A place of reverence. Sacred. Tread lightly there & rest. I could have stayed there for hours!read more

This ruin is unlike any other on Kauai…read more It's different because you can actually walk into it. This is really cool. It is forbidden to walk on any other heiau and considered disrespectful to ancient and current Hawaiians. It's ceremonial site, a place for worship, and is very well kept, landscaped with retaining walls and offers a nice view of Wailua Bay. I dare say beautiful. It is nice to just stand here. Canoes would find the safety of Wailua River because of the Kukui nut oil candles burning here. It was built nearly 500 years ago and once stood 230 feet long. It still has a great presence.

This is the remains of a small heiau, an ancient sacred site, which one may freely explore. It…read moreconsists of the remains of a small stone wall enclosing a grassy platform. The location is on a promontory on the beach in Kapa'a, with some nice views along the shore. It is reached by a footpath along the beach. At the southern end by the Kaui Shores Hotel, the path goes through woods and vegetation to the Lae Nani beach and resort and the path to the heiau is in the woods. There was nobody else there when we went and it was a peaceful spot to contemplate and take in the area. It is, as the sign says, sacred, so one should respect that but is it an interesting, peaceful and scenic site.

This may well be the most sacred site in Kauai. Really great history in these stones…read more Centuries ago, it was important that all of Kauai's kings were born here. There is a stone where the pregnant woman was leaning against with her back and another stone where she put her legs while giving birth. Within the stone enclosure once stood a grass shack, where the mother-to-be stayed prior to giving birth. The flat stone in the front was used to cover a sacrificed dog, signifying to commoners that for them the place was kapu (forbidden). After birth, the baby's umbilical cord was placed in a crack in the rock wall. If the cord was taken away by a rat, then that was a bad sign, indicating that the child would later become a thief. If no rat showed up, it was a good sign.

Are you visiting Kauai but don't have a car and want to see Waimea Canyon? Did you book a cruise…read moreand only have one day to see the Na Pali Coast? Maybe you did rent a car but you don't feel super comfortable driving through the canyon? Or maybe you just arrived in Kauai and you aren't familiar with the area and aren't sure where all the best places are?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the Kauai Tour Guy is for you!  This was our first visit to Kauai and we really weren't familiar with all the places to see and we knew we could count on Doug to show us around. After we booked our tour, he asked us what we wanted out of the day, so that he could tailor the tour to match exactly what we wanted to see. Doug was so nice and accommodating. Since we were staying right on the way to where he was taking us for our tour, he came by and picked us up on on his way. We hopped into his SUV and we were on our way!  We made multiple stops all along the canyon and Doug took us to see the most amazing sights! If we ever wanted to make an unplanned stop, he was willing to pull over and let us take our time.  Some of the highlights include: Waimea Canyon, Koke'e State Park, a "chocolate river", Cairn Garden, and several beautiful beaches.  Since his tours are tailored to each group, every tour is different depending on what you want to see, which we really appreciated. Although our tour was several hours long, Doug entertained us all along the way. He was so welcoming, personable, and funny and really made for a great day. At one stop, we decided to walk down the trail a bit and even though this isn't a hiking tour, he was happy to let us have our fun! One thing we especially liked about this tour compared to some of the other ones available, is that its a small private tour. It was just our group and Doug. We liked that we weren't in a huge tour bus with a million other people. Because it's only a small group tour, it was easier to stop whenever we wanted and to change course, like when we got hungry for lunch for example :) Doug also took some great photos of us along the way and we didn't have ask any strangers to take our photo. We highly recommend this tour, especially if you are wanting to see the stunning views of the canyon and don't have a car or prefer not to drive, if you want a personalized tour, or if you only have one day to see the best of Kauai!

Our group of 6 loved our tour with Doug! We took the North Shore tour. He was very accommodating…read morewith our ship docking time which meant our tour had to start later than he usually does. He knew so much about the island and his love of it really shone through. If you're Canadian, be sure to mention it so you can connect with him through WhatsApp prior to your tour. He took us to the BEST lunch, we were all super happy with it (Tony's Catch food truck fyi) and the island is just spectacular. One thing we appreciated is that he didn't just take us to look at beautiful sites, he explained the history and significance of them. It was such a good experience. Our only disappointment was that we only had the one day and wish we could've done his second day tour! I guess we will have to visit again :) We highly recommend this!

