BEAT OF HAWAII AND BEYOND

Those TripAdvisor engineers are at it again with their self proclaimed, “proprietary algorithm.” It’s forecast findings for 2010 named Waimea as #5 in top US travel destinations.

I love Waimea as well as anyone, but am not sure I would rank the town as your “must see” destination on Kauai.

It’s a cute and folksy community just down the road from home and a favorite place for its quaint movie theater, stores and an occasional JoJo’s Shave Ice.

Beyond that, and some community events like parades and parties, Waimea is completely off-radar for both tourists and locals alike (unless you live there).

Waimea has one reasonable accommodation, the Plantation Cottages. And it does put you only a half hour away from gorgeous Waimea Canyon and Kokee State Parks.

Staying in Waimea, however, will put you at the western-most part of the island, 45 minutes (or more depending on traffic) from Poipu or Lihue and a good 2+ hours from Princeville and Hanalei. The beach is not good, though it’s murky waters are a favorite hangout for sharks (no joke).

This TripAdvisor forecast, with no supporting information, unfortunately only continues to undermine any value Beat of Hawaii ever placed on the Expedia-owned review site.

I’d enjoy hearing your comments.

Photo note:  Waimea Canyon.  I’ve never taken a photo of the beach at Waimea, as it simply isn’t photogenic. Looking at Google images, I guess others concurs as I couldn’t find a single photo.