Kauai has so many beautiful areas that it’s tough to decide where to stay. Don’t worry—no matter where you stay, Kauai’s small size means you can easily get to the rest of the island. We’ll give you a brief description of the main visitor areas to help you choose, along with a pronunciation guide so you won’t embarrass yourself.

While we’re on the subject of pronunciation, let’s start with the island. Kauai is officially spelled “Kaua‘i” with the backward apostrophe or okina indicating the presence of a glottal stop, as in the way the air stops in the expression “oh-oh!” For simplicity, we leave out the okina in this website, but you properly pronounce Kauai “ka-wa'-ee” with a glottal stop between the wa and the ee. However, although that’s the “correct” pronunciation, even the locals often pronounce Kauai “ka-wye'” (with the accent on the second syllable).

To understand why Kauai looks the way it does, you need to have a feel for basic Hawaiian island topography and weather patterns. The prevailing tradewinds in Hawaii blow moist ocean air toward the islands from the northeast. That moist air is pushed upward as it reaches the mountains, which cools the air and causes the moisture to condense and fall as rain. That’s why the windward north and east sides of all Hawaiian islands are usually lushly green and often rainy, while the leeward south and west sides are typically sunnier and drier.

You can see that process on Kauai, which is dominated by Mt. Waialeale (wye-ah'-lay-ah'-lay) in the center of the island. The north and east shores of Kauai are lusher and you are more likely to see clouds and rain there than on the south and west shores. However, at 5,148 feet, Mt. Waialeale is shorter than the big mountains on Maui and the Big Island, so it acts as less of a rain block. That means there is less of a difference between North and West Kauai than between opposite sides of Maui and the Big Island, where the leeward side of those islands can look like a desert.

THE NORTH SHORE
When you first pictured Hawaii in your mind, you probably saw spectacular green cliffs—we call them pali—behind white sand beaches and turquoise blue water. Well, that pretty much describes the north shore of Kauai, your vision of a tropical island paradise. When the producers of South Pacific needed a perfect Bali Hai, they came here. In fact, if it didn’t rain so often on the North Shore it would be hard to recommend anywhere else on Kauai to stay.

The road starts (or ends) in Haena (ha-en'-ah), where the picturesque Na Pali Coast is much too rugged for the road to continue. Haena is a quiet area of secluded private homes.

Hanalei (ha-na-lay') may be the most famous town on Kauai. A quaint little community on a perfect half-moon beach, Hanalei has a few small restaurants and shops. Nothing fancy (unless you look at the real estate prices), but one of the “must-sees” on the island.

The planned resort community of Princeville has the most options for accommodations on the North Shore, with two very different luxury hotels and a mixture of condominium complexes. The views can be spectacular (don’t miss the view from the Princeville Hotel even if you don’t stay there) and there are several great beaches and world-class golf resorts. Princeville is definitely a tourist area that looks decidedly modern and up-scale suburban, so it won’t appeal to everybody.

Kilauea (kee-la-way'-ah) is best known for its lighthouse and wildlife refuge. The little town has a few shops and restaurants but is best known for the Kong Lung company, an eclectic retailer sometimes compared to Gump’s in San Francisco. Much of the nearby land is being developed into large estate homes.

THE EAST SHORE
As you drive clockwise around the island, the green jungle of the North Shore gradually changes to more open country. You pass Anahola (ah-na-ho'-la), a quiet residential area with some nice beaches. In a few minutes you arrive in Kapaa (ka-pa'-ah), which together with neighboring Wailua (wye-loo'-ah) has a mix of moderate hotels and condos, a number of small shopping malls, and many individual shops and restaurants. Kapaa and Wailua are not as picturesque or upscale as either the North or South Shore, but if you’re on a budget you’ll find your best bargains here.

Lihue (lee-hoo'-ay) has Kauai’s commercial airport and is the center of government and commerce for the island. Kukui Grove Center (Kauai’s largest shopping mall) and Wal-Mart are both in Lihue. Surprisingly, two good hotels, the Radisson Kauai Beach and the Marriott Kauai, are located near Lihue, although they are in resort settings away from built-up areas of the city.

THE SOUTH SHORE
The South Shore is the single most popular visitor destination on Kauai. It doesn’t have the spectacular setting of the North Shore, but it gets more sun, the beaches are beautiful and swimmable, and the landscape is still very green. Almost all the accommodations on the South Shore are in Poipu (properly pronounced po-ee'-poo but everybody says poy-poo'). Poipu is an upscale area without the meticulous “master plan” look of Princeville. It has luxury hotels, condos, and vacation homes, but it also has a mix of other more affordable accommodations. Poipu has one small shopping area, but most of the shops and restaurants are a few miles inland in the cute little town of Koloa (ko-lo'-ah).

Going west from Koloa you pass through several former sugar plantation towns that are struggling to redefine themselves as agriculture evolves. Hanapepe (ha-na-pay'-pay) has become a thriving artist’s colony with galleries lining its main street. Waimea (wye-may'-ah) and Kekaha (kay-ka'-ha) are the gateways to the Waimea Canyon (often called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific because of its resemblance to that natural wonder) and Kokee (ko-kay'-ay) State Park with its overlook into legendary Kalalau (ka'-la-lau) Valley. The only hotel in this area is Aston Waimea Plantation Cottages, a collection of the former homes of sugar plantation workers that were relocated to a charming oceanfront coconut grove and restored.

We hope you enjoyed this brief tour of Kauai. It really is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and no matter where you stay you’re never very far from anywhere else on the island. So head back to our home page and choose your Kauai hotel or Kauai condo now!