Our Honeymoon - Kauai, Hawaii
30 June 2002 through 06 July 2002

Here are some tips we've garnered as a result of our experiences together in Kauai these past few days (below). Enjoy and happy vacationing!!

Must have: "The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook" (Everything they say in the guidebook, from activities, to where to eat, to what to avoid, is true.)

In search of the sun: If it's raining on your part of the island, drive to the west shores to get the sun. (It almost never rains on the west shore.) Thanks to Mike the local fisherman for that Kauai weather tip.

Cheapest place for gas: Shell station in Puhi or Hanamaulu Shell

Best shaved ice: Joe-Jo's clubhouse (in Waimea) 60+ flavors (ask for macademia nut ice cream on the bottom)

Best cheap "local" food: Hamura's Saimin Stand, cheap hole in the wall with decent portions of hot soup noodles. (Ask for "the special." Most locals love this. Homemade pie is light and tasty too.) Waitresses aren't chatty, but have great memories. You never see them write orders down. Hamura's is located in Lihue on Kress Street (take the 50 to Lihue, make a right onto Rice and another right onto Kress Street. We didn't try out Roy's (breakfast), Piatti's or Keoki's b /c we wanted to test out local cuisine instead of touristy places.

Best Boat/Snorkeling Trip: Kauai Fun (New double 250 hp Yamaha Engines) Kauai Fun is run by a local father-son team They don't advertise much, so the only way to find out about them is through word of mouth or to sign up is through the following: 1) directly through them or 2) indirectly through Brennecke's Activity Center.

Kauai Fun takes a small boat (seats only 14 spots and those spots fill up quickly). They only run once a day (8am - 1pm+) for 5-6 hours, unlike bigger run, more commercialized boats that go twice per day.

Difference between Kauai Fun and Big Boat companies:
Kauai Fun is the cheapest you can find. Basically, all boat/snorkeling packages go along the same routes and feed you lunch.

The Big Boats can't take passengers into small caves; Kauai Fun's boat is small enough to take passengers deep into caves.

Kauai Fun's boat never breaks down b/c they service it after all trips. If a big boat breaks down, the company that owns the big boat will most likely take the boat to Kauai Fun to get their boat fixed b/c not only does Kauai Fun perform its own servicing in-house, they also service other local business boats as well.

Denis, who doubles as Dave's father and Kauai Fun's narrator (tells the best stories b/c he has lived in Kauai all his life.

If you want to experience things through a local's eyes, definitely check them out. (They are also the only ones certified to take the boat out at night. No one else can do night-boating.) If you go for Kauai Fun, be sure to tell Dave & his father Denis that "The Woos" sent you!!

Where to shop for groceries: Wal-mart near Lihue, or Cost-You-Less near Kapa'a, or Big Save. Fruits & Veggies cost a lot though & aren't that fresh. Try buying fruits & veggies at "Fresh fruit" stands, run by local farmers.

Best place for souvenirs: (i.e. Mauna Lona chocolate macadamia nuts ::under $11 for about six packs:: or sarongs or snorkel gear, etc) Wal-mart - it's cheap there, trust us.

Exploring the Island: Driving to Wamea Waterfalls (seen in the opening scenes of Fantasy Island), isn't too bad; neither is the drive to the 'Opaeka'a Falls, but we don't recommend driving to the Keahua Arboretum unless you have a four by four if it is rainy b/c you can get stuck in the dirt roads. Plus, the Arboretum hasn't been maintained for a while; when you get there, there's not much to see.

Best Secluded Beach: Take the 50 & head west towards Waimea. Between Mile Marker 21 and Mile Marker 22, you'll notice some local cars (i.e. trucks) parked on your left. There are usually three or four just parked along some trees on the highway. Park behind them and walk along the trees to a hidden path. If you follow the path for about 2-3 minutes, you'll hit the beach. Climb up to your left & there, you'll see a private, secluded beach to relax in. The beach is owned by the Robinson Family (sugar plantation), but locals love using this spot for surfing and boogy-boarding.

Other Secluded Beach Spots: take Poipu Road & head east (Past golf courses) keep heading along dirt road. At the end (T-intersection) take a right until you get to the end, then take a left. After a few minutes, two quiet, secluded beach spots will be on your right.
Special Note: be sure to leave before 5pm. They close the gates during then.

Beach Hint: Driving along Polihale's dirt road to get to the beach is awesome, but if you get stuck in the sand & a guy comes out, offering to get you out for $75, pay it. If you don't, he'll step back, take a digital photo of you & email it to your rental car office. They'll get a clear view of you, your car, its license plate, and a shot of you on the dirt road. If you read your rental agreement, it says you can only drive on paved roads. When you return your car, you can expect to pay a hefty fine ($275+) & cleaning fee of cars w/excessive mud or sand. Best bet: if stuck, pay the $75. It'll save you money and hassle. Also: wash your car down if it has a lot of mud before returning to avoid "excessive dirt" charges. (This hint courtesy of Dave from Kauai Fun.)

Final Words of Advice: Take the time to talk to locals (not the ones who work in the travel industries like hotel clerks or people working at tour booths) to get the best ideas of what to do & how locals really live. Most are modest, humble, & really friendly. Most tourists seem to be from California.

Have fun & relax. Don't stress or get mad if it's hot or you're running late for an activity. You're on vacation! If you miss something, there's always time to revisit. Make do w/what you have & move on and forget about it.

Mr and Mrs Woo

Here are more pictures from our honeymoon in Kauai, Hawaii (below). To view a bigger version of the pictures below, simply click on the thumbnail.









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