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See the latest delay on reopening without Kauai Resort Bubbles.
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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.
The Point at Poipu is a lovely resort with a beautiful pool and a great poolside bar and grill. Full kitchens in all units. This is a good deal!
Susan, you may want to call Point at Poipu. The poolside grill was closed along with the poolside hut a while back. Possibly they have re-opened it now that they are a bubble resort. Also, the full kitchen will not do you a lot of good since you cannot go to the grocery store while you are in the bubble. Possibly the stores deliver?
There are some grocery delivery services on the island. Do some searching before you get here. One of them refused to deliver to anyone stuck in hotel quarantine but would deliver to people quarantining in their residences. Guy says helping someone stuck in a hotel room would make the experience less painful, and he felt it was his virtue signally duty as a good person to not service the bad people stuck in hotel jail. But, that was back in May:
thegardenisland.com/2020/05/06/hawaii-news/approaching-delivery-differently/
I would start by asking the “Point”, since this would be a common problem for all of their bubblers.
Hi David.
We aren’t sure if there are delivery services still in business and actually able to handle this. Suggest doing some basic online research. And a good idea to ask The Point.
Aloha.
I don’t want to give bad advice. FWIW, a few hits on a quick search.
kauaikiss.com/ (their web site says “island wide”)
go-kokua.com/ (web site says “Lihue to Hanalei”, so no Poipu.
Safeway (there are at least two of them on island) also offers “no contact delivery”. Don’t know if they’ll go down to Poipu.
But, again, someone planning to be a bubbler at The Point should start by asking The Point.
Hi David.
Hopefully, someone can give us a hand regarding whether any food delivery service on Kauai has actually worked out.
Aloha.
Why in the world are there not some uber/lyft/door dash drivers not getting together with the bubble resorts and offering delivery service? Could be a gold mine for an go getter entrepreneur, I would put a flyer in every room for my service and at the front desk, if I were on island.
What an opportunity:)
Bill S
Reply to Bill S:
Good thought. Maybe because the situation is temporary and fluid. How may potential customers will actually stay in these places, and for how long? And at some point, maybe later this year, Kawakami will allow people to fly directly and visit Kauai without quarantine, and so much for bubble resorts.
This is so ridiculous. I just stayed at a bubble BC I have no choice. But I would have been safer at my home. People were allowed to test on a site that was not approved by safe travels. These tests are not as effective. I saw people arrive on Kauai no test and be permitted in a bubble. Never once at the airport did they take a temp or ask for our negative Covid test. Hotel will take care of that. Well hotel did not care either. I saw people test 3 days later positive And be allowed to leave BC hotel did not know what to do with them. No one is safe in a “bubble”. Employees have family visiting them. Kids going to pool and playground. No one is safe. I would have been safer to go to my own house and be safe. Then test again. And $400 for a retest. What a rip off. People taking advantage of people. The mayor has no clue. He opted out of safe travels but still wants people going to kauai to use it. Stupid. He has No clue. No one is safe on his so called bubbles. He is going to have a lawsuit on his hands.
“I would have been safer to go to my own house and be safe.”
Safe to say, safe is a high priority for you. Perhaps you are an at risk age/pre-existing conditions? Why didn’t you just quarantine at your own house so you could “be safe”?
Which bubble place did you stay at? Who charged you $400 for a “retest” – does that mean you had a positive test result and got “retested”? Or does that mean the mobile bubble test? Someone else commented that it was $220. Still gouging. But $400?!
So I guess I need clarification. If we fly to the Big Island first and stay there for 72 hours, we do not need to test to get to Kauai or quarantine? If we fly directly to Kauai, we have to get a test within 72 hours of landing there, then STILL quarantine and take another test after being there 72 hours? Sorry but I have to be very clear as we are going in June and right now are going to Kauai first then the Big Island:( Thank you!
Hi JoDee.
Stay on Big Island for 72 hours. While you are there, obtain a test from a trusted partner and upload it to Safe Travels. Fly to Kauai. You do not need to quarantine or have another test.
