i stayed next door to that hotel, at the outrigger, and the hyatt was NICEEE! i snuck in to the jacuzzi and everything there on the grounds were perfect. poipu beach is really nice, the sunny side of the island and the water/weather is always ALWAYS warm, even at night the water is like a bathtub. the north side has the best snorkeling, although it can be dangerous at this time of year cause theres huge waves.

Poipu Beach is a good snorkeling spot on the south side of the island, though not as good as Ke’e Beach up past Princeville on the north. Although, the large north swells can cause a lot of turbulence up there, resulting in cloudy water (there is a high surf advisory with waves to 16 feet right now). You can lay out on the sand at Poipu. But, it’s kind of a small strip, not a big expansive sandy beach. The best place to lay out is on the grassy park on the south end of the beach. Or, do so at your resort. And yes, the water is blue and the sand is pretty soft – almost too soft – and it’s at kind of a steep angle. That’s another reason I recommend the grass.

About 3 miles to the south is a big, expansive sandy beach called Brennecke Beach. If that’s the kind of beach you’re looking for, that’s the place to go.

With the exception of snorkeling or hiking around Waimea Canyon, there isn’t a whole lot to do on Kauai. It rains a lot (a spot on top of Waimea Canyon is the rainiest spot on earth with nearly 500 inches a year). Day cruises or sunset cruises can be fun, especially this time of year with the whale season. And, a sunset cruise to the Na Pali coast is spectacular (be on the lookout for dolphins playing with the boat). Just be wary of going out on a boat if you get seasick. The high winds and swells this time of year can make the boat rock pretty good. And, once you’re out there, you aren’t coming back for a few hours.

But, Kauai is mostly for couples who want a laid back Hawaiian vacation. There’s a lot more to do and fun places to go on Maui, which is and has always been my favorite Hawaiian island.

The Grand Hyatt is the resort of resorts here on the island. You’ll get exactly what you pay for at this hotel, from menus catered to specific dietary needs, to the most awesome on site amenities at almost any hotel in the state. This hotel made the Travel Channel’s top 10 Hotels in Hawaii (or something like that).

Poipu beach, while gorgeous, is often over run with tourists, and unfortunately the weather right now is pretty rainy. My boyfriend and I were in Poipu yesterday and while it wasn’t rainy, it was pretty overcast and windy. The water was still clear though, and the sand at Poipu beach (which is actually down to road by the Sheraton) is soft, I guess… I can’t think of any beaches on Kauai where the sand is hard. For the most part, any beach you go to on Kauai will have soft sand and crystal clear water, provided of course the weather is nice. It’s when there’s a storm (either hitting the island, or offshore) that makes the water dirty.

The beaches on the North Shore are way nicer than the ones on south side (in my opinion). Lumahai is my absolute favorite, the most photographed beach in Hawaii, and Ke’e is a famous snorkeling spot, as is Tunnels.

If you start at Ke’e on the north shore, and drive all the way around the island to Koke’e (which only takes 2-3 hours depending on traffic, seriously), you’ll see a complete change through about 4 different climate types, from a rain forest, to the humid sea level coastline, to something I can only describe as rustic suburbs where the plants are between that gorgeous green and yellow, and the color range is much larger, to flat out desert.

Kauai is also a nature lover’s paradise, nicknamed the Garden Island for it’s lush tropical greenery. Don’t expect malls, or even large chains like Target, we just got our Costco a couple years ago, just after the Home Depot and Walmart. Kauai is very laid back, and while we do things on our own time, we do still have lives and places to go. And lastly, Hawaii, and Hawaiian locals, are all about respect. Remember, this is our home, we’re not all on vacation, and we have a very deep and rich culture. So long as you remember to respect that people live here and are different from you, you’ll be fine. You wouldn’t be too happy with discourteous house guests that left their trash all over the place and made fun of the way you live your lives, now would you?

That’s all I can tell you. If you have any other specific questions, feel free to email me.

Definitely a posh mega-resort, you will LOVE it! They have a network of fresh-water ponds with beautiful Japanese koi, with an amazing restaurant that appears to “float” in the water.

The Grand Hyatt is on the “dry” side of Kauai (this is a relative term remember), so the sun is normally out and there is less rain, which is why it is here next to Poipu Beach. Good snorkeling, sand and sun! The water is blue, but not as clear as some parts of the Caribbean or Tahiti because of the rich, nutrients draining from the volcanic islands, there is more algae in the water. You may not notice the difference, however.

Make sure to go to the rainy side of the island, called the Hanalei area, you can take a rubber-raft (zodiac) ride along the Na Pali coast to view sea caves and waterfalls that fall into the ocean! Just make sure to go on a day where the waves are not too rough…

You can also cruise down the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto. This is admittedly touristy, but if this is your first time here, definitely worth seeing a navigable river on such a little island!

Drive up to Waimea Canyon to see an amazing canyon which looks like the Grand Canyon…again amazing to have a canyon like this on such a little island, but of course as the rainiest spot on earth, a lot of water to carve the side of the volcano!

There is a restaurant which will be fun for you and the family, touristy and campy, but you will really enjoy it!:

It is very posh. I have stayed there several times and this is one of the most luxuriant hotels on Kauai. The beach is right at the hotel and is nice, Monk seals often will come up onto that beach. They are very protected but you will get to see them. There is not anything bad about this place except that it is a bit of a drive to get into town.