Limited time from Lihue, drive north or west?

We%26#39;re a party of 6 (middle age to retired) arriving by cruise on Aug. 31, at Nawiliwili port 8am-5pm. Some of us will like to take a helicopter tour, which probably will finish around 11am. After that we%26#39;d like to rent a van and drive.

We need to be back to ship by 4:30pm. So we can either drive north to near the start of the Napili coast, or west to see the Waimea Canyon.

I tried to inquire if there are early afternoon boat tours near the north, but they all seem to be long tours in the afternoon.

What are your suggestions? What are the considerations going either north or west?

Thanks a lot.

Limited time from Lihue, drive north or west?

You could actually do either direction, but not both. You will be arriving on a weekday which means you need to plan for traffic in the afternoon. If you go to Waimea from Lihue, it will take you about 30-45 minutes depending on how far up the canyon you want to go. On the way back down, you could stop in Poipu, see the Spouting Horn, do a little shopping, look at some of the resorts and head back to Nawiliwili.

If you go north, you will see a lot of beaches. You could do some shopping at the Coconut Marketplace in Kapaa, see the Kilauea Lighthouse, Hanalei Bay and Princeville. You won%26#39;t see much of NaPali unless you%26#39;re on a boat. The drive north from Lihue to Princeville will take about 30-45 minutes and will show you the more green, lush side of the island. On the way back however, be prepared for a lot of traffic through Kapaa and Wailua. The drive from Princeville to Lihue could easily take 90 minutes if traffic is bad (which it usually is on weekdays from about 3pm-6pm).

Limited time from Lihue, drive north or west?

Given the choice, I%26#39;d go North. If you run short on time, you can take the Kapaa Bypass road on the way back, to avoid the traffic.

Middleager-

How sad that you only get a day on the island! One day you will have to come back. You just can%26#39;t fully appreciate the beauty of it in that short of a time. I have been twice(@ one week each) and I still haven%26#39;t seen it all! May I suggest Waimea Canyon? I don%26#39;t remember how far it is from Lihue, maybe someone else on this forum can help. But if you or anyone in you party has seen the Grand Canyon, this is a must. It%26#39;s the Grand Canyon in living color. The North shore is another definite must do. The Pacific Cafe is a great place to eat, if it is open. Someone on the forum mentioned that is was being remodled or relocated. Enjoy your cruise and your time on Kauai!!!

Gosh..with only four hours I would have to say ';go west.';

Aug. 31 is a Wednesday and traffic might be lighter to go in either direction relative to weekend traffic. As a previous post suggests, if you do go north you could take the bypass at Kapaa where traffic is most dense most times of day. Likewise, Hanalei can be crowded and slow you down a bit getting to and back from Ke%26#39;e Beach (start of Na Pali), if you must to be back to the ship by 4:30 pm. The north is really very lush and beautiful as kwills describes it.

It is a real toss up. Personally, I think it is a straighter shoot to Waimea town with less traffic congestion there and then up the canyon road. You will want to see the Kalalau Lookout as well as you drive down from the canyon vista point (several miles 3-5?). Then, on your way back to the harbor from Waimea you can make the decision that you do have time enough left to drive to Koloa, Poipu and Hanapepe.

Aloha.

P.S. Middleager...don%26#39;t you just feel 19 in your head!

I retired at 65 in 2003 and am just picking up my life where I left off before the 50-year indenture! Go Mapleleafs!

Thanks for the suggestions.

Well, I am middle age, wished I was 19.

I am torn on whether to go north, or southwest to Waimea Canyon. We (4 of us) should finish the helicopter ride by 10:30-11. If I could get a boat ride for the 6 of us leaving Hanalei at 12-12:30pm till say 2:30pm, that would be most ideal. We would get to see Napili coast by boat. Unfortunately I haven%26#39;t found such a boat opertor yet.

Are there kayaking available in the northern beaches?

If going south, how much time does it take (without stopping, but leisurely driving) to get to the Waimea Canyon%26#39;s northern point for the lookout (Kalalau lookout?) of Napili coast?

Thanks a lot.

Look back to kwills11 post for time from Nawiliwili (Lihue) to Waimea. Leisurely to me would mean an hour. You are right, Napali Coast boat tours are too long for your limited time.

If you want to rent a kayak, do the Wailua River which is about 10 minutes from your ship and about 7 miles north.

May I suggest, if you go north, a place to eat! After you go through Kapa%26#39;a, On your left will be Duane%26#39;s Ono Charburgers. You need to be watching for it because it won%26#39;t catch your eye otherwise! It is well known and also very well reviewed. You order at the window and sit at cement tables to eat.....or I believe there is a park of some sort nearby, you might ask. Roosters and chickens will be roaming around watching you eat...common on Kauai. The bugers are wonderful and big and a lot of choices. Onion rings are fabulous. Marionberry shake...excellent. Making myself hungry!! Time for a trip to Kauai!

I agree with Patti-2004 about Duanes Ono Charburgers being a great place to get a burger on Kauai, and the Marrionberry Shake was great too! BUT, Duanes will be on the RIGHT side of the hwy going north from Kapaa, not the left. And it does come up quickly! Almost missed it myself, and I was going slow and looking for it :)

Have a great time while you are on the island!

-Aloha :-)

Dan

You mentioned a boat tour out of Hanalei. Have you checked on Napali tours out of Port Allen on the south side? You may be able to charter a zodiac if you can%26#39;t find a catamaran tour.