kauai toddler travel image
Lori
I will be traveling to Kauai with my husband and three kids in May. We will be staying in the Poipu beach area and was wondering what places are great for kids. They are 7, 5 and 1. I don't want any comments about keeping them at home because thats not an option unfortunately.
Answer
Hmm...quite an age difference. I would expect that with a one year old you will be spending quite a bit of time on the beach, slathered with sunscreen! There is a great pond area at Poipu Beach that is very shallow and wonderful for kids. Even your 7 year old will enjoy it, I'm sure. There is also a playground on the grassy area there and a shop across the street that sells shave ice, sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. I could very easily spend my entire summer right in that spot! There are shade trees if you need them (and with a toddler, I would take advantage of them) and plenty of sun on the beach and grass. Older kids can rent boogie boards and either float or pull each other around in the pond or go over to the wavier parts of the beach to ride. Summer brings smaller waves in Hawaii, so you'll have to watch the kids closely but at least you won't have to worry about 50 footers! Especially not on the south shore.
Get Kauai Revealed by Andrew Doughty and Harriett Friedman. There are lots of tips on where to go, what to see, and what to do in that book! I own it and use it all the time *and* I live on Kauai!
Aloha :)
Hmm...quite an age difference. I would expect that with a one year old you will be spending quite a bit of time on the beach, slathered with sunscreen! There is a great pond area at Poipu Beach that is very shallow and wonderful for kids. Even your 7 year old will enjoy it, I'm sure. There is also a playground on the grassy area there and a shop across the street that sells shave ice, sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. I could very easily spend my entire summer right in that spot! There are shade trees if you need them (and with a toddler, I would take advantage of them) and plenty of sun on the beach and grass. Older kids can rent boogie boards and either float or pull each other around in the pond or go over to the wavier parts of the beach to ride. Summer brings smaller waves in Hawaii, so you'll have to watch the kids closely but at least you won't have to worry about 50 footers! Especially not on the south shore.
Get Kauai Revealed by Andrew Doughty and Harriett Friedman. There are lots of tips on where to go, what to see, and what to do in that book! I own it and use it all the time *and* I live on Kauai!
Aloha :)
Destination Hawaii!?
liviaforev
Hy,
I would like to plan a trip to Hawaii next year. This is my first time there. Could you give me some suggestion about the Islands? Which is the most beautiful to visit? The best period to go there? Do you suggest any websites where to get some informations?
I'll travel with my husband and my daughter.
Thanks
Livia
Answer
The best time to go to Hawaii? Anytime!! The weather is always great!
The rainy season is late winter/early spring (usually Jan - March). But "rainy" means maybe a few minutes a day (if you are on the western side of most islands; the eastern side, like Hilo on the big island or Hana on Maui, are more rainy).
Although Jan - Mar are rainy, things are also somewhat more expensive then. That's when the weather is at its worst on the mainland, so everyone is escaping to warmer climates - and the prices reflect that. It's also whale-watching season - if you've never seen a whale in the ocean, it's a must!
Fall is lovely, and less expensive because few people travel then. But if your daughter is in school, that would be a problem.
If summer is the best time for your family to travel, by all means go then. It might also be expensive (that's when most families take vacations), but I have to warn you - Hawaii is NEVER cheap! Some times/places are just less expensive than others. But it is ALWAYS worth every penny!
As for where to go - a lot depends on your interests and the age of your daughter - toddler? tween? teenager? college?
Kauai is very beautiful and laid-back, but it may not have enough to offer for kids.
Lanai is very high-end with a lot of golf courses and little else.
Oahu has the nightlife in Waikiki, along with sightseeing and history at Pearl Harbor, the Polynesian Cultural Center, plus more quiet beach areas outside of Honolulu.
The Big Island has the only active volcano - depending on your daugher's age, that may be a good option. How often can you say you've stood on top of an active volcano? The Kona side of the Big Island is lovely.
Maui seems to be everyone's favorite (including mine!). It is beautiful, not as crowded as Oahu (although much more crowded than it used to be), and has a wide variety of things to do.
