Very nice accomodation with lovely views of the ocean - we were on 3rd floor ocean view.

Kitchen very well equipped but no washing machine - some basic essentials like tea/coffee would have been nice and was pretty standard at other places we stayed in Hawaii

Great location - didn't use the pool - ocean was too nice

Quiet and relaxing 4 days although we were pretty active with trips kayaking, waimea canyon/kokee

Recommended

My husband and I stayed at Kiahuna Plantation from 10/6-10/17 for our honeymoon. We booked directly through the owners (which we found on vrbo) and stayed in units 118 & 94, which are managed by Castle Resorts. The condo was available for every night except the first night of our stay, so to accomodate us the owner gave us his other unit our first night. I highly encourage booking directly through an owner, as the prices are much better and you have more control over which condo and building you stay in. Just do your research and get everything in writing. We paid about $160 a night, got one night free and a free mid-stay cleaning.

I spent over two years planning and agonizing over the perfect honeymoon, and we couldn't have been happier with Kiahuna - as well as Kauai in general. The plantation is right on the ocean, and both condos had a partial ocean view, though the view from 118 was definitely better. The condo was clean, with new furniture and had everything we could hope for; having our own fully equipped kitchen was definitely a plus. The owner had lots of extras, including boogie boards, flippers and snorkel gear. #94 even had it's own washer/dryer, which would have been wonderful had we stayed there our entire trip. Otherwise, the resort has guest laundry facilities on-site, including a pay dispenser for detergent and dryer sheets.

We went to Wal-Mart in Lihue our first night and stocked up on beer, water and snacks, we also made several trips there during our visit to get things like beach towels, wet shoes, more snacks and numerous other things we needed during our trip - very handy and saved us some money.

We rented a jeep and toured just about every possible road on the island, and hands down we felt Poipu had the best location and weather on the island. We had clear skies and only some rain during the night, except for the two of the last three days where it rained non-stop. The key is to drive to another part of the island when it's raining, as the weather can be completely different. The beaches are amazing - According to one of our guides, Kauai has 70% of Hawaii's sandy beaches - and they are all worth seeing!

Some interesting things about Kauai, the speed limits are really slow - so prepare to relax and not be in too much of a hurry. And there are Roosters and Chickens everywhere! I know I read this information before we went, but neither of us were prepared for the extent of the poultry flocking this island... Think Pigeons in New York or St. Marks Square. They are very cute and quite the novelty, except at about 3-4 AM when someone turns a light on in their home and the Roosters think its time to wake up and make noise.

We booked all of our activities right at the Kiahuna Activity Desk, where they also check out free towels and beach chairs. The woman there was awesome, and got us the best deals available. We did a helicopter tour with Island Helicopters, and were fortunate to have some amazing weather. We also did the Na Pali Coast Tour with Blue Dolphin Charters, which stops on the way back and everyone jumps off the boat to snorkel. For just a little extra, you can scuba while the others snorkel. The scenery is amazing, and they guarantee you will see dolphins and possibly even some sea turtles.

We loved Smith Family Farms Luau and the Fern Grotto Tour. Some of our favorite restaurants: Plantation Gardens, Poipu Beach Broiler, Keoki's Paradise in Poipu. Stay away from Casablancas & Poipu Tropical Burgers - just not worth eating at. Same with Kintaro's Japanese Restaurant, nice ambiance and great service - but the food was mediocre.

Other great restaurants: Kalaheo Coffee Co(YUM!), Brick Oven Pizza (Suprisingly good!) Barbeque Inn, Hamura's Saimin, Genki Sushi, Kauai Pasta (Again, suprisingly good) and Monico's Tacqueria (holy crap, quite possible the best fish -Mahi- taco I've ever had and I'm from So.Cal)

All-in-all it was a wonderful trip, and both my husband and I hope to go back someday. We would even want to stay in the same condo, because by the time we left we felt like it was our own little home.

My husband and I stayed at the Kiahuna Plantation last week for our belated honeymoon. I did a ton of research on places to stay on Kauai and found the Kiahuna Plantation to fit what we wanted. I was a little apprehensive but when we got there we were both blown away by the beauty of the place. We stayed in condo 215, we had a perfect view of the ocean. We loved having our own kitchen complete with dishes, utensils and cookware. Everything about the condo made our honeymoon just that more perfect. There isn't air conditioning which was perfectly fine since you have ceiling fans and slats on the windows that created a perfect breeze.

