The Nawiliwili
Lighthouse
Overview:
Nawiliwili Harbor
Ahhhh
Kauai. Known as the "Garden Isle" Kauai is the oldest
island in the Hawaiian chain and enjoys heavy rainfall
year around on part of the island. In fact, the wetest
place on Earth is the Alakai Swamp on the top of Mt.
Waialeale. While most of the island is green and
verdant, the southern and western shorea of the island
offers wonderfully sunny beaches to enjoy. Most of Kauai
is still remote and the main road encircles about 80% of
the island making it impossible to get lost while
driving.
Cruise
Port Location and Information:
Docked at Nawiliwili,
Kauai
Cruise
ships dock in Nawiliwili Harbor on the southern coast of
Kauai near the city of Lihue, Kauai's largest city.
Kauai's LIH airport is about ten minutes from the cruise
ship dock. Since Nawiliwili Harbor is primarily a
commercial harbor, there is no cruise ship terminal
located here.
Be
aware that the entrance channel into Nawiliwili Harbor
is quite narrow and if there is a substantial swell or a
lot of wind, the ship may elect not to stop here.
Exploring on Your Own:
A Cruise Ship Seen From
Kalapaki Beach
Kauai
is easily explored on your own. Depending on what you
would like to do, one can easily spend the day right in
the area of the port and have an excellent time. Right
adjacent to the cruise dock is Kalapaki Beach, which is
only a ten minute walk, or so.
Walk to Kalapaki Beach
from Cruise Ship
The
Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club is located right on
Kalapaki Beach and offers a tremendous array of things
to do. Besides relaxing on the white sand beach, there
is surfing (2 breaks right there) snorkeling, SUPing and
one of Kauai's best golf courses. If you do like to play
golf, the Kauai Lagoons Championship Golf Course
surrounds the Kauai Marriott. You should make tee times
well in advance of your visit though.
Kalapaki Beach Rentals
Everything you need to have fun on your day at Kalapaki
Beach is right there to rent and/or purchase. You can
also arrange surfing lessons and a SUP lesson to boot.
Lunch at Dukes Kauai right on Kalapaki Beach is also a
"must do". All in all, if you are looking for a
wonderful day at the beach, some shopping, sunshine and
a lively setting, you don't have to go any further than
Kalapaki Beach right by the ship.
The Kauai Marriott Pool
and Kalapaki Beach
However, if exploring the island of Kauai is on your
plan, be sure to rent a car in advance of arriving. Most
car rental companies have shuttles that run between the
airport (where the cars are) and the cruise ship.
Driving on Kauai is easy and it is impossible to get
lost.
Shopping Tips:
Nawiliwili's Harbor
Mall
Adjacent to the Nawiliwili Stream and across the street
from Kalapaki Beach is the Harbor Mall. Here you will
find several restaurants and many shops to keep you busy
shopping. They offer a free shuttle from the cruise
ship, but frankly, it is a short walk to and from the
mall.
Anchor Cove Shopping
Center, Nawiliwili, Kauai
Right
on the walk to Kalapaki Beach there is an excellent
little shopping Center that has just about every
Hawaiian brand located in it. You will find Crazy
Shirts, Honolua Clothing Company and others. There is a
large ABC store and a nice restaurant to enjoy. There is
also an activities center that sells tours to all
aspects of Kauai and you can easily find one here if
that is your objective. The benefit to booking off the
ship is that you will ride in a van, not a motor coach
with 50 cruise passengers.
Nawiliwili Tavern
Don't
miss the infamous Nawiliwili Tavern. While this is more
of a night spot on Kauai, they open at 2pm and enjoying
an adult beverage at the tavern is a must do. It has
been operating for over a century and changed name a
couple of times, but this famous old tavern offers
excellent libation and fun. Be sure to pick up a memento
at the tavern's shop.
