Grand Hyatt Kauai Family Vacation
Our family took a mini vacation over one weekend to Kauai.
It was the kids’ first time and it was absolutely beautiful and fun! Relaxing? Not quite since they swam in the pool for about 4 hours straight and asked me to watch them do flips and dives over and over so I was bobbing up and down above and below the surface, going down water slides, and playing tag in the pool. So tiring, but so fun to watch them having so much fun!
These moments in the pool, were a highlight! You see, the process to get to this has been 5 years of swim lessons. At least 8 times a year, I do the swim sign ups camping out 3 hours on the side of a park to get into one of three slots. Plus setting multiple alarms and refreshing multiple devices for online sign ups to get them a spot. And that’s just the sign up! Then it’s paying for the swim classes, prepping for it, packing the bag, applying sunscreen, commuting, waiting, commuting, showering…
Everything takes time and has a process and that’s why people love to post and remember the highlight, because they know how much it takes to get to that moment. To see my daughter swim for hours on end longer and farther than me with so much joy was worth it! To see my son hold his own so I could actually swim beside him was worth it. We went down slides and no one had to be waiting at the bottom and that little thing, marked a new milestone and season for us.
You will get to go down your slide and swim! If you’re in the process, “Just keep on swimming.” And if you’re in that moment, have fun and make a splash!
erin’s tip: Read on to see what we did on our 3-day trip to Kauai (flew in Friday and out Sunday) so you can do it too with a little less pre-planning and peace of mind!
Before you go, 5 things to know:
Figure out the goal for the trip (Ours was for the kids to have fun…hence not much relaxing or sight-seeing)
Figure out your budget (Make sure you save up and then decide what you want to spend on. Is it the food, the attractions, the luxury rental car, or the hotel/Air B&B)
Check operating hours (Some attractions and restaurants are only open certain days and hours so if it’s a must on your list, you might need to make sure you’re there when they’re open)
Ask the locals what to do (If you know anyone who lives there, is from there, or at least frequently visits there, they know what’s up!)
Plan your omiyage (If you have to bring back gifts, research first what to get. I’m always shopping for chocolates so that’s why our one shopping stop was the Kauai Sweet Shoppe!)
Where We Went
Kilohana Plantation Train Tour
The Kilohana Plantaion Train Tour was recommended to us by some friends with little kids who loved it. Since we are a nature loving family who appreciate animals, farms, fruits and trees, this was a win all around! It was a relaxing ride on the very nice train through the most gorgeous fruit trees. The kids’ favorite part though was stopping mid-way through to get out and help feed the pigs, cow, donkey, and horse. The ride was the perfect length and I would highly, highly recommend this to other friends too!
erin’s tip: Kama`aina pricing is available. Plan to have lunch at the beautiful Plantation House at Gaylords while you’re there and visit the Kauai Sweet Shoppe on property too!
Fern Grotto Wailua River Cruise
This was recommended to us by a friend as well and was something very different for our kids who don’t normally get a chance to ride on a boat. It was a bit of a long ride (2 hours total), but I think they found it relaxing and a time to zone out. The adults listened to some of the history storytelling and enjoyed the live music and hula as well. Our destination was the Fern Grotto which was a beautiful little scenic stop and photo opportunity. The kids were a bit bummed we had to stay on the trail and wanted to go exploring and hoped they could fish off of the boat, but it was beautiful and something tourists LOVE for sure! We played tourists for the day and it was a fun little get away.
erin’s tip: Let them know you are kama`aina when you check in and they will reimburse you some $. Eat and use the bathroom before you go. I always get motion sick but was okay on this because I lined up quickly to get a seat along the edge where the breeze blew in my face + I wore my motion sickness band & took some ginger pills. Wear shorts and pants so you can sit comfortably and sunglasses if you wear contacts so the wind flapping in your face doesn’t dry them out! :p
Where We Ate
We went to a few places to eat other than at the hotel, and the winner for all of us was breakfast at Kalaheo Cafe and Coffee Company. Their coffee, desserts, and food were all absolutely delicious!! It was pretty packed with a constant line of people including tourists, but we’re so happy we tried this place that we found on Yelp as we were driving around. Highly recommend!
Other places we ate were recommended to us by the locals. Of course Hamura Saimin was a hit for the nostalgic old town feel where you run into the locals and feel like you might run into grandma and grandpa’s friend there. Their classic saimin hit the spot for all 4 of us and I personally loved the crispy won ton. They also had the biggest mountain apples we ever saw and our kids were so excited to buy a few and gobble it up immediately!
We also tried Konohiki Seafoods for their poke and Hawaiian plates (bento were sold out by the time we went) and Sueoka’s Snack Shop for some affordable plate lunches.
For a little chocolate (of course), we headed to Kauai Sweet Shoppe to pick up omiyage and try a caramel chocolate covered green apple. It was absolutely scrumptious! Next time, we will need to visit Lydgate Chocolate Farm. That was one on my list, but we missed the farm hours!
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa
This was one of the grandest, most beautiful hotels we have ever been to and would totally love to come here again! The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is a place family we know, visit often and now we know why! We had planned to stay at the hotel where they stay and once we saw photos of this hotel online, we decided it would probably be a trip where we spend most of the day at their pools. :)
Hands down they have some of the best pools! Besides their regular, but actually HUGE pool, they have a pretty little lazy river with hidden caves under waterfalls the kids loved to go in and out of, a very fun slide adults can go down too, an adult only pool (didn’t experience that one :p), jacuzzis (didn’t get to try that either), and an expansive salt water pool! That one was our family’s favorite! And all of these pools are right next to the ocean with an incredible view plus the opportunity to walk one minute away to hit the beach!
The beach known as Shipwreck’s, is where Conner enjoyed the little tide pools and exploring the most and they also saw a real monk seal from a safe distance. I wish I captured more pictures of the pool and beach, but I was mainly running around from pool to pool following the kids in our swimsuit with no devices.
There are beautiful Macaw birds on property, a koi pond, local artisan vendors selling their products, lots of restaurant options, a luau, a beautiful walking path, and so many things I didn’t even get a chance to visit like the nice gym, spa or tennis courts!
The breakfast buffet at Ilima Terrace Restaurant was a huge hit for kids who aren’t used to buffets and choosing what they wanted from such a wide variety felt like a feast! The restaurant had a beautiful view and felt very open with high ceilings and I was very happy with their options in the buffet. The sushi at Stevenson’s Sushi & Spirits also had a breathtaking view of the property and ocean and fresh delicious fish. The hotel club access and room service was convenient and also extremely good! We were very hapy with how delicious the food on property was!
The staff and service was great, the guests were very friendly, the rooms were spacious, and the pools, greenery, and beach all in one place made the Hyatt on Kauai feel very Grand!!!
Mahalo Grand Hyatt Kauai and everyone who helped make this possible. We definitely want to come back and explore more of Kauai and perhaps actually sit in one of your pool chairs next time and watch the kids swim! ;)
