Nawiliwili Kauai HI

Cruise vessels call at Nawiliwili Harbor, where the Hule’ia Stream enters the sea and forms a natural passage for large ships. The harbour and neighbouring Niumalu Beach Park appeared in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

One block from Nawiliwili Harbor’s disembarkation point is the 12,000-square-ft. Aloha Center. Inside are an art gallery, café and clothing shop, alongside arts and crafts sellers, helicopter-tour bookings and moped hire.

Downtown Lihue is about a 10-minute drive from Nawiliwili Harbor, a distance of roughly 3 kilometers (1.9 miles). As Kauai’s government and commercial centre, Lihue has shops, places to eat and cultural attractions.

Take a printable map along.

Nawiliwili lies on Kauai in north-western Hawaii. The island is north-west of Oahu, across the Kauai Channel, and east of Niihau beyond the Kaulakahi Channel. It is the state’s fourth-largest island and is sometimes called the Garden Island.

Lihue and Kapaa are the principal population centres, while Kalpaki has an excellent beach.

At Kauai Museum, displays of Hawaiian objects, plantation life and local art tell the island’s cultural and historical story. Historic places including Grove Farm Homestead Museum and Kilohana Plantation provide further insight into Kauai’s plantation period.

A complimentary shuttle travels to the Farmers Market.

Hiring a car is the best way to see Kauai properly and the only option for reaching certain remote, scenic locations. Navigation is straightforward because just one main road circles the island.

The Kaua’i Bus runs both a Public Fixed Route network and a Paratransit Door-to-Door service every day from Hanalei to Kekaha. It now also serves the Airport and provides limited journeys to Koloa and Poipu.

Kauai’s main draw is its beaches, where visitors snorkel, surf, swim and sunbathe. The island also has more navigable rivers than any other Hawaiian Island, making kayaking particularly popular.

Many free shuttles serve the shopping centres, which range from strip malls to complexes resembling those on the mainland. Kukui Grove Shopping Center and Lihue Shopping Center are Kaua’i’s closest equivalents to a mainland mall.

The official U.S. currency is the United States dollar ($), and ATM’s are available everywhere.

Major cards, including Visa and MasterCard, are accepted almost universally, even for purchases worth just a few dollars, and may sometimes be the only payment method. Visitors from overseas should allow for taxes and tips, which are rarely included and make goods and services cost more than their displayed prices suggest.

Sales tax applies in most states, varying from 2.9% to nearly 10% of the purchase price, though 4-6% is usual. It is almost always added at payment rather than included on price labels; exceptions include petrol and, in most states, alcoholic drinks consumed on the premises.

Tipping is both common and expected in America. Americans may disagree about appropriate amounts and which workers should receive them, but these rates are broadly recognised:

• Full-service restaurants: 15-20%. This often provides the wait(ress)’s entire income. Pay in cash or add it to the card slip. An automatic service charge is uncommon; if one appears, any further tip is optional. Check your bill.
• Taxi drivers, hairdressers and similar personal-service workers: 10-15%.
• Bartenders: for a low-cost drink, $1 each; otherwise 15% of the total.
• Bellhops: $1-2 for every bag, subject to a $3-5 minimum.
• Hotel doorman: $1 for each bag when assistance is given, and $1 for summoning a taxi.
• Tour guides: depending on the trip’s duration, group size and standard; $5-10 per person for a half-day or shorter tour and $10-20 per person for a longer one.
• Drivers of private cars and limousines: 15-20%.
• Hotel housekeeping: optionally give $1-2 each day for a long stay, or at least $5 for a very brief one.
• Food deliveries such as pizza: $2-5, potentially more when the order is exceptionally large.

The U.S. has no federally designated official language, but English is overwhelmingly used in everyday life and several states declare it their official language. New Mexico also gives official status to Spanish, which is widely spoken there; French is official in Louisiana and Hawaiian in Hawaii. Both are far less prevalent than English and retain this status mainly for historical reasons.

Dial 911 in an emergency.

In major urban centres such as New York and Los Angeles, numerous supermarkets and pharmacies routinely open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Department stores, malls and most other big retailers typically trade Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m., with shorter Sunday hours, usually from 11 a.m. or noon to 5 or 6 p.m. Shops tend to stay open on holidays except the most significant, including Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, when they generally close.