Kauai Podcast

Is Moving to Hawaii the Right Decision for You?

Many people come to the islands and never want to leave.  Every time I come here I meet someone new who originally came for a short vacation, but decided to simply skip their flight home and just stay.  Countless others have gone home, sold everything, and moved back as quickly as possible.  These people with the courage to do that have always amazed me.  On one hand I really admire their courage, and I’m jealous of their ability to grasp life by the horns.  On the other I wonder if acting so abruptly is the smartest move, and I wonder how they do it.  Today we are going to talk about giving into your desires, overcoming your fears, and actually acting on this emotion.  We are going to talk about moving to Hawaii.

In an awesome interview, we are going to talk with Michele Meyer, author of the eBook, “Moving to Hawaii, A Step-by-Step Guide”.  Michele not only wrote the book, but took the plunge by moving to Oahu a few years back.  Her book chronicles, in step by step detail, everything you will need to know to make a successful move to the islands.  We’ll also talk about the reality of moving to the islands, and ask, “Is it really the right decision for you?”

Links:

Moloa’a Beach

Kauai’s Beaches Reviewed, and Beach Safety

In this episode, Carol and I take you around the island, reviewing some of Kauai’s most popular beaches. From the north shore to the south, we discuss the beaches in honest detail, so you can plan which ones will be most perfect for you. Also included is an interview with Kalani Vierra, of Kauai’s Ocean Safety Bureau, pertaining to beach safety.  He and I discuss many things that could save your life, or at the very least stop you from ruining your vacation.  We also discuss both some of his favorite spots on the island, and some of the Kauai’s most dangerous beaches.

Kauai Revealed

Ultimate Kauai Guidebook Author, Andrew Doughty

All I can say about today’s show is… Wow!!! …A dream come true show!  Today I am totally honored to bring you the author of the Ultimate Guidebook Series, Andrew Doughty, in a rare and completely candid interview.  Andrew has created four truly amazing guidebooks, often referred to by travelers as the “blue bibles”, and for good reason… His series of travel guidebooks are by far the most popular on the islands, and are also some of the most popular travel books in the world.

Whichever island you find yourself on, it often seems as if you can’t go five minutes without seeing one of them. They include “The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook”, commonly known as “Kauai Revealed”, “Hawaii the Big Island Revealed; The Ultimate Guidebook”, “Maui Revealed; The Ultimate Guidebook”, and “Oahu Revealed; The Ultimate Guide to Honolulu, Waikiki, and Beyond”.

In this “can’t miss” episode, we discuss his background, the making of his first book, how he found so many of his hidden gems, some of the problems that can arise with massive success, and many other aspects of his books and these islands.

Andrew’s official website also contains a goldmine of information for anyone looking to book a hotel or condo on the island, you can find it at the following link:

www.hawaiirevealed.com

Ke’e Beach from the Kalalau Trail

Travelog 2012:  My Three Day Escape to Kauai

A few weeks ago I saw a great deal on a great flight to Kauai and jumped on it, booking a short, three-day escape to Kauai… which I just returned from.  This episode will chronicle that mini-vacation and is packed full of useful information for any traveler.  It is full of advice on many subjects including where I stayed, activities to do, restaurants to eat at, and where to shop for souvenirs.   Some of subjects covered include kayaking the Kalihiwai River, hiking the Kalalau Trail, where to watch the best sunset, where to go to watch a sporting event, Ho’opi’i’ Falls, and visiting Maha’ulepu Beach.  Restaurants covered include Kountry Kitchen, Calypsos, Dukes, and Olympic Café.

Camping at Kokee State Park

Camping and Hiking Kauai –  A Budget Vacation to the Island

Today when we travel to Kauai, we are going to get out and about and explore the beauty of the island, and we’re going to do it very inexpensively.  We are going to meet Shelia and Mike, who just got back from a two-island, sixteen-day vacation to Hawaii.  On each of the islands that they visited, they camped for four nights and stayed in high quality, inexpensive lodging for the other four.  We’re going to talk with them and discuss how, by blending camping and inexpensive lodging and filling their days with outdoor activities, they were able to spend one week on Kauai, and one week on The Big Island, for less money than most people spend in a week on one island.

The subject of this weeks show has something for everyone.  We will let you know everything you need to know about booking a campsite on Kauai.  If camping isn’t your thing, we also have a great tool to give you to help you locate inexpensive lodging, and we are going to discuss five awesome hikes in detail.  These hikes vary in parts of the island that they are located on, and in difficulty, and they can’t be missed on your next vacation.

To view Mike’s pictures from his hikes, you can visit his Facebook page.  He has made albums public, but you must have a Facebook account and log in to see them.

As mentioned in the show, I have included the following links:

The Coco Palms Lagoon

The Coco Palms Hotel, with David Penhallow

If you were to see The Coco Palms Hotel today, you would see tattered buildings and overgrown landscaping.  You would sense the broken memories of a place that was once amazing. … and still it would call to you.  Coco Palms was once the premier hotel in all the Hawaiian Islands, and for good reason.  Even today, 20 years after being destroyed in Hurricane Iniki, Coco Palms still gives off a magic unlike any other resort.

