The things we do in the sun

Albert and I love Kauai not only for the food but also for the fantastic activities we've enjoyed there. Everything we do there leads to a deep and dark tan that leaves us looking... well, Polynesian. It generally takes us about 2 days before people ask us if we are locals. We love that. Getting back to the things we love to do in Hawaii, it boils down to a few things: snorkeling, golf, surfing, and hiking. Unfortunately, we didn't do much hiking on this last trip because I am more at a waddling stage of pregnancy which is not conducive to climbing down steep inclines. So what did we do?

Captain Andy's Sailing Adventure
Telephone: 335-6833
Cost: $130
Logistics: 5.5 hour trip leaving Port Allen around 6AM. Lunch and breakfast provided.

If there is one definitive guide to any of the islands in Hawaii, it appears to be the blue book you see most tourists lugging around. In general, we have loved this guide and have bought it for every island we have visited. But now that we are Kauai "experts" we feel that there are a few revisions we would seek to add. The first is the Smith Family Luau which we comment on in our restaurants posting below. This came highly recommended in the book.

Napali Coast aboard Captain Andy's
Originally uploaded by amiura.

The second was a negative review they had of Captain Andy's snorkeling trip. I've done three snorkeling trips in Kauai and this was actually a very well run trip. We had few complaints. Sure, the snorkeling left a lot to be desired but the other boat trips weren't that great for the snorkeling either. We got a great view of the Napali Coast, the boat was smooth since it was a catamaran and Albert got to jump off of the side of the boat. Not to mention, this was one of the few boats that would take a six month pregnant lady out to the Napali Coast.

This is where we ended up snorkeling towards the end of the trip. They were pretty strict about the boundaries where we could snorkel and the coral was too deep to really see a lot of fish. The aggressive fish that you see pouncing at the bread they threw into the water near me know that when the boats arrive, food is also nearby so they gather. Unfortunately, it's not the pretty fish that gather. Also, the turtles that were there in the morning were gone by the time we came back for snorkeling.

The real highlight of the snorkeling trip were all of the dolphins we got to see. They followed along the catamaran as we travelled up towards the Napali Coast. It was an incredible sight to see. We even saw baby dolphins that were trying to still get the hang of riding the waves.

Kukuiolono Golf Course
Where: On Papalina Road off of Highway 50 in Kalaheo
Cost: $8 per day and $7 for cart rentals and and another $7 for the most dinged up golf clubs you'll ever find
Logisitics: This place only has 9 holes but we thought that was plenty

We are complete hacks when it comes to golf. We started taking lessons 3 months ago. We both don't own our own clubs but we think it's fun. This golf course was the perfect place for us. It doesn't have quite the beautifully manicured lawns I'm sure you find elsewhere but the views are just as nice and the locals who come out to play are a lot of fun.

Ann goes for the winning shot
Originally uploaded by amiura.

Inevitably, you end up playing with a couple of other locals who you can chat with while you get in your golf game. Also, when you're talking $8 for golf fees and not $170 like at the Kiele Course, it leaves you with $162 of extra lava flows you can consume throughout the course of the trip. Here I am channeling my inner Michelle Wie except that I'm 7 inches shorter. We discovered that Albert has mad skills when it comes to putting and my strength is in chipping... which is why I look so nervous to putt. Golfing here was so relaxing and fun we ended up doing it 3 times!


Surfing
Now I did mention that we did some surfing. In truth, it was Albert doing the surfing this time since I have experienced a shift in my center of mass. Albert doesn't want me sharing these videos because they mostly consist of far away shots of someone paddling and then me making snide comments. However, I will mention that the area by the Sheraton Poipu is great for beginner surfers. It's where all of the schools are. If you don't want to pay money to have some surfer dude push you so you can easily catch a wave, you can always rent a surf board from one of these schools for around $10 and go at it by yourself.