Visit Hawaii: Marc Pono Kai Resort

1. Location

Pu'u Poa Princeville has beautiful oceanfront location on the North Shore, next to the luxurious Princeville Resort. It sits high on a cliff, with a secluded white sand beach just a short walk down the path. It is called Hideaway Beach, a great place for snorkeling and watching the surf

The condo is close to Princeville Center, which includes a grocery store, restaurants, shops, post office and gas station.

You will find quite a few interesting shops, restaurants and art galleries in the quanit historic town of Hanalei, 3 miles to the east. Kilauea, with its majestic lighthouse and coastline, is just 5 miles to the west.

Lihue Airport (LIH) is only 45 minutes away.

2. Rooms

Pu'u Poa Princeville has the best family accommodations for the money compared to any other place in Princeville. There are two types of condos: 2-bedroom ocean view and 2-bedroom ocean front. Your condo will have new furniture, tiled floors, huge whirlpool tub, and unforgettable views of the Pacific.

Each condo features:

Beds: 1 king + 1 queen or 1 king + 2 twins; some also have sofabed
Ceiling fans (no a/c)
2 beautiful private lanais overlooking the ocean
Ceiling fans (no a/c)
Fully equipped kitchen
Deep soaking tub in master bathroom
Color cable TV
Washer/dryer
Maid service is every 4-5 days, daily service is available for additional fee

3. Restaurants

Pu'u Poa Princeville does not have an on-site restaurants, but there are quite a few restaurants and cafes located within 1-2 miles from the condo. Here are our 4 favorite places:

1) Cafe Hanalei - located 1.3 miles away, at Princeville Resort
Cafe Hanalei is possibly the world's most romantic restaurant. The beautiful reflection pool confuses your eyes, blurring sky into the crashing waves of the magnificent Pacific Ocean, and making the tables look like they are set in the middle of the ocean.

Every morning, they serve an impressive breakfast buffet. Two large center service tables are piled high with fruits, pastries, bagels, lox and all the trimmings. A hot service line includes French toast, meats, waffles, pancakes and made-to-order omelets. The buffet is decently priced at around $22-25 per person.

They also serve lunch and dinner, with special Seafood Buffet on Friday nights and Champagne Sunday Brunch. With innovative menus (how about Steamed Hawaiian Snapper with Ginger, Cilantro and Shiitake Mushrooms?) and breathtaking views of Hanalei Bay, you may never want to leave this scenic terrace.

2) Bali Hai Restaurant - located 1 mile away, at Hanalei Bay Resort
This is another one of Kauai's most romantic restaurants. The views of the ocean, setting sun, and the rugged Bali Hai peak are so gorgeous that you can hardly concentrate on the food.

The restaurant's specialty is Pacific Rim cuising made from fresh island ingredients, many of the herbs are grown in the resort's own garden.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

3) La Cascata Restaurant - located 1.3 miles away, at Princeville Resort
The restaurant takes its name, "The Cascade", from the spectacular mountain waterfalls that you see from your table. The entrance to the restaurant features dramatic iron gates, with hand-painted murals of Italian villages and ivy hanging down from the ceiling. The inviting aromas hint an evening of fnie food, gracious service and warm hospitality.

Menu features Fresh Manilla Clams, Fresh Island Ahi with Corn Cake and Charred Summer Vegetables, and Grilled Rack of Lamp on Soft Porcini Mushroom Polenta.

La Cascata's international wine list will satisfy even the most discriminating taste. After dinner, you can stay for a hand-rolled cigar and aperitif.

Open for dinner 6pm-10pm.

4) Living Room Lounge - located 1.3 miles away, at Princeville Resort
This signature lounge has towering floor-to-ceiling glass walls, many conversation areas and sofas. In spite of classic European estate decor, it makes you feel comfortable to prop your feet on the pillows or curl up just as if you were in your own home. The outdoor patios with blazing torches are favored spots for watching the sunset.

From 5:30 to 9:30pm, this lounge is also a full-fledged sushi bar. The fish is incredibly fresh, probably caught that same morning. The "Green Flash" roll, an original creation of the Living Room sushi chef, is most delicious.

Live entertainment is also amazing. The sax player and piano man fit right into this plush environment.

4. Things to do

Golf
Makai Golf Course is located right next to the Pu'u Poa. It has 27 holes divided into three 9-hole tracks - Ocean, Lakes and Woods. The Ocean/Lakes combo is the most popular, with Ocean the most challenging of the three. The inland Woods is a wind test and includes Zen bunker, with a boulder plopped in the middle of the huge sand pit.

Prince Course is only 1 mile away from Pu'u Poa Princeville. It is currently ranked #51 in Top 100 US Courses Poll by Golf Digest. It may easily be the most challenging course in all of Hawaii. This is an incredibly difficult 18-hole, par-72, 7,309-yard course. Tiger Woods has yet to match par in 3 attempts at the Prince.
The course consists of 390 acres of rolling jungle, gorges and cliffs, and you can see the ocean from all 18 holes.

Prince Makai Clubhouse is as spectacular as the golf. It is very large, 60,000 sq ft, and includes a pro shop, restaurant, lounge, massage rooms, workout room, beauty salon and lap pool.

Resort facilities include: