Month-long vacation in Kauai

Looking for some advice here...

We%26#39;ve got a month-long vacation planned to Hawaii this coming summer. We love the relaxing feel of Kauai when we went a few years back, and want to enjoy that again.

We%26#39;ve been reading about some condo rentals and are considering them.

Does anyone have any advice here? Should we pick one place for the whole month, or try out a few places throughout the month? Any suggestions for good places to stay for this long? Thanks!

Month-long vacation in Kauai

My personal preference would be to stay in the same place for the entire month. It%26#39;s not like anyplace on the island is that far away, particularly if you base somewhere on the east coast.

Month-long vacation in Kauai

You%26#39;ll be able to get a better rate renting one place for a month than seperate places by the weekly rate.

Yes, I would stay in one place for the entire time not just for cost, but because it will feel like home and will just add that much more peace to your vacation. I just have one question - may I join you?? Just kidding, but it does sound incredibly wonderful!! Enjoy your vacation.:)

Aloha Austin,

As the risk of disagreement with some folks I respect, I%26#39;d like to offer a few alternative ideas. The subject of ';how long is right?'; is subject to personal preference; most of the time. At the opposite end of the spectrum, there was a thread awhile back wherein the question was ';are three Islands in one week too much?';...uh, yes; unless you want to spend 20+% of your time in airports %26amp; on planes! In the same vein, despite the fact that Kauai is not a large Island, it would be possible to spend quite a bit of time driving.

As an extreme example of commute time, I%26#39;d guesstimate that a trip from the Hanalei area to the Kokee State Park, at the top of Waimea Canyon, would consume approximately three hours one way. A week later, the drive to one of our favorite beaches in all of Hawaii, Barking Sands, would consume almost as much time. We enjoy the interesting %26amp; scenic roads of Hawaii, but what may be beautiful during daylight hours can be a real drag in the dark.

As far as saving money on a month (actually, usually 4 weeks) rental, it seems as though most of the discounts are in the 10-20% range. Sounds enticing, but consider the following example: Wailua Bayview (have stayed there four times and recommend), offers a monthly rate of $3,500; $125 a day. Their daily rack rate is $140, but the frequently offer ';7th night free'; specials which lowers the daily average to $120. (excluding cleaning fees.) If you consider Wailua Bayview, I strongly recommend a top floor unit with the last two digits of 04-15; better views, less street noise and no ';ceiling thunder';. A very special feature of central Kauai are the beautiful sunrises.

As far as the southwest end of Kauai is concerned, the only true ocean front place I am ';qualified'; to recommened is Waimea By the Sea (kauaioceancondo.com). No firsthand experience, but there is also another unit, in the same complex at a lower price; vrbo.com #3207.

With reference the North Shore, we%26#39;ve only stayed at a former Client%26#39;s guest cottage. (Coalminer really knows (and loves) that neck of the woods.) One thing I would observe is that we normally prefer oceanfront, but in Hanalei, the upcountry/panoramic views are out-of-this-world!

kama

Lucky you!! We stayed for 3 weeks in Feb/Mar this year (I guess it was last year as of today!) We highly recommend Kuhio Shores in Poipu. However, as much as we love it there, I think if we had a month, we%26#39;d split the time between the north and the south shores.

Even though it is not a huge long drive, once we get into island mode, driving up north is sometimes just a little more energy than we%26#39;re willing to put out too often. And as the north is truly beautiful, I%26#39;d like to immerse myself more in it rather than just a day-trip or two.

I stayed at Lihue last year and the location was great. I had a very nice condo for 10 days at a cost of $1500. Another travelor got the same condo online at VRBO.com for one month at a cost of $2000.

Mahalo

Thanks for all the great advice! I think we%26#39;re definitely looking to be close to the water, and I think we%26#39;re tossed between the suggestion to stay south, or split the time north/south (those were definitely our favorites when we went a year ago).

Rustyone, can you provide the name of the condo? I think now we%26#39;ve got to really tune into a good condo (or two) either north or south. Thanks again all to the great replies!!!

Thanks for all the great advice! I think we%26#39;re definitely looking to be close to the water, and I think we%26#39;re tossed between the suggestion to stay south, or split the time north/south (those were definitely our favorites when we went a year ago).

Rustyone, can you provide the name of the condo? I think now we%26#39;ve got to really tune into a good condo (or two) either north or south. Thanks again all to the great replies!!!

Me again. If I were going during summer, I would make sure part of that time was on the North shore - the water is so calm and wonderful then - beaches such as Ke%26#39;e, Tunnels, etc., are just paradise!! Pick places near Hanalei/Haena, as those are closer to those wonderful beaches. Would hate for you to miss out on those opportunities. :)

Ipinkai, the condo was Radisson Kauai Beach Resort. The condo is centrally located and close to the ocean. Use of the Radisson Hotel amentities (next door) is also included. The condo was clean and spacious and looked exactly like the internet photos I found online.