Aloha.
Don’t everyone rush at at once now.
Aloha
We have elected to cancel our trips to Maui and Kauai until everything is back to normal.its not worth the trouble. We had trips to both islands scheduled this year and sad to say we won’t be going. We travel there multiple times a year but we will stay on the main land. Good luck to all and we hope and pray you will be able to survive. Until we meet again
Mahalo.
Hi Dave.
We hope you can return again soon.
Aloha.
What if you have had both doses of the Covid vaccine?
Am I understanding correctly that these hotels are now resort bubbles only?? So once you are released from quarantine you are required to depart?? Or is it that you can still stay there without a Kauai ankle bracelet and you are free to go and come as you please? Which means you would then be sharing the property, pool etc. with those who have not had their second covid test and therefore (by Kauai standards) you would be putting yourself at risk for covid. So every year your family stays at HBR for 2 weeks but because of the resort bubble you now stay there 3 days and then need to move on & find other accommodations … this whole system is a mess!
No matter what, we absolutely will NOT visit Kauai if we are required to wear ankle monitors & be quarantined to a camp of sorts. The fact that the governor of Hawaii allows Kauai to have these types of regulations is beyond scary.
Hi,
I wanted to share that on Maui – yesterday, I researched ALL of the testing sites – there are NO rapid tests. There are a lot in Honolulu, but not on Maui. On Maui, they range from 1-5 days, which is not helpful for me, and just too much stress. I decided to spend all my time in Maui. If you have a lot of flexibility on your holiday – then that works.
Ko’a Kea resort charges a fee for the tracking, but it is 100% refundable as long as you keep in line with the rules for EMQ. Seems like all the other resorts do not allow it to be refundable.
Another thing (I’m an NP working with COVID). There are now 3 FDA approved rapid at home tests, the one by Ellume does not need a doctors prescription. 2 are antigen (Ellume) and 1 is PCR. Ko’a Kea said that they would accept any FDA approved test. It is extradinarily more affordable than getting a rapid test on Kauai through Poipu MD mobile (not that I don’t want them to get business).
I was able to try to put in an order quickly for the Abbott test. Since I am only going to Maui, now, I don’t need it.
aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2021/at-home-covid-tests.html
Thank you for the continued updates for rules and restrictions to visit Kauai. I contacted one of the resort bubbles (Hilton Garden Inn) to clarify the current quarantine guidelines and wanted to pass on my understanding to you and your readers. If I were to arrive in Lihue and check into the resort bubble on a Thursday afternoon I would need to, as you stated, wait at least 72 hours before being able to take the next COVID-19 test. However, I believe all the Kauai resort bubbles use the same mobile testing company that comes to each resort one time per day. At the Hilton Garden Inn that’s at 12:00 noon Monday-Saturday. No testing is available on Sunday. That means if I check in on a Thursday afternoon the 72 hours is up on Sunday afternoon and I have to wait until Monday at 12:00 noon to take the test. That means you will actually be required to stay four nights, not three. And be careful not to arrive on a Wednesday afternoon. That would mean your 72 hours would be up on Saturday afternoon, but with no Sunday testing you would have to wait until Monday to get tested. That means you would need to stay five nights in the quarantine if arriving on a Wednesday! Finally, the Hilton Garden Inn stated I could only be in the room or go to the pool during my stay. No restaurants on site with food only available to be delivered to your room. The mobile COVID-19 test is $225/person and the tracking device you have to wear during your stay is $80/person. Sorry, not for me.
Hi Joel.
Thanks so much for that. It was very helpful and also disconcerting.
Aloha.
Hi any word on travelers who are vaccinated?
I’m not doing either! Who wants to pay for two tests? Who wants to go to Kauai where so many things will be closed because the Mayor doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing? We’re going to the other islands and hope that Kauai survives this madness.
