Insider tips, places to eat and stay, plus annual events in our expanded Hanalei Bay guide to quintessential Kauai.
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Insider tips, places to eat and stay, plus annual events in our expanded Hanalei Bay guide to quintessential Kauai.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
This is a lovely website. Thank you for providing it. My question concerns accommodations.
Can you please advise me about the best place to stay for a family of six, including two very active grandparents, two thirty-something very active parents, and two children: a boy 7yrs. and a girl 9yrs — very active, athletic
We would love a place on the beach or very near the beach, which is “affordable” (mid-price range).
We would come in May or June.
Thank you so much for your help.
Hi Toni.
Thanks for saying that. If you want to reply, providing an island and location where you are thinking of staying, that would help and others will be happy to give you their suggestions. If you don’t know the answer yet, we’d suggest you dig into a guidebook and get a better understanding of what the Hawaiian Islands have to offer. It varies considerably.
Aloha.
Please tell visitors to use the Hanalei shuttle to the end of the road. It is run by the wonderful Hanalei Initiative and puts funds back into that community, keeps traffic manageable and prevents you from getting an expensive parking ticket. There is no room to park in the road. Don’t do it. Shuttle is easy, has a big parking lot and us affordable.
A pleasure to read. So kind and true – keep it up.
Mahalo
🙂
Hello,
I like to know if you could recommend someone who could put together a nice Charcutierie Board for a beach sunset party. Maybe some kind of other horsdoeuvres. My daughter is having a small wedding on the beach on Hanalei Bay June 10th.
thank you
Hi Holly.
Maybe Google for private chefs?
Aloha.
Track down Sabrina with Callahan creative co. She’s on Instagram and makes the most amazing yummies.
June 3, 2022 isn’t a Saturday.
Aloha. We just arrived Kauai last Tuesday and having an amazing time.
Went to the Hanalei markets yesterday (Saturday). Our biggest problem so far is finding beaches without too much walking. One of us is 79 years old… but acts like a kid. Please, can you give us detailed directions to the Hanalei beach and pier? I just can’t seem to find beaches on the north side.
Sincerest Mahalo.
Patti (staying in Princeville)
Hi Patti.
Drive into Hanalei, turn right at Kalypso restaurant, turn right at the dead-end by the water, then go to either the lifeguard first or the pier after that. You can’t get lost. Or use Google Maps or avail yourself of island maps available at grocery stores for free contained in various ad pamphlets. Lastly, just ask anyone.
Aloha.
how about giving opaka paka restaruant, wills shop and hanalei beach colony some love
Opaka has excellent fish and chips (and fish tacos). I like their poke plate, too. Half price beer and wine from 5-6 pm (mmmmm Big Swell). And Ronnie, Colleen and crew do their best, night after night, to deal with the tourists. Back in the BC days, was good place to watch football. As was Kalypso back when they could pack the bar.
Is the Hanalei Cafe still around? Always liked that place. Hope it has survived. Looking forward to getting back soon.
You mean Hanalei Gourmet? Yes, it is still there, in the old school building.
Hanalei is the jewel in the Crown that is Kauai. Morning walks on the beach, light lunch, beach, walk back to your accommodation(house) and nap and then a little shopping, maybe another stroll to catch the sunset from the pier? All good. Doesn’t get any better, IMO.
Question if you can help. Have some family that lives in England coming to visit in Arizona leaving 4 days later for Kauai for a week nonstop from Phoenix. They both have the 2 immunizations plus the booster. Will they need to do the testing as well? I went to our place in Kapaa from my home in Arizona nonstop and I didn’t need the testing since I also have both shots and the booster as well.
If you can help it would be much appreciated.
Hi Moonbaka.
International arrivals that come via another place in the US (not direct international flights) comply with the Hawaii Safe Travels rules. A regular visitor on the website told us last week that when they arrived from England, via the mainland, the Safe Travels website wouldn’t give them the QR code since the vaccinations were from a source Safe Travels didn’t know of. When he arrived in Hawaii, he had no further issues and was cleared. Hope that helps.
Aloha.
Chocolat Hanalei in Hanalei town has amazing farm-to-mouth chocolate grown 4 miles from Hanalei.
The last time we were at Black Pots in November (2021), we were amazed to find the new restrooms open! Who knows if they will remain so, but we’re hoping.
Oh dear…there are so many more restaurants in Hanalei that should be mentioned and applauded! My vote is for The Hanalei Gourmet, hanaleigourmet.com/. Others will chime in, I am sure…but the Gourmet is the best.