The Kauai Marriott
Resort and Beach Club
There
are also several shops in the Kauai Marriott Resort that
offer local jewelry, shell leis, clothing, souvenirs,
art work and collectibles. The Marriott also has a handy
market for beach snacks and such if you want something
to
In
addition to the shopping in the Nawiliwili area, one can
find excellent shopping opportunities in Hanalei, Kapaa
(Coconut Marketplace) Lihue and old Koloa Town just
outside of Poipu Beach. While there is a mall just
outside of Lihue, it serves locals primarily and offers
major stores found everywhere. The real shopping
opportunities in Kauai are found in the little shops and
boutiques that offer unique and unusual Hawaiian items
such as clothing, jewelry, art and crafts. Also, as in
many other ports in Hawaii, Wal Mart offers a free
shuttle from the ship to the local Wal Mart if you need
items found there.
Port
Highlights:
Waimea Canyon - The
Grand Canyon of the Pacific
Kauai
is blessed with a number of fantastic treasures, but
Waimea Canyon is probably the most dramatic. The most
enjoyable way to view the canyon is by taking a
helicopter tour of it. And, the best place to tour from
is Princeville on the north coast. Helicopters will fly
up the side of Mt. Waialeale and then frop into the
crater in an awe inspiring experience. They will buzz
the Alakai Swamp and numerous waterfalls that make their
way to Waimea Canyon floor. They will then climb up the
northern side of the canyon and drop down to the Na Pali
Coast to tour the coast line as they make their way back
to Princeville. The trip exposes Kauai's wild interior
and northern coastline. If you are going to do just one
helicopter tour while in Hawaii, this is the one.
Wailua River and Fern
Grotto Boat Tour
Taking
the boat up the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto has been
a staple for visitors to Kauai for decades and it is
still a lot of fun. You board the boat and are
entertained all the way up the river (Kauai's only
navigatable river) and then folks debark at a small dock
and walk to the Fern Grotto where they are serenaded by
locals singers and dancers. The acoustics of the grotto
are perfect.
Beautiful Poipu Beach
While
the beach at Kalapaki is wonderful, if you are looking
for a more serious day at the beach, head to Poipu
Beach. Poipu offers surfing, snorkeling, body surfing
and boogie boarding (Brennecke Beach) SUPing and
excellent swimming on a white sandy beach. Nearby Koloa
town, which you drive right past to get to Poipu is well
worth a visit. Dating back well over a century, Old
Koloa Town still retains its authentic Hawaiian flavor
and offers numerous shops, boutiques, restaurants and
bars.
Your
ship will offer a variety of shore excursions built
around soft adventure and you can do virtually all of
them on your own by planning in advance.
Off the
Beaten Path:
Taking
a tour to Niihau Island (the Forbidden Isle) via Niihau
Helicopters is something you will remember forever.
Niihau iis a private island that has no electricity,
telephones or other modern day conveniences. In fact, it
was impossible to visit Niihau until just recently. The
island has preserved the Hawaiian culture the way it has
been for generations and visitors experience the way
Hawaii used to be centuries ago.
Since
there are none of the traditional flowers on Niihau to
make leis, the residents of Niihau have made their leis
from tiny shells that populate the island. Niihau shell
leis are quite exquisite and expensive, as it may take
years to find enough shells that look exactly alike to
make one lei. Multiple strand leis may sell for tens of
thousands of dollars. If you have been there and done
that, plan on visiting Niihau during your port call, but
make sure to make advance arrangements before you arrive
in Nawiliwili. The best way to visit is by
.
Dining
and Drinking Suggestions:
Duke's
in Waikiki is a famous landmark and "must dine"
restaurant and the Barefoot Bar a favorite hang out with
everyone. Duke's Kauai is no different. Located right on
Kalapaki Beach, Dukes is the place to have lunch during
your stay in Kauai. You can drink and dine in the
Barefoot Bar overlooking the beach and surf or have a
more formal lunch in the restaurant upstairs. Duke's is
an excellent place to plan your day around.
Must Do
List:
Waimea Canyon
Doing a
helicopter tour of Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast
is certainly a "must do" and while helicopter tours are
available on every island, thi si the one to do if you
are only going to do one. You will remember it forever.
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