communities of Lawai and Kalaheo.

Koloa is a tiny old town of brightly painted sugar shacks just inland from Poipu Beach is where the Hawaiian sugar industry began more than 150 yeats ago. The mill is closed, and the plantation town is now a major tourist attraction, with small shops, an old general store, and a vintage Texaco gas station  complete with a 1930s Model A truck.

The Coconut Coast, on the east coast of Kaua’i, bustles with traffic, shops, and condos.

The North Shore, is rainy, lush, and quiet, with spectacular beaches and deep wilderness. Because of its remote location, the North Shore is isolated from the rest of the island.

Lihu’e is where most visitors arrive. This farm town, and now the county seat, was founded by sugar planters and settled by descendants of Filipino and Japanese cane cutters. It is plain and simple with inexpensive lodging,  dining, and island shopping.

Western Kaua’i:  This region, west of Poipu, is more remote and contains one of Hawaii's most spectacular natural wonders, Waimea Canyon (the Grand Canyon of the Pacific); and farther upland and inland, Kokee State Park.

Hanapepe: was once one of Kaua’i's largest towns. Founded by Chinese rice farmers, it was used as a backdrop for the miniseries The Thornbirds.. It has galleries selling antiques and local art and crafts. Nearby, at Salt Pond Beach Park, Hawaiians since the 17th century have dried a reddish sea salt in shallow, red-clay pans. Swim or snorkel there and observe an ancient industry still in operation.

Waimea: This little coastal town, the original capital of Kaua’i, is peaceful and quiet

On his search for the Northwest Passage in 1778, British explorer Capt. James Cook dropped anchor at Waimea and discovered a sleepy village of grass shacks. In 1815, the Russians arrived and built a fort (now a national historic landmark).

The Coconut Coast: The eastern shore of Kaua’i north of Lihu’e contains an expanse of beaches bordering little coastal . This area is popular with budget travelers and contains the island's major shopping areas.

Kapaa:  The center of commerce on the east coast, this restored plantation town looks just like it did hundreds of years ago. However, everything has been rebuilt and carefully restored following the visit by Hurricane Iniki, which destroyed the town in 1992. 

The North Shore:  Kaua’i's North Shore may be the most beautiful place in Hawaii. Exotic seabirds, jagged peaks, and wilderness lie beyond the Coconut Coast.

Kilauea:  This village is home to an antique lighthouse, tropical-fruit stands, little stone houses, and Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, a seabird preserve.

Anini Beach:  This residential district on a 2-mile reef (the biggest on Kaua’i) offers the safest swimming and snorkeling on the island. A beach park is open to campers and day-trippers, and there is  a boat ramp where locals launch sampans to fish for tuna.

Princeville: Princeville Resort is Kaua’i's biggest project, an 11,000-acre (4,452ha) development set on a high plain overlooking Hanalei Bay.

Hanalei: the gateway to the wild Na Pali Coast.. The 2-mile- (3km) long crescent beach, the biggest indentation on Kaua’i's coast, is ideal for families in summer, when the wild surf  turns calm.

Haena:  This  4 mile coast has lagoons, bays, beaches, snorkeling, and a botanical garden.

The Na Pali Coast (na pali means "the cliffs") is a place of extreme beauty and Hawaii's last true wilderness.

Attractions

 Bell Stone

The bellstone, when struck sharply, would resonate a note over the entire Wailua Valley. Royal births were announced this way.

Cleopatra's Barge.

Cleopatra's Barge, built in New England in 1816, was the first ocean-going passenger ship built in the United States. In 1820, it was sold to Liholiho (King Kamehameha II) for the sandalwood trade and renamed Ha'aheo o Hawaii (the Pride of Hawaii). Four years later, the ship ran aground on a reef at Hanalei Bay and sank. Since 1996, Smithsonian archeologists have been excavating the wreck at the mouth of the Waioli River.

Fern Grotto

Children love this trip on a flat bottom boat up the Wailua River., accompanied by Hawaiian song and dance.  The dewy, fern-fringed cave is an amphitheater filled with ferns and legends.

Grove Farm Homestead

Hwy. 58, 1⁄2 mile south of Nawiliwili Rd.,

Lihu'e, HI, (808) 245-3202.

Formerly the 80-acre plantation home of George N. Wilcox, Grove Farm Homestead has been preserved as a depiction of life on a sugar plantation. Tours must be booked well in advance.

The Hanalei Pier.

The Hanalei Pier was featured in "South Pacific," filmed there in 1958. The pier was built in 1892 and used by local farmers to ship their rice until it was closed in 1933. After Hurricane Iniki, in 1992, the wooden pier was condemned and rebuilt from concrete.

