North Shore vs. South Shore

Ok, I have been reading a lot of forums that seem to be of the opinion that the North Shore is more geared toward a better ';honeymoon atmosphere'; than the South Shore. My concern is the that I had heard the North Shore is more expensive. Are there any decent condos to rent that still have an oceanview, but that won%26#39;t break the bank? I have seen a lot of pics on line of Sealodge....are these decent condos? Does anyone have any suggestions?

I realize the North coast of the island is more lush, has more cliffs, etc. That isn%26#39;t a problem (sounds gorgeous to me) because I can get in my car and drive to any beach I want to visit, but I really have my heart set on that ocean view from my lanai!

North Shore vs. South Shore

Sealodge is pretty, has great views and ususally gets good trip advisor reviews. Do a search in this forum for Sealodge and you%26#39;ll get a lot of info. The Alli Kai condos in Princeville also have great views. Check out VRBO.com (vacation rentals by owner) for very reasonable rates all over the island.

A lot of north vs. south seems to be the time of year you are planning on being on Kauai and what you want to do. The north shore is very rough in winter and not good for swimming or snorkeling. It%26#39;s great for those things in the summer.

If you don%26#39;t already have The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook (the blue book) you should get that. It has info on everything around the island and also has aerial photos of all of the major hotels and condos, so you can see exactly how close to the beach they are.

Good luck, Kauai is beautiful no matter where you stay.

North Shore vs. South Shore

Sea Cliffs does have ocean views, however, if you are visualizing sandy beaches in front of that ocean, you may be disappointed. Sea Cliffs is located on a high cliff and set back somewhat from the edge thus what you see is basically green grass, then the ocean and blue sky. Units are nice. You might want to also consider Hanalei Colony Resort (don%26#39;t confuse that with Hanalei Bay Resort). The Hanalei Colony is located on about 4 acres of beach front on the north shore. Access to Lumahai beach, Tunnels, Haena and Ke%26#39;e Beach is excellent. The two bedroom conods have twice a week maid service and are situated just prior to the end of the road at Na Pali. The decor is island style and rooms are airy and open with fabulous views and the beach is in your backyard. If you are looking to get away from it all, this may be your place but be aware there are noTV%26#39;s, stereos, or phones (there is a phone by the pools that guests can make complimentary local calls.) They also offer a weekly complimentary poolside breakfast with tea, coffee and juice along with a selection of fresh fruits and freshly baked pastries. One draw back is the drive after dark--think dark dark roads with lots of curves.

I agree with the Hanalei Colony - we checked them out when we were there the last time. What time of your are you going? If you are visiting in the winter, the north area gets a lot of rain during the day time and has a lot of clouds. We liked the south shore just because they had more sun and not as much rain in the winter time. Tons of condos near Poipu area. We loved it down there and had good places to eat. Good luck.

It%26#39;s interesting how we all seem to have our favorite area on Kauai. We much prefer the north--but, we do travel during the summer and that does make a big difference! We%26#39;ve stayed on the south shore but really missed the more tropical, less busy north shore. During the summer months, the north shore often gets rain during the wee hours of the morning--nothing like waking up to a crystal clear world that is scented by tropical flowers. We love sitting on our lanai for breakfast and counting the waterfalls. We did see a marked difference this year due to the drought (waterfalls were lower, east shore was less green, etc). But, not matter which shore you decide on--I have a feeling you%26#39;ll fall in love with Kauai!

all the shores are expensive

north and the south are the best places

do realize staying in the north you will be farther from everything, being in the south you are a little more centralized

north gets more rain, south gets more sun

both are wonderful choices

I don%26#39;t know who told you that information that the north is more expensive than staying on the south shore but it just ain%26#39;t true!!! I was just having a conversation about this very subject with a local who likes to stay at various condos around the island and she said the north shore is a bargain. Personally I think the entire island is a bargain. Go to the Maui rentals and see how much they are!!! A condo on Maui for $300/nite is 1/2 that on Kauai.

Now you know I will talk about HBR and I think this place is a steal. You can get an ocean view room (by private owner) for $150-175 nite. If you don%26#39;t need a full size kitchen then that%26#39;s the way to go. You get a lagoon pool, bar and restaurant on site. 8 tennis courts and a paved beach path. It is 10 minutes to the best beaches on the island. The mountains are right next to you and in some units you hear the waves below. Oh yes they are a/c%26#39;d too.

Another nice complex is Pali Ke Kua. They don%26#39;t have studios which are more reasonable but I think their prices are fare. Sealodge is cheaper but I just don%26#39;t get over the outside look of them. I guess some are nice on the inside but i just want to take a sprayer and paint the entire complex. Many people love that complex so I don%26#39;t want to knock it, but it just looks old and in need of repair. For nice views and cheap one bedrooms you could look at the Cliffs. Again not as nice of complex as HBR or PKK. So again the NS is a bargain.

