If Oahu is the Gathering Place then Poipu on the south shore of Kauai is the relaxing place. It’s called the sunny side of the island because it gets less rain than the north shore. Even though you could pack up your days with activities there is no rush and everyone has a perpetual smile.
My family of 2 teens, a tween and SandHater (husband) stayed as guests of the Poipu tourism group 5 nights on Kauai – 2 at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa and 3 at a vacation home that is part of The Parrish Collection. The family experiences will go down in our personal 
memory books.
Poipu is an area on the south side of the island with a variety of gorgeous beaches, restaurants and shopping. We visited the whole island and we unanimously voted Poipu as our favorite. We enjoyed 2 very different lodging experiences, one at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa*, a huge resort, and one at a private home that is in the Parrish Collection. Both were equally wonderful in their own way. (*If you go to Hyatt and book this hotel, Traveling Mom will receive a referral fee.)
Food
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The soufflé at Roy’s is worth the trip. We returned to Roy’s a second time, but only for the soufflé. The dinner menu is interesting and the food was good but not great. For $250 for a family of 5 (with no drinks) I want great.
Puka Dog is a must and I don’t normally eat hot dogs. It’s Polish sausage actually (or veggie dog option) with your choice of Hawaiian relish that makes it special – oh and Auntie Lilikoi’s mustard. Choose from six different kinds of relish made with pineapple, banana, mango, coconut, papaya or star fruit. Then choose heat – mild, spicy, lava (super duper hot) – it’s up to you. You will need a jug of the hand squeezed lemonade and then top it off with Hawaiian shave ice stuffed with macademia nut ice cream. The hot dogs are messy and delicious. Do it.
