Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
least one other visitor pulling over.) If you're heading to the road's end (Keʻe
Beach), take it slowly and enjoy the crossing of each of the seven one-lane bridges,
the first of which is in Hanalei.
When crossing these bridges, do as the locals do:
»
When the bridge is empty and you reach it first, you can go.
»
If there's a steady stream of cars already crossing as you approach, then simply
follow them.
»
If traffic is 'heavy' and at least five cars have crossed ahead of you, yield to on-
coming traffic. Your generosity will earn ashakasalute (see below).
»
When you see cars approaching from the opposite direction, yield to the entire
queue of approaching cars for at least five cars.
»
Give theshakasign ('hang loose' hand gesture, with index, middle and ring fin-
gers downturned) as thanks to any opposite-direction drivers who have yielded.
Getting There & Away
The parking lot at Keʻe Beach trailhead is quite large but fills quickly during the jam-
packed summer months. Break-ins are rampant; some people advise leaving cars empty
and unlocked to prevent damage such as window smashing, though that seems extreme.
Campers, consider parking at the campground at Haʻena Beach Park (
Click here
)
or stor-
ing your belongings elsewhere and catching a cab to the trailhead; try
Kauai Taxi Com-
pany
(
246-9554)
.
POʻIPU & THE SOUTH SHORE
Tourists adore Poʻipu, and it's no surprise why: sun, surf and sand. The quintessential
elements of a beach vacation are guaranteed here, where the weather's less rainy and the
waves less changeable than on the North Shore. Since the 1970s, huge condos and hotels
have mushroomed along the shore, spawning a critical mass of tourists that will either
entertain or annoy you.
The South Shore also boasts two world- renowned botanical gardens, as well as the
undeveloped Mahaʻulepu Coast, where lithified sand-dune cliffs and pounding surf make
for an unforgettable walk. What's missing is a town center - or any town at all. Thus,
you're bound to stop in Koloa, a former plantation town that's now the South Shore's
lively little commercial center.
