Yep! There’s a Costco on the island. It’s in Lihue, about 15 minutes from the airport. So if you land in the afternoon, and you have space in your rental car, we recommend a trip to Costco for groceries and/or other supplies (sunscreen, for example). The prices are comparable to the mainland, saving you potentially a ton of money. Be aware the Costco is always super crowded.

Instead of spending vacation time wandering around an unfamiliar grocery store looking for an item you need, we recommend using the free pick up service at Safeway. There is a Safeway just west of Costco in Lihue and one in Kapa’a. We always use the service when staying on Kauai to pick up the small items that don’t make sense to buy at Costco. And the best part is you’ll see what items are on sale, and any available coupons! You’ll need the Safeway app to use the service – and you’ll need an idea of what you’re shopping for.

It never fails. We’ll watch new beach goers struggle to install their Tommy Bahama beach umbrellas and as soon as the wind blows, then struggle to keep it from inverting or blowing away. Some less experienced tourists will even find themselves holding the umbrella while sitting on the beach to keep it from blowing up or away. Don’t be one of those people!

Instead, follow our simple tip to properly install your umbrella. First, be sure to twist the umbrella stand into the sand deep enough that it won’t come loose and blow away. Use the plastic handles near the base. They’re folded down against the pole when you take it out of the bag, so you’ll need to raise them and use them as handles to help provide more leverage as the sand gets tight.

Then, when you’re finished and you’ve inserted the umbrella top into the stand and opened it up, fill the empty umbrella bag with sand and attach it to the umbrella (you can just attach the velcro) and turn the bag toward the wind. Voila! You’ve now weighed down the umbrella so it won’t blow up or away!

We got tired of fighting the beach umbrellas a few years ago and instead purchased a canopy that we can easily pack in our suitcase and bring with on trip after trip to Kauai. If you love to visit the beach, we recommend investing in one yourself.

Our favorite is the Sun Ninja as it’s very compact and light when packed and can be set up in minutes. It comes in a few sizes, and starts at $90 on Amazon. Considering the beach umbrellas run about $50 at Costco, it’s a bargain if you use it trip after trip. The only downside is it is not waterproof, so if it rains, you will get wet.

Hiking in Kauai means mud. There’s really no way around it. If you explore several of the trails (with the exception of the Mahaulepu Heritage Trail at Shipwreck Beach in Poi’pu), you will encounter mud. And muddy conditions in Kauai also mean slippery conditions. We live in Colorado and are familiar with all kinds of terrain for hiking. But nothing compares to Kauai. The mud is incredibly slippery. It turns rocks into slick ice.

Don’t be scared off. The hikes are some of the best in the world and well worth the sometimes slippery conditions. But you’ll want to be prepared. So, in addition to bringing hiking poles, you should also have the right shoes. We recommend approach shoes, the same shoes used by rock climbers, as they provide excellent grip to help keep you from slipping. La Sportiva has our favorites.

Because of the mud, we recommend you always bring a couple of towels, wet wipes, and extra shoes when you go hiking in Kauai. You may even want to bring a paper grocery bag to place the muddy shoes in after the hike (plastic bags are prohibited on Kauai). That way, you can clean off any muddy legs and change your shoes so you don’t get your rental car muddy, and you have clean shoes for the stop for shave ice or a snack after your hike.