I would definitely recommend if you are going to book any activities look into the brochures for deals otherwise if you book through Activity warehouse to get a decent deal you get roped into a timeshare presentation. What was promised to be a 90 minute presentation turned into a 3 1/2 hour guilt trip. The Kauai Sea Tour Deluxe Half Day Na Pali Tour is awesome but if there is any chance that you might get seasick stay away. The Luau Kalamaku is not a traditional Luau but is very theatrical. The dancers were amazing and I do recommend going. We went on kayak Wialua River tour and Louie from Wailua River Guides was great! Warning be sure to wear gym shoes to trek through the rain forest and be willing to pitch them when you are done. The waterfall is definitely worth the mile hike.

If you decide to grocery shop while in Kauai stay away from Big Save. It should be called Bug Spend. Try the Costco it is right by the Lihue Airport and is a fraction of the price.

We loved Roy's and the Plantation Gardens. Tomcats is a little hole in the wall in Old Koloa Town that serves the best Loco Moco and has a great Happy Hour. If you get the chance stop into the Ukulele Shop Joe is one of the most interesting locals we met.

Overall Kauai is Paradise on earth. We loved it and are planning another trip next year!

This was our sixth trip to Kauai. We usually stay at either Kauai Marriott in Lihue or at the Sheraton Kauai near Poipu. This time around we had our 13 month old child with us, so we decided we needed to stay someplace which provided us with a full kitchen and a condo feel. If you are used to staying at regular hotels and resorts, then looking for a condo with most of the amenities of home is a bit daunting at first. We wound up being very satisfied with Castle Kiahuna Plantation & Beach Bungalows.

We focused Castle Kiahuna because of its location near the Sheraton. We had been to the Sheraton a bunch and like the area around Poipu Beach. The beach fronting the Castle Kiahuna is the same beach that fronts the Sheraton. Thus, we knew the beach would be great (and it was). Also, if you don't like the beach fronting the Castle Kiahuna, you can take a 4 minute walk over to Poipu beach. We wound up using Poipu Beach a bit more since it has a protective reef that creates a safe haven of calm water for toddlers.

The unit we stayed in was a Garden-View Suite. It was located on the second floor towards the corner of the building, so we only had neighbors on one side. That makes a difference since you can hear your neighbors if they are using their lanai/terrace when you are using yours. The unit was everything we expected and some. It was well furnished and had a full kitchen. Most importantly it was extremely clean and well-kept and two-thirds of the floor space had carpeting (which is great when you have a toddler who is crawling but not quite walking yet). The unit consisted of a bedroom, living room, dining room and bathroom. It felt like you were living in your own tiny little apartment. The ceilings were very high, which made you feel like you had more space than you actually did. The windows had wooden slats that you could crank as open or as closed as you wanted (which was great for controlling light and wind levels inside the unit). The lanai had a table and char set, so we ate many meals outside. The view from the lanai was of the grounds. There were so many trees placed throughout the grounds that you couldn't really see all the other units around you. The trees masked your unit so well that you got the sense that your unit was the only one in the area (even though the Castle Kiahuna has many units scattered throughout its grounds). The full kitchen allowed us to do our own grocery shopping, which was more economical for us than eating out at restaurants every meal. There were two televisions (one in the bedroom and one in the living room). Be sure to bring your laptop, as there is complementary high-speed internet access. There was also ample parking outside our unit, so we always had a space.

The staff was great. They did a great job keeping the unit and the grounds clean. They don't clean your unit in the manner you come to expect from a high end resort. They basically come in while you are away and empty your trash and give you new towels. They don't try and tidy the whole room up like they do at the Sheraton. Thus, if you leave your damp shorts on the couch, they will be there when you return from trek to the Waimea Canyon. That was fine with me. My clothes lying around made the place feel more like home. The front desk staff were polite, professional and answered all our questions. The staff near the beach were great as well (that's where you get your beach towels and other beach gear). The overall service was very good.

As for the negatives...there weren't a whole lot. There was no air conditioner in the unit, but that didn't present a problem. The ceiling fans and evening breezes in the evening were more than sufficient to keep us comfortable at night. In the daytime we were out and about the island. The noise from the neighbors wasn't a great hassle, but you could definitely hear them when their children bumped around in the morning on the lanai. The walls aren't paper thin between the units, but they could be a bit thicker. Finally, there are salamanders here and there inside the units. there is no way to avoid that problem in this particular part of the tropics. Every now and again while I dozed off on the couch watching the Olympics, I would look at the ceiling and see a small salamander scamper across. Didn't bother me much, but it may bother folks who are not used to seeing them.

That's the overview. Great place to stay if you want to be on/near Poipu and want to feel like you are in your own apartment. Not the greatest place if you are the type of traveler who wants to be pampered. i.e., spa, daycare, five-star restaurants, art gallery, etc. Great place for families.