The Hana highway is a must (what a previous poster refered to as the "divorce highway") - TAKE A TOUR! If you're driving, you MUST keep your eyes on the road - it's very curvy, with mountains on one side and a dropoff to the ocean on the other. On a tour, you'll see the gorgeous landscape and waterfalls instead of just the blacktop, and the tour can go on parts of the road that your rental can't.
Snorkeling at Molokini is supposed to be great - haven't done it myself yet.
Lahaina is a nice "old Hawaii" town, with a lot of nice places to stay. Kaanapali and Wailea are more touristy and upscale, but very nice. Kihei is more budget, but there are still nice places to stay. The island isn't that big, so no matter where you stay, any other place on the island is just a day-trip away.
For a family, I'd recommend Maui (for beach and water activities) or Oahu (for history, sightseeing, shopping, and nightlife).
Or spend a couple of days on both! Interisland flights are only about $50 - $60 one-way.
You can get more information about the islands from www.gohawaii.com (the official tourism site for Hawaii)
You can get some good air/car/hotel packages through Apple, Pleasant Holidays or Funjet. You can also check with a travel agent; there are a couple of suppliers that agents use for Hawaii that do not sell directly to the public.
Have a great time! Hawaii is my favorite place on earth!
The best time to go to Hawaii? Anytime!! The weather is always great!
The rainy season is late winter/early spring (usually Jan - March). But "rainy" means maybe a few minutes a day (if you are on the western side of most islands; the eastern side, like Hilo on the big island or Hana on Maui, are more rainy).
Although Jan - Mar are rainy, things are also somewhat more expensive then. That's when the weather is at its worst on the mainland, so everyone is escaping to warmer climates - and the prices reflect that. It's also whale-watching season - if you've never seen a whale in the ocean, it's a must!
Fall is lovely, and less expensive because few people travel then. But if your daughter is in school, that would be a problem.
If summer is the best time for your family to travel, by all means go then. It might also be expensive (that's when most families take vacations), but I have to warn you - Hawaii is NEVER cheap! Some times/places are just less expensive than others. But it is ALWAYS worth every penny!
As for where to go - a lot depends on your interests and the age of your daughter - toddler? tween? teenager? college?
Kauai is very beautiful and laid-back, but it may not have enough to offer for kids.
Lanai is very high-end with a lot of golf courses and little else.
Oahu has the nightlife in Waikiki, along with sightseeing and history at Pearl Harbor, the Polynesian Cultural Center, plus more quiet beach areas outside of Honolulu.
The Big Island has the only active volcano - depending on your daugher's age, that may be a good option. How often can you say you've stood on top of an active volcano? The Kona side of the Big Island is lovely.
Maui seems to be everyone's favorite (including mine!). It is beautiful, not as crowded as Oahu (although much more crowded than it used to be), and has a wide variety of things to do.
The Hana highway is a must (what a previous poster refered to as the "divorce highway") - TAKE A TOUR! If you're driving, you MUST keep your eyes on the road - it's very curvy, with mountains on one side and a dropoff to the ocean on the other. On a tour, you'll see the gorgeous landscape and waterfalls instead of just the blacktop, and the tour can go on parts of the road that your rental can't.
Snorkeling at Molokini is supposed to be great - haven't done it myself yet.
Lahaina is a nice "old Hawaii" town, with a lot of nice places to stay. Kaanapali and Wailea are more touristy and upscale, but very nice. Kihei is more budget, but there are still nice places to stay. The island isn't that big, so no matter where you stay, any other place on the island is just a day-trip away.
For a family, I'd recommend Maui (for beach and water activities) or Oahu (for history, sightseeing, shopping, and nightlife).
Or spend a couple of days on both! Interisland flights are only about $50 - $60 one-way.
You can get more information about the islands from www.gohawaii.com (the official tourism site for Hawaii)
You can get some good air/car/hotel packages through Apple, Pleasant Holidays or Funjet. You can also check with a travel agent; there are a couple of suppliers that agents use for Hawaii that do not sell directly to the public.
Have a great time! Hawaii is my favorite place on earth!
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