See the latest delay on reopening without Kauai Resort Bubbles.
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Home » Blog » Hawaii Travel Tips » Kauai Not Reopening Travel Soon + Kauai Resort Bubbles And More
The longer this goes the longer people realize they really don’t need Hawaii or a lot of things they thought you couldn’t live without. We used to take at least 2 trips a year average cost was about 10k a trip for a week at a time It’s been about 16 months since we have last been and we have used that money to redo things in the yard around the pool to the point that we really don’t need HAwaii. It hurts me to say that having spent a third of my life there and having many friends still there who I speak with weekly. I almost want to say what is going on is planned but don’t think government is that well coordinated. People go to Hawaii to escape the stress and reality and it’s actually worse in Hawaii.
Thanks but no thanks Kauai. I will vacation closer to home and/or in the Caribbean this year and perhaps next year also.
If you are only being charged $30 for the monitoring bracelet, the Point is loosing money. There are two charges. One to rent and one to administer. It’s $80-100.
Hanalei Bay Resort has a company to do grocery delivery and shuttle service. The dr comes to the resort for testing. They are also getting a food truck to come a few days a week.
Thank you for the update on resort bubbles. The one day turnaround PCR saliva test is either $118 charged to insurance, or free (pd from federal covid funds – the same money Hawaii also received! Free, if no insurance. IMHO, charging $400 for an in bubble test, is just another example of Kauai sticking it to the visitor. Trying to come to HELP the economy and provide jobs for our ohana in the service industry by spending our dollars there.
Please explain if there are other options for testing, such as getting a ride from a non-restricted person to a testing center where the cost is either free, or much reduced from the $400 quoted earlier. I’m assuming said visitor would need to be returned directly back to bubble resort after test was completed, and stay there until a negative result was communicated.
Also, I’ve found that the state has an exemption form for people who have already recovered from Covid, and have the proper paperwork submitted from their doctor, etc, submitted and approved before arriving. Do you know if Kauai honors this exemption from quarantine if one is able to get one per the state quidelines?
Mahalo in advance!
Sorry, meant to say the test is either $118 or free in MN and likely many other states. Not Kauai. It’s run by VAULT, which is one of the HI trusted partners. Thank you.
Hi Mark.
Thanks. To our knowledge, Kauai has only two exceptions to the quarantine. Bubble resort or 3-night stay on another island. If anyone has other information, we hope they will let us know.
Aloha.
FYI –
I asked directly what the fees would be at the Point, which will officially be a bubble resort on Feb 1. I was told $35 for the monitoring bracelet, and $200 for the onsite test after 3 days. While this can surely add up quickly for a family, it is a whole lot more reasonable than the $85 and $400 price I saw quoted earlier today for the Poipu area. Also, the bar/grill and pool hut have indeed been closed at the Point, but the bar/grill is supposed to be re-opening sometime next week. No word on the pool hut. I’m assuming the drastically reduced attendance in January due to Kwami’s 14 day lockdown decimated them and many other businesses, and forced the closures.
Here’s to hoping things are starting to move back to a semblance of reasonableness and normalcy
One caution for those planning to stay on another island prior to going to Kauai to avoid the resort bubble, make sure you can get a rapid test on your 4th day. The rapid tests are not readily available everywhere, so you may have to wait for results which makes arranging a flight ahead of time more difficult. As travel volume increases, fewer rapid tests will be available.
We discussed going to another island for the 4 days, but are unsure about finding someplace to reliably do a rapid test on the date we need it. Then we would be stuck without lodging.
We are still against the resort bubble even though the place we are staying in becoming a bubble location. It’s too expensive and has too many rules and restrictions.
BOH Thank you for your continued updates!
Hi Cynthia.
Thanks for that good input on testing availability. That part continues to be a concern all the way around.
Aloha.
The mobile Poipu is $400. He’ll drive to princeville but that will cost you more. There is a doctor in Hanalei who’s $200.
I am on Kauai now but if I was planning a vacation here from the mainland, well, the resort bubble would not be something I would consider.
If I had the leisure to travel at will, if I really needed to come to Kauai, I would spend time on another island first, then test and arrive free to Kauai, but most likely, I would simply go elsewhere and not come to Kauai at all and I believe this is what just about everyone else is doing as well.
Agree with you. We will opt for another island or state altogether.
So, those of us that live in Hawaii can visit Kauai like visiting any other island?
Does anyone have any idea how long Kauai will continue to force the resort bubble? Last summer our family had a trip planned to Kauai. Well … we all know what happened to that trip; it was cancelled. We again booked Kauai for this coming 06/29/21 for 15 days. I’m beginning to get nervous about the resort bubble. There are 13 of us traveling. A resort bubble is out of the question for us. As far as the 3 day stay on another island prior to going to Kauai, it’s just not something that 13 of us are willing to do.
So … BOH, what is your gut feeling regarding how long this bubble will be forced upon visitors. I know you don’t have a crystal ball. But, if you had to guess, do you think the resort bubble will last into this summer?
Thanks again for providing all the valuable information on this site.
Mahalo,
TJ
Hi TJ.
Thank you. You’re right, we don’t have a crystal ball either for Kauai, Hawaii or beyond, on this situation. Largely it may depend on how successful vaccines prove to be.
Aloha.