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It’s always a good time to think about visiting Hawaii, but what’s the first island that comes to mind? Oahu, Maui, the Big Island? What about the Garden Isle, Kauai? It seems that this is one of the overlooked gems, so we are going to explore it!
It may be the smallest island in the chain, but has much to offer – from white sandy beaches to inland canyons, parks and a varied terrain. One of the most popular beaches on Kauai is Poipu Beach where you will find the Sheraton Kauai. It is moderately priced for the area and is only about a 35-45 minute drive from the airport. You will want to rent a car to take advantage of seeing the entire island. At the Sheraton, self-parking is free and valet is offered at $10 per day. There are a variety of accommodations here, but I highly recommend that you book an ocean front room – after all, you have traveled quite a distance for this.
The Sheraton and Poipu Beach are located on the sunny side of the island, so the weather here is pretty great and so are the sunsets. They have a 24-hour fitness center as well as a spa with a complete menu of services.
Daily activities are offered here which I thought were wonderful. They offer yoga, island crafts, ukulele lessons, lei making, introduction to surf and scuba and exploring the tide pool.
Within a 2 mile radius of the hotel are 27 restaurants, horse stables, a racquet club with 10 tennis courts, golf courses and Poipu Beach Park. It’s a 10 minute walk to Poipu Shopping Village and a 15 minute walk to Kukui’ula Village Shopping Center.
You won’t want to just stay at the hotel, although it is tempting, because there is much to explore on Kauai. Your first stop needs to be Waimea Canyon, known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” It is 10 miles by 2 miles and extends 3600 feet down. Wailua Falls is definitely on the list. So, as a Boomer, did you ever watch “Fantasy Island?” Well then, Wailua Falls will be familiar to you as it appeared in the opening sequence of the show. Remember this, it might be a trivia question one day.
Another stop should be Glass Beach with its black and gray sand covered in beautiful colorful beach glass. There are many tours available on the island: helicopter, boat, kayak, zipline, mountain tubing, hiking and even biking down Waimea Canyon. Many of the tour companies will pick you up at the hotel.
Back at the Sheraton, you can dine at Rum Fire’s or Lava’s on Poipu Beach. And who doesn’t love a good luau? The Auli’i Luau is the only oceanfront luau on the island.
So, think about visiting Kauai the next time Hawaii comes to mind and look into the Sheraton in an ocean front room.
Aloha!
Rating: 
January 22, 2023
