The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is, hands down, one of my favorite luxury resorts in the entire state of Hawaii. It’s on the southern side of Kauai, in an area called Poipu Beach — this is of note because Kauai is a rainy, rainy island, but Poipu is its sunny side. In fact, while talking to Diann Hartman, the Grand Hyatt Kauai’s Director of PR, she told me that she can’t count the number of times that travelers staying on the north shore of Kauai — the Hanalei Bay area — have called pleading to switch resorts to the Grand Hyatt, because they were missing the sun during their Hawaii vacation!

Now, merely being on the reliably sunny side of Kauai isn’t the reason the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is one of the best luxury resort hotels in Hawaii. I mean, sure, no one wants to be completely rained out during a tropical vacation, but Kauai is the wettest Hawaiian island; a little rain is par for the course. The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is a lovely, casually sophisticated and high end resort hotel with the amenities you’d expect (including room service, flat screen TV, etc, but don’t stay inside too much!).

The property is stunning. It is so well maintained and designed to show off the natural beauty of Hawaii that it puts those “big box” hotels to shame. Wandering the gently curved pathways promotes serenity and a peaceful, relaxed mental state. The Anara Spa, with its indoor-outdoor approach to the full therapeutic effects of spa treatments, is a vacation in itself. The man-made sandy lagoon, with kayaks and child-friendly “floaties,” looks completely organic to the property, as if it’s been there since the island was born. Hop over the dunes, and the ocean roars and rushes: A little too rough for small children, but great for those of us who enjoy the thrill of the waves.

Some facts for Hawaii travel planners:

• 602 guest rooms including 37 suites. All guest rooms have lanais or balconies.
• High speed modem and wireless Internet
• Full bath amenities (including toothpaste, because sometimes we forget to pack it)
• Turndown service
• Concierge of Kauai
• Babysitting and the wonderful Camp Hyatt Kauai
• Golf clinics at Poipu Bay Golf Course
• Tennis Clinic at Tennis Garden
• Parrot Talk (with a rotating cadre of parrots and a cockatoo)
• Hawaiian Entertainment and Cultural Education
• Sunrise Fitness as Anara Spa
• Close to Poipu, historic Koloa Town, and a short drive to Spouting Horn Sea Geyser
• 150-foot waterslide, “meandering river” design connecting two large pools
• 11 dining options including sought-after Dondero’s and Tidepools, and cocktails at the Captain’s Bar and Shipwreck Bar
• 45,000 square-foot indoor/outdoor Anara Spa with masseuses trained in traditional Hawaiian treatments

This is a classic resort, no doubt. It was built 30 years ago and while it’s constantly spruced up, polished, and lovingly maintained, the style and flavor remains authentically Hawaii. Kauai is a retreat, no doubt, from the bustle of the everyday world. The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is a retreat within a retreat. For low-key luxury and some culture during a family vacation in Kauai, the Grand Hyatt is most highly recommended.

Thank you to the Kauai Visitors Bureau for hosting this cultural travel experience.

Kauai Hotel Review

Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat: There are no televisions or telephones in any of the guest rooms of Hanalei Colony Resort. That should weed out those travelers with an unsatiable need for technology at all times, or at least those of us who admit to such an addiction. What Hanalei Colony Resort in Kauai does have, though, is undeniable authenticity. Built in the late 1960′s, Hanalei Colony Resort is on Kauai’s North Shore, right on the fabled Hanalei Bay, and has been called (by Islands Magazine) one of the most romantic places on Earth.

When I first stepped into my bungalow here on the north shore of Kauai, I admittedly thought, “uh oh, no air conditioning either?”  But the 2-room suite style bungalows are designed to maximize air flow, with Japanese sliders between rooms, huge windows, and multiple (quiet) ceiling fans.

Once settled into the groove of this wonderful, old-fashioned Kauai resort, it seems that unplugged is the best way to experience Hawaii the way it’s meant to be. The north shore of Kauai is far from the urban bustle of Waikiki in Oahu — in fact, the two feel like completely different worlds. While Honolulu is a citified area of Hawaii, not much has changed in Hanalei in the past few decades. Hanalei Colony Resorts reflects this perfectly. Unspoiled, unplugged, unforgettable (that’s the resort’s slogan) sums up the area. I would also add, unrushed. And where better to have the ultimate Hawaiian vacation, one in which we talk with our families, stroll quiet beaches with epic vistas, and unhurriedly meander through our days? Hanalei Bay is so sweepingly gorgeous, with so much surrounding area untouched (let alone undeveloped) by the western world, that it feels like going back in time to a simpler way of life.

There are only 52 bungalows here, all of which have 2 bedrooms, a full kitchen, private lanai and two bathrooms, as well as a common room. If you reserve a ground floor bungalow — and I recommend you do — it’s a simple luxury to slide open the door to your lanai and walk a few yards to the beach. Strolling barefoot on the sands of Hanalei Bay is one of the best slow things to do in the entire state of Hawaii: The sweeping, achingly stunning views are unlike anywhere else. The St Regis, across the bay, is the preeminent luxury resort hotel on the North Shore of Kauai, of course, but Hanalei Colony Resort has it trumped for its genuine feel of old Hawaii.

