We really enjoyed our stay at the Bamboo Bungalow, and Lani and Sky were amazingly attentive hosts. Even though we never met in person, we got nearly instant replies to our text messages. The condo was just what we needed for a family of 4 (two adults and 2 kids, 7 and 11). There is a comfortable king-size bed in the loft and an equally comfortable convertible queen in the living room. The website photos does not do the place justice---it’s really much larger, more charming, and more nicely situated than we imagined. The swimming pool is just feet away in front of the building, and the back lanai faces onto a path to Anini Beach and the spectacular Princeville golf course. The course was very popular, despite apparently being very expensive, and it was fun watching duffers getting every penny’s worth, playing soaking wet in the pouring rain. Parking is right downstairs, but the views out all of the windows were of nature. We enjoyed the muddy and challenging first 2 miles of the Kalalau trail---a great adventure with our kids. I had done the whole 11 miles my last visit Kauai (25 years ago), and it was every bit as beautiful as I remember (but a LOT more slippery in January than June). We were grateful for the strategically positioned hose near the front steps---to wash off our mud-caked Keens! We settled in that night for a viewing of Jurrasic Park (filmed in Kauai) on the Netflix-equipped flat panel TV.

It was easy to forget about the rest of the world---I only wished we had done it for a longer time. We split our 8-day visit between Princeville and Poipu, but even thought the weather was marginally better in the south, we were sad to leave the magical environment of the North Shore.

Some non-obvious tips:

---The upscale restaurants in the area hardly seemed worth it. We bought great ahi tuna and ribeye steaks at the BigSave market in Kapaa and had dinners at the condo, with the help of a gas grill near the pool. The kitchen was well stocked with spices, condiments, and other food staples. The Foodtown in Princeville has a fabulous variety of poke (why don’t markets in California have this??!!).

--Our favorite somewhat hidden beautiful beach was in Moloaa, a 20 min drive. Big waves, a calm section to the right, and spectacularly peaceful and beautiful. Easy access from the road. We were lucky to find a good parking spot in late afternoon, but we imagine this could be tough at times.

--We had a fabulous time at the Friday night art fair in Hanapepe. Friendly people, great art and food, great live music, and the westernmost book store in the USA. Well worth the drive.