Poipu activities - a guide to fun things to see and do on Kauai

mp, and jump on your tube for a leisurely cruise. Witness Kauai`s spectacular engineering feats as you float down a tropical waterway consisting of open ditches, tunnels and flumes dating back to 1870. At the end of your Mountain Tubing Adventure, you will be guided to an enchanted area by a natural swimming hole for a swim and a delicious picnic lunch.
You should

ZIPLINE TOURS - This is true adventure and a great way to see parts of the island that are not accessible any other way. Venture deep into the heart of Kauai, through a historic former sugar plantation. Descend a lush tropical mountain side via a series of seven breathtaking ziplines. Fly over layers of forest canopy on your way to the valley floor below. Glide above a tranquil mountain stream to a bamboo grove where you can enjoy a refreshing swim and delicious picnic lunch. You can book Kauai zip line tours online.

TUBING TOURS - Traverse Lihue’s old sugar plantation into Kaua`i’s pristine, emerald green interior. Enjoy breathtaking vistas. Grab a tube, don a headla book a Kauai tubing tour online in advance as the tours fill up quickly.

ATV TOURS - This activity is for all age groups and is truly great family fun. Hop on the hottest and newest All Terrain Vehicle available and go to places more spectacular than you have imagined. Some ATV tours traverse private lands never before open to the public.

Many go to waterfalls where they provide wonderful picnic lunches. You can book Kauai Atv tours online at a discount.
.

BICYCLE TOURS - Kauai Bike Tours - This activity is also for all age groups and is a great way to get a real feel for the island. Comfortable helmets and safe operating procedures make for a ride that's safe and controlled, but still fun and exciting. Guides usually stop along the way for photos and narrative on history, culture, folklore and legends.

You'll be able to quiz your guides about native plants, birds and trees and the best Kauai hiking trails located in Koke'e State Park and Waimea Canyon State Park while you're in the area. As well as having a fun ride in a beautiful place you'll learn about what makes Kauai special! Several great Kauai bicycle tours can be booked online at a discount.

ECO TOURS - Eco tours are rapidly becoming Kauai's most popular outdoor activity. Sound Eco tourism involves travel to natural destinations, minimizes impact, builds environmental awareness, provides direct financial benefits for conservation, provides financial benefits and empowerment for local people, respects local culture, and supports human rights and democratic movements. You can book a wide variety of Kauai eco tours online at a discount.

MOVIE TOURS - Movie tours take you to all of the famous movie locations on Kauai - which are quite a few. You will see where scenes were filmed in movies such as: Jurassic Park to Raiders of the Lost Ark, Donovan's Reef to Outbreak, Gilligan's Island to Fantasy Island to Blue Hawaii to South Pacific. New air conditioned mini-buses are very comfortable and act as a theater on wheels featuring individual reclining seats, large center aisle, a TV monitor, vcr and surround sound to bring the movie scenes front and center. Kauai movie tours can be booked online at a discount.

LUAUS - The torches are lit, the night is filled with music, and family members gather to bring you a casual, relaxing and romantic dining experience that starts off with the Imu Ceremony - the unearthing of the traditional pig, cooked to perfection in an underground oven.....and thirst-quenching tropical cocktails are served inside the luau hale. The luau meal features traditional luau favorites, tropical fruit and a special Hawaiian dessert table Hawaiian musicians serenade dinners during the luau meal. Young members of the family take the stage during the entertainment, and even invite guests up on stage for a hula lesson!
Fern grotto tours and Kauai Luaus can be booked online at a discount.

There are a full range of GOLF COURSES on Kaua’i from a Kaua’i County course with fees under $15 to World Class PGA championship courses. In Poipu is the Kiahuna Golf Club, 18-hole course renovated in 2004 and the ocean front Poipu Bay Golf Resort, 36 holes and home of the PGA Grand Slam. On the scenic hillside of Kalaheo Town is The Kukuiolono Golf Course with nine holes for under $15! This 90-year-old course and adjoining Japanese Gardens are a hidden treasure few visitors are aware of. In Lihue is the 18 hole Puakea Golf Course with new ownership and extensive renovations completed in 2003. Also in Lihue is the oceanfront Kaua’i Lagoons Golf Course, a 36 hole Jack Nicklaus designed championship course. A few minutes further along our East shore is The Wailua Golf Course, an ocean front 18 hole Kaua’i County course, renovated in 2003. Continuing north is the Princeville Golf Club and former home of The Kemper Open with 76 holes, rated #1 in Hawaii by Golf Digest.