Hauola Place of Refuge

At the northern end of the Hikina a ka la Heiau, which is part of Lydgate State Park, is Hauola (dew of life), one of two ancient places of refuge on Kaua’i. If a Hawaiian had broken a kapu or belonged to a defeated army, the goal was to gain entry to a sanctuary such as this. After going through rites conducted by priests here, they were free to return to their homes.

Hikina Akala Heiau

The Hikina a ka la (rising of the sun) Heiau is at the north end of the beach at Lydgate State Park. Evidence indicates it was built around 800 A.D. It was built on the first spot in the Wailua area that the rays of the sun touch each morning.

Holo-holo-ku Heiau

Holoholo Ku (run, run stand fast) Heiau, or the site where it formerly existed (a cemetery replaced it around 1890), is about 1/10-mile up Route 580 off Hwy. 56. A large stone adjacent to nearby ruins is the birthstone, the sacred site of royal births on Kaua’i.

Kokee Natural History Museum

at Kokee State Park at the top of Waimea Canyon Road.

Admission is free

808-335-9975.

Daily  10-4.

Hiking maps and park information are also available at the museum.

Part of the beauty of visiting the park and museum is the drive past Waimea Canyon, the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" . The small museum is devoted to the flora, fauna, and natural history of the area. It also features collections of shells and Hawaiian artifacts.

Ke'e Beach State Park

Western end of Hwy. 56

Ha'ena, HI 

You can view the spectacular Na Pali coastline from this perfect beach. This is also where you'll find the start of the difficult 11-mile Kalalau Trail. Another path leads from the beach to an open, grassy meadow with a stone altar called Lohi'au's Hula Platform. It is said that Laka, goddess of the hula, did most of her dancing on this spot. Today's hula practitioners sometimes leave offerings here for her.

Kalalau Lookout

Waimea Canyon Dr., 4 miles north of Koke'e State Park

Waimea, HI 

Kalalau Lookout, near the end of the road high above Waimea Canyon, marks the head of a challenging hiking trail that also passes Pu'u-o-Kila Lookout. On a clear day at either spot you can gaze into the valley at sawtooth ridges and waterfalls. Winds are strong.. If you turn your back to the valley and look to the northwest, it is possible to see the  sands of Kalalau Beach.

Kilauea Lighthouse and Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

Kilauea Lighthouse Rd.

Kilauea, HI 

808 - 8281413

Daily 10 - 4       

A beacon for passing air and sea traffic since it was built in 1913, the lighthouse, a National Historic Landmark, still has the largest clamshell lens of any lighthouse in the world, but it has laid its traffic responsibilities aside. It is surrounded by the Kilauea Wildlife Refuge, home to eight species of seabirds, some of them endangered.

Keahua Forestry Arboretum

Keahua Arboretum is home to mango, monkeypod, eucalyptus trees. The streams are filled with life, and there are pools in which to swim. Picnic tables are scattered here and there and just beyond is access to the sacred area of Mt. Waialeale.

Kaua'i Museum

4428 Rice Street.

If you're in Lihu’e, drop in at the Kaua’i Museum, a local history and art museum for the islands of Kaua’i and Niihau. It features a permanent exhibit of geology, flora, fauna, pre-contact Hawaiiana, and artifacts from the missionary and plantation periods .

Old Koloa Town

The town of Koloa was the site of Kaua’i's first sugar plantation, which was built in the 1830s by Ladd and Company.

Koloa History Center

Located in the Old Koloa Town Mall, the tiny history center offers a brief introduction to the history of the area in the form of artifacts from the old plantation days.

Koke'e State Park

Donation suggested. Daily 10-4.

Koke'e State Park, at the north end of Waimea Canyon, is 4,000 ft above sea level, where the air is cool and crisp and the vegetation is evergreens and ferns. This 4,345-acre wilderness park is full of wild fruit, flowers, and colorful rare birds. A 45-mile network of hiking trails takes you to some of Kaua'i's most remote places. Ask about trail conditions at  808/335-5871.

Lydgate State Park

Lydgate offers picnic grounds, an excellent swimming area for the keiki (children), and a wonderful stretch of beach. There is also a playground built by volunteers from the community. The coconut grove here once served as a place of refuge for the ancient Hawaiians. Those who could reach the boundaries of the refuge before being caught were spared punishment or even death for breaking a kapu (law). The Wailua River begins near the north end of the park.

Limahuli Gardens

Hwy. 56

Ha'ena, HI 

808 - 8261053

Tues. - Fri. and Sun. 9:30 - 4    

This lovely, natural garden is one of five gardens and three preserves known as the National Tropical Botanical Garden. Limahuli's sometimes steep 3⁄4-mile trail passes ancient taro loi (fields), labeled plants and trees, and mountain streams. Picnicking is not allowed here, and reservations are required for guided tours.

