Kokee/Waimea Itinerary

Itinerary question...

We are lucky enough to have 3 days on Oahu, then 8 nights/9days on Kawaii on our 1st trip off the continental US!!

We love to hike, but my better half can’t handle sitting in the car too long with her bad back, so we want to stay in the Kokee area after we arrive, then later hit the North Shore, as we also want to snorkel,surf and kayak our ..... off.

We will do both light and some strenuous hiking (the 2 kids and I will leave Mom with the bad back on her own to relax when we do strenuous hiking).

We also want to kayak down a river, and do not want to do this from the North Shore area, if the starting point is closer to Waimu/Kokee due to the distance. I realize a popular River Kayak tour is off the East Coast, I wasn%26#39;t sure if there are any near Kokee?

Awa%26#39;awapuh is a must, and lengthy, so we figured after getting to our lodging in the evening, we might need the next 2 full days and next 2 nights to really enjoy the Kokee area. We will start out early our 1st day, and want to do Awa%26#39;awapuh, as well as some Moderate trails in the area, but every day we spend there is one day less at the North Shore!

So any advice as to whether that 3rd night should be spent? i.e., will 2 full days in this area be enough, or should we we do a 3rd night in Kokee, and then have 5 nights with 5 1/2 days in North Shore?

Sorry to be so picky, but it’s my 1st time out of the continental US, and I am 44, so I am very excited. Thanks!!

Kokee/Waimea Itinerary

Kauai is really not that big! You can stay just about anywhere on the island and get to your destinations fairly easily. Poipu to Ke%26#39;e Beach (the end of the road on the north shore) is about 51 miles. You have not mentioned what time of year you are traveling but north shore is very popular in the summer months. A lot of folks stay on the east side to have easy access to both north and south. I would not recommend staying in more than one location during your 9 days. We only split our stay when we are there for at least two weeks.

If you really want to stay some place close to Waimea Canyon, I would check out Waimea Plantation Cottages. The only lodging in Kokee are camping cabins with absolutely NO amenities.

waimeaplantation.com/cottages-overview.php

North Shore, check out Hanelei Bay Resort (summitpacificinc.com/hanalei_bay_resort.html)

OR

Hanalei Colony Resort (www.hcr.com)

OR

Sealodge

http://www.summitpacificinc.com/sealodge.html

Kokee/Waimea Itinerary

Another place to consider for your entire stay that is centrally located on the east side of the island is called Waipouli Beach Resort. There are several websites that rent these privately owned condos. The pool looks awesome and this would be a nice place to relax for your family.

www.summitpacificinc.com/WaipouliBeachResort/

vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/…a3022

http://www.waipoulibeachresort.com/

There are other places on the eat side but this place is new and looks very nice. My family has never stayed on the east side but we have stayed at Waimea Plantation Cottages, numerous places in Poipu and Hanalei Colony Resort on the north.

Smiles, what month will you be there? Kokee is high elevation, anytime of year you might end up in the clouds, and it is alot cooler up there, better bring jackets. The road up there is narrow and winding. They don%26#39;t even allow tour buses up there anymore, which is nice. If you are going in the summer you might get lucky and have some clear days, the views from up there are mindblowing. You get a birds eye view of the Napali coast line. Also keep in mind, the locals flock up there to get relief from the hot weather, they like the park, you probably won%26#39;t see them on the trails, but there are wild pig hunters and their dogs on some of the small trails. Two days is plenty time for Waimea. The north shore snorkeling is the best in the summer month. Kayak Hanalei river, it is slow and uncrowded and you can kayak down to Hanalei Bay and into the ocean at that time of year. You don%26#39;t need a tour guide. Rent your kayaks online, in advance, at Kayak Kauai, they are right next to the river. You can also take surf lessons in Hanalei Bay. We will be there for our 8th time in July. We stay on the south side (it%26#39;s free, family condo) and do day trips to the north shore every other day because the snorkeling is to-die-for. You will love Kauai, kick back, relax, you are on Kauai time.

Thanks Martiq and Kauailuvr - Big help! Kauailuvr...I really appreciate the free family condo....that makes our decision a no-brainer! :)

2 nights in Kokee it is, we like rustic just fine, and we have wild bore hunters in SC also.

Although the East has lots to offer for less $, I think we need to stay at the NS since we have never been, and may not be back in awhile (and the Beatles sang about it!). But those sure are great places Martiq!

I will definitely kayak the Hanalei River - that is an idea I hadn%26#39;t come across yet!

Now....Hanalei Bay Plantation or one of the better value condos on the ocean a little East (i.e. Sealodge) or Villas on the Prince (for big and luxurious with mtn. views)....such tough problems to have!

I am leaning toward HBP so we can access Hanalei Bay easily....

A hike that you can do that is EASY up in Koke%26#39;e is the :

WATER TANK / BERRY FLAT TRAIL:

Wonderful forest, redwoods, sugi pines, ferns, plus all kinds of other foilage. Peaceful, very few people, and the trees and canopy will sheild from the elements. Sun and wind.

Trail is soft footing, for most of the walk, and entire families can do this. You will know the limitations of yours.

Read up on it....easy to get to. maybe 1/4 mile past the koke%26#39;e museum on the mauka side.