Listen to the waves crashing and, in their retreat, distant waterfalls send their water in endless plumes. Tropical birds sing to each other as they have since the island was uninhabited by people. Early in the morning, you can appreciate looking at the sea and the sky, the plants and the trees, that have changed little in the past few hundred years. No sounds of televisions or radios come from the other bungalow, no car stereos blast. It’s paradise. This, here, in Hanalei Resort Colony of Kauai, is how Hawaii once was and forever should be.

Thank you to the Kauai Visitors Bureau for hosting this cultural travel experience.

Kauai Hotel Review

Hawaii is one of my favorite travel destinations in the world, and I’m not the only one who loves to travel to Hawaii. From the lush green rainforests in Kauai to the rumbling volcano on the Big Island, there’s so much geologic diversity on these tropical islands that nearly everyone can have an ideal vacation here. But part of what makes Hawaii so unlike any other state in the US is that it’s in the South Pacific, and therefore relatively difficult to get to. I mean, direct flights are easy to find, but not everyone can easily afford them. That’s why our Authentic Hawaii Cookbooks Giveaway was fun to promote: Even if going to one of the islands isn’t in some of our readers’ futures, one lucky winner is going to have the flavors of Hawaii brought to her. Well, brought to her in the form of two cookbooks and four jars of authentic Hawaiian spices for seasoning and BBQ, anyway.

We asked giveaway entrants to describe their favorite aspect of a vacation in Hawaii. A winner was selected at random, and the winner is #22, Mia J. Congratulations, Mia!

Mia J. wrote, “Some of my favorite parts of Hawaii are the wonderful people, the beautiful beaches and just the multitude of things you explore in the great outdoors.” I couldn’t agree more, Mia; the beaches are among the best in the world, and the locals here (I happen to be writing this while traveling within the island of Kauai) are, as a group, among the kindest, warmest and most welcoming people I’ve ever met. I suppose that living in such a paradisiacal environment promotes a culture of kindness, warmth, and generosity.

Let’s get these two cookbooks, and the spice jars, to you as soon as possible, Mia. Please contact me through The Vacation Gals, and once you tell me what mailing address you’d like to use, you’ll be trying out your own Hawaiian barbecue in no time.

Poipu beach in Kauai is (in my well-traveled estimation) the best, most child-friendly beach on the Hawaiian island. Drive a little bit west-northwest of it, taking Poipu Road to Lawai Road, and you’ll get to a really pretty spot — Spouting Horn Park. This is still in the southern quadrant of Kauai, so the surf is calmer and weather less rainy. You can’t walk on the lava rock here, as it’s protected…and slippery and probably dangerous…but a scenic overlook provides great views for Hawaii vacation photographs.

We visited the Spouting Horn Park area after a few hours of lounging, swimming and snorkeling on Poipu Beach. Try to go during high tide, since the spouting effects will be that much more dramatic!

There’s a sort of permanent open-air bazaar right by the Spouting Horn overlook, which we liked too. There are some interesting crafts made by local artists, and tons of el cheapo, imported souvenirs. If, like us, you’ve promised a lot of people souvenirs from your Hawaii vacation, this is as good as any a place from which to stock up. Now, there are thousands of wild chickens running around Kauai: They are descendants of an original few that escaped their coops during Hurricane Iniki in 1992. The roosters here crow all day long, pick fights with each other, and generally amuse children with their antics. The dramatic Spouting Horn views, cheap gifts for friends, and the ever-present wild chickens make this quaint, little part of Kauai worth a stop.

Kauai

Kauai is the oldest of the Hawaiian islands, and in many senses the wildest. Of the islands most popular with tourists, it’s the least developed – and while Maui and Oahu appeal to those with high-end shopping travel desires, there really are no upscale chain shops (like Coach or Tiffany’s) on this westernmost of the well-traveled Hawaiian islands. What Kauai has, though, is lush old rainforests, stunning canyon hikes, and coastal cliffs to boggle the mind. For the family that likes some adventure in their travels, Kauai is the Hawaiian vacation island of choice.

Last year my family and I hiked in Waimea Canyon during our vacation in Hawaii, and were treated to views second only to the Grand Canyon. This year, we had the Wailua River in mind. Now, Wailua Falls is a very popular end point for many people seeking a nice vacation photo, likely because it’s very easy to get to; we saw this 80-foot waterfall along with a bunch of other tourists who basically got out of their cars and crossed the street. Some adventure! If adventure travel is the name of the game in Kauai, we could do better than that.

