Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HURRICANE CHICKENS (& ROOSTERS)
Before you get too annoyed at the thousands of wild chickens on Kauaʻi, consider
their back-story. The original chickens to populate Hawaii were jungle fowl(moa),
introduced by the first Polynesians. These vividly colored birds later cross-bred
with domestic chickens brought by Westerners. During plantation days, Kauaʻi's
wild-chicken population was kept in check by field fires (a regular event before har-
vest, to allow more efficient reaping). After the sugar industry began to go bust, the
chicken population boomed.
When Hurricane ʻIwa and Hurricane ʻIniki struck in 1982 and 1992 respectively,
they obliterated the cages of Kauaʻi's fighting cocks, as well as those of the local
chicken ranchers, adding thousands more chickens to the wild. With no mongoose
or snake population to prey on fowl, wild chickens proliferated.
You'll see them perched in trees, running across fields, roaming parking lots and
otherwise strutting their stuff across the island. Most locals have adopted an atti-
tude of acceptance toward the chickens, but warn of theirlolo(crazy) schedules:
instead of crowing only at dawn, they cock-a-doodle-doo at random times and
seem confused by a full moon or any late-night light. Before you book accommod-
ations, ask whether there are chickens living within earshot. Or just wear earplugs.
Sleeping
The following are in the Koloa, Omao and Lawaʻi residential neighborhoods.
Boulay Inn
INN $
airy one-bedroom guest apartment attached to a reasonably well-updated family home in
quiet residential Omao. The 500-sq-ft space is comfy rather than fancy and sits atop a
garage. Features include wraparound lanai, full kitchen, private phone line, high ceilings
and free use of the washer-dryer. A cleaning fee ($50) is charged.
Yvonne's B&B
B&B $
(
742-2418; yvonne.e.johnson@gmail.com; 3857 Omao Rd; s/d $79/89, incl breakfast $89/109;
) Stylishly decorated with a mixture of Hawaiian artifacts and retro furnishings, this
B&B is perfect for a couple wanting a gregarious and obliging host or a single traveler
craving a place to call home. Homemade breads and jams are regularly provided and the
outdoor shower might have you reconsidering ever showering indoors again (although
there is an indoor shower, too).
