East/Kapaa area vs. South Poipu area- differences please?

Hello Hello Hello!

Ok, so we are getting down to it and I%26#39;ve yet to pick a place to stay. I%26#39;m deciding between the south and the Kapaa area. Those of you who are familiar with this beautiful place... can you tell me a little about each.

My image in my mind is that the southern side is resorts and golf and not much ';town'; and the kapaa side is maybe full of more locals? and more of a town? Am I wrong...?

Please tell me your impressions so I can finally make a decision...

East/Kapaa area vs. South Poipu area- differences please?

Not much town in Poipu. There is a little shopping area that includes some clothing shops and 2 restuarants one of which is the very yummy Roys. Not great views but fantastic food.

Keokis is also there and has some live music in the evening. Also nearby is Koloa which has a few shops, a grocery and some dining establishments. It鈥檚 very much like you describe. Here are a few pics of it: hawaiiweb.com/kauai/鈥oloa_town.html

Kapaa is much more towny. On this map you can see where they are on the island:

http://www.hawaiiweb.com/html/kauai.html

East/Kapaa area vs. South Poipu area- differences please?

Thanks for the site with pictures!

Anyone else have any pros cons or differences between the 2 areas?

Kapaa definitely has a bigger variety of grocery, shopping, restaurants and bars and thus lots more traffic. We tried to avoid the Kapaa area between 3-6PM weekdays because of that. The east side has beaches but they are not necessarily next to or on a hotel/resort, so some driving is necessary.

South side (Poipu) area has great beaches that are quite varied (snorkeling, surfing, swimming, tanning) and a lot of them have direct access from hotels/resorts.

If your stay is relatively short (week or less) the east side gives you easier access to the north south and western areas which might reduce your driving. Either way make sure you get to far north areas (Hanalei, Kee Beach etc.) and to the far western areas (Waimea) on your trip to see all of what Kauai has to offer.

My advice is to make several trips staying on all sides and then you can have a ';favorite';.

The east side of the island is where many of the islands residents live. Kapaa is sometimes described as ';quaint'; and the highway is lined with different types of shops and restaurants. You will find grocery stores and the Coconut Marketplace that has even more shopping opportunities. The Wailua/Kapaa area is also where you will find the most traffic!!

The south shore around Poipu is where you will find the Hyatt and the Sheraton. More resort-like and lots of touristy things to do. Golf courses yes, but you can also find them on the north shore. Still lots of shopping opportunities in Koloa and Poipu. Usually better weather in the wintertime than on the north shore.

I had the same decision to make and we ended up in Poipu.

Kapaa is more central but when we were going through is was quite busy. We only did this a few times, however, while going up to Princeville, etc (this was a whole day trip from Poipu).

The weather was better in Poipu during April.

Poipu is close Koloa town, which has a grocery store or two and other services. It is a neat small village. It isn%26#39;t a long drive to Lihue for the other shopping, such as Star Market grocery, a nice mall, etc.. There is also access to the Waimea Canyon area and the whole area beyond.

It really depends on what kind of experience you want.

We were really pleased that we ended up in the south @ Poipu and would go back there in a heartbeat. Also, prior to our booking, I had read that you stay on south Kauai during the winter and north during the summer because of the ocean conditions. As well, I believe that the north tends to be rainier during the winter, but much more lush as a result!

IME, traffic really isn%26#39;t all that bad in Kapa%26#39;a. It does tend to get backed up at the traffic lights in town. Bear in mind, though, ';town'; is no more than a few blocks. We%26#39;re not talking about NYC here.

Learn where the bypass is. You can get a Ready Map book at Long%26#39;s Drug. You%26#39;ll also find that most drivers are willing to cut you a break to get into line.

IMHO, staying in the Kapa%26#39;a area gives the best access to the entire island. There are plenty of stores and restaurants, and it%26#39;s easy to drive to any other area.

There are a few miles of hotels/condos fronting Wailua Bay and beyond, most right on the beach.

To me, Kapa%26#39;a feels more like a ';real'; town area than Po%26#39;ipu does. Koloa is nice, but most of the shops are tourist... and expensive. Kapa%26#39;a has a mix.

Here%26#39;s my 2 cents. We chose Poipu and are returning for our third trip in 3 years (leaving in 30 days, but who%26#39;s counting?)

We felt it was close enough to Lihue and Kapaa to run over to whenever we wanted, but the Poipu area has some excellent beach hikes and walks and is really quite quiet considering its supposed to be the touristy area.

Kapaa is a very cute town and we enjoyed wandering around and checking out some of the older buildings. The shopping centers are much like you%26#39;d get at home.

If you want more ';town';, then definitely stay in the Kapaa area. Koloa town near Poipu is small, but has a couple of grocery stores and restaurants.

Have fun making your choice!

Kapaa gives you more of a ';island style'; experience, where Poipu has more of a ';resort'; feel. Kapaa is more centrally located, with restaurants and shopping often within walking distance.

The drive up the East coast up toward the North shore is gorgeous. If you think you might like to drive up that way often, hitting the many beaches along the way, or shopping/eating in Hanalei, then Kapaa would be your best bet. If you stay in Wailua, you can grab the bypass road to avoid the traffic backups through town when traveling north. During off-peak traffic times, Kapaa is a quaint friendly little town.

Oops - Kapaa is friendly whether there is traffic or not. I meant to say something like during low traffic times, go ahead and drive through town and stop at the shops, restaurants and parks. Yes, even though traffic is bumper to bumper through town, it%26#39;s a nice drive and drivers are very nice about letting you merge in front of them. Just smile and wave as you cut in!

I think that one of the things that I like most about HI is NICE drivers!

For weeks after I get back, I am smiling and waving at motorists.