Poipu Kai Resort in Poipu consists of several individual condominium complexes scattered over a 70 acre property. We sometimes get people asking us how far it is from Poipu Sands or Regency Villas, two popular complexes in the resort, to the beach. We’ve actually measured the walking times. Take a look at the follow aerial photo to get your bearing (you can click on it for a bigger view). In the photo the most central part of Poipu Kai Resort is identified (1) as well as Poipu Sands (8) which is still part of Poipu Kai. Regency is about half way between the 1 and 8 labels. On the right hand side is Shipwreck Beach, and on the left is Brennecke followed by Poipu Beach Park.

Poipu Kai Resort & Poipu Sands

The walking time from Regency to Brennecke is 6 minutes. It’s an additional 4 minutes to get to Poipu Beach. The walking time from Poipu Sands to Brennecke is 12 minutes when you cut through Poipu Kai Resort. Poipu Sands is located next to Shipwreck beach but the grounds are fairly big, so the average walking time from a unit to the start of the beach will be 3-4 minutes.

Google Maps has a walking directions feature that appears to be very accurate and allows you to chose walking paths as well as roads. Here is the map showing the walking distance from Poipu Sands to Brennecke beach.

In our latest update to the Kauai GPS Tour Guide for the iPhone we added a few additional movie locations, like Jurassic Park, King Kong (1976 remake),  Raiders of the Lost Ark and Pirates of the Caribbean: on Stranger Tides. Directors like to film in remote areas of the island, which means many locations aren’t recognizable or possible to visit. For the movie Tropic Thunder, filmed almost entirely on Kauai, the only location I recognized was the home of the agent Rick Peck (played by Mathew McConaughey), which is somewhere in Kilauea.

Watching movies filmed in Hawaii is a fun way to get excited for an upcoming vacation. If you have a smart phone or laptop consider downloading one of the following movies for your plane trip. For more information about the movies in this list you can visit the Internet Movie Database. For information about the locations listed, take a look at our Kauai Map.

Kauai’s most impressive beaches are located on the north shore, a compelling reason to vacation in that area. On our first few trips to Kauai, many years ago, we stayed in Princeville, lured by the beautiful scenery. On our first day trip visit to Poipu, we were a little puzzled by Poipu Beach Park. It’s a nice beach to be sure, but not on the same scale as some of the North Shore’s offerings. However, what we didn’t discover as casual visitors to the area were Poipu’s other beaches. And it wasn’t until we actually stayed in Poipu that we discovered Mahaulepu, one of Poipu’s hidden gems.

Of course we know better now, having stayed in Poipu many times. For those who aren’t sure whether Poipu has enough beaches to satisfy, take a look at the following video which shows them all.

Surfing originated in Polynesian and was first described in 1769 when Captain James Cook arrived in Tahiti. In Hawaii, surfing was considered an art form as much as it was a sport and recreational activity. Temples were dedicated to surfing and Hawaiians would call upon their Priests to pray for good waves.

Everybody surfed in Hawaii including women and children, but the best waves and beaches were open only to the ruling class. When missionaries arrived in the 1820s they sought to transform Hawaiian culture including getting rid of surfing where nearly naked men and women mingled freely instead of working. Surfing went into decline until the early 20th century when it was revived by Alexander Hume Ford and Jack London. Ford was living in Waikiki trying to promote Hawaii as a tourist destination and realized that surfing could become a selling point. When Jack London arrived in Waikiki he was already a famous author. Ford introduced the sport to London and he immediately fell in love. In 1907 London wrote “A Royal Sport: Surfing in Waikiki” which was published in several magazines and garnered much attention. In 1908 Ford petitioned the trustees of the Queen Emma Estate to set aside a parcel of land next to the Moana Hotel in Waikiki for a surfing and canoeing club. In Ford’s fund-raising manifesto he described a club that would “give an added and permanent attraction to Hawaii and make Waikiki always the Home of the Surfer, with perhaps an annual Surfboard and Outrigger Canoe Carnival which will do much to spread abroad the attractions of Hawaii, the only islands in the world where men and boys ride upright upon the crests of waves.” Ford’s petition worked and the trustees of Queen Emma’s Estate founded the Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Club, the first modern club dedicated to the perpetuation of wave-riding.

A few years later Hawaii’s most famous waterman and Olympic swimming champion, Duke Kahanamoku, spread the sport abroad by giving demonstrations as he traveled the globe. Kahanamoku is widely credited with surfing the longest wave in history, a wave near Waikiki that carried him for more than a mile.

There are many great surf breaks in Hawaii. Our Hawaii iPhone app’s point these out as you drive around the island.

Imagine having a local expert to guide you as you drive around Kauai.

Kauai GPS Tour Guide for the iPhone is a virtual tour guide that talks to vacationers as they drive around Kauai. Using the GPS built into the iPhone, the Tour Guide knows exactly where travelers are and alerts them to hidden beaches, scenic lookouts, historic sites, hikes, farmers markets and many other Kauai attractions.