Another great place to eat is Postcard Cafe. Always found their food unique and done well.
What’s required for travel to Maui via Honolulu in mid February? We’re vaxed and boosted.
Joe K
If the Hanalei Chocolate Company (a store front about 6 feet wide on the makai side of the main road) is still there (was July 2021) they have hand made, home made chocolates that are the best ever!
Aloha – this is a bit off-topic but I was wondering if the reservation system for Haena State Park provides accurate information. I attempted to book a reservation but the system indicated they were fully booked for the rest of May and all of June.
Mahalo for keeping us all current with Hawaii news/info.
Hi Peter.
We would appear to correct. There are many visitors here right now and next month looks to be jamming. The website says “Day-Use Parking and Entry Reservations at Haena State Park are available for purchase 30-days in advance. So you might want to keep checking back for reservations in the second half of June.
Aloha.
Aloha.
Thanks very much for the hint of Waikoko beach. Made it there today, a bit rough for snorkeling, but truly a gem of a calm beach.
The spirit of the mask mandate is changing rapidly while we’re here. Tourists have really cut back on the mask wearing following the CDC change a few days ago. Love being here again after 2 years. Keep up the good work, BOH. I’ll be reading!
Hi Dean.
Thanks for your Kauai report. Both of us were there yesterday as well, and it was epic. The water clarity was as good as we have ever seen.
Aloha.
Heads up for those traveling to Kauai, Hanalei in general. Yes, getting to Hanalei is a pain with the road closure and once you’re here, you’ll find many businesses out of business. Most disappointing, The water is brown. It is disgusting. Even going all the way to the end of the pier – dark brown water! And we have had no significant rainfall.
Do you know if HWY 560 from Princeville to Hanalei is open to traffic. We’ve heard two different story’s. One that it is open with alternating one way traffic the other that it”s only open in the early morning and late afternoon. We have a parking pass and entry to Ha’ena State park on 4/29 at 12:30 pm and wondering if we’ll be able to go.
Thank you very much.
Rich
Hi Rich.
It is open with one shared lane. See all the hours and details on the State DOT site here: https://hidot.hawaii.gov/2021-hanalei-hill-landslide/.
ALoha.
People should be aware that the road to Hanalei is entirely closed most of the day, Monday-Saturday. It’s currently open only for 45 minutes in the early morning, 1:45-2:30 in the afternoon, and then 5:30-11:00 in the evenings. Be sure to check HDOT.gov before coming up. Lines for the afternoon wait have been running more than an hour.
The posts shown are super old. Why are they included?
Our granddaughter is planning a wedding for June 11,2018 and would like to have it at Hanalei Bay. could you tell me if we need to make reservations and if so, how and if there is a fee. anything we may need to know would be greatly appreciated. I thank you in advance for all your help. Beck
Hi Becky.
Suggest you search for Kauai wedding officiant. You’ll need someone to help you with this. Permitting and other rules definitely apply.
Aloha.
Hello,
My family of 4 (2 8 year olds- 9 at time of trip) are planning a trip in July of 2018. My husband and I have spent time in Oahu and Maui, and look forward to visiting another island. Our children have never been to Hawaii. We are traveling from New Jersey and would love to get a direct flight! I’m drawn to the Big Island, and my husband is partial to checking out Kauai. Perhaps considering what would be best for our children will bring us to a decision. Do you have any suggestions which island, overall would be better for children? We plan to spend about 10 days on one island, and break up the trip half at a resort and half at a rental house/condo. Please share any thoughts on rentals, as there are a lot out there! Thank you so much for any information that you share with us! Your help is appreciated.
Colleen
Hi Colleen.
What you’re asking for isn’t what we do unfortunately. Having said that both are ideal for children, and you seriously can’t go wrong. In fact do plan another trip so that in time you can visit the Big Island and Kauai.
Guidebooks such as the acclaimed Hawaii Revealed series should be of great help.
Aloha.
Hello! Could you tell me what part of Hanalei beach is typically good for surfing in June/July? We are bringing our kids who are older teenagers,18 and 19, who would like to surf. We are looking at renting a vacation home in Hanalei and would like to be closer to the part of the beach used for surfing. I’ve been on quite a few travel blogs and am getting mixed information. Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Julie.
Generally no surfing in summer at Hanalei. If there are un-seasonal waves, they’ll be in the area called Pinetrees, at the opposite end from the pier.
Aloha.