Today we are going to talk with David Penhallow, author of the book The Story of the Coco Palms Hotel.  This great interview will take you back to 1950s Kauai, and Coco Palms in all it’s glory.  I am so excited about this show on many levels.  I think everyone, whether or not they have seen or even heard of Coco Palms before, should hear its story, and I don’t think there is anyone better suited to tell you the story than David.  The story of Coco Palms is not just a story of Kauai History, it’s a story of living and loving life, it’s a story of “spreading aloha”, it’s a story of kindness to others, it’s a story of romance, and it could also be a story told in business schools.

As mentioned in the show, I have included the following links:

Hurricane Iniki

Hurricane Iniki

Today we are going back to a time when the people of Kauai needed to band together, lift each other up, and overcome a major challenge.  On September 11th, 1992, Hurricane Iniki, the most powerful Hurricane to strike the Hawaiian Islands in recorded history, hit Kauai directly leaving a trail of total devastation behind.  It would take many years for the island to recover.  Thousands of people were left homeless, businesses were destroyed, roads were wiped out, crops were lost, and tourism took a major hit.

Captain Sherwin (Kaleo) Perez, currently acting Assistant Chief of the Administrative and Technical Bureau of the Kauai Police Department, was an officer on duty  when it hit, and one of the people who worked hard to ensure everyone’s safety.  Today we are going to hear his story, from his point of view, and from a police officer’s point point of view, of what it was like to be on Kauai when Hurricane Iniki hit and through the rebuilding process afterward.

A special thanks to all members of The Kauai Police Department, who put themselves on the line every day to ensure the island is safe for everyone.

As discussed in the interview, below is a link to some dramatic hurricane footage:

Secret Falls

The Journey to Secret Falls

Going on the journey to Secret Falls always accounts for one of my favorite days on Kauai.  It consists of a two mile kayak trip up the gorgeous Wailua River, followed by a one mile hike through the jungle to a beautiful waterfall. This week we meet up with Connie and Gerson, who are actually in Kauai on vacation, and who just returned from this adventure. In a fantastic conversation recorded literally just two hours after they returned from the river, we discuss their day kayaking the river, hiking through the jungle to the falls, and a side trip they took to the Fern Grotto.  Towards the end of the conversation we also discuss a few aspects of their trip and, on the heels of last week, their marriage in Kauai four years ago.

There are two ways to experience this journey, in a guided tour group, which is a very popular way of doing it, and the less popular way that I recommend… by renting a kayak and doing it yourself.  Strict limitations are imposed on the amount of people that are allowed to do this trip solo.  So, at the end of the show I also bring you another short interview with Tian, one of the owners of Wailua Kayak Adventures, about restrictions on kayaking this river solo and other great tips you need to know to make your day perfect.

As discussed in the episode, I have included the following links:

Leo and Nancy

Getting Married on Kauai

The Hawaiian Islands are lush, full of beauty, and inspire romance.  Hundreds of thousands of people are drawn to the romance of these islands every year, and many of those people feel it is not only a perfect vacation spot, but an ideal place to get married or renew your vows.  More than 20,000 marriages are performed each year on the islands, and nearly half of the couples married here are from somewhere else.

In this episode of Kauai Podcast we speak with Leo and Nancy, two awesome people who were married on Kauai last year.  They share their incredible story of finding true love, and then talk in depth about planning their marriage on Kauai.  For anyone even thinking about getting married on Kauai, listening to this show is a must.  Whether you have a small, intimate, and inexpensive wedding in mind, or a large and grand one, this show has budget tips, great advice, and useful information for everyone.

As discussed in the podcast, the following links are invaluable resources:

Resting off Kalalau Beach

Kayaking Kauai’s Na Pali Coast

The Na Pali coast of Kauai consists of 17 miles of gorgeous coastline along the northwest portion of Kauai.  It is one of the most beautiful places in the world with 4000 ft cliffs plunging straight into the ocean.  All along, it is lined with waterfalls and riddled with secluded beaches, and sea caves.  Kayaking the coast is the adventure of a lifetime, and was listed by National Geographic as the number two adventure in America. Today we are going to talk to Adrian Nicholas, an amazing dude, living the life with an incredible job as an adventure guide on Kauai, taking people on kayak trips down the Na Pali coastline.  In this incredible interview, we discuss all aspects undertaking and completing of this awesome journey.

As discussed in this episode, I have included several links:

Our Na Pali journey was partially recorded by Leo, one of the members on our trip.  He sent a video to us afterward with some great clips of the beginning of the coast and the first two sea caves.

Adrian was working with Elements Production, which did many shows including fire dancing.  I found a performance show combining belly dance and fire dancing, that is definitely worth watching.