Blog | Kauai Articles

Covid-19 Updates Removed

Covid-19 Updates that had been provided to guests and potential visitor of Kauai have been removed from our site. Since there are no travel restrictions, we found the updates may have been found confusing.

There are no travel restrictions to Kauai due to Covid-19. Hawaii has discontinued emergency declarations that may have had an effect to visitors to Hawaii and Kauai.

We look forward to seeing you in Kauai.

Poipu Beach Restaurants

Poipu Beach Restaurants & Cafes. Central to My Kauai Vacation Rental

Restaurants Near to Poipu Beach & Our Vacation Rental
Photo courtesy of Free Range Stock / Candace McDaniel, Photographer

Along with having some of the best beaches and shopping destinations in the world, Poipu is also home to a mix of high end cuisine, ethnic restaurants and traditional island food. If you’re looking for something as simple as a burger & fries or fresh off the boat fish and a fine wine, you are certain to find something for everyone on the menus of the restaurants in Poipu, Kauai.  While staying at our Vacation Rental, you may not want to cook every night, so below are a good sample of Restaurants and Cafes Nearby that you may wish to try.

The Lanai Restaurant and Bar
2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka St. Koloa, HI. 96756
Located In: Kukui’ula Village Shopping Center
Menu: thelanaikauai.com
Phone: (808) 378-4359
Lanai: a type of roofed, open-sided veranda, balcony, patio or porch originating in Hawaii. Family owned and operated, The Lanai is a spot for friends and family to effortlessly enjoy great drinks, even better food, and the best of company while reveling in the spectacular setting that is the island of Kauai. Together, our family loves lounging outdoors and sharing food and a drink or two… or three, who’s counting? We feel that on Kauai, the most amazing experiences occur outdoors and your dining experience should be no different. The Lanai has a seat for our entire Kauai ‘ohana, where family and friends can kick back, hang out and let loose… or should we say, hang loose. Pau!

Brennecke’s Beach Broiler
2100 Ho’one Rd Koloa, HI. 96756
Menu: Brenneckes.com
Phone: (808) 742-7588
The place for delicious lunches, sumptuous dinners, happy hour specials, beach deli, seafood, pasta, steak and pupu platters. What a mouthful!

Keoki’s Paradise
2360 Kiahuna Plantation Dr.
Located In: Poipu Shopping Villiage
Menu: Keokis.com
Phone: (808) 742-7534
Keoki’s Paradise invites you to relax in a lush tropical paradise, with delicious island style cooking, exotic drinks, and live music. Seafood is the main attraction, but the restaurant also features prime rib, steaks, and a full children’s menu to satisfy everyone in the family. The tropical ambiance and moderate pricing, have made Keoki’s one of the island’s more popular destinations. Don’t forget to try the Hula Pie!

Continue reading “Poipu Beach Restaurants”

Vacation Home Rental Verses Hotel Room – Which To Choose?

Vacation Rental VS Hotel

You have booked your tickets for a flight to the Garden Island and now you need to find a place to stay. Vacation rental or hotel room? The choice is easy. My wife and I have traveled extensively over the last few years and we have found renting a vacation rental home for lodging far outweighs staying at a hotel. Here is why.

After a busy day out visiting a new destination it is wonderful to be able to come “home” to a private place.

We have found that Days tend to be a bit longer when one is on vacation. We are usually busy walking, hiking, touring, trying to see as much as we can and after many hours we are ready to relax, even if it is in the middle of the afternoon. Who wants to go back to a hotel room with just a bed a and a TV in it? When we make our lodging choice a vacation rental property, especially a nice one, going back to it at the end of an excursion is a welcome relief.

There is a kitchen, a living room and perhaps even a pool.Our Poipu Vacation Rental When the weather is not cooperating (it happens, especially in tropical environments) we have a home in which to do indoor activities we like to do most (read, yoga, play games, or enjoy the view).

Eating out is great but three times a day?

When we are on vacation the last thing my wife or I want to do is cook every meal. If our lodging choice is a hotel, however, there is no option we have to go out for every single meal. When staying at a vacation rental we are able to cook up a breakfast while still wearing night clothes. Poipu Vacation Rental, Manualoha 601 KitchenWe can pack a lunch and take it with us to the beach or where ever we decide to go. And, after a long day of hiking we can whip up something easy to eat rather than wait for a table at a restaurant.

