Day Trips Are Us....
Many people go to Hawaii to just kick back and relax. While we like to include time for that too....we have found that we love to make day trips during our time on the Islands. There are so many beautiful things to see and do outside of the resorts that you just have to try to see it all!
Polihale State Park
To Go or Not to Go
I always check out reviews of places on TripAdvisor before we head off blindly. In most cases the reviews are pretty good at making things clear as to whether or not something is worth the trip. In the case of Polihale State Park, things weren't quite so clear. Reviews were mixed about whether or this place was worth the bit of trouble there is to get there or not. Some reviews said it was a beautiful place but many others also indicated that while it was beautiful the road to get there made it questionable if the drive was worth it. Our breakfast server asked where we were planning on going for the day and we mentioned we were thinking of Polihale State Park. She told us we had to go....it was Monday and the beach wouldn't be crowded. She also told us that it gets hot there and to watch the sand because it gets very warm! So we figuered.....hey...we have a 4WD vehicle. It was a Jeep Compass (so not high clearance) but 4WD nonetheless. We also figured that we had no idea when we would get back to Kauai so YES we were going to make the trek!
Tip: While reviews are generally helpful. Use them to guide you but DO NOT miss something that you think you want to see because of what reviewers say....you may see something totally different!
Yes the Road was Bumpy
Polihale State Park is located on the West Side of the Island of Kauai. We were staying on the South Side of the Island at the Grand Hyatt so it was a little over an hour's drive to the park. As you start out you are on a regular highway no problems so far! When we finally made our turn off the highway to start the "off-roading" part of the trip our navigation system missed the turn and tried to get us to drive through a field. Now there was a road through the field but it was private and gated so we figured we should have turned where the small sign had pointed down a dirt road about a quarter mile before this! After a quick turn we were on our way and headed in the right direction.
Having been warned by all the reviewers that this was an "unmaintained dirt road" the condition of the road actually surprised us in a good way. The road was definitely dirt and definitely bumpy but it was certainly passable. We did use our 4WD option but honestly I don't think we would have needed to use it. The dirt road is almost 5 miles long and it got to be kind of funny to us. We would hit a bump and get tossed a bit around the vehicle and we would just laugh. We joked that it really didn't feel much different than driving on all the potholes in Ohio! It was truly part of the adventure!
Sometimes the Best Things are found Off the Beaten Path
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| Polihale Beach |
We hopped out of the car and walked down to the beach area and I don't even have the words to express how beautiful this beach was! It literally took my breath away! From the rugged coastline to the soft sand to the amazingly blue waters. This was one of the most beautiful places and quite possibly THE most beautiful place I have ever seen!The stillness with no one else around and the only sound that of the waves crashing on the shore made for an almost surreal experience. I cannot imagine if we had passed up the opportunity to see this place.
Take your time, enjoy this place and whatever you do DO NOT miss seeing it if you are in Kauai!!!
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| Polihale Beach |
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| Polihale Beach |
It was so hard to tear ourselves away from the beach. Please do not rush this experience. Allow yourself as much time as you want to be here. There are certain places that you find when traveling that just touch the soul and this was definitely one of them!
Tip: If you are planning to spend some time at the beach, make sure to pack food and drinks. There is nothing close by.
Spouting Horn
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| Spouting Horn |
Next stop was Spouting Horn Park. This is one of the most photographed places in Kauai but it is another place that gets god but not necessarily great reviews. Spouting horn is located on the south shore of the island near Poipu. There is no cost to view and you can take as little or as much time as you want. Since there was a high surf warning the day were there, the blowhole was really spouting!
(I have seen reviews that say that during times of low surf, spouting horn is not nearly as interesting so be sure to pick your time to visit wisely.)
Make sure you take time to watch the waves crash on the rugged beach. It's beautiful to see the spray of the water. We did see a couple of sea turtles in this area but they were getting tossed around pretty good in the surf. It is also a good area to see the humpback whales from December to May but the day that we were there wasn't a good one for viewing. 
There are also some tents in the park where locals have set up stands to sell items. You can go through the tents or walk around. There is no pressure to purchase items. There are also lots of feral chickens in this area. We even saw a hen and her chicks near the parking area.
There is ample parking for Spouting Horn. The parking lot is paved and easy to access. It is a short walk from the parking area to the viewing area.
We thought this was a great place to visit. I would recommend this as a place to put on your list of things to visit in Kauai.
A Little Down Time
After our morning excursion, we had a little time to relax before it was time to head back to the resort to get ready for our evening activities. We took a little time out to stop at the Poipu Shopping Village. This was a great place to look around....art galleries, Starbucks, groceries, souvenirs, restaurants both quick service and sit down. They also offer free entertainment at times. There was none while we were there but you may find something interesting if you time your visit well!
Aulii Luau
You can't go to Hawaii and NOT go to a luau. I think there is a law about that! LOL. Not really but it is definitely one of the things you have to fit into your schedule if you are visiting any of the islands. When we started to look at our schedule and investigate options for luaus on Kauai we found that there were two near us. One was at our resort, The Grand Hyatt Kauai and one was a few miles away at the Sheraton Kauai. The luau at the Grand Hyatt is held on Sundays and Thursdays while the one at the Sheraton is held Mondays and Thursdays. After looking at both and comparing them, we decided on the Aulii Luau at the Sheraton. The reasons that we chose this one were 1. The location was right on the beach 2. They offered Ali'i (preferred) seating and 3. Monday worked into our schedule better than Sunday.
When it came time to head to the luau, the weather decided not to cooperate and it was rainy and windy. So....reason 1 for picking this luau was out the door.....we had to use alternate seating in the ballroom which is an indoor/outdoor location. While we were disappointed that we weren't able to enjoy the show on the beach, we were happy that we weren't getting wet! Actually it turned out to be better than we expected. The ballroom was covered but was also open on the sides so you didn't feel like you were stuffed in a room.
We purchased the Ali'i Seating, which carries a slightly higher ticket cost ($25.00 upgrade), but to us was well worth it. You get a separate line to check in. Lines of course are shorter than the general admission lines. You receive a special lei...in my case flowers....for my husband and son kukui nuts. We also got to sit in first couple rows and at round tables rather than the general "aloha" seating at long tables. You also get to visit the buffet first. Both General and Ali'i seating include the open bar, appetizers and buffet.
Once we arrived at the Sheraton, we were able to find parking in a lot close to the ballroom. Parking was free and it was a short walk to the ballroom location. We got in the Ali'i seating line which formed to the right. We were served Mai Tais and Blue Hawaiians while waiting. Once we checked in we received our leis from one of the dancers and were led to our table.
Appetizers were served at our table but you could also go to the buffet and get more if you ran out. We were seated with another family. I believe the table held 8 people but there were only 6 at ours that evening. The performers played music during the meal and there were various vendors there. After dinner, the show started. It was smaller than the other luaus we had been to but the dancers were very good and quite entertaining. The whole event lasted from 5:30 (check in) till 8:00 PM.
The luau was lots of fun. Luaus in general are a little "touristy" but the dancing was awesome and makes you truly feel that you have arrived in Hawaii. If you haven't gone to one, I would recommend that you go! It's something that everyone who visits the Islands has to do at least once!
Time to Call it a Day
After the luau we headed back to the resort, checked out the live music in the open air lobby once again and decided to call it a night. Another action packed amazing day of making memories in Kauai.
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