The majestic island of Kauai is only a short flight from the USA, Canada, Japan and Australia. From the spectacular views at Waimea Canyon to the verdant vistas along the Na Pali Coast, more and more people are coming to Kauai because they are attracted to its natural beauty and laidback atmosphere. Visitors are also drawn to the Garden Isle for its gorgeous tropical rainforests, some of which can only be accessed by helicopter. These aerial tours take you into the heart of the island and offer spectacular scenic views that will remain with you long after your vacation ends. Kauai is lush, tropical and wild. With cascading waterfalls and towering green mountains, this island is what most people imagine Hawaii to be like. Kauai can truly take your breath away

Cruising along the majestic Na Pali Coast State Park, visitors from throughout the world will experience its rugged coastline and the otherworldly mystique of its natural beauty and haunting heritage. This is a place that time has barely brushed. The fluted sea cliffs, or pali, rise like sentries straight up from the green valleys and white sand beaches below. The rugged terrain appears much as it did centuries ago when Hawaiian settlements flourished in Na Pali Coast valleys and inhabitants practiced a self-sufficient lifestyle existing on the food they could grow and the fish they could catch.

Kauai offers many kinds of shopping experiences throughout the island, from small shops to malls. The various stores offer many unique items to take home and enjoy, beyond souvenirs: apparel including aloha shirts, jewelry, home and personal accessories, and art. On the North Shore, explore specialty shops that carry unique gifts and vintage used clothing. Perusing antiques from exotic lands such as Tibet and India, jewelry, Oriental rugs, pearl bracelets, and other fine gifts can be a lot of fun. You can even find the only soap and candle factory in Hawaii. Interesting shops in Hanalei, Princeville, and throughout the North Shore are nothing short of a shopper's paradise. Visit the:

Ching Young Village Shopping Center 5-5190 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei 808.826.7222,

Hanalei Center 5-5016 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei 808.826.7677,

Princeville Shopping Center 5-4280 Kuhio Hwy., 808.826.3040

On the East Side: Kapaa Shopping Center, 4-1105 Kuhio Hwy., 808.245.4649 and Kinipopo Shopping Village offer a variety of fun shops and some eateries. It also has a water sports shop that carries everything you need to purchase or rent for water fun activities, and can also arrange for water skiing or kayak rental. Aloha shirts, vintage maps, fine art, and lovely jewelry are all available at this shopping village.

No shopping aficionados can have a fulfilling holiday without a trip to Wailua Shopping Plaza which houses several restaurants and an eclectic antique shop. The Coconut Marketplace is home to more than 70 shops in which you'll find precious Hawaiian mementos, fine artwork, antiques, jewelry, craft items, and so much more

The Coconut Marketplace, 484 Kuhio Hwy, Kapaa, 808.822.364

Kauai Village Center, 4-831 Kuhio Hwy, Kapaa, 808.822.490

Waipouli Plaza, Waipouli, 808.821.9611 Waipouli Town Center, 808.524.2023.

For shopping fans, a holiday cannot be complete without a drive to Lihue. This part of Kauai is the government and commercial center of the island. Nawiliwili Harbor is the island's major commercial shipping center and cruise ship port. Nearby Kalapaki Beach is the home of the Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club and the Kauai Lagoons Golf Club. Lihue and the Kalapaki area offer country stores, funky and fine art shops, nifty gift nooks, and farmers' markets (on Kauai, they're called Sunshine Markets). Authentic Kauai crafts are a treat to shop for after a tour through the Kauai Museum -- Niihau shell leis, woodwork, lauhala weavings, coconut products, and more. Beyond the Kauai Museum, you'll find many more notable mementos to take home including soaps, paintings, clothing, coffee, Kukui guava jams, fabrics, and many other collectible items. There is the:

Harbor Mall, 3501 Rice St., Lihue, 808.245.625

Kilohana, 3-2087 Kaumualii Hwy., Lihue 808.245.5608

Kukui Grove which is anchored by Macy's and Sears and is Kauai's largest shopping center, 3-2600 Kaumualii Hwy., Lihue 808.245.7784

Rice Shopping Center, 4303 Rice St., Lihue, 808.441.115

Aloha Center Marketplace, 3371 Wilcox Rd., Lihue 808.245.6996 Anchor Cove Shopping Center, 3416 Rice St., Lihue, 808.246.0634,

The South Shore has the:

Poipu Shopping Village, 2360 Kiahuna Plantation Dr., Koloa 808.742.2831 with a selection of shops, services, and eating establishments. The medley of gift choices here is incredible. Pillows, Hawaiian handmade paper, unique jewelry, children's items, formal and fun apparel (including silk dresses), swimwear, candles, soaps, sterling silver items, and enough to keep you browsing for a day or more. The numerous surf shops offer surf wear, swimwear, and water sports equipment. Nearby Old Koloa Town is another stop worth making, with its funky island apparel, Kauai -artist-only crafts, coveted Niihau shell leis, a variety of dining and snacking establishments, local grocery store, candles, soaps, and more

Old Koloa Town, in the heart of the South Shore resort area, was once the site of Hawaii's first successful sugar plantation. Although sugar has long been replaced by tourism as Kauai's economic mainstay, evidence of those colorful plantation days lives on in its restored buildings, its history center and its churches, one -- St. Raphael's Roman Catholic Church -- dates back to 1841.

