Kauai reviews.

Hale Emmalani - The pool was actually a lot nicer than it looked in the picture(s) I found online. You might want to consider re-shooting the pool (if any of my pictures turn out well... I'll send you a copy). The binder in the house said that pool would be cleaned on Wednesday... that didn't happen and the pool got fairly dirty with leaves, debris and bugs by the time we left. I would have been only too happy to have been able to clean the bottom of pool myself... if you could provide some kind of idiot-proof tool that would allow me to do so (that sounds like a hard thing to find).

The house needs a new kitchen faucet, toaster, coffee machine and better frying pans. Everything else was nearly perfect. Oh... the toilet in the second master was leaking, we called the number in the binder but the plumber never did show up (while we where there).

The layout of the house was wonderful; very family friendly and, with the playstation, pool table, big tv and high-speed internet... there's always something to do. I can hardly imagine a nicer place to have stayed.

I loved the north shore, even though it was winter (or maybe because of it)... it's less busy and touristy than the south end of the island (which is less busy and touristy than the other islands). Anini beach, 5-minutes from the home, was beautiful, uncrowded, safe to swim and snorkle at... we even swam with sea turtles.

My advice to somebody else staying here: skip the luau's (any of them, all of them... plastic lawn chairs and buffet diners are not, in my opinion, "authentic", nor worth $50 -$90 a plate) but check out the Olympic cafe in Kapa'a... the fish taco's really are (as the menu claims) the best on the island.

Rainbow's End Haena - We absolutely LOVED the location of the house! It was the best.
It was very easy working with Sheila Beihm. She was really helpful in finding us a house.
Best part of the trip was just waking up in the morning and sitting on the front porch watching whales frolick in the ocean.


We really want to return with our kids in a couple years. They would just love everything about Kauai.
We were all over the island, Haena and Hanalei were the BEST towns in Kauai. To us, it seemed like old Hawaii and not some overbuild any old town. I really hope they don't develope in this area of Kauai. I would stay at Rainbows End Haena again for sure.

I would appreciate being kept on a list of some sort. any deals that could come up, I would love to hear about. Thanks! Becky & Jeremy Bokman
Minnesota

Hale Mahana Kai - nice local, great weather, long days, awsome wildlife. a wondreful time had by all. thank-you

Waipouli Beach Resort C105 - the only issue is that unit C105 had a differnt name as the guests, it was under Weinstein vs. Boche, so there were questions when we tried to check in, they took care of us, but I dont understand how that name was on the books when Boche is who paid for the unit. The property was great! Amy Boche

Nakea Cottage - Nakea Cottage was a beautiful place to stay! Beach was excellent as well. The view from every aspect was beautiful! Ocean front view - jungle mountian views surrounding. Rain didn't stop us one bit! Had fast 'fixit' service from the owner when the coffee maker went out - truely a good time. Only thing I would recommend is mosquito's are hungry - bring lots of repellent!

Baby Beach Bungalow I - The beach was reasonable for snorkeling but not for swimming without shoes.The house was very comfortable apart from the morning wake up call at o430 am from the resident Rooster-but we got used to that.The weather was only fair- a rain coat is a must.The trip up the canyon was beautiful and the rain cleared for a while.

Hale Ohana Kauai - The house was just stunning. The second my family and I stepped into it we were in tears, it was breathtaking. it is a very convenient location. Be prepared to spend most of your time on the Lanai because the view is out of this world. It boggles my mind that anyone who owns a house like this would not be living in it every day. The whole holiday was a dream. Kauai is so beautiful. If you are brave then you have to see the Island via open door helicopter. it was one of the highlights of my holiday. Ask to be taken up by a dude called Floyd at Port Allen . Quality food can be found at the Plantation and at Roy's nearby. Not too much choice for vegetarians though. Best insider tip was from a lovely lady and her dog (Zoe) at a surfboard rental place called "Kemo's". if you surf, she'll advise you where's safe and where's not. Longboard and Mai Tai's are the drinks of the holiday. Last bit of advice, "bug spray". We left some anti-bug candles there for the next Folks that stay...essential.

