If you had the choice in Kauai?

I have a question regarding Kauai. Presently we are planning on driving to Waimea Canyon in the morning and then taking an afternoon/evening snorkel cruise to the Na Pali coast. We thought that sailing on a catamaran would be relaxing, plus we get to snorkel. I am now wondering if it would be better to drive to the North side of Kauai since I have been reading so much about it and then drive to Waimea Canyon in the morning on day #2. We are planning on swimming/snorkleling practically every day on the cruise. I guess we might be related to fish since we enjoy the water so much! :) Are there any suggestions on this itinerary? Should we now go to the North Coast of Kauai?

Thanks,

Gary

We were just on the POH 7/9 and during our stay in Kauai we drove the north side. We were going to do Waimea Canyon, but my sister in law got a little car sick on the trip to the top of Haleakala Crater in Maui and we were told that the road to the canyon is equal to or worse than that, so we opted not to go. The road north was beautiful. There were quite a few places to pull over and take pictures. There were also some wonderful beaches. The beach at the end of the road was beautiful, however parking was a problem. My husband/brother in law waited a while and then finally found a spot a little ways back. Not too far to walk. In fact, it was right in front of a cave, which was quite interesting, too. We also stopped at Wailea Falls on the way back and that was pretty too. Much better than Rainbow Falls (trickle) in Hilo. We didn't do any snorkeling at either of these beaches, so I cannot tell you if it would be good or not. You'd have to check with others that have done that. I can only say that the drive was beautiful.

Enjoy your trip. I know we did!

Aloha

We just came back from POH and a post cruise stay on Kauai. I think your idea is good although you will be rushing Waimea a bit- the problem is that the second day is shorter because of when you need to return to the ship. (We did Waimea and the ship's luau on Day 1 and a helocopter trip on Say 2, which gave a beautiful overview of the whole island.) But if you leave early on Day2, you could drive over, just stop at the overlooks (go past the one at Kalalau to the last overlook in Koke'e Park) without doing any longl walks. I believe NCL also had a Waimea tour that was available for the second day. On your northbound trip, stop at Kailuea lighthouse, drive into the grounds at the Princeville Hotel and take a look at Bali Hai (yes, the one from South Pacific) from their terrace (have lunch if you can) and stop at Hanalei for shave ice (there are 3 places to choose from) or lunch (the Polynesia Cafe was good) and look around the shops and the beach there. You can stop at Anini and/or Tunnels beach to look around or swim (they also can be snorkeled depending on the weather). If you are really ambitious try the first part of the Kalalau Trail from Ke'e Beach - you will be rewarded with a stupendous view- but it requires climbing and could be iffy if the weather has made the trail slippery). Oh I wish I were back there.

Someone mentioned the beach at the end of the road on the north side of the island...the snorkeling is excellent around there. Also, you might want to book a snorkle cruise early in the day, often the ships won't go in the afternoon, or will change destinations if the weather is iffy. I tried to book a Na Pali coast trip last year and the afternoon trip was cancelled.

On Kanaapali beach in Maui we swam with sea turtles every day and the snorkeling was great...the best we found on the island during our week long stay.

Happy Snorkeling.

Aloha Gary,

The best time to snorkel anywhere is going to be in the morning. It is also the best time to go on boat trips. A lot of trips will get canceled in the afternoon, as the winds pick up after noon. What time of year are you cruising? The Napali coast is awesome, but doesn't run in the winter. See if you can get a trip out of Hanalea, and you can enjoy the north side that day. Then, Waimea canyon would be great the next morning.