Driving down and around Kauai between Eleele and Kaumakani on the banks of the Koula River, visitors can visit Hanapepe. This town once flourished as one of Kauai's largest communities. Today it's an art colony tucked away in buildings that haven't changed a lot over the last century. Its historic buildings are so authentic looking that the town has become a choice location for filmmakers. Films such as "The Thornbirds" and "Flight of the Intruder" were set in this storybook town. Hanapepe lays claim to more fine art galleries than any other place on the island. There are at least seven galleries listed among the gift shops and restaurants that do business here. Hanapepe is known for its artists and you'll love browsing amongst the smattering of wooden furniture, handmade soaps, pillows, plates, and cups -- all with tropical motifs; antique prints of Hawaii, limited-edition graphics, and several other Kauai specialty products. Taro chips in numerous flavors make great gifts to take home. Friday night is Art Night with its block party atmosphere, as art galleries open up for viewing and occasional demonstrations, live music, and light refreshments. Check out Eleele Shopping Center, 4469 Waialo Road, Eleele, 808.245.4649 also the West Side is where you'll find a handful of stores, conveniences, and tour boat company offices; it's a great place to mix with locals. Port Allen, where red dirt shirts originated, is also a fun stop for souvenirs, delicious chocolates, and boat tours

So after driving for hours and hours, no holiday can be complete without accommodations where the weary traveler/shopper can have a well deserved rest. But don't settle for second rate motels. Search for Accommodations and Lodging from Condos, Homes, Cottages, Houses, Estates, and for the more discerning traveler, Villas by Poipu Beach, Anahola, Princeville and Hanalei Bay. Remember to enjoy the convenience of staying close to several great sandy beaches. No need to drive, just walk out the front door. There are many hotels and guest houses outfitted with boogie boards, masks, snorkels, coolers, beach umbrellas & towels, complete kitchen, videos, games, DVD, VCR, CD, the Kauai Menu Magazine, and lots more.

