News in today from Kauai’s mayor, who just indicated that he isn’t planning to rejoin the Hawaii Safe Travels program until mid to late May. And even that, of course, isn’t certain. That news, disheartening to many, comes as Kauai businesses fail at an unprecedented rate, with no sign of any improvement yet in sight.
Kauai currently has only two active cases of COVID and no hospitalizations. And at the same time, Kauai travel, compared with the other Hawaiian Islands, remains decimated. For example, in the past week, an average of just 84 transpacific visitors arrived daily on Kauai. In contrast, Maui transpacific arrivals averaged 3,443 per day during the same period which ended February 17, 2021. That according to the state’s Hawaii Tourism Authority.
What options do Kauai vacation travelers have between now and May?
The first of two alternatives visitors currently have is staying at a Kauai resort bubble, which includes a mandatory 3 to 4-night stay. See details below. Bubble prices average out to $460 per night, plus taxes and other fees, ranging from $143 to $1,395.
The second option is to stay 3+ nights on another island first, then take a test, and then come to Kauai with a negative result.
The only option, of course, a 10-day mandatory quarantine. There are no provisions for those who have been vaccinated.
Kauai Resort Bubble List.
The entire list of Kauai resort bubble properties and the best prices we found is as follows. (Nightly costs do not include taxes, resort fees, tracking devices, etc.):
Club at Kukuiula. From $800 nightly.
Timbers at Hokuala. From $1,295 nightly.
Cliffs at Princeville. From $260 nightly.
Koa Kea Hotel. From $344 nightly.
Hilton Garden Inn. From $143 nightly.
Kauai Marriott Resort. From $225 nightly.
Point at Poipu. From $322 nightly.
Hanalei Bay Resort. From $287 nightly. Minimum stay 4 nights to comply with testing requirements.
Kauai resort bubble issues to consider:
1. A 4-night stay may be required instead of 3-night. The problem is that the bubble guest cannot test out of quarantine until they have been on Kauai for at least 72 hours. Timing complexities include whether or not testing is available on the third day after the required 72 hours is completed. The location of the resort also complicates the issue. Hanalei Bay Resort told us that they only have testing available in the early morning. Not in the evening. Thus their minimum resort bubble stay is 4-nights. Koa Kea Resort told us that testing might be available at late as 7 pm on the third day, although that could not be assured. They indicated testing needs to be reserved in advance to assure that someone will be available to perform their $200 per person test.
2. The county is also now providing free testing that is valid for those preparing to exit their bubble. Read hours and other details about free Kauai COVID tests.
3. Residents remain disincentivized from doing any testing. As residents, we are hard-pressed to see how anything here helps us. And yet, we appreciate the importance of being tested before flying. Unfortunately, however, the path of least resistance for us when we return home to Kauai is to quarantine for 10 days without testing.
A resort bubble works best for long Kauai vacations.
As you know, quarantine at Kauai resort bubbles, a controversial measure that was opposed in 98% of your hundreds of comments, was previously approved by Governor Ige. He said, “This proposal will allow Kauai to move forward with limited tourism in ‘resort bubbles’ while honoring the county’s request to opt-out of the Safe Travels pre-travel testing program.”
If you stay three nights (perhaps 4) at an approved resort and have a negative test result on the next day, you are free to explore Kauai without restrictions and change accommodations if you wish for the rest of your stay. Otherwise, all arrivals, including returning residents, must quarantine for 10 days or choose the other option below.
Alternative to Kauai resort bubbles.
If you stay 3 nights on another Hawaiian island first, then test after 72 hours, and subsequently come to Kauai with a negative result, you will not be subject to any quarantine. To qualify, visitors must be “Be physically present in the State of Hawai‘i for more than 72 hours before flying to Kauai to qualify as an inter-island traveler.”
Furthermore, you must prove a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of interisland travel to Lihue. And to reiterate, that test needs to be taken after 72 hours on another island. These test results need to be uploaded to the state’s Safe Travels website/program.
This option does provide a good alternative for travelers who, for example, spend 3+ nights on Oahu, Maui, or Big Island, before coming to Kauai. However, you cannot fly directly to Kauai from the mainland and participate in this program.
As with the Kauai resort bubbles, availability and the timing of testing on another island is something that needs to be determined well in advance to avoid complications.
