E Komo Mai o Kauai

Aloha to the Ishiura Guide to Kauai. Our family has been traveling to the Garden Island for the past decade and have experienced much of what the island has to offer. In this blog, I will share some of the places that our family has come to love over the years.

I will divide Kauai up geographically (North, South, East, and West) and will include areas to visit, places to chow down, stores to shop until you drop, and fun activities that we have done in the past or are popular in the area. This guide is by no means exhaustive and while we have visited the beautiful shores of the Garden Isle many times, we have still yet to see all that the lush countryside has to offer so feel free to share any places that you have enjoyed in the past.

Northern Exposure: Good Eats

I am not very knowledgeable about the restaurants on the North Shore of Kauai but with the help of some friends, I have come up with a couple of restaurants to check out for those who find themselves in the North. As a note, many of the restaurants located along the North Shore have a higher price point with varying levels of customer support. For most of this blog, I have highlighted cheaper fare but the good eats in the Princeville and Hanalei areas will cost you a pretty penny (or two). 

First up is the highly rated Bar Acuda in Hanalei. The gourmet restaurant features a tapas and wine menu and a beautiful garden view. The tapas menu shifts seasonally but you can view their current menu along with make reservations via their website. Bar Acuda is located at 5-5161 Kuhio Highway in Hanalei. 

There are a couple more highly rated restaurants in the Hanalei area including Tahiti Nui, Postcards Cafe, and Kalypso but their most recent reviews have been overwhelmingly negative and as I have not personally visited any of these restaurants nor have had friends or family eat there, I can only suggest Bar Acuda in the area as the rest of the restaurants did not pass the vetting process. 

The Eastern Seaboard: Wailua

Seeing the Sights

The town of Wailua is known for its breathtaking beautiful landscapes- the gravity defying Fern Grotto and the magnificent Wailua Falls. While the Wailua Falls are accessible to all, the Fern Grotto can only be experienced via boat, which cost around $20 for adults. Smith's Fern Grotto Tours offers an hour and a half excursion that takes passengers up the Wailua River while serenading them with traditional Hawaiian music that is amplified by the lava rock in the Fern Grotto.  

 Ferns growing upside down on lava rock

Another beautiful landmark on the Eastern Coast of Kauai is the Wailua Falls. The gorgeous waterfall diverges into two separate streams and falls delicately off the cliff. The falls are located at the south end of the Wailua River and is just north of Lihue. To access Wailua Falls, take the Kuhio Highway to Hanamaulu then turn onto Ma'alo Road/Highway 583 and drive roughly three miles. You can view the falls from the car or on foot via a variety of kayaking/hiking packages offered for the Wailua River. 

View of Wailua Falls from hiking trail

 

The Eastern Seaboard: Kapa'a

Good Eats

If you are driving around on the East Coast of Kauai, here are some places to stop and fill up your tummy with delicious goodness:

Pono Market in Kapaa is a great place to get a great plate lunch. It is known for its fabulous lau lau and kalua pork and is budget friendly. If you are interested in a quick bite to eat, it is located at 4-1300 Kuhio Highway in Kapaa.

Also located in Kapaa is our family's favorite Asian eatery, House of Noodles. While looking up their menu and their address online, I browsed their recent Yelp reviews and noticed that their reviews which had been consistently positive over the years have taken a sharp nose dive since the beginning of 2013. While I won't be able to pry my husband away from the House of Noodles, I do find it a bit concerning as the management or owners may have changed since last year. In my upcoming trip, I will definitely investigate and report back but for now, I would check it out but bring some Tums just in case. House of Noodles is located at 4-1330 Kuhio Highway in Kapaa.


Get Your Shop On

Kapaa has a great selection of shops that range from the generic ABC store to the handcraft souvenir collective known as the Kapaa Products Fair. Most of the shops in Kapaa are located along the main stretch of the Kuhio Highway and I would suggest walking around the main road and browsing the shops and restaurants. Usually, we grab lunch and then stroll around Kapaa wandering in the different shops. 

If you are looking for trinkets to bring back to friends and relatives, the ABC store in Kapaa is a cheap and condensed shop that hits most of the different types of souvenirs- postcards, leis, sarongs, coconut banks, and key chains. An added bonus with the ABC store is that it doubles as a Hawaiian 7-11 so you can grab a cold soda or a bag of chips if you are heading up or down the Kuhio Highway. When it comes to authenticity, this is obviously not the place to get souvenirs but if you are buying trinkets for a lot of people, this store (along with Walmart) is the most economical place on Kauai. Located at 4-831 Kuhio Highway, this location has the very rare parking lot so take advantage of the lot.

For those of you looking for more unique gifts and souvenirs, head up the Kuhio Highway a couple of minutes to the Kapaa Products Fair that offers a range of handmade and generic souvenirs. This is a larger version of the Spouting Horn vendors and my husband and I prefer the Kapaa fair over its southern counterpart as there are more handmade crafts at the former. The Kapaa Products Fair is open 7 days a week from 9am-5pm and is located at 4-1621 Kuhio Highway.

Another great shop that provides a wide range of goods is Hula Girl in Kapaa. I always love stopping in here whenever I am in Kapaa and usually find myself walking out of the store with a bag full of goodies- most of which I am not sharing. Located at 4-1340 Kuhio Highway, Hula Girl will not disappoint!