BOAT TOURS are the best way to explore the magical Napali Coast. Zodiac tours, catamaran cruises, and whale watching tours, leave from Hanalei, Lihue, Poipu and Port Allen. Five-hour combination snorkel and sightseeing excursions of our ancient Na Pali coastline are popular. You should reserve tours early as they fill up fast. You can book Napali Coast Boat Tours online. Vessel choices vary with the seasons and include Power Cats and Full Sail Catamarans, with passenger counts of 12 to 50. Winter months are limited to the larger boats for open water off shore Humpback Whale watching tours. The Humpback whales are normally visible in our waters, from late December to late March.

SURFING The North Shore of Kaua’i is a winter surfing Mecca, and in the summer, Poipu Beach on the South shore and our West shore beaches produce the best waves. Kauai Surfing lessons are available from Championship Surfers. Brennecke's Beach is known for great body boarding and body surfing. Other breaks in the Poipu Beach area are Shipwrecks Beach, Acid Drops, Waiohai, PKs and Centers.

On the West side is the famous Pakala’s Beach just before Waimea Town. Far west beaches of Kekaha and those of Barking Sands and Poli Hale also offer big breaks and at times, giant expert only surf. Kalapaki Beach and Hanamaulu Bay in Lihue offer gentle waves for beginners, while further North, Kalihiwai Bay and Hanalei Bay is expert only in the Winter months. On Kaua’i, there are nearly as many surf spots as there are beaches.

Deciding which BEACH to visit might be your most challenging daily task. You can drive to Kee beach at the road's end and enjoy some of the best snorkeling in the world.

There are swimming beaches, shelling beaches, sunset beaches, beaches with lots of activity, and beaches where you can be totally alone. Some of the more famous beaches are Hanalei Bay, Kealia, Kalapaki, Poipu Beach, Salt Pond and Polihale.

HORSEBACK RIDING on Kauai is an exciting experience. There are companies who offer 3 hour trail rides through Kauai's back country to a waterfall, for a picnic and a swim.

There are also private rides available as well as live cattle drives and sunset rides on The South Side. You can book a Kauai horseback riding tour online.

SNORKELING- There good places to snorkel from beaches such as Anini Beach which is a 3 mile coastline enclosed by a long outer reef. Inside the reef, you will encounter a myriad of colorful tropical fish and several species of coral. Ke'e Beach and Tunnels Beach both known for their good water clarity. The best way by far though to enjoy snorkeling on Kauai is to book a Kauai snorkeling tour online and get the benefit of a guided tour from an experienced professional.

HIKING - The Waimea Canyon and Koke’e State Parks offer numerous hikes from easy to the most strenuous. You can hike several trails that meander throughout Kaua’i's ethereal mountain country, where you will encounter plant and bird species found nowhere else on earth. At the end of the road at Ke'e beach is the Na Pali trail head to the ancient Kalalau Valley and the Na Pali Coastline. Day hikers enjoy hikes to Hanakapiai Beach or the longer trek to Hanakapiai Falls. Hikes beyond that point require permits and overnight camping. From Ke’e Beach parking area, you can hike to the magnificent Hanakapiai Falls. Short hikes can be enjoyed from trails beginning from above Opaekaa Falls lookout in Wailua. The best way to go hiking on Kauai is to take a guided tour from an experienced guide. You can book a wide variety of Kauai hiking tours online.

