A welcome sign when you arrive after a long flight. If you've been to Hawaii's other islands but not Kauai, you'll notice the difference as soon as you land. There is something about this island that makes you feel welcome and relaxed. After the roughly ten mile drive from the airport in Lihue to Kapaa and the Pono Kai you will be welcomed by this sign at the Pono Kai. It's time to get on island time and relax.

For those of us not used to being around the ocean, make sure you use caution when going in. Things change quickly and a riptide can take you out to sea without notice. There have been 11 drownings on Kauai already this year, so the state of Hawaii is doing a media blitz to stress the importance of using common sense when entering the water.

Kauai has some great snorkeling. Take advantage of it while you're there but stay safe.

About a 15 minute drive outside Hanalei town on the way to Ha ena's Ke e beach and the end of the road is a series of must see caves. The Maniniholo Dry Cave is at the bottom of a steep cliff and is about 300 yards deep. It's high roof lowers as you walk further to the back of it, where you'll also see a small opening.
Parking can be hard to find so get there early. In the early morning, you may hear and see native Hawaiians chanting in the caves. Please respect their privacy during this time.

One of the best things about the Pono Kai is it's location. Being walking distance to Kapaa Restruants and shops can't be beat. The views from the lanai's are great and you don't have to be in one of the ocean front buildings to get a great view. This picture was taken from E303. You can check out the resort map on the
"Booking My Rental" page to see the buildings location. Even though the building is not facing the ocean it still offers a great view of the ocean and the sunrises are awesome.

The Aloha spirit is something you will feel all over the island. This sign is on the beach on the south side of the island but you don't have to read it on a sign to feel the Aloha Spirit. Just talk to the people.

Below is a small article from the Kauai Visitors Bureau about the 100 years of the Kilauea Lighthouse. The last Time I was there they were still working on the restoration and we couldn't go inside.

Kilauea Lighthouse began guiding the way for mariners in 1913. It served as a pivotal navigation aid for ships sailing on the Orient run. Today Kilauea Point is one of Kaua‘i's most visited sites with more than 500,000 visitors a year. Kilauea Point is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. After the light was decommissioned in 1976, the US Fish and Wildlife Service acquired it in 1985 and currently manages the 31-acre site as part of a 203-acre wildlife refuge.

Kilauea Lighthouse celebrates 100 years this year and the Centennial Celebration will run from May 1 - 5, special exhibits will be displayed at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge and daily-guided tours of the lighthouse will enable a close up view of the interior of the lighthouse. The highly anticipated relighting of the lighthouse will happen on Saturday May 4th at dusk. This will be the first time since 2010 that the recently restored Kilauea Lighthouse will shine again. For more information email: shineonkilauea@yahoo.com, and visit: www.kilaueapoint.org.

You really know your on Kauai when your relaxing on the beach and then suddenly a beach chicken goes by. It seems no matter where you go you'll find one of these feathered friends.

One really nice surprise you may come across on a beach on Kauai is the Hawaiian monk seal. These are an endangered species. They will come ashore to rest. The best thing to do when you come across one is to keep your distance. There are volunteers on the island that will put up the ropes around the seals when they come ashore. You can see the ropes in the photos. These photos were taken at a distance with a zoom lense. This is just one of the many joys of coming to Kauai. These photos where taken on Poipu Beach.

Here's a picture of my family getting ready to enjoy dinner at Brick Oven Pizza. It's just south of the Pono Kai and right on Kuhio highway. The pies are in the $20 range and are made fresh with a fresh dough crust. It's nice to be able to take the leftovers back to the villa and have a nice lunch the next day. Quick friendly service too.

For those interested in Geocaching, there are some on Kauai. Geocaching is when someone hides a little container and gives clues on Geocaching websites as to where it is hidden. You can use a GPS but we used our IPads. If your familiar with Kauai you may be able to see where this one is from the photo. Happy Geocaching.