Kauai is an amazing island for family travel. It’s a bit slower-paced than some of the more popular islands, with a perfectly chill laid-back vibe from the north to the south. The beaches are gorgeous, but not super crowded. Kauai is my favorite island to visit with kids.
In an afternoon, you can easily drive the entire distance of the habitable side of the island and visit all the wonderful towns along the way.
Kauai has some wonderful hotel options, but I find that traveling with a family, I almost always prefer to stay in an Airbnb. I like to have my own kitchen, laundry, and the feeling of being in a home instead of a hotel. It’s also so important to have a separate sleeping space for the little ones!
Read all about visiting Kauai with a toddler or baby here!
Airbnbs can also save you a lot of money, especially if you’re looking at needing a family-sized suite. You can find my advice from staying in dozens of Airbnbs with kids here.
Family-Friendly Towns in Kauai
When you visit Kauai with kids, there are 3 main areas where you’re likely to stay: The north coast, the east coast, or the south coast.
North Coast: Princeville and Hanalei
Up north is where you’ll find the most luxurious lodging. This is where most of the resorts are, and the views up here are fantastic. Prices are the highest you’ll find on the island, and the area strikes a nice balance of luxury and relaxed beach life. The shopping and tourist activities in this area are fantastic, but you will definitely pay more to stay here.
East Coast: Kapaa and Lihue
Kapaa is the quintessential surfer town, and a great place to stay if you’re looking for a true taste of the Kauai lifestyle. Lihue is a little bit inland, and doesn’t have the same beachy feel. But Lihue is where you’ll fly into, and you can find all the non-tourism shopping (like Costco!) there.
In this area you’ll find more hostels than resorts. But both towns have lots of great, affordable Airbnb options. I would lean toward Kapaa to be closer to the beach!
South Coast: Koloa and Poipu
Koloa is the town that is a little bit inland from Poipu, which is another popular resort area. However, Poipu is more relaxed than Princeville, and manages to be luxurious without any stuffiness. Poipu is often touted as the ideal area for families to stay, and I couldn’t agree more.
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Poipu Beach itself is one of the most kid-friendly beaches I’ve seen, and an awesome place to spend your time in Kauai.
We split our Airbnbs between Poipu, Koloa, and Kapaa, with visits to the north coast and many of the towns in between. I think this was a great approach, but if we’d had less time, I would have been perfectly happy to keep our lodging just to Poipu and visit everywhere else by day.
There are of course other towns where you might stay, but these are the most popular and easy to stick to with kids!
Where to stay in Kauai with kids
How I choose Airbnbs: I only select homes owned by Superhosts who have loads of positive reviews. I only select places with at least 1 bedroom, a kitchen, and laundry. If I loved where we stayed, I always include that!
I don’t only list places with a crib or high chair, so be sure to double check for that if you need those items. I also don’t check on things like stairs or balconies… be sure to consider child safety before you book anything.
Kauai is an incredible island, and one of the best places to vacation with a family. I can’t wait to get back there, and I hope that I’ve helped you find a great place to stay!
Want to leave all the gear at home?
Did you know that you can rent baby and toddler gear in destinations all around the country and internationally? For rentals in the US and Canada, the industry leader is BabyQuip. You can find them in over 600 locations, including Kauai! They have incredibly high standards for product quality and cleaning, and you get the peace of mind of having big (or small!) items delivered right to your destination doorstep.
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