We recently returned from a family vacation to Maui and Kauai which was our 4th time on Kauai. Our first trip to Kauai was many years ago just after Christmas. Unfortunately, it poured the entire time. We returned again to the North Shore at the St. Regis Princeville for our 10 year anniversary. Our first family vacation to Kauai was a few years ago at the Grand Hyatt Kauai during spring break. Read on for our Kauai Top 5 Tips and Tricks for your Kauai family vacation.
Kauai is known as the “Garden Island” with some of the best beaches, amazing waterfalls, and jagged cliffs. Some parts of Kauai are only accessible by sea or air. The Waimea Canyon and Napali Coast are both in Kauai.
This family travel guide to Hawaii is part of our Hawaii posts. Be sure to check out our family travel guides to Maui and Oahu for your next vacation to Hawaii!
North or South?
North (Princeville, Hanalei) vs. South (Po’ipu) – The North Shore gets a lot more rain than the South Shore but is so lush and beautiful. The beach is adjacent to many hotels on the South Shore, compared to the North Shore where the beach is accessible but has more cliffs and mountainous terrain. Sooo depends on when you go (when to visit Kauai) and what you want to do (beach, sun or surf/hike).
Kauai Family Travel Top 5 Tips and Tricks
STAY
South Shore
Koloa Landing Resort
We recently stayed at the Koloa Landing Resort, an Autograph Collection hotel in Po’ipu which was excellent! The hotel recently underwent a $100M renovation as part of a conversion from Wyndham.
A good hotel pool is key for our kids and the pool here had two waterslides, an infinity pool, walk-through grotto, splash pad for little keiki and multiple hot tubs. The service was outstanding starting with complimentary leis for all of us, complimentary mai tais and Hawaiian goodies in our room and best of all – a complimentary upgrade to a spacious and beautiful one bedroom suite! Also enjoyed the daily $30 resort credit (which mostly offset the daily $35 resort fee). The only con is that the hotel is not on the beach – while some rooms do have an ocean view the beach is accessible via a short walk.
We booked using Marriott Bonvoy points. Koloa Landing Resort is now a category 7 hotel which will cost you approx. 60K points/night. As a special bonus, when you book a stay of 4 nights at a single hotel property using your Marriott Rewards points, you’ll receive a bonus 5th night free
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa is one of our all-time favorite hotels (Po’ipu). We love the open air lobby with talking parrots and stunning views of the ocean, the incredible pools starting with the upper pool that you can meander down forever and enjoy the caves tucked behind waterfalls, lush vegetation that eventually leads to the “action pool” complete with a volleyball net, waterfalls spa, and water slide (a huge plus for our kids) and across from the action pool is the saltwater lagoon (there’s also a separate adult pool), and the immaculately maintained lush grounds.
Sheraton Kauai Resort
We’ve also stayed at the Sheraton Kauai Resort which sits on 20 beautiful beachfront acres in Po’ipu. This hotel is one of the few category 5 hotels on the Hawaiian Islands. It will cost approx 35K points/night. The hotel is undergoing a large renovation, so we’d love to see it after the updates.
North Shore
St. Regis Princeville, now the Princeville Resort Kauai
St. Regis Princeville, now the Princeville Resort Kauai (North Shore) offers serene luxury and an unparalleled level of service with the most beautiful tropical views of the ocean and Namolokama Mountain. The poolside service was A+. A short but lovely drive to the darling town of Hanalei and nearby Napali coast.
Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas
We would like to stay at the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas on a future visit. However, these villas do not have direct beach access since the
Princeville Resort Kauai is no longer managed by Marriott Bonvoy.
EAT
South Shore
- In my prior post, I recommended planning ahead and you’ll want to book sunset reservations Beach House in Po’ipu. You’ll enjoy delicious Pacific Rim cuisine and be treated to a splendid Hawaiian sunset here. We like to either go here on our 1st night (when our body clocks haven’t adjusted to Hawaiian time) or at the end of the trip (a final hurrah). Bring your cameras to capture the stunning sunset and surfers.
- Holoholo Grill in the Koloa Landing Resort is designed with fun and good times in mind. We all loved our Easter breakfast and casual dinner here.
- If you’re looking for more casual dining, highly recommend Merriman’s Gourmet Pizza and Burgers in the shops at Kukui’ula in Po’ipu. They offer great deals on drinks and food during Aloha Hours (usually 3-5:30). Definitely try the No Ka Oi Martini!
- Tidepools in the Grand Hyatt Kauai offers a thatched roof, a stocked freshwater lagoon, flicking tiki torches with fresh seafood and steak.
- Kalapaki Joe’s is a local watering hole with a sports bar atmosphere if you want casual – we stopped here after a day trip to Hanalei.
- Duke’s is right on Kalapaki beach so a perfect spot for lunch or dinner if you spend the day at Kalamaki beach. We stopped here as soon as we landed in Kauai and wanted to spend the day at Kalapaki Beach. The food was good, not great, but the convenience and views were awesome.
- Keoki’s Paradise in the Po’ipu shopping village is a kitschy option with tiki torches, a large fish lagoon
and waterfalls. We had Easter brunch here and while the food wasn’t memorable, restaurant and local Hawaiian flare were.
