Kauai rolls out the welcome mat — with precautions
Like a breath of fresh tropical air, rules that have scared away mainlanders from visiting what many consider as Hawaii’s most beautiful island have been significantly loosened. Kauai recently reaching Tier 5 status, the least restrictive of Hawaii’s fivelevel system of coronavirus orders, has the tourist-hungry Garden Island embracing visitors with a sigh of relief and heartfelt “e komo mai!” The “welcome” mat at Lihue Airport still comes with strings attached — masking indoors, required proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test — but compared to how things were, this is paradise refound.
Check-in at Timbers Kauai at Hokuala today has you greeted with an orchid lei, a refreshing citrusy arrival drink and, if you’re fully vaccinated, no need to quarantine. That wasn’t the case before July 8, when even the inoculated weren’t allowed off-property at this or other county-designated “resort bubbles” for three to 10 days. Kauai’s restaurants, gyms, buses and attractions can operate at limited capacity and sun and surf, pools and beaches are open. (Rules fluctuate from day to day, so make sure you double-check them before you go.)
Registering at travel.hawaii.gov in advance and masking up in certain settings is a small price to pay for enjoying the island’s stunning scenery and laid-back vibe.
Kauai’s five regions
Choosing a favorite among Kauai’s official regions — South Shore, North Shore, West Side, East Side and Lihue — is difficult. We spent four nights in
July exploring three of them.
The Lihue region is home to Kauai’s chief airport and Nawiliwili Harbor, which, when it’s not used for the climax of “Jurassic Park: The Lost World,” is the island’s cruise ship port. The commercial hub of the island also boasts some cool history, found at the Kauai Museum, Grove Farm Homestead Museum and 1930sera Kilohana Plantation, site of Kauai’s most iconic luau.
For accommodations, there’s Marriott’s Kauai Beach Club, fronted by swimmable, surfable and stand-up paddleboard-able Kalapaki Beach; a former Marriott property recently rebranded as the Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort Lihue (home of the first — but not best — Duke’s restaurant); and the aforementioned Timbers Kauai.
No surprise, the best food in the Lihue region is arguably at Timbers’ signature restaurant, Hualani’s. The marriage of chef Zach Cummings’ culinary prowess and the fruits of “Farmer Cody’s” labor on the property’s 17-acre farm is made in gastronomic heaven. Order the Hawaiian chili-peppered ahi tuna sashimi tataki, locally caught monchong and the apple banana gelato.
Timbers’ events calendar wisely incorporates the resort’s unique farm-to-table initiative, offering tours of the organic orchard most weekdays and a weekly poke master class among other culinary experiences.
Golfers of all levels will enjoy Timbers’ gorgeous, Jack Nicklaus-designed Ocean Course at Hokuala. The Golden Bear himself designed what truly amounts to 18 signature holes. Not intimidating at all was playing with the course’s new golf director, PGA professional Tom Freestone. After his birdie on 16, he could sense his partner needing some transcendent inspiration.
“It’s not about playing your best,” said Freestone, 39. “It’s about gaining a deeper understanding of aloha, sharing it and knowing that we are all united in the spirit of love and consciousness.”
Wish I could say that those moving words lifted my game and I parred the rest of the back nine. Nope. Another two Titleists were sacrificed to the vegetation gods.
The South Shore
Reached through the eucalyptus-lined “Tree Tunnel Road” — called Maluhia Road on Google Maps — Kauai’s South Shore enjoys an abundance of sun on the pristine beaches around Poipu and the area’s fine collection of resorts and hotels, restaurants, shops, activities and natural landmarks.
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is a jewel among four-star South Shore properties that also include a quality Marriott and Sheraton and the pricier Koa Kea Hotel & Resort. The Grand Hyatt oasis features acres of pools, a 1½-acre saltwater lagoon, a lava rock-lined lazy river and the white sands of Keoneloa Bay’s Shipwreck Beach just steps away.
Speaking of views, perhaps the most majestic on the island is of Waimea Canyon on the West Side. Beholding the so-called “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” isn’t cheap — the 15 minutes or so you’ll spend at the mile 10 overlook come with a $10 parking fee plus an additional $5 per person. The rugged crags and valleys that plunge more than 3,600 feet into the earth sure do make for a dramatic selfie, though.
Rounding out the Garden Island’s five regions, charming and beautiful North Shore offers inviting beaches, striking mountains, top-rated Princeville Golf Course and great wildlife viewing near the quaint town of Kilauea, not to be confused with the active volcano on the island of Hawaii that shares its name. The East Side is Kauai’s most populated region and where you’ll find spectacular sights of coconut-lined coasts, mountains and waterfalls, and terrific shopping for local crafts in the town of Kapaa.