Hale Kehau - We had three couples staying here and we were all amazed at how well the unit was equipped. It was almost like being in our own home. Unfortunately 5 of the 6 of us got sick while we were in Hawaii, but the beach house was a good place to be sick if one had to be sick. We really appreciated that Carolyn was able to tell us of a close emergency room as we had to take one gues to the hospital with "start of pneumonia". We were glad that we didn't have to go all the way to Lihue, and she even came to make sure that we had found our way. I suggest that you leave a note about the hot tub and the fact that you might have to trip the circuit breaker if the unit fails to heat. This happened to us. We didn't think about it as we knew it had power as the jets would work, but the heater was not working. Once again, Carolyn helped us out. Thanks.

Menehune Hale - The best thing about this house is it's location. Anini beach is fabulous as it's calm and uncrowded, despite there being a park and campground adjacent. Now if you're a sun loving, awesome tan, surfing person, this north shore location isn't for you. On the north shore it rains. Briefly, but there will be rain, at least in January. And since it faces north you won't get a lot of sun for tanning, which suited us just fine. My family thinks Anini is the best place on the island.

The house is beautiful, literally on the beach. The master suite is great, decide who in your group gets it before going or there'll be arguments, even tho all the other rooms are fine, even the rear room which is fitted for children. With so many full baths there's no waiting. The hot tub and outside shower were great after a swim. The WiFi worked great for the party member who had to keep working.
What we liked best, besides just sitting on the lanai, were hikes to neat places, waterfalls, bathing ponds, etc. Get the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook by Doughty, it has absolutely invaluable directions. Snorkeling on Anini is very safe and easy. You'll need to search around for live coral, but it's out there and there are lots of small pretty fish. A wonderful place for kids and beginners. Chilly in January, so bring or rent a wet suit if you're not from Minnesota.

The Princeville Zip line was great fun, excellent staff. It's just not long enough, you want to do it over and over.

What we missed most was not being able to power hang glide. There's only one company offering this (Birds of Paradise) and of the 5 days we had available, they were booked up one day, canceled for windy conditions one day and were closed the other 3 days. So book early to leave room for rebook dates. Since they're charging about the same as helicopter rides for a vehicle that costs a fraction of a helicopter, I'm sure there will be some competition soon.

We were a large group, 6 adults, so we went to Costco in Lihue and stocked up on essentials and food. Very much cheaper than the Princeville store. There's a nice BBQ pit at the house so be sure to buy charcoal. So we had few meals out, all were OK. The Blue Dolphin in Princeville is good, but the service is so non chalant you'll think you've been forgotten.

We rented 2 cars at Budget in Lihue airport and were amazed at the rudeness and bad attitudes of the staff (very untypical of Hawaii). We needed a third car so got it from Avis at the Princeville airport and couldn't have been happier with the service. So try to rent from the off (Lihue) airport locations when you can.

Shopping: The North shore shops are trendier, higher priced. We liked Outboard for clothing made in the Islands. Kapa'a has a great outdoor local crafts fair, right on the highway, with lots of locally made things, reasonably priced. If you need basics (fishing tackle, cheap shoes, etc.) and low end souvinirs, like for kids, the ABC store in Lihue is great.

Avoid the far north shore beaches, (Ke'e, Tunnels) as they're very crowded, limited parking, and in the winter, unsafe for all but the best swimmers. We were amazed at the crowds on these beaches while our beach was virtually empty. Amazed and very happy.

We'll definitely rent either the main house or the smaller house, depending on the group size, on our next trip.

Kalihiwai Kuleana - Wow! Words can't describe the view from this wonderful house! The lush greenery, the beautiful blue ocean and the immaculate, roomy, beautiful house was even better than it was advertised to be. The private beach is one of the prettiest spots on the island and the secluded public beach is only a mile away. The owner and caretaker were friendly and helpful and our every need was taken care of. We can't wait to go back!