Hi neighbor (I am on my way to Target near you right now)

I would find out if the Cliff's has started the renovation of their pool. I know they have plans for it to be redone. They have very few timeshare rooms. Most are privately owned. I like this complex but it looks like an apt complex. Nice putting green, ok pool. I don't know much about Pahio except it does get mixed reviews. I think the Bali Hai is supposed to be newer and nicer. Yes the North shore is fabulous in August and September and ocean conditions are perfect. I think Kauai Coast Beach Boy is an RCI property. I could be wrong. That is in Kapa's but might be a nice central location. The Pointe at Poipu? Nice complex. Because you are doing this last minute and still at a busy time, you might not have a lot of options. Most restaurants on the NS are in Hanalei. 10 minute drive. You'll love it down there. Quaint and funky like Santa Cruz.

See you in the creek!

hey to you, neighbor! hope you had a good time at Target. :)

thanks so much for your input. we've decided the north shore is for us. every day there are new openings on RCI for aug/sept, and i'm hopeful. so you've stayed at the cliffs club? it got good reviews, although someone in a forum said something about all the negative things about the Cliffs are true ... i don't know what that refers to. any thoughts on that?

Target was good! Thanks for asking.... Also caught Batman down there last night. Great movie, by the way....

I have never stayed at the Cliffs. I know they have very few timeshare units there. Maybe 5? So I don't know what your choices would be. Also Cliffs is due to redo their pool. You would want to call them and ask. The biggest gripe I hear about The Cliffs is it isn't Hawaiian enough. Like I said they look like an apt complex. the views are only in a few buildings. I hope others can tell you more about it. You might want to ask about other RCI complex like Bali Hai. I think slabaume knows a lot about them. I don't know if HBR is on that list of yours but if you got a 2 bedroom they are nice. The one bedroom's not so much.

Aloha! I am at the Pahio Bali Hai Villas right now . I have stayed at both Cliff's and Shear Water. No comparison. Shear Water is by farrrrrr the better place. It over looks the ocean, nice rooms, medium sized pool over looking the ocean, you can whale watch in the winter, and it is a little off the beaten path.

Whoodini,

How does Pahio Bali Hai rank compared to Shearwater?

Well, we stayed at the Cliffs resort on a timeshare basis in 2006, and we loved it. So much so that we're staying there again (but in a different unit) from 8/21 - 8/31/08.

The Cliffs definitely isn't fancy or "resort"-ish. But that's fine with us. And true, it is a condo complex, but to us, it felt very Hawaiian, or at least as much as a condo can.

Our unit last time did not have an ocean view -- it was probably one of the "lesser" units, and looked out with mountain/garden views. No matter -- even without seeing the water, the view was lovely and refreshing. Our unit had a master suite and a fold-out couch in the living room; like all Cliffs units, it was pretty big, had 2 lanais, 2 bathrooms, and a washer/dryer in the unit. Very very clean, good kitchen. We were visited every morning by 2 cardinals who'd obviously been there before -- they came to the table on the lanai and ate out of our hands. The grounds were lush and well kept, beautiful flowering shrubs everywhere, etc. Again, nothing fancy, but nothing kitschy either (that's a plus for us!) We stayed there with our 2 children, and they had a blast. Honestly, we spent most every day out of the condo, traveling near and far (local beaches are fantastic), so ocean view/proximity really turned out to be a non-issue for us. The Cliffs staff was friendly and unobtrusive, and very helpful when we needed assistance.

Next month, we'll be staying at a 2-story unit, ocean-front (building 9) with a loft bedroom. Kids are older and bigger now, so we need the extra room. Otherwise, we would've been happy to return to the same unit we stayed in before!

It's true that the Cliffs' pool is nothing exciting. Small and unimaginative. But on the very few occasions when the kids wanted to swim, they were happy to be there. Don't know if the pool is even going to be open while we're there in August, but it really isn't a dealbreaker for us.

Good luck with your search!

We're at the Shearwater right now (7/17-24). Love it here. Not the most up to date resort we've ever stayed at but clean, spacious and a view that is unparalleled! Pool and spa are decent sized and never really crowded. We're traveling with teens (14 & 17) and they like it here too. You have to check-in at the Pahio Ka'Eo Kai which is a short distance away. Can't speak for the inside of those units but the outside looked rather "worn" and not likely to have the ocean view that you get at the Shearwater.

North Shore has LOTS of snorkeling sights but frankly you can get around to other parts of the island fairly quickly. It is, afterall, an island!!! Not as much in the way of dining (dinner-wise) on the North Shore BUT you're a short drive to Kapaa (back towards airport) AND you would be well advised to cook as much as possible in your unit (which includes an indoor grill on the stove). Strongly advise you to pick up groceries BEFORE you reach the North Shore due to cost/variety. There's a Walmart in Lihue but they only have a small section of dry goods and some frozen food. There's a Safeway in Kapaa where I used my Safeway/Randall's card to get store special prices. In Princeville there's a Foodland which has slightly higher prices but you can sign up for their Maika'i card to get their discounts (also good at Sack N Save stores). Be prepared for "sticker shock" on grocery prices. We're coming from south Texas and I'd say prices here are roughly double. The exception is Walmart which is closer to our prices or slight markup.

Do yourself a favor and pick up the book "The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook" from just about any major bookstore (or online). LOTS of great, candid info.