Important update on pre-travel testing requirements:
The pre-travel test associated with the resort bubble quarantine may come from sources other than Hawaii trusted partners. This is very significant since many of you have commented that access to “trusted partners” is not ideal for various reasons. The county website says:
“Take a pre-travel test within 72 hours before arriving on Kauai and receive a negative test result. The lab does not need to be on the state’s Trusted Testing and Travel Partners list for use in Kauai’s resort bubble program. This test can be any COVID-19 diagnostic test (an antigen or PCR test) with emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”
“In addition to participating in the EMQ (resort bubble) program, a traveler must receive both a negative test result for COVID-19 from a test administered at their own expense within 72 hours before the final leg of departure of their trip to Kauai and a second negative test result from a test administered at their own expense 72 hours or more after their arrival to be exempt from mandatory self-quarantine.”
“This exemption from mandatory self-quarantine is separate and independent of participation in the State Safe Travels program.”
Updated 2/18/21.
Beat of Hawaii © photo on Kauai.
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Archer T says
Thanks Beat of Hawaii for keeping us updated. I hope Mayor Kawakami gets what he asked for (i.e budget cuts, furloughs, food insecurity, homelessness). We are cancelling our fourth planned trip to Kauai and going to South Africa instead – yes, it’s actually easier to travel to Africa than to Kauai. One PCR test from any approved lab and boom, you’re in. We are vaccinated and the world is our oyster…except Kauai.
Your elderly are vaccinated and protected, now what’s your excuse? What are you going to do when the federal funds stop rolling in? How are you going to rebuild your economic infrastructure? Who will pay for those ICU beds when your uninsured outnumber your insured? Nothing Kawakami does makes any sense at all.
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Archer.
Thanks for your comments. Having been there multiple times, we concur that SA is also wonderful but definitely has its own significant issues for travelers. Safe travels.
Aloha.
Mark P says
As typical, the wealthy connected elite who can afford hotels/expensive properties given
priority access
Us avg folk need to stay away indefinitely.
Jason W. says
Thanks for your excellent coverage of this pressing issue. It’s incredibly hard to understand why vaccination isn’t being taken into consideration for Kauai travelers. That just doesn’t make any sense. What more assurance do you need that (1) the traveler is a responsible human being and (2) that they’re as unlikely as anybody to be spreading the virus around. I was pretty sympathetic to Kauai’s travel restrictions earlier in the pandemic but, at this point, it’s hard to see how anyone benefits from this. Is the mayor trying to knock down real estate prices so he can buy some cheap property?!?
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Jason.
Thanks. We appreciate your input on the situation.
Aloha.
Justin S says
We live on O’ahu and went to Kaua’i and Ni’ihau this past weekend. We were pleasantly surprised at how many places that were open. Granted we only hit the south side of the island but places were open. Many places had amended hours and were not open their usual hours. There were people on the beaches but it appeared a vast majority were locals. No issues either, everyone was friendly. The airport was rather empty though and only Starbucks was open. No other food or drink places were open so if you’re flying long distance come prepared!
John O says
When comparing volume of visitors, did you mean a comparison date of 2020 rather than 2021?
Michelle W says
I am currently scheduled to travel to Kauai the second week of April after 3 nights on Oahu, assuming the Grand Hyatt reopens in time. If it does work out, are restaurants and other sites open for tourism? Trying to gauge if it’s even worth the hassle to get to Kauai if most places will be closed, or if we should look to go to Big Island instead. Thank you to BOH for all of your timely and informative updates…it’s been the one saving grace in trying to plan (and re-plan) my Hawaiian vacation since early 2020!!
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Michelle.
Thank you. We question whether the Hyatt will return to operation prior to Kauai rejoining Safe Travels. There are restaurants open and stores too. Not everything, but enough. It’s hard to say what percentage, maybe half. Others may have different thoughts but that is what we see driving around.
Aloha.
Rachel N says
We fell in love with Kauai during our first visit in December 2019! We had to cancel our December 2020 plans and have rebooked for mid May. This is disappointing news as is seems we will have to cancel again. Looking forward to visiting beautiful Kauai! Prayers.
Conni L says
We flew with Hawaiian Air to Kauai. Checking in with their trusted traveller covid testing site which was the Hawaii Kidney Foundation. Their staff said we could test within 72 hours of arrival to the state. So we did.
Arrived in Kauai and we were refused entry ! We were told Kauai rules are to test after arriving in the state.
So we were hooped. Told to take a flight back to Honolulu. No flights available. Started calling bubble resorts. Finally got a reservation code , the only thing to get us out of the airport.
The young national guard people were pleasant. The in charge KPD fellow was nothing less than a bully and extremely rude to us. We are senior travellers who had planned this trip for months. The event was an un budgeted amount of approximately $1000 USD (I’m Canadian) .
