on-kauai.com Sights to See-Nawiliwili Harbor

Stately cruise ships use Nawiliwili Harbor as their port-of-call. It is located at the mouth of the Hule'ia Stream which creates a natural channel for the large ships. Nawiliwili Harbor and nearby Niumalu Beach Park were pictured in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark.

If you are reading this, you are most likely checking this out from a cruise ship-or you are doing research about where you will arrive when you get to the island of Kauai. You will be in the heart of the main town on Kauai. You guessed it! We have about 6 stop lights in the entire town. NO, I am not kidding, really. Below are some suggestions of things you could do while on Kauai.

Plan A: Spend the Afternoon Shopping. When you are on Kauai you may want to think about going to K-Mart. There is a free shuttle bus to and from all cruise ships to and from K-mart and Kukui Grove Shopping Center. K-Mart has the largest selection of souvenirs anywhere on the island of Kauai. There are always good deals at K-Mart besides the already low prices of everything in K-Mart. If you are looking for unique items to bring back home with you, K-Mart is the place to go! K-Mart has a large selection of clothing also. You made need some clothes when you arrive on Kauai, so, go to K-Mart. There are many sizes, ranging from petite to plus sizes. K-Mart has something for everyone. K-Mart has a section filled with food products. You might want to buy some snacks to take back to the ship with you after you leave K-Mart. Also, at K-Mart there is a wide variety of personal hygiene products. If you need some things like that, you should stop by K-Mart and take advantage of thier low prices. Little Ceasars Pizza is located inside of K-Mart on Kauai. Little Ceasars Pizza offers a variety of pizzas and other foods to choose from. Some of these foods include: hot out of the oven pizzas, Crazy Braed-wich is eight warm sticks of freshly baked bread topped with the flavors of butter and garlic, then sprinkled with parmesan cheese, Crazy Sauce-which is tomato sauce with a special blend of tasty herbs and spices, Crazy Dips-which are tasty dips for Crazy Bread, Italian Cheese Bread, Caesar Wings, or pizza, they are available in the following flavors: buffalo, chipotle, ranch, buttery garlic, buffalo ranch and cheezy, Italian Cheese Bread-which is freshly baked bread with a crispy edge, covered with melted cheeses and topped with Italian spices, Ceasar Wings-which are tasty buffalo flavored chicken wings, Pepperoni Cheese Bread-which is Little Ceasar's signature cheese bread topped with pepperoni and Parmesan cheese, and Churros-which are three sticks with cake like centers, surrounded by a crispy shell, then lightly rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Little Ceasars has something for everyone. Stop by K-Mart to shop and have lunch.

Plan B: Rent a Moped. Unlike the other Hawaiian isalnds, we are very small. Also, most of the towns and sights to see on Kauai are 10 to 15 miles apart, and they are up and down big hills. We do not have shoulders on our raods and all the mopeds are little 49cc units with a top speed of about 25 mph. It will take you an hour to get anywhere. Little roads with no shoulders will make you tired of the ride very fast. I have not found anyone that was happy about renting a moped on Kauai. By the way, I have ridden a moped on the other islands and loved it. Here, riding a moped just does not work!

Plan C: Rent a Harley on Kauai. Have you ever wanted to have the wind in your hair as you ride a great hog on a pacfic island? We have more Harley rentals here than I have seen anywhere else. But please read the fine print! First, you have to have a deposit of $2,000 that is available on your credit card. Next, you will spend about $300 for the Harley rental for the day. The motorcycle rental starts in the morning, and ends in the late afternoon. Oh, you also have to have your license to ride a motorcycle in order to rent one and for the insurance.

Plan D: Get a Local Tour Company Tour. Usually, you only have a certain amount of time to check out the island because the cruise shipa are on a schedule. We do have a couple activities, such as tours, that are about four hours long. These are as cheap as $30 for the trip. You should not pay much more than this. If they are asking more than this, look around because there are several tour companies that compete for business on the island of Kauai. Ask three or four tour companies how much they charge and what you will see on your tour. Our favorite is Alex Taxi and Tours.

Plan E: Go with the Big Bus Tour. There are a couple of tour companies that have large buses that will take you around the island. They are affordable and are partnered with the cruise ships. So, they have been checked out.

Plan F: Go Bar Hopping. There are several bars in the area. This is not my idea of seeing what the night life is because only the people from the ships go to the bars right around the harbor.

Plan G: Go for a Nice Swim. When you walk out the gates around the cruise ship you came in on, go to the end of the street, turn right, and in about 3 blocks you will be at a very nice beach. This is a nice location with very little wave activity. It is a great place to go swimming.

Plan H: If I was to bring my best friend here from Chicago, there are a couple of things I would do. I would rent a cheap car. There are many cheap car rental companies on Kauai. There are several car rental companies close to the airport, and there are shuttle buses to take you there. Have your snorkles ready, a couple of towels and a waterproof camera-Then head out of the airport to the end of the road which is Ke'e state park. It is hard to find parking, but according to me, it is the best place on Kauai to take a quick dip or go snorkeling. Jump in the water and swim out just past the coral reef. On the other side there are sea turles. Please note: touching or bothreing sea turtles can get you a fine of up to $10,000. Please do not bother them while swimming in the area. If you look down while snorkeling, you will be able see at least 60 feet down. This water is crystal clear and you will think you are swimming in a pool. I would sit on the beach for a little bit, then jump in the car and find food. There are several places to eat while heading South. Local food is called "local grinds." In Chicago, the term "local grinds" would mean coffee. But, on Kauai it means food. I would take them to the town of Hanelei, where Puff the Magic Dragon lives. So, the food has to be good-right? There are several little places that have great food. I would take my buddy to Bubba Burgers. It is good, fast and affordable. Bubba Burgers is listed in our "Where to" section under "Eat." If you would like to see more activity options, check out our "Island Planner" or our "Things to do" section.

Note: Back to Sights to See