The Kauai GPS Tour Guide is the first App of its kind available to Kauai visitors. It’s like having an island resident drive with you to tell you about the island. Unlike a guide book where you’re constantly flipping through pages trying to figure out where you are and what’s around you, the Tour Guide tells you about hidden places, and guides you to difficult to find attractions.

The Tour Guide includes over 200 points of interest and uses a real human voice - not a computer generated one. The application also includes comprehensive beach and snorkeling guides, weather and surf forecasts, driving directions, Kauai background information for tourists including detailed ocean safety guidelines, and select activity and restaurant recommendations.

Kauai GPS Tour Guide is available for only $7.95 from iTunes or the iPhone app store. It also works with the iPad 3G+Wifi model. Unfortunately we don’t have an Android version yet, but with the popularity of devices like the T-Mobile Galaxy S we may consider adding Android support in the future.

Kauai GPS Tour Guide for the iPhone

Just a 2 minute drive up the road from Poipu Beach Park is Poipu Shores, a 3 building condominium development boldly located at ocean’s edge. Poipu Shores commands one of the best coastal views of any Poipu resort with views extending beyond Poipu Beach and down Kauai’s southern coast. What makes the view especially dramatic is the ocean’s never ending assault on the lava rocks fronting Poipu Shores, creating spectacular splashes less than 60 ft from some of the units. In fact the startling splashes are even visible from inside some ground floor units - imagine making breakfast only to be startled by a huge splash outside your window. In the winter months, whales can been see directly in front of the condos, while turtles abound year round.

We’ve created a virtual tour of Poipu Shores so you can see the beautiful coastal views for yourself. HawaiiGaga has found  some of the best units at Poipu Shores and you can also venture inside them in the virtual tour!

Poipu Shores Condos, Kauai

We’ve uncovered some amazing deals at the Kuhio Shores Condo resort in Poipu. The rates are so good we’re not going to mention how low they are because people reading this post in the future may be disappointed that they couldn’t take advantage of the offer. Click on the link above to go to our Kuhio Shores page, then click on the Kuhio Shores Rentals link to see the offers. At the moment the deals are being offered for travel from now through September.

Kuhio Shores is one of Poipu’s most desirable condos because it’s located directly on the ocean next to Lawai beach. All the units at the 4 story complex have excellent ocean views, and are approximately 30 - 80ft from the water. Because the units are privately owned each one is decorated according to the tastes of the owner.

Lawai beach is one of Poipu’s best snorkeling locations. A highlight for both snorkelers and guests of Kuhio Shores are the many green sea turtles that live around the two bays surrounding the resort. Lawai beach is also occasionally frequented by monk seals for sleeping. A 5 minute walk away is Baby Beach, a reef sheltered beach that is ideal for infants and sun tanning.

A surf break known as PKs is located in front of Kuhio Shores. During the summer months this is considered one of Poipu’s best surf breaks. Just down the road from Kuhio Shores are Spouting Horn park and the Allerton and McBryde national tropical botanical gardens. The new Kukui’ula shopping center is a 10 minute walk away. The center has a weekly farmer’s market, several restaurants, a food market, as well as art galleries and other shops.

Kuhio Shores Condos in Poipu, Kauai

We’ve written before about the The Queen’s Bath on Kauai, including giving our safety recommendations for the area (please take the time to read those recommendations). It’s a popular tourist attraction in Princeville, particularly during the summer months when the ocean is calmer. But the whole rocky coast here experiences the full ferocity of the ocean when swells (waves) roll in. The following video, shot in March, shows how dramatically the area can change from day to day. The first segment shows the Queen’s Bath in 4-6ft surf, while the second show what it looks like in 12-15ft surf. The two segments were captured a couple days apart.

It’s important to approach the ocean with care. Always check the surf report before you visit an area like the Queen’s bath so that you know what the ocean is capable of doing. Click here for more Hawaii safety recommendations.

Hideaways Beach is one of Princeville’s hidden gems. This hard to find little beach is located directly below the Puu Pua condos. There’s a path next to Puu Poa’s tennis courts that leads down to the beach. In the summer time Hideaways beach offers good snorkeling when the ocean is calm. There’s also a reef surf break just off the beach. Reef breaks aren’t good for beginners, but more experienced surfers sometimes come here when the prospects elsewhere aren’t great.

Despite being such a charismatic beach, Hideaways doesn’t see too many visitors. There are two reasons for this. First, the public parking facility servicing the beach only holds 9 cars. Second, the path down to the beach is steep. Children over the age of 4 will manage, but smaller will need to be carried. Those with mobility problems may also find the path daunting.

The following video shows the beach, and all the sections of the short path. You’ll notice there are some rusty but functional railings.

Nihi Kai Villas in Poipu are a favorite choice for people who want to be within walking distance to Poipu Beach Park. Even closer is Brennecke Beach, about a 2 minute walk from the ocean side entrance to the Villas. Brennecke is actually connected to Poipu beach park.

Lovely grounds, tennis courts, a nice swimming pool.. Well we could go on an explain how nice they are. Instead take a look at the following video to see for yourself. This video features the lovely Nihi Kai 833, possibly commanding the best view at Nihi Kai. Click on the video to watch it in high definition.