Help, Suebee, Spleen on Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens

[travelling mom]

Hi Suebee & Spleen

 

I read your advice on Fern Grotto and decided to skip it. We leave for Hawaii on Wednesday and wanted to Thank both of you as well as everyone on this board for the wealth of information I received. It has really enabled me to plan my itinerary. We have a 2nd day in Kauai, but it's a short day, the cruise ship leaves at 3:30 pm and we have to return the rental car. Just wondering what are your thoughts on Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens? They seem to have a variety of guided tours starting at 9:00 am. What time would we need to leave Nawiliwili pier in order to get there by 9:00 am. Should we make a stop in Princeville after?

 

Thanks in advance

[KauaiKris]

Hi Traveling Mom,

 

I'm not Spleen or SueBee, but wanted to say YES go up to princeville after you tour the botanical gardens. You're nearly there anyway, and it's beautiful and worth the trip.

 

The Na Aina Kai Gardens are nice, and great if you're into photographing flowers and plants. Lots of fabulous orchids. The tour through the trees is interesting, but be prepared for LOTS AND LOTS of mosquitos, if you're a person who gets bit.

 

We enjoyed the tours, though honestly we were tired and ready to be done before it was over. They tended to stop longer than we wanted at some places, and not long enough at others. :) But this is a lovely botanical gardens.

 

At 9:00am you'll be going against most of the traffic once you get out of Lihue, and from the airport I believe it is about 25 miles to the garden. Driving speeds will vary from 25 mph and 50 mph.

[Suebee]

And there you go.

Thanks Kris....youre a great understudy. I havent seen you around before but it seems like youre very knowlegable! Good Work.

 

Aloha

[travelling mom]

Thanks for your advice KauaiKris,

 

We're not really into photographing flowers and plants, but just heard that the gardens are beautiful and worth a visit. Unfortunately, I am one of those people who seem to attract mosquitos like a magnet. Is there lots of mosquitos all over the gardens or is it mainly in the 'tour through the trees'? Their 5 hour tour seems very long and we don't have the time so I was thinking about the 3 hour tour in which you get to ride through the gardens on an open air cart. Do you think teenagers would enjoy this?

 

Can you also give some suggestions as to where to go in Princeville?

[KauaiKris]

Unless you're one who just LOVES gardens and can't get enough of them, I'd say the 5 hour tour would be too long. We did the three hour tour you mentioned; rode on the cart, and stopped in the children's garden, went to the bog house, drove through the hardwood forest, walked through the maze and more. It was interesting and enjoyable, and we were taking lots of pictures. But we were ready to be done before it was over. It was a bit hot, humid, and lots of mosquitos. Different places in the garden seemed to have more of them, particularly the shady areas. So although we'd have liked to cool off in the shade, the mosquitos chased us away.

 

Whether teenagers would like it, its hard to say. Would really depend on the teenagers. My kids would have liked the first hour, but would probably have been bored with 2 or 3 hours. But my kids would rather be down bodyboarding in Hanalei Bay.

 

As for Princeville -- Aside from various little trails hiding among the residental areas that lead down to a beach, there are really only one or two places to go in Princeville -- Either the little community shopping center just outside of the development, or the lovely Princeville hotel (friendly people, great hotel, fabulous views, nice little beach area) out on the cliff at the end of the development.

 

Hanalei is really where you want to go (3 miles further down the road). Hanalei town is set in a beautiful valley. The mountains are stunning and if it's been raining over night, many waterfalls can be seen tumbling down the face of the mountains. The town is quaint and its kind of fun to browse through the shops. There's a couple of good restaurants, as well as a Subway in the local IGA grocery store & a burger joint (Bubba's).

 

Hanalei Bay is a lovely stretch of beach just a few blocks from the main road in town, great for strolling along, building sand castles, and of course, surfing and bodyboarding. That's where my teenagers like to spend all their time. You can rent bodyboards by the day at The Pedal & Paddle there in Hanalei for about $5, if that appeals to your kids.

 

If snorkeling is more your thing, there are several great beaches for that on the north shore near Princeville/Hanalei, too. One of them is just at the base of the Princeville Hotel. Another is Anini (which is about 4 miles before you get to Princeville). And further on town the road is Tunnels and Ke'e. Beautiful beaches. If you go to Kauai and don't visit the North Shore, you're really missing something.

[spleen93]

I've never been to the botanical gardens there so I would go with what Kris said. :)

 

Spleen