Best thing I could have done in planning my trip was to stay at Hanalei Bay Resort, because of how beautiful Hanalei Bay is. We had to drive at least an hour every day to the excursions which are mainly in the South or near the airport. But it was worth it!

We stayed for 5 days in Hanalei and during this time we took the bus in Kauai everywhere. Rental car is expensive and sparingly available. There are certain places that you need a rental car but we are not missing any so far. We took Bus 500 frm Airport (200) transfer to 500 (just ask driver where you are going and they can advise you time and where to catch the next bus. Bus 500 takes you all the way to the end of Hanalei Bay, rest 15 mins before we hop back and pay another fare. Since we have 15 mins we cross the street and took lovely picture of Wal'Oli Hui'la church. There is no pollution in Kauai and you can see the sky so clear. We had a great time just taking picture at this lovely church before hopping back to Hanalei town and hang around Hanalei beach. So cheap only $1-2 bus fare. Do it. We had a blast traveling Kauai on cheap buses. Yes, you can travel with your kids on buses as long as you know the bus schedule (every hour) so we don't have to wait too long. Love Kauai just so expensive!!

A town worth visiting at the northern end of Kauai. Given a choice. one should stay here and explore the Na Pali area from here not from the south. Something to remember if I get a chance to visit Kauai again.

Lots of fish out there. You did have to go a bit of a ways out there but well worth it. VERY crowded even though they limit the they number of visitors, so better than it used to be when it was a free for all. Did I mention crowded? just avoid the 'splashers' as they scare the fish.....and me too!!!

Great place to just play in the surf. We saw some beginner surfers and lots of body boards. We spent our time just splashing around. Shallow enough to walk out quite a ways. Big enough that you don't feel crowded. Beautiful sand and surf!

When we arrived in Princeville it had been raining hard and the bridge to Hanalei was closed. This was a problem as there were a number of places we had wanted to visit, trails to walk and a kayak tour we'd planned to take. None of which happened. We were able to get into the town the day we were heading back down island. We explored a bit, had a coffee and snack, shopped for puzzles, and picked up some poke bowls for a later lunch at the fish market behind the Dolphin (which were very good by the way, although costly at $20 each), and then left as the rain started again. We are very hopeful of returning in the future For those who have never been to the north shore, Hanalei Bay is the type of funky little town you'd typically associate with a beach town. The architecture is board and batten, tin roofs and wide verandas. There are a lot of restaurants that look good, but we never got to try them because we were staying in Princeville and the road to Hanalei was flooded. We will definitely go again, but not when it has been raining hard or is forecast to do so. Just suggest you keep that in mind.

This is one of the best beaches in Hawaii. It's a really popular North Shore attraction, however, it's big enough so that you don't feel crowded by all the other visitors. If you only visit one beach in Hawaii, then this should be the one.

We were honestly disappointed when we finally got to this beach........there had been so much hype & fanfare about it. Yes, it was nice, but other beaches that we saw throughout our time in Kauai were just as nice.......or even better, we thought. The town of Hanalei was busy, for sure! People walking and sitting everywhere!!!!!! We made a quick stop at a shop for T-shirt souvenirs and then left this crazy-busy place.

Visited on our first full day. It is beautiful there. The mountains the jungle atmosphere and the quaint little town are all beautiful. The restaurants were very busy. The beach by the pier had a food truck. We went twice during our stay and found parking both times. Swimming is lovely and the views make it amazing . Don’t forget to stop at the scenic lookout on the left before you head down the hill.