TENNIS courts abound on Kauai. Princeville Resort has two excellent Tennis Clubs. The Hanalei Bay Resort has 7 courts overlooking Hanalei Bay, and The Princeville Tennis Club has 6 courts. Both clubs are open to the public, and have on site tennis pros, a racquet shop, and equipment rentals. Other very good facilities are found in Lihue at The Kauai Lagoons, and in Poipu at The Kiahuna Racquet Club, and The Poipu Kai Resort where National Senior's Champions Hattie and John Sommerville teach on a daily basis.

FISHING - Kauai is known for excellent deep sea fishing. Half and full day charters, with all fishing gear included are available from several Kauai charter fishing boats departing from Nawiliwili, Poipu, and Port Allen. The captain usually divides the fish according to the wants and needs of the parties who are fishing. The boats usually provide all fishing gear and some beverages. All charters typically offer trips for individuals and groups to offshore areas teeming with exciting game fish such Sailfish, Stripe Marlin, Ono and Ahi tuna. Good prices can be found if you book a Kauai sportfishing charters online.

Windsurfing at its best is found at Tunnels Beach and at Anini Beach where companies offer equipment rentals and lessons. Other favorite spots are Hanalei Bay and Poipu Beach. You may rent equipment in Hanalei, and drive to any spot you wish, but the best and the safest way if you are a beginner to get accustomed to Kauai's waters is to hire a pro and book a Kauai windsurfing lesson online.

KAYAKING can be enjoyed on several Kauai Rivers and in the open ocean during the summer months. On our East shore, the Wailua River is the most popular location for river Kayaking with both guided and self-guided trips. You can book Kauai Kayak Tours online and Ocean kayak tours are also available for the adventurous. Paddle up river and take a short hike to the hidden falls and pond. Guided trips up the Hulei’a River in Lihue are a true Hawaiian adventure through the wildlife refuge, past the Menehune Fish Pond, with the Hawaiian family owners sharing stories of ancient Hawaii. Self-guided Kayaking with car top carriers may also be found on the Kalihiwai River and the Hanalei Rivers to the North.

SCUBA - Kauai's clean, clear offshore waters attract scuba divers from all over the world. There is a dive shop in almost every town on the island, so gear rental, air, and instruction can be easily found. Some adventurous tours included a Na Pali Coast Scuba Tour along with a stop at the forbidden island of Niihau where you can snorkel and dive in its crystal clear waters.

There are several Kauai scuba diving tours that can be booked online at a discount price.

SAILING TOURS - Several boat companies host a variety of open ocean Kauai sailing charters in large, seaworthy, ocean catamarans. The most popular cruise travels far up the Napali Coast where you will get the chance to snorkel and scuba among turtle and tropical fish. Sunset cruises complete with cocktails, as well as leisurely Kauai sailing tours down the Napali Coast can be booked online and from many companies around the island.

HELICOPTER TOURS - Your Helicopter tour over the Kauai is the most scenic and personalized tour of its kind. Everyone should experience such a tour at least once in a lifetime, and there is no better place than Kauai because so much of the island can only be seen from the air. This is the only way most people can see the magnificent beauty of Kauai's remote interior. Tours leave from Princeville Airport, Lihue, and Port Allen.. There are few experiences that can match a helicopter flight over the most beautiful island in the world. Kauai helicopter tours should be booked before you arrive can be booked online at a discount.

SHOPPING - Kauai's largest shopping center is found in Lihue. Every major town has a shopping center with a variety of restaurants, grocery stores, and specialty stores. The island has an abundance of small shops that sell items which are crafted by local artists. There are many roadside stands with exotic tropical fruits, organic produce, and flower leis. In Poipu , at the Spouting Horn Park, you will find an outdoor flea market where you can buy shell jewelry and all sorts of tourist items at good prices. A great selection of Hawaiian gifts is found in Lihue at Tropic Isle Music. The finest Kauai T-shirts are found in Eleele at Nite Owl T-Shirts and in Kapaa you find one of the finest Hawaii art glass galleries - Kela's. We are fortunate to have a very good selection of Kauai Artists and Kauai musicians.

COPYWRITE 2007 IMAGES AND TEXT HAWAII WEB