When we want someone else to cook, we can hire a chef to come to the house or go to the restaurant of our choosing. This flexibility means less stress and more relaxation.

Most resort hotels have fabulous pool areas but they come with a price.

There are no doubts that most resort hotels have fabulous pools. Unfortunately though you must share those pools with many other people, including other people’s children. No offense against children but they can be loud, and you really can’t do much about it. If our lodging choice is a vacation rental with a pool it is all mine to enjoy.

Which leads us now to is privacy.

The only place private at a hotel is your room, even then housekeeping comes by each day and prompts you to feel the need to be out of their way. When we rent a vacation rental home we are assured of privacy. Often times the homes are in residential areas where the only people you might run into are the neighbors out walking their pets.

Owners of vacation rental properties generally take pride in their home.

Our Poipu Vacation Rental Kauai Living roomOur experience is that vacation rental property owners want you to have a wonderful stay at their home. They are usually good about communicating and answering your questions prior to your stay. Most make sure to have books and brochures full of local information about the area and suggestions as to where to eat, shop or explore available in the home. In our case we supply our guests with our Digital Welcome Book & Local Guide.

Their local knowledge is especially valuable, if they live full time in the area.

A Vacation rental home will most times be less expensive than hotels.

If you have a large family or group that would require more than one hotel room, a vacation rental may save you money in the long run. When booking a home we always ask what the total amount will be, including rent, cleaning, taxes, or other related costs to the rental. A quote is always given along with payment requirements so there are no unexpected fees.

Often after making the lodging choice of a hotel room we tend to find out after arriving that there are Resort Fees & other charges tacked on to the bill. Many hotels charge for parking now on top of the room charges. We also take into account other rentals we might have to pay for such as bikes, tennis rackets, snorkeling gear, boogie boards or an ice chest. Our Poipu Beach vacation rental and many others, will provide these at no charge. All of these expenses need to be taken into account when you decide where to stay.

The Exception

 

Vacation rentals are not always the best lodging though, if we need a room for only one night. If we plan to stay for three or more nights, we will look for a vacation rental home in the area before booking anything else. We will try to book directly with the owner. That way we can also save on any service or or booking fee a manager or booking company like VRBO, Airbnb or HomeAway charge.

Now, we know these things, not just because we have traveled a lot, but because we own a vacation rental on Kauai, Hawaii. The photos above & below in the gallery have been taken of our home or of the surrounding areas of Manualoha at Poipu Kai. Every vacation rental that we have stayed in has helped to make us very aware of what is important to a traveler. That is what has allowed us to be able to exceed most traveler’s needs and expectations with many 5 Star Reviews.

My Kauai VacationRental - Manualoha 601 Bedroom

We truly believe you will feel more rested and have a better experience at a vacation rental home especially if it is ours. Give our Vacation Rental a try, you’ll make the switch from hotels too!

 

You can read more of our Articles about Kauai, the Poipu Area or Vacation Rentals look for the Category List on the right side of this page. You can also click on these links if you are looking for more information about our Vacation Rental in Kauai or to schedule your next trip to Kauai.

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Koloa Plantation Days

Koloa Plantation Days 2018Koloa Plantation Days

– is held on Kauai’s south shore every year in July. The many ethnic groups that came to Hawaii to work on sugar plantations, and the Hawaiians who welcomed them, are celebrated through music, dance, costumes, and food throughout this ten-day festival.

Koloa Plantation Days

 The Festival is held in the area where Hawaii’s first sugar plantation was founded in 1835. Koloa Plantation Days comprises a lively, family-oriented slate of events that showcase the area’s social history. Its natural history, and its diverse cultural traditions. Most events are outdoors and free of charge.  The Plantation Days also celebrates the immigrants who came from Philippines, Europe, the Azores, Japan, Korea, China, and elsewhere. Each who contributed traditions, music, dances, and foods. along with the Hawaiian culture, traditions, crafts, and music which are the foundation of this island. The various events will remind us and teach us about this culture and history.

With different events through out the festival for all ages check the event daily schedule at: http://www.koloaplantationdays.com/eventlist.php where you are sure to find something the whole family will enjoy. There are events for Sports & Active Lifestyle, Kids & Family Fun, Local Foods & Shopping, Island Culture & History and Events like the Annual Historic Kola Plantation Days Parade.

