Wailua Falls

Ah, let me tell you, I fall in love with Kauai over and over again with each visit. From the moment we landed in Lihue and I soaked in the scenery from mountains to ocean, I was reminded of what a true stunner Kauai is. I was fully content to be back on the Garden Isle.

Kauai’s beauty never stops amazing me. Never! Kauai offers an abundance of lush green mountains, waterfalls, river valleys, an amazing canyon and, of course, beaches that are almost too beautiful to believe.

Though Kauai has around 60,000 residents, the island vibe is definitely laid back. Kauai has many of the conveniences that you find on Maui, Oahu and the Big Island, but with the feel of a small of a small town island.

One thing that I particularly admire about Kauai is that there’s a rule that no building is to be built higher that a palm tree. I’m not sure if that’s a written rule or a general rule of thumb, but I’ve heard it mentioned by several residents. In either case, the buildings in Kauai are noticeable smaller and unobtrusive which adds to that small island feel.

Splitting Time

On this recent visit, we split time between the North Shore in Princeville and the South Shore in Poipu. We had nine nights in total on Kauai and we spent three nights in Princeville and six in Poipu. We’ve been contemplating this strategy since 2003. We felt that it worked out well and gave us a feeling of having two different vacations in one trip.

We splurged on a stay at the St. Regis Princeville. We were excited to see the completion of the renovations. We were not disappointed. The view, oh the view, is worth the stay alone. I took every opportunity I could to soak in that view. I brought some travel magazines to read, but I never even opened them to the first page. (See this guest post reviewing St. Regis Princeville.)

Panoramic View of Hanalei Bay From St. Regis Princeville

After our North Shore time, we headed down to sunny Poipu, which is an area we’d briefly visited in the past, but hadn’t stayed there. I’m very glad we had the opportunity to explore Poipu in more detail. It’s a great base for a Kauai vacation. In Poipu, we stayed at an oceanfront condominium community at Whalers Cove and then we moved to Sheraton Kauai for another perspective of Poipu Beach. Both resorts offered good facilities and excellent views. Watch for upcoming reviews of each. In the meantime, I’ll share a couple of photos from each accommodation.

Pool at Whalers Cove in Poipu Beach

A Room With A View at Sheraton Kauai in Poipu

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These impressions from our recent visit of Kauai will be continued. Up next, the Kauai restaurants that impressed us on this visit and then we’ll take a look at the Kauai activities we enjoyed.

Please note that a portion of my travel was supported by the Poipu Beach Resort Association. You can always rest assured that my advice will always be honest.