Menehune (Alekoko) Fishpond

Legends describe the Menehune, an ancient race of "little people" who made their home on Kaua’i. These mysterious people were thought to be very industrious and used their great strength to accomplish mighty feats overnight. The seaward end of the fish pond was left unfinished because dawn came before the Menehune had completed their work. Many generations later, the wall was completed. However, the stonework was far inferior to that of the Menehune.

Na Pali Coast and State Park

Na Pali Coast, HI                      

This is Kaua'i's ultimate hiking adventure.  The Kalalau Trail dips and rises along the misty, fluted oceanside cliffs, leaving you breathless -- and not just from the climbing. A white-sand beach at the head of Hanakapia'i Valley is a fine stopping point for day hikers

Tour boats no longer take passengers along the Na Pali shore from Hanalei on the north side of the island, but in the summer months, when the ocean is calm, boats run from Port Allen on the west coast, and kayakers can take a guided tour or explore the coast line in their own rental kayak

National Tropical Botanical Gardens

Lawa'i Rd.

Po'ipu, HI 

808 - 3327361   

252-acre scientific research center (Lawa'i Gardens) and 100-acre estate property (Allerton Gardens) for botany and horticulture. The visitor center showcases 2,600 different plant species, some of them rare and endangered Hawaiian varieties. The grounds are open only for visitors with reservations for the guided 21⁄2-hour walking tour; meet at visitor center across from Spouting Horn parking lot.

Old Kapaa Town

Old Kapa'a is a quaint 19th century plantation town. The streets are lined with a variety of unique shops and an abundance of restaurants.

Poliahu Heiau

Poliahu Heiau was named for the snow goddess of the Island of Hawaii (legend has it she lived on Mauna Kea). The heiau contains several terraces, idol sites, and a "god stone" five feet high. It is the largest heiau on Kaua’i.

Pohaku Ho'ohanau

To ensure that their children would become kings or chiefs, royal Hawaiian women would go to the sacred stones located at the Pohaku Ho'ohanau heiau to give birth.

Princeville

In 1853, R.C. Wyllie started a coffee plantation on the site of what is now Princeville. The coffee plantation failed, but Princeville is now the largest planned development on Kaua’i. It's home to some of Hawaii's finest resorts, golf courses and restaurants. Princeville is also the site of three beaches, A wide reef creates pockets which are good for snorkeling.

Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park

In 1816, Alexander Baranova came to Kaua’i to trade pelts with the Hawaiians. Kaua’i's king, Kaumuali'i, was looking for a trade alliance with the Russians. Baranova wanted to annex the island chain for the Russian Empire. He built two forts on Kaua’i, one at Waimea Bay and the other at Hanalei. His plan failed, and  Baranova and his ships left the islands. The Hanalei fort was at Pu'u Poa overlooking the bay. A few rocky outcroppings remain on a flat area near the Princeville Hotel.

Salt Pond

a glimpse of days gone by is available at the ancient Hawaiian salt ponds near Hanapepe. The art of salt-making in earthen pans is still practiced here by families descending from ancient saltmakers, and is a reminder of the rich Hawaiian culture of the island. Enter the salt-making area only if permission is granted by saltmakers.

Smith's Tropical Paradise

174 Wailua Rd.

Kapa'a, HI 

808 - 8216895

Daily 8:30 - 4    

next to Wailua Marina on the east side of the island, Smith's Tropical Paradise is 30 acres of family fun, with orchards, jungle paths, exotic foliage, tropical birds, ethnic village settings, and tranquil lagoons. A lu'au banquet and live show are offered Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 5 to 9, and there is free shuttle service from Wailua. Reservations are essential for the lu'au, shuttle, and show.

Spouting Horn

Lawa'i Bay

Po'ipu, HI                     

a waterspout that shoots up like a geyser out of an ancient lava tube. Follow the paved walkways around this area, because the rocks are slippery and people have been known to fall. Vendors sell inexpensive souvenirs and costume jewelry here, but you'll also find one of the best selections of rare and treasured Ni'ihau shell necklaces. When purchasing a Ni'ihau shell lei, ask for a certificate of authenticity and an address in case you need to reorder or repair your purchase at a later date.

Waioli Mission House

Call 808-245-3202

 listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built of coral limestone blocks in 1837, its chimney was put in place by the Reverend William Alexander, the first missionary on Kaua’i. The house was restored in 1921, and recently underwent another restoration.. Wai'oli Mission Hall and picturesque Wai'oli Hui'ia Church (founded in 1834) are nearby. All are historic treasures.

Waimea Canyon

Koke'e, HI                    

Created by an ancient fault in the earth's crust, the canyon has been eroding over the centuries due to weather, wind, and the water of its rivers and streams. The "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" is 3,600 ft deep, 2 miles wide, and 10 miles long. Its deep reds, greens, and browns are always changing in the light.