If you would like to find out how you can become a part of Koloa Plantation Days, please contact the Event Coordinator.

There’s still time to get involved and participate.
For the Parade, Craft Booths and Food Booths,
Contribute to the Silent Auction or Buy a Commemorative T shirt!,
Join our volunteers to bring the festival to visitors & community.

Advance registration now available:
Koloa Plantation Days Rodeo,
Family Fun Run,
Keiki Ukulele Contest,
Koloa Rum Plantation Heritage Dinner,
For inquiries, please email info@koloaplantationdays.com.

Remember to Use “Reef Safe” Sunscreen When Visiting the Beach

Most sunscreens on the market are not only detrimental to our ocean reefs, but also unsafe for any nature water environment.
Photo credit: Cindy Ellen Russel / Honolulu Star-Advertiser

How are we unknowingly killing the reefs? – Sunscreen

The sunscreen that snorkelers, beachgoers and children romping in the waves lather on for protection is killing coral and reefs around the globe. A new study finds that a single drop in a small area is all it takes for the chemicals in the lotion to mount an attack. The study determined that a tiny amount of sunscreen is all it takes to begin damaging the delicate corals — the equivalent of a drop of water in a half-dozen Olympic-sized swimming pools — The ingredients Oxybenzone and Octinoxate breaks the coral down, robbing it of life-giving nutrients and turning it ghostly white.

Across the world each year, up to 14,000 tons of sunscreen lotions are discharged into coral reef, and much of it “contains between 1 and 10 percent oxybenzone.”

Coral reefs are more than just exotic displays of color on the sea bed. They spawn the fish humans eat and protect miles of coast from storm surge. Local economies also receive billions of dollars from visitors to reefs through diving tours, recreational fishing trips, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses based near reef ecosystems.

Oxybenzone is mixed in more than 3,500 sunscreen products worldwide, including popular brands such as Coppertone, Baby Blanket Faces, L’Oreal Paris, Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat. There are alternative sunscreens with no oxybenzone, including a product called Badger Natural Sunscreen and dozens of others.

Sunscreen ingredients to avoid;

  1. Avoid sunscreens containing petrolatum, commonly known as mineral oil, which takes years to biodegrade, and are known to be harmful or fatal to aquatic life and waterfowl.
  2. Avoid sunscreens with high content of Titanium Dioxide. This mineral does not biodegrade and is found to react in warm seawater to form hydrogen peroxide which is harmful to all sea life.
  3. Oxybenzone and octinoxate, the two chemicals recently banned in Hawaii and are believed to cause coral bleaching.

Here is a list of sunscreens considered to be reef safe. Made in Hawaii sunscreens are marked with an *asterisks.

  • *Kokua Sun Care Hawaiian SPF 50 Natural Zinc Sunscreen
  • *Mama Kuleana Waterproof SPF 30 Reef-safe Sunscreen
  • *Little Hands Hawaii SPF 35+ All-natural and Organic Sunscreen
  • Manda Organic SPF 50 Sun Paste
  • *Raw Love SPF 35 All-natural Mineral Sunscreen
  • Thinksport SPF 50 Sunscreen
  • All Good SPF 30 Sport Sunscreen Lotion
  • Babo Botanicals SPF 30 Clear Zinc Lotion
  • Suntegrity Natural Mineral Sunscreen
  • Badger SPF 30 Unscented Sunscreen Cream
  • Raw Elements SPF 30 Certified Natural Sunscreen
  • Stream2Sea SPF 30 Mineral Sunblock
  • Loving Naturals Clear Body SPF 30+ All-natural Sunscreen
  • Banana Boat Simply Protect SPF 50+ Sunscreen (spray, not lotion)
  • Olita Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30

Not only is it a good idea to use “Reef Safe” Sunscreens, but Hawaii is the first state in the U.S. to Ban the sale of Sunscreens containing the coral-harming chemicals Oxybenzone and Octinoxate which took effect January 1, 2021.

Our Vacation Home is located on the sunny Southside of Kauai within 300 yards of the world-famous Poipu Beach and Brennecke’s Beach. See information about our home and what makes it a great alternative to a Hotel stay when you visit Kauai.