We own a timeshare just up the road from Hanalei Bay Resort but we love going over there to eat at either the Happy Talk Lounge or Bali Hai Resort. And, I agree, with the exception of the Princeville Sheraton Hotel, prices on the north shore do seem better. BUT, shhhhhh, we don%26#39;t want every one to know that! We love the slower pace of the North Shore--Sooooo, please remember, The South Shore is much better, The South Shore is much better, The South Shore is much better (nudge, nudge, wink, wink!)

Jebett is right...You can find many rentals that are less expensive than the South shore......Your hotels are more expensive ...House rentals and condos you can find inexpensive compared to the South shores...

PauLaura, don%26#39;t forget the East Shore..You can find many condos that are waterfront....These can range from$900-$2200. for the week.

Wow, you guys...such great info! I%26#39;ve taken notes and can%26#39;t wait to start surfing the internet to gather impressions of these places.

Where DID I read that the North shore was more expensive? I%26#39;m trying to remember...I think it%26#39;s a combination between my Fodor%26#39;s 2007 book and a few comments I%26#39;ve read online...but as they say, opinions are like a ';derriere';...everyone has one!

Here%26#39;s how I feel about what I want from my experience in Kauai...the whole reason I chose Kauai out of all the Hawaiian islands if because I was attracted to the more laid back lifestyle, less commercialized, the fact that buildings aren%26#39;t allowed to be taller than the trees, and that you can get in your car and drive anywhere on the island if it%26#39;s raining where you are and find sun somewhere else. So, to that end, I will have a rental car and I won%26#39;t be afraid to use it! lol So I don%26#39;t mind driving to get to the places I want to see...if I%26#39;m staying on the North shore, I realize it%26#39;s not in between and I will have to drive further to get to the South or the West...that%26#39;s a no-brainer for me and it doesn%26#39;t concern me in the least since we will have at least 10 days to see what we want to see and we aren%26#39;t planning any island hopping. Kauai will get our undivided attention.

We are probably going to be there in the end of Aug, or beginning of Sept. 2009. From what everyone has said here, it sounds like that%26#39;s a great time to be anywhere on the island. I really am not too fond of the idea of being on the West side....it seems like that area doesn%26#39;t have as much lushness to offer, and the beaches don%26#39;t look as nice there. But I%26#39;m probably wrong about that, too. East side...that%26#39;s a possiblilty too. I am not ruling anything out.

I got a kick out of jebett wanting to take a spray painter Sealodge condos to update their look! I%26#39;ve seen the pics on the internet and agree, but I don%26#39;t really care what the outside looks like as long as the condo is comfy, has a lanai with my ocean view and a full kitchen! We won%26#39;t be there much anyway! I%26#39;m pretty laid back about that part of it. We won%26#39;t be around during the day and it probably looks just fine in the dark! LOL

TvlHawaii, I will stay on the South Shore I will stay on the South Shore....well, that is unless some wise person comes up with an absolutely fantastic place that I just can%26#39;t resist on the North Shore.

Aloha from Kaua%26#39;i!

You are right in one respect about the West Side -- it is certainly the driest and warmest part of the island -- therefore a very popular destination (long, typically deserted beaches) for folks who are having a rainy day elsewhere on the island! ';When in doubt - go West'; is the usual answer when asked where to find sun on those types of days. Generally once you go west of the Hanapepe River it starts to clear up -- I can%26#39;t tell you the number of times I%26#39;ve left my home here in Koloa in rain only to find it sunny and hot in Waimea and Kekaha.

Since it is the hottest and driest part of the island -- it has less of the lushness that most visitors look for -- however it is also the last place in the entire state with a working sugarmill (which you can tour) -- you can still drive through acres of green waving cane with the blue Pacific behind -- still drive thru smoke from burning the cane during harvesting -- still see workers from the Kaumakani camp going about their jobs -- all of this has disappeared elsewhere on Kaua%26#39;i - indeed the state. It is a place that will be gone very soon I%26#39;m afraid as it is the very last of its kind.

My own personal feeling is that the West Side is the most ';Hawaiian'; part of the island in the truest sense of the word -- certainly the close proximity to Ni%26#39;ihau is much of the reason -- as you can hear %26#39;olelo Hawai%26#39;i'; (Hawaiian language) spoken in Kekaha and Waimea more than anyplace else in the state (other than Ni%26#39;ihau). There are a large number of kanaka ma%26#39;oli (native Hawaiian people) here - more than any other part of the island.

While Hanalei Valley and the surrounding area may look most like what visitors think of when they envision Kaua%26#39;i -- the West Side still has a somewhat rural lifestyle and the lack of visitor amenities make it an area where you can still see and imagine what it would have been like on Kaua%26#39;i 20 years ago or more. That%26#39;s not to say there aren%26#39;t visitor accomodations there, there are -- but just not in as much evidence as elsewhere.

As you can tell I love the West Side -- I hope that all visitors get a chance to drive there (and if possible to the incredible Polihale area) and see this very unique part of Kaua%26#39;i.

Malama Pono,

Janet