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Below
are link to some of the many wonderful attractions and sites on the
gorgeous island of Kauai and the immediate area of Your Hawaiian Getaway
home!
The
Beautiful Hyatt Resort - Which features a World-Famous Spa!
Area
Dining
More Area Dining
General
Attractions
Poipu
Map
Kalaheo
Area Map
Koloa
Area Map
Kauai
Special Events
Area
Shopping
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, Inc."
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