Resort bubbles or another island for 3 days does not work for us. This is ridiculous. We own timeshare on Kauai and that is where we go. We are scheduled for the first two weeks of April. If this doesn’t change by then we will be canceling. If their policy doesn’t become reasonable soon we will be letting our timeshare 4 weeks in Kauai go. This is just too much.
We own at The Point at Po’ipu and are staying there five weeks. This couldn’t have worked out better for us. Now we get in, get through the administrative pageantry of entry to Kaua’i, grab a shuttle from LIH to The Point (already reserved), check-in, get our trackers, and head to our unit. It is like a load has been taken off my shoulders: don’t have to change our reservations at The Point, don’t have to make reservations at the Marriott and no additional expenses for the Marriott.
Aloha! How much interaction is there between guests at a resort bubble? It just doesn’t make sense to me that you could be interacting with people who just arrived, while you are on your last day. Therefore, you could be contracting Covid from the folks with whom you are sharing the resort bubble. Since it could take a week to 10 days for symptoms, that second test before you get out of jail would be worthless in my opinion. What am I missing here?
Who is going to go through these gymnastics & expense to vacation on Kauai? There are so many other places to vacation, and I feel so awful for the businesses in Kauai. They must be suffering.
Businesses suffering? We had dinner (and too many drinks) last night at a restaurant in Hanalei. The manager tells us that pre-shut down, they normally did $12K-$15K a day in receipts. Nowadays, they are lucky to get $2K (we did our part).
However, the trades and landscapers are on fire. Construction and remodels are booming, along with the red hot real estate market. The yellow shirt guys are out everywhere. Instead of helicopter noise pollution, we have chain saw and chipper noise pollution. Speaking of which, we needed to rent a chipper. Called every place on the island; all rented out and they have waiting lists. Found a guy to haul it and burn it on his own land.
So, depends on the line of work. Rents are going up, scarcity. I see a S-ton of out of state (mostly CA) license plates, way more than usual (this observation has also been made by the blog authors). Even at the dump, I mean, “transfer station,” there was a dude driving a sedan with CA plates picking through the “stuff”. Lots of young people living on couches of other young people. Maybe even old people. We know a lady in her late 60s or early 70s who says she has family and her own “MIL” condo in Las Vegas, but she prefers to live in her car/camping down at Anini, rather than go back. And I don’t think its all about the virus.
The net result of this is that the island will be even more divided between the mainland haves and the local have nots. I don’t know know if all the recent transplants know what they are getting into.
Looney Tunes..and how much are they charging per day to rent the ankle cuff?
Following
I hope that those traveling by June who are fully vaccinated such as myself will be able to visit. We cancelled our Hawaii trip twice last year. This year we are getting g married and wanted to go to Maui and Kaui. We are afraid to even book anything right now. Too many places not offering refunds if you cancel or forcing you to buy travel insurance so the insurance company pays you back and not them.
My husband and I used the “stay on another island first” method for Safe Travels to Kauai and can highly recommend it as a pleasant and fairly non-restrictive experience.
We took an ID NOW test AFC in South Portland, Maine on 12/31, and received our negative results the same day. We uploaded our information to Safe Travels, answered the survey and flew from Boston to HNL on 1/3 (wearing our N95 masks and face shields, not eating or drinking on the way). On landing we stood in the line in HNL and eventually our printed test results and our printed QR codes were checked. (Unclear whether having uploaded them to Safe Travels was useful). We took a taxi to our short term rental on Waikiki beach and enjoyed long walks on the beach and wonderful food in outdoor dining establishments over the next 4 days. Mask compliance in Waikiki was very high.
On 1/6, just after the time of our original flight arrival we took tests at Urgent Care Hawaii at Ala Moana Blvd (a 2 minute walk from our condo). The testing staff delivered our negative results in PDF form and as a printout while we waited (around 15 minutes). We then filled out the next Safe Travels form and walked to Fedex Office in Honolulu to get the QR code printed out. It wasn’t possible to upload the test results to Safe Travels so we kept the printouts all carefully. On 1/7 we flew to LIH from HNL (again masked with N95s and face shields) where our QR code and test result printouts were compared with our ID by the very friendly US Army and Police representatives (in a much smaller line than at HNL) and we were pronounced free to go to our chosen accommodation. Off we went, no quarantine required. We’ve snorkeled, hiked and dined outdoors and enjoyed our freedom.