The bubble hotel was fine and we were not the only ones misinformed.
Two words caused a lot of grief !
Ed. C says
The insanity of the Dictator of Kaua’i continues. We are currently on Maui and have to say it is wonderful. It feels like “normal” albeit much less crowded. Still, there are a lot of people here. People wear masks and social distance. I so wish the people of Kaua’i would wake up to the destruction of their island their Dictator is bringing upon them.
Mahalo for all you do, BOH.
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Ed.
Thanks for your input and your dozens of comments.
Aloha.
Richard L says
That mayor is the worst thing that has happened to Kauai. The governor needs to implement a state wide standard for entire state, and get money and jobs back to the island.
Donna M. says
Did we miss an update on HB 1286? This latest news on Kauai not rejoining the Safe Travels program leaves us to believe that last week the legislature did not vote to require the same travel rules/restrictions for all of the islands – or are they still in session discussing that? We’ll be spending 9 days on Maui in April, so we’ll get our test at Kaiser 72 hours before we move on to Kauai for 2 weeks. We’re beginning to wonder however, if there will be any restaurants open for us to eat at, or shops to shop in. If the Grand Hyatt isn’t going to be open, we assume that our favorite restaurant, Tidepools, will also not be open. It’s too late to cancel our timeshare, unless we want to deposit our weeks with II – so we just hope that your mayor doesn’t decide to drop the inter-island travel testing option prior to our move to Kauai on April 9th. As always, Beat of Hawaii is our source for both the good news and the bad news – THANK YOU!
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Donna.
Thanks. No you didn’t miss anything. That bill is still in process and the outcome isn’t clear. For now, each island can act independently.
Aloha.
Bob D. says
Rebooked last years canceled trip to Kauai for the end of June, including a nice 4 bedroom home. If needed I will cancel again. How disappointing. I would think if everyone going were all vaccinated with both shots prior to going along with proof of vaccinations it would be safe and acceptable. At some point we are going to have to get Kauai and businesses up and running.
Mike says
This guy needs to Open His Eyes!… Does he know how to read? Pathetic!
My heart goes out to those living in Kauai! This man will ruin them!
kathy says
As more people are being vaccinated, will those who have received the vaccine be exempt from the restrictions such as quarantine and pre/follow-up testing? We are anxiously waiting to return for a lengthy vacation on the Garden Isle.
Kitty K says
But if you go through either the resort bubble or go to another island first, when you get past the quarantines on Kauai, will there be anything open to enjoy (restaurants, shops, etc ?).
Pam H says
As I read each & every new update I can’t help but see how each one gets further & further away from Kauai opening up to travelers. I see no logic whatsoever in this current travel plan. I want to travel safe & vacation safe. I would never think of going if I didn’t think it was possible. I cannot help but think something smells very fishy in the costs passed on to mainland travelers. I do not understand why I could not do the exact same protocol at Waiohai & use my weeks/points while being in my home resort. I would be fine not leaving my room for 3 days & getting an additional test. These resort bubbles are a joke. The end result is to prove we are not contagious. I wish someone can explain to me how in the world this policy is good for the residents of Kauai. What is going to happen to the Garden Island? One word – heartbreaking. I miss Kauai & it’s people. yes
George H says
Just one example. I am a permanent resident on Kauai. Poipu Shopping center is near my residence. 75-85% of the businesses and restaurants are closed. Several will probably never reopen. The mayors policies are killing local businesses owners. Hawaii needs one set of rules for all islands.
Scott W says
Aloha George,
I own an condo in Poipu as well and have not been able to travel since the Covid thing started. I missed the travel cutoff with test back in December by one day!! Some of my friends have told me of a few places which have closed…but I have not confirmed the few he has mentioned. Can you please make a list of the businesses which have closed in Poipu? If not, no worries!
First visit to kaua’i in 1967 and our family used to rent the two story home just West of Poipu Park. Been a property owner since 2000. See so many changes. Miss the old Tahiti Longhouse, Koloa Broiler, etc. but still go into the TipTop for Breakfast every Am on island. All the best! Mahalo and stay healthy!
John A. says
Facts (from Hawaii.gov) – the state of Hawaii’s 7-day average case count is 48, as of today. It hasn’t been that low since late July, 2020. In that same time period, over 900,000 visitors have come to Hawaii – and 90% of those have come since October 15, 2020, when Safe Travels began. So bottom line, nearly a million visitors have come to Hawaii – those same visitors that were going to bring a plague of Covid to the islands, remember? – and case counts are now hitting an 8-month low. An 8-month LOW. It’s undeniable that the Safe Travels program is proving itself to be highly effective. And yet somehow Kauai can’t be a part of it? Kawakami’s decision to opt-out could not have been more wrong. His action alone has brought economic calamity to his own small business owners.
