Karen’s Review of Bali Hai Villas, Princeville, Kauai (June 2016)
by Karen Waldman, Family Travel Gurus Travel Consultant
Bali Hai Villas are perched on the cliffs above Hanalei on the north shore of Kauai, in the resort community of Princeville. They offer 1, 2, and 3 bedroom condos in a lush, tropical setting. We loved our week spent at this resort and would stay here again.
This resort is ideal for those who want to relax and spend time on the green and wetter north side of Kauai. The north shore of Kauai is the landscape that you typically think of when you think of Hawaii. Princeville has restaurants and a big grocery store. In the past the grocery prices in Princeville were higher than on the east part of the island, but this time they didn’t seem much different. There are golf courses nearby as well. The town of Hanalei is just down the hill, and Hanalei Bay and Hanalei River are great for a variety of water sports. The town pier was popular with the kids, for jumping off into the bay.
Our 2-bedroom, 2 bathroom unit was very large and comfortable. It had everything we needed in the kitchen, and the washer and dryer were helpful after our days at the beach. The covered lanai had doors from both the living room and master bedroom, and overlooked a forested area. The master bedroom had a king bed and the second bedroom had two queen beds. There are no oceanview rooms at this property.
There are many buildings spread throughout the property, with parking in front of each unit. The public areas, pools, and grounds are beautiful. The clubhouse has a large screen TV and many movies to borrow. We watched a few movies that were filmed on the north shore and enjoyed recognizing the locations. They also have board games, books, and ping pong.
We really loved the pools. The two pools are large, each with waterfalls, hot tubs, and an area with a sandy bottom (my favorite). The main pool, at the clubhouse, is the largest and was usually busy. The other pool, tucked between some condo buildings, was quiet. There are plenty of lounge chairs and tables, and shade for those who want it. There are BBQ grills by each of the pools, and they were regularly being used.
As is fairly common on the cooler north side, this property does not have air conditioning. We ran the ceiling fans and left our windows and doors open for the breezes, and did not have any problem with the lack of AC. The downside to keeping all the windows open is that we could hear our neighbors and road noise at night.
To get from the resort to the drier south side of the island, you will need to drive clockwise all the way around the island. It takes about an hour and a half to get to Waimea Canyon, through the congested and populated east side of the island. For us, that was fine because most of our time was spent hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, biking, and relaxing on the north shore.