10/18/23 Another must stop when in Kaua'i...Kadavul Hindu Temple. It gives me an overall sense of…read moresolace. A few years ago, I managed to attend a meditation session presided by the monastery's guru & abbot Satguru Bodhinata Veylanswami. It was a solemn ritual that was both spiritual & inspirational. He led the meditations in a rhythmic & transformative fashion. It was mesmerizing to feel & hear. The way the temple was architecturally designed, it reverberated & I felt it touch my soul to my very core. You have to experience it for yourself to understand what it is all about. The grounds are well maintained by the monks & people from the community (volunteers). It is a lush landscape in a prime property of Kaua'i. Through the years I have seen how the main temple has been constructed. As you enter, there is a gazebo at the entrance where sarongs are provided for visitors. These are provided to have guests dress appropriately for respect before entering the temple. Additionally, there is a round stone hearth to "burn" your troubles away. Pieces of paper & pens are provided for you to write your "troubles, challenges, problems" and a couple of lighters so you may burn it to ashes. As i may have written in the past, it is a cathartic experience as you watch it burn away, and up it goes in smoke. Experience it....

I can't believe how beautiful this place is. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into when we…read morecame here, but overall, it was very majestic. The grounds are large, but you can't see it all, unless you make an appointment. Still, what you see is amazing. I don't want to spoil much, but I HIGHLY suggest visiting this location while in Kauai.

Fun fact: Malae Heiau was desecrated in the 1830s when the last Queen of Kauai Deborah Kapule tore…read moredown the interior walls and used it as a cattle pen.  This was how she declared the ancient ways of kapu were dead and their society would thereafter be christian. This is the most substantial sacred site on Kauai and one of the largest surviving temple platforms in the Hawaiian Islands.  The heiau covers almost two acres and the original walls were 8-10 feet high and 8 feet wide with a ledge running around the inside for seating.  But it doesn't look like much from the path.  Kauai county has unfortunately allowed the sugar cane to grow and grow so much that you can't really see the structure.  So you gotta climb up.  There are two small spaces where you can see the stone walls stacked by ancient Hawaiians.  Once you get up there, you see it is huge.  You feel the weight of this place But it is a peaceful quarter-mile walk around the perimeter. It might be worth a stop for a leisurely stroll around what is still an important site, just across from Kauai Resort. I hope the County will restore this.

Everything was so great! The location was beautiful - green and lush! The employees all were…read morefriendly and inviting! The food was delicious with plenty to eat even for seconds!! The show was terrific - the performers were excellent, the story telling was amazing, the musicians were so talented, and the length of show was perfect! I highly recommend Gaylord's luau for all ages!!

My wife had the ahi poke stack, and was almost uneatable. Full of ligaments within the ahi where…read moreit was difficult to eat. I know good sashimi, and this was not it. We told the server and the response we got was "I'll tell the kitchen". No offer to replace or take off the bill. We also left a comment card, but heard nothing. Other food was good. Ahi stack was terrible

Every few months I run across this unfinished review. Today is April 2nd 2025 and it's still…read moresitting here. I'm sending it even if it's a rough draft. Y'all will enjoy the photos if nothing else. Aloha! In tribute to not only this one of a kind island but, the entire Hawaiian chain. As 2023 comes to a close,I am humbled by the opportunity to once again experience the unparalleled beauty of this magical place. In a day and age in which everything seems to be traveling at the speed of light,it's time to slow down and reflect on our good fortune. March 2024 Continuing my accolades of Kauai. My experience here gets better each time. After visiting Kauai in 1991 on a multi island tour,I've been back countless times. Going once a year only to be thwarted by the pandemic. Every time I go my self talk goes something like this," God I love this place and am so comfortable here. It's impossible to beat the natural beauty and people but,this is my last trip". And I continue returning. Then I " wake up" and say," what was I thinking"? It's in America,easily accessible,perfect weather. Who am I kidding. There's a reason Billionaires are buying it up. It's getting crowded," trafficie" and It's still America's true paradise. I would be remise if I didn't tell you to.... Go!

This is a beautiful island, with lots to do and see, if money is no object. It definitely is not…read morethe place to go if you are middle class, or have several people/family members in your group. The price gouging. really detracted from our enjoyment. Everything on the island is priced 3-4 times what seems reasonable. Not just talking about the expected tourist markup, not ignoring that so much has to be brought here from the mainland. Two cheese quesadillas and two iced teas for $65 in a simple neighborhood restaurant?! $265 to ride on a boat with a dozen other people? $185 per person for a zip line ride? (minors must be accompanied by a paying parent.) $20 per car and $5 for each passenger to look at the Canyon? And they add 3% to your bill if you use your credit card, so a 20% tip becomes a 23% tip. We wonder where all this money is going? the servers and other frontline workers earn typical mainland minimum wage. they'e earning huge tips from the inflated prices on the food and drink, but someone is pocketing payments for the food. As beautiful as Kauai is, we won't be back. It felt too exploitive.