For those of you interested in picking up multiple Hawaiian shirts on the cheap, the Hawaiian Wear Factory is the place to be. At prices similar to those found at the ABC store or Walmart, the Hawaiian Wear Factory has a wide range of Hawaiian shirts and dresses for the entire family in a staggeringly wide range of sizes- you will not find a one size fits all shirt in this place! The shop itself looks abandoned from the street but trust me- there is a warehouse full of clothes inside the cramped storefront. I absolutely adore the owner, an elderly Hawaiian woman who seems to the be the only employee- whenever we stop in over the course of a decade- she has been there with a fan behind her, tending the store. The Hawaiian Wear Factory is located at 4520 Kukui Street off of the Kuhio Highway. 

Northern Exposure: Seeing the Sights

An interesting hike towards the coastline near Princeville will give you one of your most memorable bathing experiences of your life. Queen's Bath, an enclosed tidepool on the Northern Coast of Kauai, has eerily warm water that you can happily float in while watching the waves crash up against the wall of lava rock that keeps you safely enclosed from the treacherous ocean currents. During high tide, the waves will rock up against the lava rock and can push you out into the ocean. Unlike many tourist destinations in Kauai, the road to Queen's Bath takes you through an upscale residential neighborhood in Princeville. The parking to Queen's Bath is located on Kapiolani Road and to get to your destination, you will need to hike a bit to the coast so make sure you have adequate walking/water shoes. To get to Queen's Bath, take Kuhio Highway to Ka Haku Road; once on Ka Haku, turn on Punahele Road and then onto Kapiolani Road.

Queen's Bath 

Open Tide Pool On the Way to Queen's Bath

Heed the Warning! 

The Maniniholo, Waikanaloa, and Waikapalae Wet Caves and the Maniniholo Dry Cave or the Wet and Dry Caves as they are known are a beautiful set of caves at the end of the Haena Beach Park in the town of Haena. While you can explore the Maniniholo Dry Cave, it is not safe to swim in the wet caves despite their allure. To get the most out of your experience, time your visit to the Wet Caves to when the sun lays directly north of the caves. The sunlight against the caves creates a beautiful bluish glow to the water so be sure to pack your camera! The Wet and Dry Caves are located at the very end of the Kuhio Highway in Haena.

Maniniholo Dry Cave

Waikapalae Wet Cave 

Farmer's Markets

There is nothing better than waking up to a beautiful Hawaiian morning, taking a stroll on the beach and then heading home to eat a freshly farmed mango or mountain apple. One of the best ways to get the best produce Kauai has to offer is by visiting their many farmers' markets. The produce is often limited at the farmers' market so it is first come first serve- there have been a couple of times in which I have sprinted toward a specific vendor to get the precious. Learn from my failed attempts at running and make sure that you get to the farmers' market early! Below is a breakdown of the markets but schedules and locations can change so double check with your concierge, the visitor's kiosk at the airport, or one of the many visitor's desks around the island- they will most likely have an up to date print out of the farmers' markets.

Monday

Anne Knudsen Ball Park  (SOUTH)
Off of Maluhia Road in Koloa
Market starts promptly at 12pm

Kmart Parking Lot (SOUTHEAST)
4303 Nawiliwili Road in Lihue
Market starts at 3pm


Tuesday

Coconut Market Place (EAST)
4-484 Kuhio Highway in Kapaa
Market runs from 9am-noon

Kalaheo Neighborhood Center (SOUTH)
4480 Papalina Road in Kalaheo
Market starts at 3:30pm


Wednesday 

Kapaa Town Park (EAST)
4669 Kahau Road in Kapaa
Market starts at 3pm

Kauai Culinary Market (SOUTH)
The Shops at Kukui'ula
2829 Ala Kalaikaumaka in Koloa
Market runs from 4pm-6pm


Thursday

Coconut Marketplace (EAST)
4-484 Kuhio Highway in Kapaa
Market runs from 9am-noon

Hanapepe Park (WEST)
Old Town Hanapepe
Market starts at 3pm

Kilauea Neighborhood Center (NORTH)
4620 Keneke Road in Kilauea
Market starts at 4:30


Friday

Vidinha Stadium (SOUTHEAST)
Kaana Street in Lihue
 Market starts at 3pm


Saturday 

Kauai Community College (SOUTHEAST)
3-1901 Kaumauli'i Highway in Puhi
Market runs from 9:30am-1pm

Kekaha Neighborhood Center (WEST)
8130 Elepai in Kekaha
Market starts at 9am

Hanalei Market (NORTH)
5-5299 Kuhio Highway
Market runs from 9:30am-noon

Big Fun at the Kauai County Fair

This year, the Kauai County Fair will be raging on from Thursday August 22 to Sunday August 25th at the Vidinha Stadium in Lihue. Working off the schedule from last year's county fair, I am speculating that the hours on Thursday and Friday will be from 6pm-midnight and from noon to midnight on the weekend. Tickets are $5 for adults, $2 for children, and $4 for seniors and for those wanting to save a couple of bucks, admission on Sunday from noon-6pm is only $2 (and is free from 6pm-midnight). Rides, exhibits, vendors, and great food await this August!