Timmie P. says
So sorry for you guys but this was our third reschedule. I’ll just cancel this time. Just way tok much hassel! We’re even vaccinated. We’ll just stay home in beautiful San Diego. Mahalo
Goldie C says
To those commenting about everyone getting vaccinated…. Not everyone can take this vaccine due to other health reasons. Secondly over 200 business owners and residents met last night over the very issue of opening up Kauai. Derek Kawakami (the Mayor) felt the need to go on Hawaii News Now this morning explaining his logic for his Draconian orders. This has now been going on for a year. So much for “it’s only two weeks”, “it’s only to flatten the curve”, “it’s just a mask”, and now “it’s just a vaccine”. A vaccine that according to the CDC is only good for 3 months. A vaccine that doesn’t STOP or KILL the virus. A vaccine that only has a 90-95% effective rate against a virus with a 99.5% survival rate.
I still own property on Kauai but I’m NOT going to take this vaccine, nor am I going to pay these highway robbery rates for a four night stay in a Resort Bubble Hotel, AND pay for a 2nd Covid test. Kawakami is desteroying Kauai’s economy and it’s residents. The other islands will reap the benefits of Kawakami’s stupidity.
Archer T says
As a property owner (it seems like part time?) did you read the other news today about increased property taxes on non-resident owners and decrease of taxes on kauai income and businesses? Kawakami and Ige see a way out of this fiscal mess – they’re raising the property taxes of over 40% of Kauai homeowners. I’m really tired of paying for their poor decisions – it may be time to pull out our stakes and let the Kauai voters be accountable for their many bad choices.
Rachel S says
Understandable that not everyone will be able (or want) to get the vaccine. However, may I reply to the “JUST 99.5% effectiveness” of the vaccine? The vaccine is actually 100% effective in that if taken, you will not die of COVID-19 or get seriously ill. The small percentage of people that can still get it, post-vaccination, will only be mildly ill or asymptotic. P.S. Thanks BOH for all of the great travel info! Aloha!
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Rachel.
Thank you. We appreciate your first time comment.
Aloha.
Lani says
Rachel S. -Please share where (in the real world of medicine) did you see someone actually put in print that the vaccine is 100% effective that you will “not die of COVID-19 or get seriously ill”. Do tell, as someone who is in health care here on Kauai and has been for almost 30 years, I’ve yet to get that memo. Aside from that, we are trying to protect those who have not been able to get the vaccine and are still at risk for getting covid because EVEN if you do get the vaccine, you can 100% still transmit it to someone who has not had the opportunity or been able to be vaccinated. Super curious who said it was 100%…..I support the opting out of safe travels and keeping out local resident and health care workers safe. We can reopen SLOWLY and safely, but not just open up to anyone and everyone, if if you’re vaccinated. We should NOT reopen until our schools are back in session in person and our people are able to move freely…we get that right before a visitor does. Maybe pick a location that isn’t making it difficult to get it, which should be your first sign that people probably aren’t going to be that welcoming to you choosing to travel during a global pandemic when the CDC still states not to travel, especially to a place with such limited medical resources. Do you think it’s cheap to be flown to Oahu for emergency medical care? Better yet, do you think it’s easy? It’s not. Our Mayor…is pretty amazing. BOH – I know you both and am terribly disappointed that you are allowing people to bash our Mayor and his efforts to keep YOU safe, since you reside here. Those who put their eggs all in one basket in business ventures almost always get greeted with difficulty at some point. It is the unfortunate truth of economics 101. I am so saddened by the constant undertone of entitlement that I am reading on here. We all want to travel, but we are trying to do our part in mitigating death from this terrible virus. Aloha.
Bert C says
I am disappointed to hear these restrictions continue with so few cases. The destruction to the Kauai economy is self inflicted. I hope this ends soon.
John T. says
Thanks Beat of Hawaii! The Kauai Mayor should have a confidence public vote to stay or resign. If your getting unemployment at$600/ week why work. Why open up Kauai, go back to work & give up free money? No crowds on the beach, much less traffic. Property taxes up, rentals in the tank…so when is the real estate values going to plunge? Aloha? Welcome? MAHALO? WHAT happened to the beautiful Kauai prople & supporting travel & enjoyment of the Garden Island?
Kurt D says
The Waikiki Urgent Health 15-minute rapid test is a bit cost-prohibitive at $250 per person…