Are the ocean be still on calm mode in the month of September and early part of October in Hanalei? and not stormy? Thanks.
Hi Carolyn.
It changes every season so you can’t say for sure. Rougher conditions return to north shores anytime between September and November usually.
Aloha.
In the “good old days” when I had a decent income, I owned a timeshare in Princeville for 3 weeks each year, 1985-1999, and never traded it because I loved the North Shore so much. My wife and I have only visited once since then, in 2006, due to cost, but anticipate eventually returning. I’ve been on your e-mail list for many years and always enjoy visiting your website, just to feel connected to my favorite place.
I always used to love snorkeling at Tunnels, but somehow never heard of Waikoko Beach. I see from Google Maps satellite view that Waikoko is much smaller, but otherwise how does it compare to Tunnels for casual snorkeling on a calm sea day?
Hi Bruce.
We’ve never been to that beach which is just before Lumahai. If it was that good, likely we’d know about it.
Aloha.
Aloha,
My girl and I are going to travel to Kauai in Mid-December and staying up in Princeville. Is there any boat tours going out of Hanalei Bay to see the beautiful mountains of the Napali Coast? We plan on going south to view other things such as Waimea Canyon, but I think there’s so much to do to include the boat tour.
Also any other good tips such as the above article?
Thank you so much in advance.
REN
Hi Ren.
Suggest you get a hold of the Kauai Revealed guidebook. Boat tours of our Hanalei in winter won’t happen since waves could be huge then on north shore.
Aloha.
What about boat tours in the summer going out of Hanalei? I’ve only heard and been out of them from Port Allen. They never go the full way to Ke’e Beach which I would really love to see by boat let alone sail to Hanalei.
Hi Lee.
Just google for boat tours from Hanalei. We don’t have any experience to recommend a company.
Aloha.
Captain Sundown out of Hanalei…..HIGHLY RECOMMEND the 7hr Na Pali Snorkel Catamaran Cruise; one of the best activities we’ve done on our (5) trips to Kauai.
We are a group of 5 senior couples looking to visit Maui or Kahai early 2017 . Some are active seniors looking to hike, snorkel etc.We are also staying for one week and want to stay at a cost efficient condo. Any suggestions and recommendations regarding island choice for first timers and places to stay would be appreciated.By the way is February considered off season?
Hi Lorraine,
If there are 10 people flying together, then you should qualify for a group rate. So contact multiple airlines that fly between your city and the islands to check that out. For what to do, and where to stay, we suggest the Hawaii Revealed series of print and online guidebooks. There’s one for each island and they are extremely helpful.
Aloha.
If you want condos, Outrigger properties are great to work with. They have had great experience with them for 3 or 4 years now.
Aloha Lorraine: February is high season in Hawaii because many mainlanders are ready for a break from snow and cold. The end of February is also the peak of shake season when Humpbacks are abundant. The slowest time of year for tourism in Hawaii is September, followed by fall and the period between mid April and the second or third week of June when school gets out.
I do not believe that Maui has any condos that can legally sleep 10 since state law allows 2 people per bedroom plus 2 sleeping in the living room. You’ll likely want two condos.
Many people would say that Kauai offers the most natural beauty of the Hawaiian islands, but Maui is more popular and arguably offers a greater variety of activities, such as bicycling down the dormant volcano Haleakala. The locals say “Maui No Ka Oi” which means “Maui is the best”. You really can’t go wrong visiting either island, they are both wonderful and they each deserve at least a week.
We leave for LIH from PHX on Jan 15, 2017 and return on Jan. 30,2017. I have booked the return trip to PHX using all my AA miles. Right now Hawaiian Air is $400.00 per person one way to Kauai. I’m thinking I should book this now? ($800.00 total round trip cost for 2 is not that bad of a deal). I know that American Air fly’s direct, but my wife and I really like Hawaiian Air.
thank you for your kind response……….
Hi Ralph.
Yes low $400’s. Might improve, but it might not. There is a disadvantage price-wise on this route when flying one way. Best round trip price is $676.
Aloha.
This post made me dream of jumping in warm water at the pier, attending festivals, barbecue on the beach…
Interesting about restrooms. I used to frown upon paying $ 1 to use a clean bathroom in Europe tended by a “dame pipi” (attendant) but years later, I realized that there was a need for it because selfish people often refuse to clean after themselves. Though Europe is worse than the US about cleanliness, there is definitively room for improvement.
Hi Nadege.
Concur. Bathroom in France are far better than this.
Aloha.