July 29th, 2008 by Kate - NWA WorldVacations

Those who travel to Kauai rave about the beauty of this “Garden Island”, the friendly people, and the spectacular things to see and do here. Say Aloha to this lush tropical island and experience the wide variety of cultures, activities, golf, shopping and dining available. There is an never-ending “ooh and awe” factor as you explore this roughly 550 square-mile island - only about 20 minutes by air from Honolulu. We talked to our employees about their Kauai vacations and gathered their travel tips for when you visit Kauai.

Here are some of our very best tips for enjoying this paradise:

Best Beaches Worth the Drive to the “End of the Road”
Kee Beach (North Shore) is located past Hanalei and is accessible by paved road, which crosses several one-lane bridges. This beach is picture perfect and offers spectacular views. There are a series of great hiking trails into the mountains leading to several waterfalls and overlooks of the Napali Coast.

Polihale Beach (South Shore) is located five miles down a dirt sugar cane road just past the Pacific Missile Range Facility along Hwy 50. This beach is spectacular with miles of wide undeveloped beachfront and rolling sand dunes. It literally ends at a cliff, which is the start of the Napali Coast. Note: the dirt road is rough and can become impassable by car if wet.

Best Burger
If you enjoy FRESH ingredients, great smoothies and chickens entertaining you on the patio, then Duane’s Ono Char Burger (next to the post office in Anahola), is the place for you!

Best Restaurant
The Beach House just west of Poipu on Lawai Beach Road is located on the water with great views and wonderful seafood.

Best Lunch Restaurant
Brennecke’s Restaurant, across from Poipu Beach Park, is an open-air restaurant located on the second floor overlooking Poipu Beach. Good casual lunch food tastes better with the tradewinds blowing through your hair.

Best Dessert
The Chocolate Volcano Dessert at Roy’s Restaurant, Poipu Shopping Center has been copied by others, but this is the original! If you love great chocolate, this is nirvana. They have an outdoor area where you can order just dessert. If you do go in for dinner - EVERYTHING on the menu is wonderful - but expect to pay fine dining prices.

Best Hidden Beach
Go off the beaten path again to Mahaulepu Beach by taking Poipu Road past the Hyatt and following along edge of Poipu Golf Course. It will turn into a dirt road through sugar cane fields. Follow to the fork in road and take a right to beach area. There you will discover a series of coves with undeveloped beachfront, small cliffs and rock formations and safe swimming (no lifeguards, however)

Best Whale Watching
At Na Pali Eco Adventure in Port Allen, you will find very knowledgeable staff working ecologically-friendly boats that use vegetable oil, not diesel fuel to power their engines! One person went with them over 10 times and always had a wonderful experience. Available in the winter/spring only.

Best Movie and TV Locations
Kauai has been used as the backdrop for many movie and TV shows. You can take a helicopter ride over Jurassic Park, pretend you are Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, make “happy talk” at the beach in South Pacific, swoon over Elvis at the Coco Palms from Blue Hawaii, or think about your deepest wish where Fantasy Island was filmed. Or maybe, just pretending you are on an extended stay on Gilligan’s Island is enough for you. You can even take a movie tour to places you might never find on your own!

Since we have barely scratched the surface of wonderful things to see and do on Kauai, please let us know what your travel tips are for this beautiful island. We would love to hear from you!

Mahalo!

Tags: Best, Hawaii, island, Kauai, Tips, travel