“Frolic in a land called Hanalei”, this Travel & Leisure Magazine said is really something you can do on a vacation on an island called Kauai, the lushest, greenest and northernmost of all the Hawaiian Islands. There is also something else you can do on a vacation in Hanalei and that is eat.

Hanalei has some of the finest restaurants on the island and the Mediterranean Gourmet Restaurant has been rated the “Best New Restaurant on Kauai” winning the Hale ‘Aina Award for 2007. The Hale ‘Aina Award is a very prestigious award presented by the Honolulu Magazine and based on subscriber balloting, thus you know if so many other people loved it the food really is that good.

The third edition of Local Secrets, Big Finds, from Travelocity, has been released just in time for a 4th of July vacation on Kauai and it highlights the Puka Dog as one of their top winners, being recognized in Amy Ziff’s “Editor Choice Awards”.

Kauai Village is one of Kauai’s largest shopping centers covering eight acres with a stunning ten foot waterfall in an open air court. The land is traversed with stores, restaurants and a series of landscaped ponds and streams complete with walking bridges and walkways. It is located on the Kuhip Highway, midway between the southern resort area of Poipu and the northern resort area of Princeville. It was first opened in 1990 and has an impressive 110,000 square of leasable area with over 30 ships and restaurants.

Located just steps away from the Waipouli Beach Resort is the Kauai Village Shopping Center. The Kauai Village built in 1990 is currently undergoing expansion under new ownership who purchased the shopping center for over 40 million.

“The ownership is planning a remodeling of Kauai Village to help enhance the center to fulfill the demand of the local Kaua‘i residents and the increasing tourist base,” Faris Lee Chairman David Lee said in a release. “The vision is to create an exciting resort-style shopping center for Kaua‘i.”

Princeville is located on the idyllic North Shore of Kauai. It is home to a wide variety of condo’s and resorts, adventure and romance. Here, we have highlighted just a few of the incredible experiences you can find while traveling in, and around Princeville.

Shopping in Kauai is an experience of the ancient, the beautiful and the new as you find hidden treasures in open air shopping villages or malls throughout this colorful island. The Coconut Grove Marketplace is the largest and perhaps the most famous.

When staying at Waipouli Beach Resort shopping in the Coconut Marketplace is only a little over a mile away. The Coconut Marketplace is an fun open-air market housing over 70 different shops and restaurants. One can find everything from unique jewelry, local artwork, and collectibles to shaved ice, steakhouses, movies and more.

If you stay in Kauai long enough, you’ll hear locals talk about the power of Hawaii’s oldest island. There’s a sense of wisdom and spirituality in the soil, and it makes its way into the lush, abundant produce grown here.

The best place to experience the bounty of Kauai’s harvests this fall is the Blossoming Lotus. The vegan and raw food restaurant is a mainstay in Kapaa, a coastal town on the east side of the island. It offers gourmet world-fusion cuisine made without meat, eggs or dairy products. In the restaurant’s raw or “live food” dishes, nothing is heated above 116 degrees, which preserves key enzymes.

We are happy to announce the availability of our free Kauai guidebook for immediate download.

Featuring sections on the history of Kauai, island activities, travel, what to bring, restaurants, along with spas, a wedding guide and more. It’s meant to be a complete guide and provides all of the information needed to plan a great trip to Kauai no matter what the occasion.

Panda Express, the chinese fast food chain opens it’s twelfth location in Hawaii. Since 8 is considered a very lucky number in Chinese culture, they served the first 88 customers free food.

I’m feeling a little hungry right now the more I think about it:)