Farmers Markets on Kauai

Kauai has many fabulous restaurants that prepare the finest and freshest of foods and cuisines in the world. But sometimes, you may just want to stay in and prepare your own meal at home. You might even wish to pick something up for your special picnic or on your way to relax on the beach…here are the best local markets where you can enjoy all the bounty that the Garden Isle has to offer:
     Green Markets & Fruit Stands -- The County of Kauai sponsors regular weekly Sunshine Markets throughout the island, featuring fresh Kauai Sunrise papayas (sweeter, juicier, and redder than most), herbs and vegetables used in the various Hawaiian ethnic cuisines, exotic fruit such as rambutan and atemoya, and the most exciting development in pineapple agriculture, the low-acid white pineapple called Sugarloaf, not as rare these days, but still hard to find. These markets, which sell the full range of fresh local produce and flowers at very fair prices, present the perfect opportunity to see what's best and what's in season. Farmers sell their bountiful crops from the backs of trucks or at tables set up under canopies. Mangoes during the summer, numerous lettuces all year, fleshy bananas and juicy papayas, the full range of Filipino vegetables (wing beans, long beans, exotic squashes, and melons), and an ever-changing tapestry of edibles are all for sale.
      The biggest market is at Kapaa New Town Park, in the middle of Kapaa town, on Wednesday’s at 3pm. The Sunshine Market in Lihue, is held on Friday’s at 3pm at the Vidinha Stadium Parking Lot, is almost as big in size and also extremely popular. The schedules for the other markets: Koloa Ball Park, Monday’s at noon; Kalaheo Neighborhood Center, Tuesday’s at 3:30pm; Hanapepe Park, Thursday’s at 3pm; Kilauea Neighborhood Center, Thursday’s at 4:30pm; and Kekaha Neighborhood Center, Saturday’s at 9am. For more information on Sunshine Markets, call 808.241.6390. Especially at the Koloa Market, this draws hundreds of shoppers, so go early shop hard and shop fast! There is also the Kauai Products Fair located in North Kapaa on Hwy 56. Experience Kauai’s culture with all the fresh produce, tropical plants and flowers, artisans, aloha wear, island food, wellness practitioners and various form of entertainment…always free Wednesday thru Sunday 9am to 5pm 808.246.0988.
On the North Shore, Kilauea is the agricultural heart of the island, with two weekly green markets: the county-sponsored Sunshine Market, Thursday at 4:30pm at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center; and the private Kilauea Quality Farmers Association (mostly organic growers) Farmers Market, Saturday from 11:30am to 1:30pm behind the Kilauea Post Office. Everything in the markets' wide-ranging selection is grown or made on Kauai, from rambutan and long beans to sweet potatoes, corn, lettuce, and salsas and chutneys. The markets are a dramatic, colorful illustration of how farming activity and enterprises are growing by leaps and bounds in Kilauea.
     Also on the North Shore, about a quarter mile past Hanalei in an area called Waipa, the Hawaiian Farmers of Hanalei -- anywhere from a dozen to 25 farmers -- gather along the main road with their budget-friendly, just-picked produce. This market is held every Tuesday at 2pm. You'll find unbelievably priced papayas (in some seasons, several for a dollar, ready to eat), organic vegetables, inexpensive tropical flowers, avocados and mangoes in season, and, when available, fresh seafood. The best of the best, in season, are rose apples, mountain apples, and the orange-colored papaya lilikoi.
    On the South Shore, there’s great things said about the two adorable fruit stands in Lawai, where you can find inexpensive bananas (sometimes $1.25 a bunch!), papayas, and avocados along an old country road. The fruit are beautifully displayed, and sometimes the honor system is used -- leave the money if no one is there. This is country style nonpareil. (From Kaumualii Hwy., turn at the corner -- Lauoho Rd. -- then take the first right.)
Closer to the resorts, in Poipu on Koloa Bypass Road, with a view across asparagus fields and the chiseled ridges of Haupu Mountain, the Poipu South-Shore Market sells produce (some of it from Haupu Growers) daily from 10am to 6pm. Haupu Growers is the major supplier of Kauai asparagus, and this is where you'll find it. Asparagus season begins in October.
     Fruit Smoothies & Exotic Treats -- Fruit stands have sprouted up all over this island, and smoothies are gaining ground as the milkshake of the new millennium. New crops of exotic trees imported from Southeast Asia are maturing on Kauai, creating anticipation among residents and fruitful ideas for the smoothie world. "Everyone's waiting for the mangosteens and durians," comments Joe Halasey who, with his wife, Cynthia, runs Banana Joe's (tel. 808.828.1092), the granddaddy of Kauai's roadside fruit-and-smoothie stands. "They take about 12 years to start bearing, so there are a lot of maturing trees. We're all waiting for the fruit. Rambutans (with a hairy, red exterior and a translucent, litchi-like flesh) are good for the farmers here because they're available, and they're a winter fruit. In the summer, mangoes and litchis are always in demand."
     Banana Joe's has been a Kilauea landmark since it opened in 1986 at 52719 Kuhio Hwy., between mile markers 23 and 24 heading north, on the mauka (mountain) side of the street. Sapodilla, star apple (round, purple, and sweet, like a creamy Concord grape), macadamia nuts, Anahola Granola, and homemade breads -- like banana and mango-coconut -- are among Banana Joe's attractions. The Halaseys have expanded their selection of organic vegetables and exude a quiet aloha from their roadside oasis.
    Mangosteen, reputedly the favorite fruit of Queen Victoria, has a creamy, custard-like flesh of ambrosial sweetness. When mangosteens start appearing at Hawaii fruit stands, they will no doubt be in high demand, like mangoes and litchis during their summer season. In the meantime, Banana Joe has a hit on his hands with Sugarloaf, the white, non-acidic, ultra-sweet, organically grown pineapple popularized on the Big Island. Whether made into smoothies or frostees (frozen fruit put through the Champion juicer), or just sold plain, fresh, and whole, the Sugarloaf is pineapple at its best. For litchi lovers, who must wait for their summer appearance, new varieties such as Kaimana and Brewster are adding to the pleasures of the season. In addition to fresh fruit, fruit smoothies, and frostees, Banana Joe's sells organic greens, tropical-fruit salsas, jams and jellies, drinking coconuts (young coconuts containing delicious drinking water), gift items, and baked goods such as papaya-banana bread. Its top-selling smoothies are papaya, banana, and pineapple.

Windward Market Place, is one of those great local grocery stores that has everything! One of the few fresh fish markets on the island they also carry excellent meats, fruits, vegetables and sundries. Located at 4-1543 Kuhio Hwy in Kapaa, 808.822.9332.

Fruits and Veggies. Good Choice!, is a new campaign from the Hawaiian State Health Department designed to encourage everyone to eat better. To kick off the effort, Foodland stores are hosting Island Grown Markets. The market will showcase local farmers and island produce, with information on the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. It is an opportunity to talk to farmers and sdample their products. Foodland's corporate chef, Keoni Chang will demonstrate using produce to make: Carmelized Minted Pineapple, Asparagus with Lemon and Parmesan, Mashed Okinawan Sweet Potatoes, Tomato Eggplant Salad, Watermelon with Aged Balsamic Vinegar and Watercress Salad. August 11th at Waipouli, Kauai.

Please let all of these fine markets know that you found out about them from the Kauai Menu Magazine. They will be glad you did!