What's it like to live in Kauai vs. vacation there?

[trinity1111]

As long as we are revisiting this Kauai thread, is there still a chicken overpopulation on the Island? I would think the Micronesians would have cleared them all up these days.

[kauailover]

Plenty of chickens still!

[hotzcatz]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

Is there a reason people are responding to a 12 year old post? Not sure why Dooley reopened it. The OP's "kids" would be in graduate school by now.

True, but things don't change fast on Kauai. Dooley sounds a bit homesick for Kauai, but the reason they left is also the reason why a lot of folks don't survive in the islands. Cost of living. They couldn't find a place they wanted to live at a price they could either afford or find acceptable. *poof* gone.

[Otis Street]

Originally Posted by kauaidooley

We visited Kauai, actually for 13 years....and then made the big move across the pond.

We lived on Kauai Island full time for nearly 10 years. We had zero problems with island fever, and melded in with the island and the people. Yes, kauai is expensive, but so is living in the beach cities here in orange county.

We brought our own aloha, and respect, and were quite active . We did not okole sit. And when we moved over from
Huntington Beach for me, and Seal Beach , So Cal. for Erica, we sold, gave away, or trashed most of our mainland stuff, and started out brand new on Kauai.

We also volunteered for beach and river clean ups, and were Sierra Club Hike leaders. We also joined surf rider and Malama Mahaulepu. We also joined the Kauai Athletic Club and were serious about working out and staying fit. We found the best shore entry snorkel beach on the south shore, and even had a semi secret place to bbq, and have a small quiet
beach within a few steps.

The gym was great, and we met many wonderful friends there. Also, I , tho I was retired from flying and sailing professionally, I had a job within 3 days , working at Brenneickes Beach Center, Poipu Beach. Over the years, I also worked at the Lawai Beach Resort, selling activities, three days a week. But the best was my last, before total retirement, working at the Kauai Athletic Club.

We also found the best happy hours, for food and drink, and were out and about on Sat Night ( date nights, Island wide ).
There are many very special and wonderful places to go out to, and we like to have a dining experience, and relate to the
staff and patrons . We shopped at Costco, some of the grocery markets, and the sunshine markets for produce. We also bbq'd many nights at home. We kept live easy.

We also were busy , as visitors and as residents going on fun activities, as well as the free nature oriented adventures.
The paid activities slowed quite bit after moving over, but we still treated ourselves once in a while and had great times.

We had zero contact with drugs, period, end of that problem. Most of the people we associated with were fit, working, fun, and we shared respect, and aloha, and still do.

We now live back on the mainland, in Dana Point, Ca. and it is pretty much the same life style as Kauai and other beach towns. We brought our aloha back to the mainland, melded right back in. We can walk to the Beach, or down to Dana Point Harbor, 9 sailing, stand up paddle boarding, fishing, and catalina trips. Also d there a loads of trails to explore county wide. Fabulous places to go for dinners and drinks, and we meet and associate with fun , positive people.

Whoa...you say....if Kauai is sooooo fabulous , why are you back on the mainland ?

Well, we had a great landlord, and leased one of his condos at Banyan Harbor Resort. We were across the road from
Kalapaki Beach, and the Lihue Marriot and also an easy walk to fun places to feast and socialize. We were busy with some of the things that I mentioned above.

Our problem loomed up, when our wonderful owner, decided to liquidated his three units in Banyan Harbor and move to the Big Island. We were unable to find a new place that suited us, with a good owner, and nice area, and yet within our retirement budget.

Oh, we tried, and each time, it was disappointment, after disappointment, etc, etc.
I was heart broken, we had to leave the island that we loved and the people that we loved. Oh, and Richard our owner, over all those years, never raised our rent, and when left, he bought most of our furnishings, no hassel and returned
100% of our original deposit.

That is our Kauai, and the island and the people remain in our hearts to this day, Five years now in Dana Point, But . yahoo, we are heading back to kauai for a visit in September....30 days at Poipu Kai Resort ( reserved ).


Strongly suggest a Kauai fun, exploring, recon visit, and learn the different areas, shores, beaches, and other local amenities and what feels good to you. North Shore is Tahiti beautiful....and of course gets more rain. South Shore is sunny, and more centrally located to get out and explore the rest of the island.

You might want to order.....THE ULTIMATE KAUAI GUIDE BOOK...by Andrew Doughty .....absolute best help not only for moving over, but you will constantly refer to it once you are a resident.

The above is only a small part of our life both visiting Kauai and as residents for 10 years.

Me ke aloha pumehana

( Aloha with love and fondness )

E komo mai, kauai.

Denny and Erica

Never have I ever read a more eloquent post on this site or any other. If you had a blog I would subscribe and if you wrote a book I would buy it. I felt the peace, tranquility and joy of Kauai reading your post because you wrote from the heart. Thank you!

[Otis Street]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

Is there a reason people are responding to a 12 year old post? Not sure why Dooley reopened it. The OP's "kids" would be in graduate school by now.

I like it! The OP posed a question that has probably been pondered by every person who's ever visited Kauai.

[Vcidfifi]

Test

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Originally Posted by Vcidfifi

Test

What are you testing? Did it work?

[Weaubleau]

To me, moving to Maui or Kauai is like moving to a small town, where you are a perpetual outsider, and where decisions are made based on values that would make (at least me) scratch my head, where there is a lot of drama and there are a bunch of, for lack of a better term "damaged" people who have moved there because it is basically the end of the line or they have ended up there with no real way to get out. Also, if you are single, be prepared to have a dating pool of about 20 people, so you better like one of them or you are out of luck.