Mincie I think you are thinking right as far as a condo goes. We own a timeshare at the Pointe at Poipu and I love seeing the little ones swimming in the pool and parents having nice quality time with them. As far as other condos I would strongly suggest this site: www.parrishkauai.com/… There are many nice condos in the area and Grantham does a good job from what I hear. The only other condo I have been in is Nihi Kai which I can tell you is very nice. I believe Suite Paradise also rents there: suite-paradise.com/…

The nice thing about Grantham is you can see pictures of actual units.

As far as grilling on the lani, I don't know of any place that has that. Usually it is on the property somewhere. I believe it would be a fire hazard.

Enjoy the time with your little one, they grow so fast!

I HIGHLY recommend Grantham Resorts, now Parrish Kauai (http://www.parrishkauai.com/). We rent with them exclusively while on the south shore. We used to use other companies but have not strayed from Gantham since our first experience with them. The service is great, they do a lot of extra things for you and their properties are wonderful and clean! You can browse online but I sometimes call them directly when I want to brainstorm with them about a good rental. I usually work with Cynthia or Pat.

I'm not sure how much you want to spend but they also have some great homes for rent as well. We stay on Baby's Beach (Ho'ona Road) and have since my two boys were 3 months old. Other nice condos are in Nihi Kai, Poipu Kai, Kiahuna Plantation. I've also heard that Sunset Kahili, Poipu Shores and Makuehuena are nice but I've never stayed there. If you want to stay away from the construction, you should pick something east of the Sheraton.

Baby's Beach is west of the Sheraton but it's a quiet residential neighborhood and has not been affected by the construction (we were there in December).

If you want to consider staying on the North Shore where the surf will be calmer in the summer consider Hanalei Bay Resort. At their lagoon style pool they have a baby area which is a small sandy beach with just a few inches of water. There are waterfalls all around and small kids love it. The beach below the resort is calm and good for kids though I prefer driving 10 minutes to Hanalei Bay. The bellman will drive you down to the beach below if you don't want to walk with a toddler. At the entrance to Princeville is a new play structure. HBR has 2 barbques so seek a condo near there. (4000, 6000 or 7000 building) The small town of Hanalei has many family friendly restaurants if cooking gets too tiresome. You can find the nicest interiors and most updated condos on summitpacific.com, VRBO and through Regency Pacific Realty. Poipu would be a nice option as well.

We are currently renting a unit at the Lae Nani in Kapaa - it is tastefully decorated, oceanfront with amazing views, and 2 baby beaches right on the property as well as a pool. We are totally enjoying it and with a 1 year old who is walking and into everything, the place has enough room for him to roam around. The location is good...walking to Coconut Marketplace and short drive into Kapaa. Email me if you want more info.

"As far as grilling on the lani, I don't know of any place that has that. Usually it is on the property somewhere. I believe it would be a fire hazard."

We've rented condos before, and you are correct about no grilling on the lanai. In fact, the grill is not alway located near the pools, if the pools are just a few feet from the buildings. One BBQ was as far away as you could get from our condo.

Perhaps a private home would have a gas grill on their patio or deck.

Many of the homes on Baby's Beach that we have stayed at have barbeqces on the lanai. Not normally something you would see in a condo for fire safety.

Another website to check out is www.kauairentals.com for Poipu rentals.

Thanks to everyone for the info! Also, for ideas about places other than Poipu. I was looking in Poipu only because of its sunnier/less rainy reputation. We're going sometime in mid-May to mid-June so maybe it's ok in other areas then?? As for BBQ on the lanai, sorry, but I didn't mean to actually have a BBQ on the lanai, just to enjoy a barbequed dinner on it! :-)

Mahalo!

Mid-May to Mid- June should be OK on the north shore but it will depend on the weather conditions. We stayed at the Princeville Hotel one year in May and it rained quite a bit. I remembering playing golf at the Makai course and having to stop every hole, zip up the plastic sides and wait out yet another shower. It made for an interesting round of golf!

Check this website out for surf conditions around the island as well.

kauaiexplorer.com/guides/beach/seasonal_surf…

Also, last summer we stayed one week in Poipu (last week of June) and one week on the north shore (first week of July). It was a lot more humid on the north shore and my 5 year old had a real problem with the mosquitos on the north shore. They did not bother him while we were in Poipu. Just something else to think about....

Either area, North or South, should be terrific weather on Kauai. The surf calms down up North in May (that's when the tour boats leave out of Hanalei Bay) so that shouldn't be an issue. I go to Kauai 6 times a year and I go every May and I've had sprinkles in Princeville and showers in Poipu and visa versa. They are usually just passing and not a deal breaker. Martik is correct that in mid July it gets more humid. Mosquitos will get you any where on the island. They don't just "like" the North Shore.

Everyone has giving you good advice. Now just narrow down your search and we're her for you.