There are several kayak outfitters that operate on the Wailua River, some stopping at the Fern Grotto, others going all the way up to where the tributaries become too impenetrable. Wailua Kayak Adventures described its kayak and hike along the Wailua River to the Secret Falls as a pleasurable 5-hour easy adventure…Sounds pretty good. But guess what? That 2-mile kayak trip up Wailua River was against the current, and with one adult/one kid in our kayaks, it ended up being more effort (for the adults) than we’d expected. Following this leg of the journey, our guide led us on a hike up, up, up muddy paths along the river. He discussed some of the native plants and some species considered invasive: These latter had been brought over by Polynesian settlers in the 1400′s as food plants. He showed us a couple of ruins, mossy and overgrown, from the royal Alli’i circa 1450. And all along, there was mud, mud, mud. My kids LOVED the muddiness of this hike, and we all enjoyed the cold, cleansing water of a couple of river crossings,

Then, finally there it was, the Secret Falls — exhilarating! We all cheered. This waterfall is so hard to get to, that there were no piles of photo-taking tourists: You know, the type that jump out of their cars, snap a few photos, then drive off to the next vantage point (or Starbucks). Instead, we and other hearty travelers jumped, hooting and hollering, into the waterfall’s pool to clean off. We splashed around and ducked under the waterfall; at 120 feet, it dwarfs the more easily accessible Wailua Falls. It was a wonderful, rewarding experience.

The other hikers happily chatted on the way back down the muddy hike – yes, a few ended up slipping, but it’s a soft landing – and kayaked back together.  While the Secret Falls is not literally a secret, it takes around 2 1/2 hours of active work to get there.  That level of difficulty makes it feel like a truly special experience for a Hawaii vacation. It’s some adventure! We got what we were looking for, and more.

Kauai

If I had only one item to bring with me on a trip, it would be my camera (besides clothes of course, I obviously don’t care to get arrested). Days, months, years later I can easily sit for hours flipping though photo books filled with shots from my trips, adventures and fabulous memories. Today I was clicking rather than flipping and thought I’d share some of my favorite Kauai photos from my Hawaii trip this summer, courtesy of the Hawaii Convention & Visitors Bureau.

I stayed at Castle Kaha Lani Resort, an oceanfront property. My third-floor condo had a perfect view of the ocean. In the evenings I sat outside on my patio and enjoyed a glass of pineapple wine from Maui’s Tedeschi Vineyards and in the mornings I crossed the resort’s spread of grass to the beach to watch the sunrise. That’s the first photo. The second photo is Tree Tunnel. There is a little pullout where you can park the car and snap a few photos, but watch out for traffic behind you.

I took the third photo of the surfer while sitting at a stoplight somewhere near Lihue Airport. Forget the memories, I’m ready to go back today.

For more on Kauai visit Kauai Visitors Bureau.

As the train pulls to a stop a group of wild pigs hungrily approach the fence. The passengers unload and pass bread to the hungry little beasts. A young girl wearing a pink Hawaiian dress and a purple lei around her neck giggles as the mama pig sits for the train’s conductor in hopes of receiving a slice.

After reboarding the train the conductor continues his stories about Kauai’s mythology and sugar cane history. Rows of fruit orchards and nut trees pass by as the sun begins to settle in the west.

Pepe my personal guide, arranged by my hosts the Kauai Visitors Bureau, laid the Kauai Plantation Railway himself (that’s him on the right). The labor intensive task was also a labor of love that was well worth the effort, as the railway is one of the highlights of the Kilohana Plantation.

The 1935 manor house is an elegant remembrance of what the sugarcane heyday was like. Today the house still has some of the original Gump’s San Francisco furniture and many of the rooms have been transformed into beautiful boutiques and art galleries. The classy Gaylord’s Restaurant is also part of the home. Outside, guests can roam the colorful, well-manicured lawns or tour the grounds via Clydesdale pulled carriages.

After the 40-minute tour of the Kilohana Plantation guests gather for the Imu Ceremony, the unearthing of the luau pig for the Luau Kalamaku. The guests then make their way over to the open bar for Mai Tais, a refreshing rum and fruit drink synonymous with Hawaii. After a while of mingling the double buffet opens. Fresh fruit, Mahi Mahi, roasted pig, pineapple chicken and numerous other Hawaiian dishes line the tables. I sampled a bit of everything, including the poi, a Hawaiian staple. The first time I tried it I didn’t care for it, but I had heard poi is an acquired taste, so I tried it again and this time found I really liked it.

The couples I sat with chatted about their day of hiking and the great restaurants they had come across. I find luaus to be a great opportunity to meet other travelers and learn about other spots on the island.

Shortly after finishing dessert the amazing theatrical style Polynesian show which depicts the Polynesian migration to Hawaii began. I never took my eyes of the show. The dancers were incredibly beautiful and graceful.

This was one of the most amazing experiences of my trip. If you have plans to visit Kauai I highly suggest you add the Kilohana Plantation to your itinerary. In fact, Pepe is kindly offering our readers a 10% discount - just tell them you read about the train ride here. Thanks, Pepe!