Family Fun on Kaua'i 2025

April 16, 2025

Family Fun on Kaua'i 2025

Wow, why has no one told me how special Hawai'i is?!? Maybe some of you have, and I never listened. Maybe because it didn't feel exotic enough for me, being part of the United States. But I am happy to report that I was wrong on so many levels, and Hawai'i, and specifically Kaua'i, will forever have a special place in my heart. I am already planning my return!

First things first: How did we choose which island to visit? Well I didn't have a ton of time to research, so I reached out to a coworker who I knew was from Hawai'i. I asked him which island would be best for a family friendly trip with two small children, 5 and almost 2. He said Kaua'i, hands down. He also admitted he was from the island, and that he was partial. But I heard him, as well as others, describe Kaua'i as the only island left with the "Aloha Spirit." While I have yet to visit any other Hawaiian islands, I have absolutely no regrets about choosing Kaua'i! It is also known as the Garden Isle, as it is the most lush or all.

Who: Annalee, Farhad, Zarin (5.5 years old), and Rumi (almost 2 years old)

When: Late February 2025

How: We were able to book most of our travel costs through Points & Miles that we earned through credit card welcome offers and daily spend!

Where: Poipu Beach & Kalapaki Beach in Lihu'e

Flights:

Since we are only a short hop, skip and a jump away from the Denver International Airport, we often use United Airlines since Denver is a hub. I was surprised to learn that there is a direct flight to Kaua'i! That's just what we need with small children. The flight over there was about 7.5 hours and the return was about 6.5 hours. Flights were 25k miles per person, per direction for a total of 200k United Miles and $44.80!!!

Hotels:

Grand Hyatt Kaua'i:

If you have spent much time learning about the Points & Miles game, you may already know that Hyatts can be the best value for your points! And if you are new to Points & Miles, here is a great tip! Hyatt provides one of the best value for for your points, among the main international hotel chains. While I do prefer smaller boutique hotels, it is hard for me to pass up a great deal on a luxury hotel. So we set our sights on the Grand Hyatt Kaua'i. The only room that was available during our hopeful travel dates was a Standard 2 Queen Room (with a garden view or something?). But I knew that if I timed everything right, I could hopefully snag a Guest of Honor (GOH) for our stay. This would include free valet parking, free Club Access (includes breakfast, drinks, snacks, hors d'ouevres and desserts in a private club), as well as a possible room upgrade upon arrival if available.

A few days before our trip, I chatted directly with the hotel to let them know how excited we were to visit Hawai'i for the first time. I requested a room upgrade if available and they said they would do their best. We were ecstatic to find out that we were upgraded to a 1 King, 1 Queen room with an Ocean View! So fabulous!

GHK Interior of lobby & Sunrise view from our balcony

Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. I love everything about GHK, I have no complaints! The main pool winds around the ocean front property, and feels more "organic" and natural than most pools. There is also an adult's only pool, that we definitely did not try out :) There is a large water slide, a lazy river with multiple waterfalls, and a salt water lagoon between the pools and the ocean.

Then of course there is Poipu beach! While there aren't a ton of loungers out there, we mostly sat on towels in the sand in between dipping our toes in the water. Zarin said the water is magical, and that it is her dear friend. My heart was happy that she felt such a strong connection to the ocean. The waves are a bit rough on this beach, so we didn't venture too far into the ocean, but we did walk up and down the sand looking for shells many times. We also got to check out a monk seal lazing in the sun one afternoon.

I cannot forget about the cultural center at GHK! Moani is the director of the cultural center and she is a gem! The center has cultural events scheduled throughout the week. You can sign up online, or through the concierge desk or the center itself. They offer hula lessons, a lei making class, Hawaiian language basics class, and more! We loved the hula and lei making. There is no cost for most of the classes, which makes it even better! They will also let you take Hawaiian history and children's books to read during your stay.

Zarin made her own lei!

GHK also has a fabulous spa, Anara Spa. I wish I had made the time to book a treatment, but it just wasn't in the cards for me on this trip! Next time!

Overall we had a fabulous stay at GHK. There are shops and boutiques that have essentials, gifts, swimwear, resort wear etc. There are multiple restaurants and a decent amount of entertainment. I will mention that Farhad felt like the property was too large and too busy (it was low season and I don't agree with him, so take that with a grain of salt!). He said it also felt like a mall with all of the shops, but I think he should be grateful for them since he somehow managed to get to Hawai'i without a pair of swim trunks, and the shops saved his ass (literally!).

Royal Sonesta:

We originally had 4 nights booked at GHK, and expected the remaining nights to open up while we there. They did open up, but Farhad decided he would like to try another hotel on another part of the island. We decided to drive up to the Royal Sonesta in Lihu'e to check out the Royal Sonesta. It was a great property with a nice location, so we decided to go for it. They gave us a great cash price on the ground level family suite that was located right next to the keiki pool. It was a splurge, but worth it since we were able to use Points & Miles for most of the costs on this trip!

Ginormous suite, ginormous lanai, and just a quick jump to the pool!

The beach in front of this hotel is fantastic for keiki! Calm waters, not too deep. We even had a fabulous photoshoot with a professional photographer Photo Art by Davo at this beach. No Farhad, as he was under the weather :( I don't think I will ever go on a trip without a photoshoot again though, such a great way to capture memories!

Food:

There is definitely not a shortage of amazing food on the island! Most mornings we ate breakfast at the Grand Club. Lots of fresh fruit, eggs, oatmeal etc. We did get to try Loco Moco for breakfast one day, delicious! Also, can't skip the fresh POG (passionfruit, orange, guava) juice!

While the boys stayed back in the room, a bit under the weather, Zarin and I ate at the Sea View Terrace at GHK a few nights. They had live music and entertainment each night, and the best shrimp tempura and burger I have ever had! Definitely try the local beers too!

Favorite restaurants on the island:

Kaua'i Poke Co: OMG best poke EVER! Also had great kalbi ribs and keiki (kids) meals like spam with rice. We stopped by there a few times for lunch. I recommend trying the Plantation Poke!

Duke's: Kaua'i classic. Great location, on the beach. Close to Royal Sonesta.

Kukui's: Great breakfast restaurant at RS, with the absolute best eggs benedict, potatoes and bacon I have ever had in my life! And yes, I am an eggs benedict connoisseur :)

Keoki's Paradise: Don't forget a reservation, this place is a popular dinner spot! Great kalbi ribs and fish with a nice atmosphere

JoJo's Shave Ice: Best shave ice on the island! There are a few locations, but we visited the original in Waimea on the way back from the canyon.

There were many other little restaurants and bakeries that we stopped along the way, but I don't remember their names. Great food everywhere you look!

Exploring the Island:

Whether you are adventurous or not, there are tons of things to do on the island! I would definitely recommend renting a car if you plan to venture out of your hotel (which, yes! you should!). We rented through a local family owned company, Pineapple Express Kauai Car Rental. Their prices were reasonable, and they made the pickup and drop off easy breezy! They also offer free beach chairs, umbrella and cooler if you want them which can come in super handy if you plan on beach hopping! Besides a car rental, I absolutely recommend using the Shaka Guide! There are four different audio tours on the island, with a cost of $34.95 for the bundle. Absolutely worth it! The app uses GPS and uses your location to give you relevant information about the area, the inhabitants, the history, flora and fauna. It tells where you to turn to make a stop for shave ice, or tells you where to continue on it you'd rather skip it.