The Garden Isle

If Honolulu feels a bit like LA smashed on to an island then lush (and small) Kauai is the place for you. Kauai is the northernmost and oldest of the Hawaiian Islands, and as a result is laid back lush jungle. At only 20 min by air from Honolulu you will actually wait longer for your flight then you will spend the air. You'll know you're on the right island when you encounter the Kauai Chicken - and despite your best efforts, you will encounter them.

Mount Waialeale, located at the heart of Kauai’s rain forest is the wettest place on earth with over 400-inches of rain per year. While the rest of the island doesn’t get that much rain, we started most mornings on the island with light, albeit brief, rain. A beautiful rainbow always seemed to follow the rain shower. The trade winds blow across Kauai, keeping things cool and lowering the humidity – so any bad weather you had back on Honolulu is left behind when you arrive in Lihue, Kauai’s main city.

We made the Kauai Beach Resort our home away from home. It’s a beautiful resort just a few min from the Lihue airport. Now that it is run by the Aqua hotel chain you are likely to find a good deal during the off season. You could spend all your time at the resort, with 4 pools, beachfront access and a shuttle that will bring you to and from the airport. I would recommend renting a car though so that you can explore the rest of the island. There is a small collection of hotels right in Lihue but most of the other hotels are located up the coast in Poipu. There is a military lodging option – Pacific Missile Range Facility Cabins on Barking Sands Beach and VOQ’s are also available. Another tip, skip the pricey resort breakfasts and find yourself some fresh malasadas (a cinnamon sugar donuts) - we found Kauai Bakery and Cinnamon where you could pick up a bakers dozen.

We were scheduled to spend our first day on a boat viewing the north part of the island, known as the Na Pali Coast, with Holoholo charters. Unfortunately, due to rough seas our trip was canceled. In their credit, we heard nothing but good things about Holoholo, and they did try to reschedule us for another day. (On the bright side, now we have a reason to go back.)
Instead, we spent the day driving around the island. Driving in Kauai is so easy – there are only two main roads and everything you will want to see is off of one of them. The GPS was nice to have, but completely unnecessary, as everyone gives directions using mile-markers from one of these two highways. The only real challenges are the one-lane bridges you will encounter all over the island. Local custom is to let 3-5 cars from the other direction come and then its your turn. The book also said we should give the “hang loose” sign, but we found the traditional thank you wave to be more appropriate.

It will take you about an hour to get from Lihue all the way up the coast on both sides. If you have a whole day you can cover the whole island. Make sure you pick up a travel book so you have some idea of where to go. (We purchased the Lonely Planet guide to Kuaui in the Honolulu airport.) The dry caves at the northern point of the island are worth the trip – so if you only have time to go one way, head up north. You should also take some time to walk down one of the many beaches you will encounter. If you get the chance to drive west most of the guidebooks will point you to Russian Fort Elizabeth – we found the place to be deserted and a little creepy. Do make sure you stop at the Kauai Coffee Visitors Center. They have a self-guided walking tour and lots of coffee to taste.

There are several lighthouses on the island and all are worth going to see. The Kiluea Lighthouse on the North Shore of Kauai is beautiful – if you don’t want to pay to tour the lighthouse, you can enjoy the view from outside the gates. The Nini Point Lighthouse is on the approach to Lihue airport and can be a challenge to find. Despite what the tour books say, you can drive there – just print directions before you go and if you feel lost that means you are going the right way. The lighthouse is not all that spectacular but the views from the point are worth the trip.
One of our favorite activates was Tubing in the old irrigation ditches with Kauai Backcountry Adventures. You meet at Backcountry Adventures where they outfit you with a helmet, headlamp and gloves. (You will need to bring your own towel and water shoes.) Then there is an hour narrated drive up to your put in point through some old-field roads. We were warned the whole way up not to say the word “freezing” or “cold” – which made me very worries I was going to be both “freezing” and “cold” – when in fact the water was quite pleasant. You’re not really ever in the water other then your backside, although you will be splashed a lot. Once you are in your raft its like bumper cars down the irrigations ditch, most of which is through hand carved tunnels. You should get to know your tour group, because no matter whom you started out near, at the end of each tunnel you will find yourself in a whole new group. My sister was in a “speed tube” and sometimes found herself in front of the guide. Meanwhile, I found myself in the “spinning tube of death” which spun me into every place you could get stuck in the ditch. One of the guides took pitty on me and would straighten me out whenever possible. Even with assistance I went from the front of the group to the very back by the time the tour was over. Backcountry Adventures offers two trips a day and both include lunch. We took the later trip, but I would recommend taking the first trip of the day to free up your afternoon and evening. This is a not to miss activity! Make your reservations early because they fill up every trip.

