Kauai Trip Tips

The first time I flew in to the airport on the island of Kaua'i I was surprised at how small and simple it was. Most visitors to the island are used to flying into/out of large metropolitan airports. If you left from O'Hare, SFO, Atlanta or Dallas/Ft.Worth (or any other airport) you were struck by the same thought. It's refreshing every time I return home to this tropical island. And it all starts right at the Lihue Airport. You'll smell the tropics right off the plane. The balmy breeze wafts the essence of Plumeria as you exit the plane into the Baggage Claim area. Don't plan on this being a long wait either. Your bags will quickly come up on one of the two carousels, so be ready to walk right out of there without any hassles. You will see immediately that you really have only two choices to leave the airport. Someone is picking you up (or a cab ride) directly in front of the airport, or, you simply walk across the street to catch a shuttle bu...

Kaua'i's Rainbow Shower Trees Today we're down on the South Shore driving. It's usually warmer, dryer and sunnier here, and it seems to be rainy on the East Side and North Shore. The beaches are warm and the ocean calm today and there's a relaxed feeling down here. Turning off of Kaumuali'i Hwy (50) onto Maluhia Rd (Tree Tunnel Rd) I head toward Koloa, the old plantation town on South Shore. Just before entering Koloa town I decide to take the Koloa Bypass Road (Ala Kinoiki). As I drive towards the Grand Hyatt Resort for a job, I begin to notice brightly colored trees lining both sides of the road.  These are the Rainbow Shower Trees of Kauai. Recognizable by their red, white, pink, golden and yellow blossoms. Dozens of trees soon reaching maturity paint the roadsides along this bypass road. According to the Garden Guy Hawaii,  Nick Sakovich, "there are different varieties, each with a different array of stunning color combinations:...

Polihale Beach: End of the World Where on The island of Kaua'i do I go when I want to to get away? Where do locals go for brief respites from 100,000+ monthly visitors on this small island? We go to: "The End of the World" Polihale Beach. It's called End of the World because Kauai is an island furthest from any Land Mass continent on earth...because Polihale Beach is the furthest west Beach on Kaua'i ...and because it takes a serious committed effort to access it. The most remote beach on Kauai, Polihale is at the end of Kaumuali'i Highway 50. Travel through Waimea in the west...keep going...pass Kekaha...pass PMRF (Pacific Missile Range Facility)...keep going....  I'm talking isolated, folks. The turn off is marked by a simple sign and as you turn left you begin a 5 mile very rough journey to The End of the World. The old cane road (back in the day Kaua'i used to have thousands of acres of sugar cane...now, to the dismay of locals, gon...

Kauai Trip Tips: The Blog Aloha and welcome to KauaiTripTips.com, my blog. Hi, I'm TT and this site should be a welcome place for you to come and relax, hear about the most fantastic island getaway in all of Hawaii, and begin to see Kauai through the eyes of a local. You can go to any number of websites and read the chamber of commerce, visitor's bureau and resort financed party line descriptions of Kauai. They will paint everything with a rose colored palette. Everything will be amazing and perfect... even when it's not. I believe that Kauai is a wonderful place, but I also believe that sometimes you want to know the whole truth, the big picture and finer drilled down details that help you make smarter decisions about your trip to Kauai. I'll dish that out, as well as those warm and wonderful visitor bureau visions when called for. Kauai is different than other Hawaiian islands in so many ways. Here on KauaiTripTips I'll take you with me to experience thos...