Had we flown directly to Kauai (unless resort bubbled) we would just be getting out of quarantine tomorrow.
Thanks to Beat of Hawaii for giving the best/fastest information on available options which meant we could pull this off successfully.
Hi Philippa.
Thanks for the report on how that worked for you. We appreciate it.
Aloha.
I have a question about travel restrictions. We have a 2 week trip on Kauai planned with 3 day resort bubble stay starting on Jan 17. Just found out my airline, American has suspended service until sometime in Feb. If we now try and fly to Kauai with a stop in HNL, only 2 hours on the ground-in the airport, can we still participate in the resort bubble option? Or do we have to stay 72hrs on other island and negative test before going on to Kauai. I have searched online and cannot find definitive answer.
The last time I checked, there were no longer any non-stop flights from the mainland to LIH. So, assuming that is still the case, I’d assume a layover is fine. I think that there are just not enough passengers flying to Kauai to make non-stop worthwhile for the airlines.
There appear to be non-stop LIH flights shown as available on flight search sites (depending on the day of the week, covering San Francisco, LAX or Seattle). The Safe Travels website shows where people are flying in from: hawaiicovid19.com/travel/data/
We are flying Delta LAX/LIH on 1 March. Delta is also flying SEA/LAX
My neighbor just did it. No direct flights. Bubble, tested, out.
Why should you travel in a pandemic and risk the danger of speading the virus the world us not going anywhere you people need to keep still.
Please keep your opinions to yourself. People are still travelling safely!
And kids are going to school too!
Best for you to just stay home Lynn
want some cheese with that?
I had my 1st dose of the Covid Vaccine 2 days ago. Would like to travel the end of April, 2021. Should be fully immunized by then. I would be happy to take a Covid test prior to departure. Is it possible that I might not have to quarantine that long? I plan on going directly to Kauai. In my opinion they are doing the right thing in Kauai. Why wipe out a beautiful native culture. Get a grip and follow the rules. 🌴
BOH, we are thinking about trying the resort bubble option with the 4th day test at the Marriott.
Do you know how those wrist GPS trackers work? Are they like home arrest monitors that can’t be removed? Or are they removable like a watch band?
We’d follow the procedures, but my wife has an allergy to latex so I was wondering whether guests have to keep them on even when they are in their rooms sleeping?
SCOTT…
Even thought we’ve given up on Kauai this January because we’re both high risk and 100+ folks in a flying tin can doesn’t work for us prior to vaccine… From what I’ve heard from the folks at the Marriott KBC, living there in a “resort bubble” doesn’t seem much different than many of the days we spend there (6 weeks every year). Although you can’t go out on the sand beach, KBC guests don’t relax out there anyway because you can’t take the chaise lounges out on the sand! (They become public property if you do so it’s prohibited.) And with all the grass and palms trees, no suffering there. The pool is cordoned off for those under quarantine. Except for not having a car, doesn’t sound like too much of a suffering to me!!!
Aloha-
I am trying to determine how long to plan on being at another island before going to Kauai.
Say I land at 12pm on Kona on a Monday. 12pm Thursday I can be tested. I need a negative result to fly to Lihue. Are there specific testing partners that are providing reliable times to receive results so you can set your Kona-Lihue flight time?
thanks!
Hi Jon.
You need to be on the BI for 72 hours before flying and test needs to be within 72 hours of flying.
Aloha.
Just trying to set my Kona-Lihue flight time based on the time it will take for results
Maholo
Hi Jon.
That will depend on the test provider you select, but rapid tests are acceptable so that should help.
Aloha.
