Carless on Kauai

January 7, 2009 9:04 AM

Can I do touristy stuff on Kauai without a car?

I am going to Hawaii (island of Kauai) at the end of this month for a conference. I will be stuck in lectures in the mornings, till about 1:30pm or so each day. I will have the afternoons/evenings (Wed/Thu/Fri) to do touristy stuff. But I am by myself and don't plan on renting a car. Is that dumb (not having a car I mean)? One friend suggested that I could maybe get around by renting a scooter or bike, is this reasonable?

I would love to see the Fern Grotto and hike some in Waimea Canyon. Are there tours (preferably not too expensive, although I realize it is a well-known tourist destination) I can take that would shuttle me around the island, maybe provide a guide to these places or something similar? Should I wait till I get there and book a tour with the hotel (Grand Hyatt Kauai), or book with a tour company ahead of time? If the latter, then which tour companies are good and will take a single traveler (I am of course willing to be added to a group)?

Or would it just be cheaper to rent a car, scooter, or bike for 3 days and shuttle myself around to these places, exploring on my own?

Thanks travelling MeFites!

posted by sarahnade to travel & transportation (12 comments total)

I can't offer any suggestions about tours, other than I know they exist. However, I would definitely recommend against a scooter or bike. Kauai is notoriously rainy and things aren't super close together (especially the canyon and Fern Grotto). Personally, I think that renting a car is always the way to go on Kauai. Let me know if you would like ideas of ways to use the car if you decide to rent one!
posted by ms.v. at 9:14 AM on January 7

This is the site for mass transit in Kauai if you want to have a look. I would point out though that buses in Hawaii (at least on non-Oahu islands) run on Hawaiian time and don't really stick too closely to a schedule. Kauai is very rural!

There are tour buses around - I don't have experience with those though. I can guarantee you they'll be full of tourists and loud children.

But really, DON'T DO THIS. Rent a car. You have three evenings in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. I wouldn't dream of doing anything else. 100% rent a car.
posted by Craig at 9:44 AM on January 7

Nope. Rent a car.
posted by charlesv at 10:07 AM on January 7

If it were me, and I was going alone to Kauai, I would rent a moped and/or hitchhike. I wouldn't do it on a bicycle; the island is big enough and the roads narrow enough/bad enough that it just isn't practicable or safe.

Yes, you can do van tours but I really don't recommend it, unless you like the sort of people who invariably end up on van tours.

Also, if you're the sort of person who is able to say "no" without feeling guilty, I highly recommend signing up for some sort of ultra-reduced fare activity in exchange for the 1 1/2 hour timeshare presentation. The timeshares themselves are pretty neat to look at, they feed you and they give you about $125 off whatever activity you were planning on doing anyway. (My wife and I went on a kayaking trip up to a waterfall, plus lunch, etc, for $50). But whatever you do, don't then buy a timeshare at the presentation. If you like it, buy it through a timeshare resale company at 1/5 the price.
posted by Happydaz at 10:08 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]

Nthing car. There's no other option other than motorcycle. It's hot in the sun, the roads are narrow and there's often no shoulder. Bicycles are pretty much a no-go, and scooters are dangerous. The island is big, and distances between destinations are far.

Just get the car.
posted by jimmythefish at 10:47 AM on January 7

What shore are you on for the conference? I am guessing the South, or somewhere near Lihue. If you don't rent a car, effectively you are limiting your experience to that part of the island, and what is within a short cab ride distance or walking. Per the Kauai Revealed book (the best source btw), taxi's will not be reliably available, and will cost a fortune. Kauai is not mass transit friendly. For mass transit, depending upon where you are, you may not have easy access to the pickup points. A tour bus to Waimea Canyon, if available, would likely restrict your freedom to roam and hike based upon their scheduled arrival and departure times.

So, rent a car. This island is too beautiful to be stuck without a ride. Each shore has something different to offer, if you really want the full effect of Kauai.
posted by tdischino at 10:49 AM on January 7

I spent a week on Kauai without a car, and while we found stuff to do, I wouldn't recommend relying on public transit. It's totally worth it to just rent a car (we would have done so, but weren't old enough at the time).
posted by solipsophistocracy at 11:36 AM on January 7

You need a car on that island. We always rent one, but we have also picked up many hitchhikers that have become friends.
posted by kamikazegopher at 12:10 PM on January 7

Granted I was there 5 years ago but car rental was cheap because everyone needs one and there is a lot of competition.
posted by mmascolino at 12:32 PM on January 7

When I last made a Hawaiian trip, I used this site and found it to be very very helpful for arranging rental cars.
posted by Dr. Wu at 1:05 PM on January 7

Rent a car. No arguments. You gotta do it. Especially going to Waimea.

I don't necessarily recommend the time share thing, though. The last time my mom dragged me into one, they didn't let us leave for a long-ass time and it takes half your day (not an hour and a half!). Not worth it if you're only there for 3 days.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:17 PM on January 7

Thanks all. Based on your advice, I decided to rent a car. A friend suggested just finding tour companies to take me around with scheduled tours, but I only had afternoons free, so that really wasn't going to work (most tours were all-day). I used the website Dr. Wu recommended and got a great deal. AskMe wins again!
posted by sarahnade at 1:26 PM on February 6