North Shore
- Hanalei Dolphin on the North Shore is a tradition in Hanalei and sits adjacent to the Hanalei River and offers fresh seafood and specialty cocktails.
PLAY
Hike
Hawaii is nature’s playground offering some of the most breathtaking hikes and beautiful beaches (to relax after the hikes!). We left the kids at Camp Hyatt and hiked in the Waimea Canyon that was amazing. The Waimea Canyon is known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific and on the western side of Kauai. We opted for the Pihea Trail which experts say is the trail to hike if you only do one. Yes, it was muddy and steep but the views were spectacular.
When we stayed at the St. Regis Princeville, we hiked the Napali Coast which may be one of the greatest experiences of my life. The Napali Coast State Wilderness Park lies in the northwest of Kauai Island, Hawaii. It’s known for its towering pali, or sea cliffs, punctuated by narrow valleys, streams and cascading waterfalls. We hiked the Hanakapia trail, a 4-mile round trip that was difficult (slippery, a lot of inclines), muddy, but the views are breathtaking. At the end of the hike is the spectacular Hanakapia Beach. We relaxed here in the sand before hiking final 2-miles. Definitely bring a lot of water, granola bars, sunblock
Now that you’ve hiked, its time to relax at one of Kauai’s glorious beaches.
Beaches
South Shore
If you’re looking to have a gorgeous beach practically to yourself and are up for a little adventure getting there, then you must go to Allerton Beach on the South Shore. This beach backs up to the Allerton Garden and has a breathtaking view of the south. Access is tricky as you have to cross private property and hike down a narrow path in order to access the beach. There are no restrooms or lifeguards.
We spent our last full day in Kauai at this beach and was one of the most incredible family days ever. The hike to get here was a bit treacherous including carrying ALL of our beach gear and a nasty slip along the way but the views, the surf, the boogie boarding, playing coconut bowling and baseball with the coconuts on the ground were so worth it.
We took the kids to Po’ipu Beach Park, a
Po’ipu Beach was the perfect beach for families. By Family Galavant.
East Shore
If you’re looking to venture to the East Shore, check out the Kalapaki Beach near Duke’s and Marriott. It has a gently sloping sand bottom and partial protection from the open ocean. We spent the day here with the kids playing in the sand, watching the cruise ships and boogie boarding. Consider starting your Kauai vacation here as its less than a 10-minute drive from the airport in Lihue.
We recently stopped here as soon as we landed in Lihue (less than a 10-minute drive) before we headed to Po’ipu since our room wasn’t ready. You can rent beach gear (chairs, umbrellas, snorkel sets, boogie boards). It’s near the Marriott Kauai Beach Club Marriott Kauai Beach Club and Duke’s, so plan for a day at Kalapaki Beach and happy hour or dinner at Duke’s.
North Shore
Ke’e Beach is as far as you can go by car on the north shore. Its gentle lagoon is protected from waves by reefs which provide good snorkeling, especially in the summer. We went here to enjoy a sunset over the Napali coast.
SHOP
The Shops at Kukui’ula in Po’ipu are the island’s premier shopping, dining and fine art destination. They were a short 10-minute walk from
Koloa Landing Resort. Fun place to go for dinner and stroll through the shops and stop for ice cream at Lapperts. The sales tax rate in Hawaii is ~4.5% so nearly a 5% discount from Chicago!
Nearly everything is expensive on the islands, so we like to stock up on basic groceries and snacks. Good options near the South Shore include Walmart and Costco both in Lihue, near the airport. The Big Save Market, a 5-minute drive from the Grand Hyatt Kauai in Po’ipu, is
In the North Shore, Foodland Princeville is our go-to. It’s a 10-minute drive from either St. Regis Princeville or Hanalei and has good produce, basic groceries and some Hawaiian specialties (we buy the coffee as souvenirs). Its also located in the Princeville Shopping Center that has a lot of cute shops.
No shopping post about Hawaii would be complete without mentioning the infamous ABC stores that are everywhere on Hawaii (we love them). They carry a wide selection of Hawaiian souvenirs, beach gear, cosmetics/toiletries, wine & beer, fresh deli, and groceries all in one place. More expensive than the local grocery stores, but we love to browse in there and rarely come out empty handed.
FUN
In addition to the incredible hotel pools and activities, hikes, beaches, there’s still so much more FUN to be had on Kauai. Admittedly, we’re not good at it, but we like to kayak and the Hanalei River is the perfect spot for a leisurely paddle Kayak Hanalei. If you want more adventure, try zip lining at Princeville Ranch
Others may disagree, but we’ve tried the helicopter tours and could not wait for it to be over. On my list for next time is the spa…. when the kids were little it was hard to get away for a spa visit and the spa prices can be a bit intimidating.
We also hope to tube in the open canals tunnels in the old sugar plantation in Kauai
Get ready to fall in love with Kauai!
Happy Travels!
Bridget, Family Galavant
This family travel guide to Hawaii is part of our Hawaii posts. Be sure to check out our family travel guides to Maui and Oahu for your next vacation to Hawaii!
Leave A Comment