“Approved tests can be from any source – it does not need to be a Hawaii trusted partner. You need to be on the BI for 72 hours before flying and test needs to be within 72 hours of flying.”
Be careful – here is Kawakami quote from Garden Isle News article (Emphasis mine):
“If an out-of-state traveler arrives on O‘ahu at 8 a.m. Monday, he can take a pre-travel test FROM A TRUSTED PARTNER AFTER 8 A.M. THURSDAY,” Mayor Derek Kawakami explained on Monday. “Once he receives a negative test result, the traveler can fly to Kaua‘i any time within 72 hours of taking that test.”
thegardenisland.com/2021/01/05/hawaii-news/inter-island-travel-returns-new-resort-bubble-program-starts/
So either Derek does not know his own rule, or he has been severely misquoted. Or, perhaps, he intended the rule to be different than how it is worded?
Hi David.
Thanks very much for that and your nearly 200 comments. So the county changed it from any source to now be from a trusted partner. No announcement made. We updated our comment accordingly.
Aloha.
What are the plans for allowing vaccinated people to visit Kauai? I get my first vaccination injection tomorrow and I am tentatively planning on arriving at Lihue on 5/19.
An expensive new rule as the resort bracelets cost $100 then you have to pay for another post travel COVID or antigen test which will be another $100-$200 per person and will Kauai be able to keep up with the tests and turn around the results the same day? How do people get the 2nd test if they are quarantined at a resort bubble ? So about $400 + per person for all the testing and the bracelets. Visiting Kauai is not worth the expense. Will cancel plans for the spring and summer if Kauai can’t come up with a seamless more affordable solution.
Thanks BOH for keeping us informed!
Hi Lee.
Thanks. What we heard is that the 2nd test will be provided at the quarantine hotel itself.
Aloha.
Bracelets $80. Test 220 and insurance won’t cover it. Not right. Taking advantage of tourists. Monopoly. Can only get tested at one location. Not right
Thank you BOH for explaining the new options. My wife and I are considering the 3 day bubble option at the Kauai Marriott. 3 days doesn’t seem like too long since it will be a work/play trip anyway. We can get by for three days with groceries delivered and can go to Duke.
Do you know how the secondary test will work? Since we won’t be allowed to rent a car, how will we get to the test site?
I’d also like to know whether a rapid test is available in Kauai. If we get tested on day 4, but don’t get the results for several days, that could be a problem.
Hi Scott.
What we are being told is that the 2nd test will be administered at the quarantine hotel following the 3 nights. And we believe that is a rapid test with prompt results. We’ll be posting updates on that as soon as we have them.
Aloha.
Sounds good to me – planning on Kauai in may
way too much bureaucracy to get there and once you do what can you do???
exactly.. go to FL.
Many people do multiple Island trips, staying a few days on each Island so they’d have to skip Kauai under this plan. Anyone planning on staying for one week would most likely avoid Kauai since 1/2 of their time is in quarantine in a bubble.
If Hotels and restaurants, etc close due to lack of guests/customers, residents who worked in those, and related industries won’t have money to keep many retail and service oriented establishments from closing since unemployed residents spend less.
Could it be that the,residents who object the most to tourists, are those residents who came for vacation,retirement,or work remotely and later decided to buy real estate, and now don’t want anyone else to get what they have.
If unemployment stays high, less taxes are collected so services will decrease, less money will be spent at the mall and small businesses so they may be forced to close. So maybe there will be more beach space and less traffic, but that may come at an unexpected “cost”. (poverty, homelessness, crime).
This is all my opinion , but I believe that resort bubbles, and this New policy could be a detriment to the economy of Kauai.
We will not be visiting Kauai until there are no restrictions, such as Florida or USVI. Our tickets have been bought. We’re headed to USVI!
smart move
Good for you!!! Spend your vacation $$$ where it is wanted and needed. Kauai obviously does not want or need our $$$ just ask the mayor. He is doing all he can to prevent tourists