<p>We’ve decided on Kauai as part of our Hawaiian honeymoon in July.</p>
<p>What area of the island is the best as far as rain and central location?</p>
<p>Any suggestions on where to stay? We’d like to stay under $400 per night.</p>
<p>I’ve stayed on the north side in July in a private cottage, but really enjoyed staying centrally at the Outrigger Waipouli which is right across the street from Safeway–making it easier to make some meals on our own. I believe our Outrigger package was purchased through United Airlines, but I believe Costco sometimes has packages. Staying centrally allows you to decide whether to go north or south each day depending upon the weather forecast.</p>
<p>We stayed in a condo right next to the St. Regis in Princeville a couple of years ago. I think it was called Pu Poa. I Not sure what you are planning to do, but wanted to suggest Kayaking the Napili Coast, if you are in fairly good shape. It was pretty spectacular, and you need to book months out. </p>
<p>Oh, have a great trip! It’s so pretty there, and since it is a small island, it really doesn’t take very long to get anywhere there, so no matter where you pick, you can’t go too far wrong as far as location. We loved it when we were there. We took a helicopter tour, and it was spectacular. Also snorkeled. That was something I had not done before. Amazing to see all those tropical fish just a few feet away. </p>
<p>We spent a week in Kauai last June. Best vacation ever! We stayed just north of the airport, which was sort of mid-island. It was easy to get to everything, but the beach was too rough for swimming. We drove to various beaches depending on what we wanted to do. Some are better for swimming or snorkeling or surfing, etc. it was fun to try out different beaches and parking was almost never a problem. We did a ton of hiking and all that work was worth the breathtaking views. </p>
<p>I think it rained at some point every day we were there, but only for brief periods.</p>
<p>For cheap eats, don’t be afraid to try Chicken in a Barrel. A little road side stand with amazing BBQ!</p>
<p>Kauai is round, like a clock, but the area between 9 and 12 is inaccessible by road (the na pali coast), so it’s hard to be truly central. The north shore is where most of the glory is, with that famous light quality and there are plentiful beaches everywhere but also lots of people. The west and southwest are more “industrial”, but we saw the most remote and wild beach on the west coast, just adjacent to that 9 o’clock area. Poipu is a resort area in the south and you don’t even need a snorkel at the public beach, goggles are just fine. </p>
<p>There is a state park at Waimea Canyon and it also has many hikes, including one that goes to the center of the island where it is almost constantly raining. I guess if you want to see all of that, it would make sense to stay on the east coast somewhere so you could travel north, south, and over to the canyon. </p>
<p>1214mom - we have stayed at the same hotel, except it was called the Princeville Hotel back then. Our girls did the Easter egg hunt there one year. We also rented a condo at Pu Poa. I like the Princeville area. It’s quieter and has some of the nicest beaches. We haven’t been back in a while.</p>
<p>Check out the Kalalau trail. :)</p>
<p>Oldfort, what a coincidence. We are planning another trip to Hawaii in February, with NO kids. We are going to Maui, and probably Kauai, but we may try another island instead.
Kef318, there is a book called Kauai Revealed that I suggest you get. On the related website, wizardpub.com, they have reviews of the various places to stay. </p>
<p>Vrbo is a good place to look for places to stay. I’ve become obsessed with our trip planned for next February. We will likely stay someplace between Lihue and Kaapa. </p>
<p>Poipu is the way to go for me. Beautiful swimming beach and great weather, and you can walk right into great snorkeling in the morning.</p>
<p>We often stay at the timeshare portion, the Kauai Beach Club, of the Kaua’i Marriott Resort .The grounds are fantastic. There are many restaurants within walking distance. It is located on Kalapaki Beach, which is on a bay. I like the bay because there are no rocks or coral to impede your entrance or cut up your feet as there are on other beaches. It is in Lihue, right near the airport (that does not generate any noise), and commercial development. If you want to know where the locals are on a Saturday afternoon, check out the local Costco.</p>