Sign will say DISCOVERY CENTER....do not go past the fence with your car...that is private...but, just off waimea canyon drive is a good sized grassy parking area in front of the Discovery Center gate.

Trial head is about a one minute walk. And you will be just fine, and legal.

No kayaking opportunities up in Koke%26#39;e, since you are high up and there are no rivers that are navigable in that often steep terrain.

Do not know why you do not want to kayak the Hanalei River up on the north shore ???? You will be staying right near there.

KAYAK KAUAI is right there, just before entering Hanalei Town on the makai side. They even have a entry ramp that you slide down, while sitting in the kayak...gently into the small tributary that takes you to the river in short order.

You can also, besides the Hanalei River, kayak out into the bay, providing the winter swells have abated.

Today, we will be leaving in short time, do drive up north, and meet with other volunteers to kayak the hanalei river, and pick up any trash that has accumulted.

Personally, we have not seen any, on our many kayak trips up that river, but we will remove what ever we find. Plus get in some exercise, sunshine,and fun.

Good hiking plan, for letting those rest who need it, while you do the Awa Awa Puhi Trial....probably about 7 miles total to the vista and back up. UP being the defining word on the return...tho gradual and easy on the feet, 3.5 miles of up will be some great cardio.

Have fun, it is absoloutely fantastic that you all are out and exploring this beautiful island.

Enjoy,

Denny

%26lt;%26lt;2 nights in Kokee it is, we like rustic just fine, and we have wild bore hunters in SC also.%26gt;%26gt;

Smiles, I%26#39;m glad you like rustic. These camping cabins are extremely rustic. Bare bones accomodations, at best.

Our firewood was soaking wet and the electricity shut off sometime in the early morning. No heat and the mattresses were very thin. Most of the applicances in the kitchen were rusty and the coffee maker barely worked. I was not aware they were ';that'; rustic when we attempted to stay there in the mid-90s. We ended up high tailing back down the mountain the next morning and spent the rest of our vacation at Waimea Plantation Cottages. Anyway, I wanted to make sure you were aware of what to expect. Have fun!

Marti

p.s. We stayed at the Kokee Camping Cabins (http://www.thelodgeatkokee.net/) but there is a YMCA camp up there that I just heard about (on this forum). You might check this out as well.

www.campingkauai.com/accomodations.html

Thanks again everyone.

Martiq - Frommer%26#39;s spoke well of Kokee Lodge%26#39;s newer units- were you in a unit with 2 separate bedrooms? Your stay is disappointing to hear, sorry that happened to you - maybe I better wait a little while to pay them my deposit....?

Where should I turn....oh yeah - Trip Advisor!

Yes, our unit had two seperate bedrooms and a bathroom in between. We took the matteresses and put them all in the living room in front of the fire for warmth. There were 4 of us and we were quite cold. This was in the mid-90s so I%26#39;m not familar with the ';newer'; units. I am unaware they had anything new but since our experience, we have not been looking to stay there again. Bring extra firewood for the stove that is not wet. Once we drove up there, the main lodge building was closed so we were stuck with the stuff they left us outside. Our intention for staying up there was also to do some major hiking but the night%26#39;s experience forced us to make other plans.

Smiles,

My husband also has back problems and sleeping on a good mattress is extremely important to him. He stayed in a condo on Kauai in March that made his back problems worse. At the end of a two week trip, he was in extreme pain and was not able to do any of his bike riding or swimming and flying home (LIH-LAX) was horrible. He has been to his chiropractor on a daily basis since he returned. I only bring this up since the mattresses at the Kokee Lodge will be OK, at best. The YMCA camp will also not have great mattresses. You mentioned your wife’s back issues several times so I thought I would bring this up as a factor.

MartiK

Thanks for straightening me out Martiq - I owe you one! Your persistence saved my days and nights!

Kokee Lodge has had many horrible reviews - luckily they were too incompetent to get my charge info the 1st day I called (after I spent 45 mins. to tell them my name and address). They never did call back Monday as they stated they would.

I will just stay away!

Which leaves me with the next dilemma - Waimea/Kekaha gives us great access to the trails up around Kokee, but may leave wifey with the bad back in the middle of nowhere if we are gone for 6-8 hours w/o her - which makes me consider Poipu or Lihue, so she could go exploring around town while we do the more difficult trails.

We would like 2 full days in this area, so we plan on staying 2 nights (after 3days and 4 nights in Waikiki), then 6 days/ 5 nights at the NS.

Having NS as a base for Kokee hiking only worries me b/c we have trouble getting out before 8 or 9 am (daughter and I are night owls, and it is a relaxing vacation), and that makes it impossible to drop off Meri after an easy hike the 1st day. And what gets irritates her back more than anything is car rides. Even Lihue would save a lot of driving, I figure, as I hear the traffic gets bad North of Lihue.

Also - the southern shore should have better waves in late June/early July, so if we happen to quit hiking early - we could try these beaches while we are there.

I guess 3 full days is about right to cover Oahu - since we have never been to Hawaii I figured we could do Waikiki beach , Pearl Harbor, Hanauma Bay for snorkeling, Diamond Head, Pali Lookout, as well as some of the culture, museums, and and shopping in downtown Honolulu, as well as the rainforest trail. The North Shore of Oahu I was going to skip, as well as the Cultural Center.

Thanks so much everyone -you are all vacation savers!

recipes for chicken alfredo