<p>I’ve booked the flight, so I’m going to Kauai this February. Now the hard part, deciding what area to stay in. I’m looking for nice weather, relaxation, and hiking. My glance through the TripAdvisor forums makes it sound like the weather could be dicey, and that the best bet is to stay on the south side, but I can’t imagine that anywhere in Hawaii could have consistently bad weather in February!</p>
<p>Some parts of Kaua`i (and other islands) get a lot of rain, which may be the “bad weather” that some are referring to.</p>
<p>Kauai is small enough that you can stay almost anywhere and get anywhere for the day. We prefer the south side for the weather and that it’s centrally located. If you stay on either end, it is a bit of a drive to get to the other end and both ends are worthy of visiting for hikes and scenery, etc. However, it’s definitely more beautiful on the north side (and yes, far rainier). If you choose to stay there, just allow for a drive to get to the canyon.</p>
<p>The best resource we found is [The</a> Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed: Andrew Doughty: 9780981461014: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Kauai-Guidebook-Revealed/dp/0981461018/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350818609&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+book+kauai]The”>http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Kauai-Guidebook-Revealed/dp/0981461018/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350818609&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+book+kauai)/. Unfortunately you will find a lot of other tourists carrying the ‘Blue Bible’ around with them too. A few suggestions: if you are staying in a timeshare & doing your own cooking, COSTCO in Lihue is a good place to shop for groceries, which are expensive in Hawaii. Our favorites on Kaua’i were Waimea Canyon, Kipu Falls (my S2 loved jumping off the cliff into the water), and Queen’s Bath on the coast. The snorkeling is fantastic in Poipu and Ke’e Beach (opposite ends of the island). And take a small cruise boat along the Na’Pali Coast, which is dramatic & beautiful. (Larger boats can’t get into some of the little coves, so ask about the smaller boats.)</p>
<p>Poipu area is the sunniest place in Kauai and a really nice area to stay. In addition to beautiful beaches there is a botanical garden which is a must see if you like gardens.</p>
<p>I’ve stayed on both the south side (Waimea) and the north side (Wainiha). There are charms to both. I’d say the south has better beaches and easier access to Waimea Canyon. (Bring a heavy sweater/jacket plus rain gear if you plan to hike in the canyon.) The north has spectacular cliffs and some intense hiking trails along the Na Pali Coast.</p>
<p>We did a wind catamaran tour of the Na Pali coast (left from Hanalei) and saw several whale calves. We also spotted whales spouting from lookout atop of a peak in Koke’e State Park.</p>
<p>Grand botanical gardens both in Kahaleo (south) and Limahue (north).</p>
<p>No advice – have fun. We were there once, and I want to go back! One of the best things we did was go up in a helicopter. Amazing island, and you really get to see it from the air. We also took a boat tour, in a smaller boat that was able to go under a water fall into a cave on the coast. And the snorkeling is great, too. Just a beautiful place. I think it does rain there every day, but only for part of the day, not the whole day, usually.</p>
<p>I recommend this luau:</p>
<p>[Smith’s</a> Garden Luau, Spirit of Aloha, Island of Kauai](<a href=“http://www.smithskauai.com/luau.html]Smith’s”>Smith’s Garden Luau, Spirit of Aloha, Island of Kauai)</p>
<p>This is the garden in Poipu: [Allerton</a> Garden - National Tropical Botanical Garden - Tropical Plant Research, Education, and Conservation.](<a href=“http://ntbg.org/gardens/allerton.php]Allerton”>http://ntbg.org/gardens/allerton.php)</p>
<p>Absolutely beautiful.</p>
<p>If you like to snorkel, that’s a good reason to stay near Poipu. Yes, you can drive there and snorkel at any time of day, but you’ll see the most, and most active, fish early in the morning. Staying nearby means you can see that without having to get up before dawn during your vacation.</p>
<p>It’s a beautiful, small island. YOu can drive it easily, but traffic can get backed up. I would strongly suggest staying to the south. It can get cool and rainy to the north. Definitely take a trip through Wameia Canyon - but go EARLY and watch the weather - or you may not see anything.</p>
<p>Our boys are always amazed by all of the chickens - they are everywhere. They are like stray dogs and cats only many, many more of them - everywhere! So roosters too!</p>
<p>Thanks for all your help and great advice!</p>
<p>We always stayed around Princeville area (north). It’s less crowded. I don’t remember it being rainy. We’ve stayed at the Princeville hotel or rented condos. We haven’t been there in a while. Have very fond memories - kids learned to surf there. It is my favorite island.</p>
<p>My one regret from our trip years ago is that we didn’t do the helicopter or boat around the Na Pali coast. </p>
<p>But the best experience by far was stumbling across a local kids hula performance at a local mall. Tons more entertaining than the professional shows!</p>
<p>I recommend the Kiahuna Plantation in Poipu. We went four years in a row when the kids were younger and we loved it. it is on a golf course like setting with a great swimming beach. It is one and two bedroom condos and you can rent through either the Outrigger or Castle or find an owner to rent direct from online. Another place that looks great is Kuhio Shores. It sits on a great snorkeling spot where you can almost always see sea turtles.</p>
<p>The blue book really is the best reference. I’ve heard that in the winter it’s best to stay south. We stayed in Princeville and really liked it, but the main reason we stayed there is we were doing a kayak trip on th Napili coast and had to be there very early in the morning. Costco is definitely the best place for groceries if you need them.</p>
<p>I agree about Popui. Great location. And the boat trip around the Na Pali coast was amazing.</p>
<p>Since you mentioned hiking, maybe you wouldn’t mind the steep 15 minute hike down to Kauapea…aka Secret Beach. [Kauapea</a> Beach - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kauapea_Beach]Kauapea”>Secret Beach - Wikipedia)
I think it’s one of the top 5 beaches in Hawaii. Undeveloped, wide sand, wild waves (do not try to swim unless it’s in a tide pool), just you and the wide Pacific.<br>
Fair warning, this is secluded enough that some visitors feel free to enjoy the sun au natural.<br>
Be sure to visit the lighthouse nearby, it’s very interesting, free but we always donate generously to help preserve the history of a place. Beautiful spot for birding, whale watching and just soaking up history.
Fair warning, all those bird-watching and whale-watching folks with binoculars up at the lighthouse might know to scan the 300 yards back to the beach. I didn’t want my pale bottom in anybody else’s vacation photos…
The other underrated beach on Kauai is Barking Sands. Long dirt road to get there, do not do what we did and try to drive onto the beach like the locals do, park up in the dunes. Once down on the beach, you can see forever with no development…no crowds, no vendors.</p>