We also made reservations for a tour at the Grove Farm Historic Sugar Plantation Museum. They only give tours twice a week – so if this is a must see activity for you make reservations early. The tour takes you through perfectly preserved sugar plantation buildings, furnishings and collections. You will be asked to remove your shoes every time you enter a building, so wear accessible shoes. I’m still not really sure how I feel about this tour. On one hand it gave me a great overview of the sugar farming industry on the island. I was able to see some incredible architecture and landscaping. On the other hand it was geared at an audience that knew a lot more about the island then we did and as a result I found it a bit pretentious. The tour is also a full two hours long – which was about 30 min too long for my attention span. It’s also really not intended for children – so leave the kids with the hotel daycare. My advice to the Grove Farm would be to offer a wider variety of tours – maybe an hour introduction tour and a longer and more in depth tour for those already familiar with the island.

We did not get a chance to go into Waimea Canyon, which is the largest canyon in the Pacific at 10 miles long and 1 mile wide. You can hike in the canyon or take a boat trip. This will certainly be on our itinerary on our next trip to Kauai.

I almost forgot one of my favorite parts of Hawaii - Shave Ice! Shave Ice is so yummy I'm including a picture of my sister enjoying her shave ice! You must stop for one of these while you are in Hawaii. I could try to guide you to one, but experience tells me that you should just find a stand and pick your favorite flavors.

Finding Paradise on Waikiki

September seems to be the month to go to Hawaii! I was lucky enough to spend a week in Hawaii this September for a girls-get-away with my sister. This was my second trip to Oahu. In 2004, Jeff and I visited over the Christmas holidays and the island was packed and crazy. This visit was very relaxed. A week before my visit, Bethany, my fellow blogger, and her husband spent a week in Hawaii - so you’ll be getting lots of Hawaii travel advice this month.

September is part of the Hawaii off-season, which occurs mid-April to mid-June and again from September to mid-December.) I was able to find tickets for under $300 round trip and there were lots of deals to be had on the islands (including some great cruise deals!)

The visit started with a small hiccup. We were scheduled with Aloha VIP tours for a transfer from the airport to the hotel. I booked months in advance and when we showed up at the airport they didn’t have our names on the list. They called the office but never got a response. I had the confirmation number as well as an e-mail from the company – but because we didn’t have a paper copy they wouldn’t take us on the bus. We brushed it off and took a cab to the hotel. Aloha VIP did refund our money, but with no apology for leaving us stranded. This is not the customer service I have come to expect from Hawaii. I would skip the transfer and just hop a cab. The cab will cost you $35 for two people plus baggage - there is a cab stand at the airport and we never had to wait.

Like most military families that visit Hawaii, we stayed at the Hale Koa, which means Warriors’ Home, in case you were wondering. Bethany covered the details of the Hale Koa in her post. I will add that what the rooms lack is made up for in waterfront property, services and location. My sister and I spent our first two days on the island hanging out by the Hale Koa pool sipping frozen drinks. On Bethany’s recommendation we booked poolside massages, which relived any stress we may have had from the missed transfer. For great deals at the Hale Koa like them on facebook.

If you go to Hawaii you must go to a Luau. The Hale Koa does offer a luau right on the property and we heard nothing but good things about it. However, the Hale Koa luau is only offered two nights a week. If you are not at the Hale Koa when the luau is going on book with Paradise Cove Luau. Paradise Cove runs a bus that picks up at the Hilton bus station, which is literally right next door to the Hale Koa. Our ‘hostess’ Lelani was very entertaining and made the drive go by quickly. (It’s an hour drive, in traffic, to Paradise Cove.) There are three package levels – we booked the middle level and it was perfect. The luau starts with a lea greeting and activity time. You can get a “grease paint tattoo” by one of many shirtless guys, make a palm leaf creation or learn to hula. There are also several small shows you can go to – like tree climbing, pulling in the fishing nets, how to make luau drinks and the final pig out of the roasting pit show. Then everyone sits down for dinner – it’s a buffet for everyone except the top package. The main show starts while your sitting down for dinner. The show is intimate and full of explanation and optional audience participation. It was a much better experience then our last luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. I would recommend booking your tickets straight through Paradise Cove for the best deal.

