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Stroll down Kauai’s fabulous Poipu Beach as you watch
the sun sink into the horizon after a perfectly carefree day
at this beachfront resort, or take a short drive to see the
majesty of Wailua Falls. Escape to a quiet retreat among the
palm trees, or find plenty of activity at nearby golf courses,
tennis courts, and Historic Old Koloa Town. There is plenty to
see and do around Poipu Beach. The information below is
excerpted from Frommer's:
On any list of the world's most spectacular islands,
Kauai ranks right up there with Bora Bora, Huahine, and
Rarotonga. All the elements are here: moody rain forests,
majestic cliffs, jagged peaks, emerald valleys, palm trees
swaying in the breeze, daily rainbows, and some of the most
spectacular golden beaches you'll find anywhere. Soft tropical
air, sunrise birdsong, essence of ginger and plumeria, golden
sunsets, sparkling waterfalls--you don't just go to Kauai, you
absorb it with every sense. It may get more than its fair
share of tropical downpours, but that just means it's lush and
green--and that there's a profusion of rainbows.
Kauai is essentially a single large
shield volcano that rises 3 miles above the sea floor. The
island lies 90 miles across the open ocean from Oahu, but it
seems at least a half century removed in time. It's often
called "the separate kingdom" because it stood alone and
resisted King Kamehameha's efforts to unite Hawaii. In the
end, it required a royal kidnapping to take the garden isle.
After King Kamehameha died, his son, Liholiho, ascended the
throne. He gained control of Kauai by luring Kauai's king,
Kaumualii, aboard the royal yacht and sailing to Oahu; once
there, Kaumualii was forced to marry Kaahumanu, Kamehameha's
widow, thereby uniting the islands.
Today the independent spirit lives on in
Kauai, which refuses to surrender its island to wholesale
tourism, preferring instead to take care of residents first
(though it takes good care of visitors, too). A Kauai rule is
that no building may exceed the height of a coconut
tree--between three and four stories. As a result, the island
itself, not its palatial beach hotels, is the attention
grabber. There's no real nightlife here, no opulent shopping
malls. But there is the beauty of the verdant jungle, the
endless succession of spectacular beaches, the grandeur of
Waimea Canyon, and the drama of the Na Pali Coast.
Kauai's beauty has played a supporting
role in more than 40 Hollywood films, from South Pacific to
Jurassic Park. But this island is not just another pretty
face: Its raw wilderness is daunting, its seas challenging,
its canyons forbidding--two-thirds of the island is
impenetrable. This is the place for active visitors, with
watersports galore; miles of trails through rain forests and
along ocean cliffs for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders;
and golf options that range from championship links to funky
local courses where chickens roam the greens and balls wind up
embedded in coconut trees.
But Kauai is also great for those who
need to relax and heal jangled nerves. Here you'll find miles
of sandy beaches, perfect for just sitting and meditating.
There are also quiet spots in the forest where you can listen
to the rain dance on the leaves, and an endless supply of
laid-back, lazy days that end with the sun sinking into the
Pacific amid a blaze of glorious tropical color.
Copyright © 2002 Wiley Publishing,
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