We have always stayed North or South on previous trips, but I started thinking about how many cute restaurants and shops are in Kapa'a. I also knew that to pull off an annual trip I would need to find inexpensive lodging, which Kapa'a has in spades. I am a condo snob, though, so if it doesn't have an updated bathroom and granite countertops, count me out. That's why I was thrilled to find this unit at Kailani, a small complex right across the street from the Safeway. The whole building was recently renovated and the condo just looked darling, with tons of great reviews.
The owners were great to communicate with and I felt very confident that we would enjoy our stay there. I had read bad reviews of the complex on TripAdvisor, but those were from people who booked through a third party site and didn't do any research on the location or read the fine print on their rental contracts regarding cleaning fees, etc. I knew there was no beach right in front of the complex, but since we were planning to drive to our favorite beaches anyway, it was not a big deal. It's also a pretty small space (there's no dining area besides the bar and the outside table) but again, it wasn't a deal breaker for us.
We like to wrap up our trip with a stay at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai that we book with World of Hyatt points. After a trip earlier this year where I got Club-level access at a Hyatt Regency, I thought we would splurge on the same at GHK. Having easy access to snacks and light meals throughout the day is appealing when you have kids who alternately eat like sparrows or feast like lions.
Next, airline tickets. I had just gotten the United Business Ink card with an 80,000 point bonus so set to work meeting the minimum spend. I missed the statement close date, however, and ended up having to wait an extra month to get all the points. That was nerve-wracking, as I watched saver availability on the direct DEN-LIH and DEN-HNL-LIH flights disappear. Finally, points in hand in mid April, I booked DEN-SFO-LIH and LIH-KOA-DEN return. Not ideal, but better than not going at all!
Of course, a couple weeks after I booked our tickets, I checked again and there was now saver availability for the DEN-LIH flight, but I didn't feel like paying $300 to redeposit our points and rebook. Sam has the United Club card so we get to enjoy free snacks and a quiet place to wait so I don't mind connecting on the West coast. Unfortunately Kona doesn't have a club (or even very many food options) so that was less than ideal - but it's never fun to have to leave Hawaii, no matter what amenities the airport has!
I had actually booked a rental car through Costco Travel back in January in the off chance that a trip would come together, so I just needed to keep checking back every few weeks to see if the price dropped. Ultimately I got our mid-size SUV down from over $400 to just under $300.
Normally we don't plan a lot of paid activities, mainly due to the extra cost but also because our kids have been too young to do most of the really exciting ones. Last year, however, we sprung for the Captain Andy's Sunset Dinner Cruise on the Northern Star and it was so much fun.
Now that Jack is 8, both kids are old enough to do more adventurous activities, so I started looking at Chase Ultimate Rewards to see what I could pay for with Chase points. When I found the Princeville Ranch Adventures Horseback Waterfall Tour I knew that was just the way to see a part of the island we haven't yet explored. I booked it with 47,000 points, saving almost $600.
Then I had nothing to do but keep reading trip reports on the TripAdvisor Kauai forum to get ideas for restaurants and shops to add to our tentative itinerary.
Finally, July 2 rolled around and it was time to hit the road. Our flights were unremarkable, other than the freezing cold temperature on our SFO-LIH flight. We landed at LIH at 8 pm and I went to get the rental car from Alamo with Jack while Ryan and Sam claimed our bags. I had checked in online with the understanding that I would just pick up the car and go - but in reality there was more paperwork involved and it took longer than expected.
We swung back around the airport to get the rest of the family and then headed to Kapa'a. We were hungry but also tired so our first meal in paradise took place in the McDonald's drive-thru. We found the condo (there is a very small sign for the complex so you have to be on the lookout), unloaded our luggage and headed to bed, ready to be up early to explore.