There are many activities in Wikiki to enjoy. My sister and I walked the Wikiki beach (wear sandals because the path abruptly stops and starts) all the way down to the park. The walk takes under 30 min and provides great views of Diamond Head. The park is also home to the Aquarium and the Zoo, both are small but are a nice diversion. As a note, the Waikiki Aquarium has one of the only Commerson's Frogfish on exhibit in the word(pictured above) - these fish sometimes don't move for weeks on end - they also have the worlds oldest known living clam shell! (For military members both offer ½ price admission so for $12 you can visit both the Aquarium and the Zoo.) You can hike Diamond Head for stunning views of Wikiki – Jeff and I did this on our last visit. Its a steep, but short, hike so make sure you have plenty of water.

No visit to Oahu is complete without a trip to Pearl Harbor. We took the bus – you probably shouldn’t do that. The Bus took forever, and while it was only $2.50/person, lets just say you get what you pay for! You can rent a car from the Hale Koa just for the day, or save this trip till you have a car. (Read Bethany’s post for more information on visiting Pearl Harbor.)

One block, towards Diamond Head, from the Hale Koa is all the shopping and restaurants you could ever want. If you have some free time, or want to eat not on the Hale Koa property, just walk out the door and explore for a bit. Most of all, though, make sure you enjoy being in paradise by doing something you love weather that is sitting by the pool with a good book or taking surf lesions. Waikiki has it all – just make sure you enjoy it!

Hawaii Part 1 – Hale Koa

View from our room- the grounds of the Hale Koa

Let me preface this by saying if you haven’t been to Hawaii already, you should absolutely try to get there while you can claim active duty status, because the deals are amazing!
One of these great deals is the Hale Koa, a military recreation area hotel in the resort area of Waikiki on the island of Oahu just 30 minutes from Honolulu International Airport.  While I agree with a conversation I overheard on the bus – that Waikiki is very nice but not uniquely Hawaii, it reminds you of every other resort area you’ve been to – you should not pass up a chance to stay at the Hale Koa. The rooms are standard hotel rooms, nothing fancy, but we had a beautiful view and the grounds are beautiful.  You are right on the beach, and there is everything you could want right there. We ate there both nights at two different restaurants, sipped pina coladas by the pool, sat on the beach, talked about going to the fitness center, overall, a nice relaxing start to our Hawaii trip. We also went on the Atlantis Submarines tour (booked through the Hale Koa activities desk) to see reef fish, which we enjoyed, but bring your motion-sickness meds for the boat ride out to the sub, as the water is choppy!  I also got a massage, something I had wanted to do for a while, from Paul the masseur which I highly recommend! You can make an appointment at the fitness center desk. Massages are done in cabanas by the pool, but don’t worry, they are out of the way in the shade and he keeps you covered, even when the sea breezes blow!

The Hale Koa has a luau right in their gardens, but we opted to see our Luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center (see Windward and Northshore Posting). We wished afterward we had gone to the Hale Koa’s instead after we heard from another family that it was the best one they went to, so do that if you can. 

You don’t need a car if you just want to hang out and explore Waikiki or take the bus around. However, If you do have a rental car, drive to Pearl Harbor instead of taking the one hour bus ride, because with a military ID you can drive onto Ford Island and see the USS Utah, which is not open to the rest of the public, and hit up the Pacific Aviation Museum while you’re there (which you don’t need a car for, just buy a ticket at the Arizona Memorial Entrance (AZ memorial is free) and take the shuttle bus). Don't forget to get your national parks passport stamps in the bookstore of the Arizona Memorial area, oh and just so you know, they don't let you take anything in to the memorial that doesn't fit in your pocket, so grab your camera and wallet and leave the rest in the car/hotel.  Also if you have a car, drive onto Hickham AFB and go to the commissary for some cheaper meals especially if you plan to stay anywhere with a kitchenette (Bellows Air Station Beach Cabins).  While at Hickham you can get cheap tickets at ITT – call ahead if you know of something you definitely want to do and they will let you purchase over the phone to be picked up when you get there.