Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( ) This sandy beach and sheltered bay is tucked between a marina and mountainous
spine, and overlooked by an enviable collection of houses on the rocky ridge to the east.
The easy-access location and remarkable versatility makes it popular among families.
The calmer waters toward the east are good for swimming, while the swells toward the
west draw bodyboarders and surfers.
It's a good place for beginners, as surfers of all skill levels can enjoy the spot. You
have to paddle out about 50yd to get to the reef, and it's an easy paddle. There's no
pounding shorebreak to get through. Most go right - that's a mellow and predictable
wave, but there are more aggressive lefts here too.
Kilohana Plantation
HISTORIC SITE
(
www.kilohanakauai.com
;
3-2087 Kau-mualiʻi Hwy; 9:30am-6:30pm Mon-Sat, to 5pm Sun;
)
If you're curious about how Kauaʻi's powerful sugar barons lived, visit this hand-
some plantation estate turned shopping complex, which also hosts a stellar luau show.
Plantation owner Gaylord Parke Wilcox built the house in 1936. The 15,000-sq-ft Tudor-
style mansion has been painstakingly restored and its legacy as one of Kauaʻi's distin-
guished historic houses is unquestioned.
Antique-filled rooms and ornate carpets on hardwood floors lead you past cases of poi
(fermented taro) pounders, koa bowls and other Hawaiiana to a row of gallery shops. Our
favorite attraction is the Kauai Plantation Railway (
Click here
)
, which features open-air
replica cars and a restored historic train that passes fields of tropical crops and modest
pastures with cattle and horses. The big thrill for city-slicker kids is stopping to feed an
eager herd of pigs.
Kauaʻi Museum
MUSEUM
(
245-6931;
www.kauaimuseum.org
; 4428 Rice St; adult/senior/student 12-17yr/child 6-11yr $10/
8/6/2; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat, live music 1-2pm Sat)
The island's largest museum is set in
two buildings - one of which was built with lava rock in 1960. This is where you can get
a quick grounding in Kauaʻi's history specifically, and Hawaiian history in general, espe-
cially if you catch a free
guided tour
(10:30am Monday to Friday; call for reservations).
There is a smattering of Asian art here too.
The first Saturday of the month is free.
Wailua Falls
WATERFALL
