We’ve heard from several resources that booking directly through MATSON saves you the most money.

You can go to their site for shipping rates , procedures, and contact info.

Hawaii Rates (Hawaii Rates effective 02/04/2008)

To Hawaii From Hawaii

From California ports* $1,055.00 To California ports* $1,055.00
From Seattle port+ $1,055.00 To Seattle port $1,055.00
From Seattle port++ $1,684.00

* California ports: Los Angeles (Long Beach) and Oakland (Richmond)
+ When vehicle does not exceed 21′8″ L or 7′ W or 6′3″ H
++ When vehicle does not exceed 21′8″ L or is between 7′ - 8′ W or is between 6′3″ - 7′ H

LIHU’E – Kaua’i County officials are reminding property owners that the second installment of real property taxes for the 2007-2008 tax year is due Feb. 20. Continue reading »

Kawaikini, a new Hawaiian immersion charter school on Kauai, says it will start classes this fall.  The Lihue school will begin accepting applications Feb. 1 for about 100 students in kindergarten through high-school grades.

read more | digg story

Sears at the Kukui Grove Shopping Center on Kauai plans to downsize its apparel department and reduce the size of one of its stores at the mall.

read more | digg story

Emergency airplane evacuations happen more often than most people think: about once every 11 days in the U.S., according to a 2000 report by the National Transportation Safety Board. Some situations are more dire than others, of course, as when the plane is on fire, but in many cases, the biggest challenge of an evacuation can be the airplane slide

read more | digg story

Costco has lucious cherries and blackberries this week. Here’s one of our creations. So simple to make when you want a sweet bite in place of ice cream at night. Just alternate spoonfuls of organic plain yogurt with fresh blackberries. You might also drizzle some honey for those not watching their sugar intake.

We love scones with our coffee in the morning, but have often been disappointed with dry, tough scones. This recipe from slowlikehoney looks delicious.

Ingredients:

1 large egg
½ cup cold heavy cream
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Continue reading »

We love places that use fresh local ingredients and make everything to order.

A tiny sidewalk cafe with brisk takeout and a handful of tables on Kapaa’s main drag next to other vegetarian options, Mermaids uses organic herbs and fresh fish when possible, to make the sauces and beverages that go with all their great dishes.

We love the AHI NORI WRAP -The fresh-squeezed lemonade is made daily, and you can choose white or organic brown rice.

Mermaids

4-1384 Kuhio Hwy
Kapaa, HI 96746

(808) 821-2026

Photo: Mermaid Cafe, Kapaa, Kauai, by HONDAcrg.

My friend Selena makes the best banana bread. Her secret are the APPLE BANANA’s which taste 1000% better than DOLES or CHIQUITA’s. When we get a good deal at the farmers market, we make batches of banana breads and share with nieghbors and co workers. She says it still tastes great with any brand of banana’s as long as they’re reallly ripened!

RECIPE:
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 3/4 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups mashed bananas (APPLE BANANAS)
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 cup macadamia nuts

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a loaf pan.

In a bowl, mix butter and sugar until creamy. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.

Blend dry ingredients with creamed butter/sugar mixture.

Add mashed bananas, eggs and nuts.

Pour into loaf pan.

Bake for 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean.

When we want a burger and fries, we’ll only go for the teriyaki burger at Bubba’s! Friendly staff, located in Kapaa town and Hanalei.

It’s a good place to take people who aren’t use to the local food just yet. The Kapaa location also happens to be right next door to us.

Bubba’s is a no nonsense burger joint, serving burgers, chicken, fish, chili rice, fries, onion rings and a combination of those last two, called “frings.”

BUBBA’S BURGERS

4-1421 Kuhio Highway
Kapa’a, 96746
+1 808 823 0069

When we’re hungry and need breakfast on the way to an morning appointment, we’ll stop at Pono Market for the musubi’s. Love their chicken teriyaki and spam musubis. They also have daily lunch specials. Fast, friendly staff and fresh local food at a great price. They run out fast so go early to avoid lunch lines.

PONO MARKET
4-1300 Kuhio Hwy
Kapaa, HI
(808) 822-4581

Pono Market, originally uploaded by miette.

Daily Hot Lunch Specials

Here are some of our favorite places for fresh poke and plate lunches.

Koloa: The Koloa Fish Market, 5482 Koloa Rd. (742-6199).

Located on Koloa’s main street. Raves for their fresh fish and plate lunches overflowing with food.

Lihue: Fish Express, 3343 Kuhio Hwy. (245-9918).

Across the street from Wal-Mart. Excellent varieties of smoked fish and fresh poke, we love the ahi poke with macadamia nuts. They also have awesome Hawaiian plate lunch (laulau or kalua pork, lomi salmon, ahi poke, rice or poi) and offer daily specials: Cajun-style grilled ahi with guava basil, fresh fish grilled in a passion-orange-tarragon sauce, fresh fish tacos in garlic and herbs, all served with rice, salad, and vegetables.

Kilauea: Kilauea Fish Market, 4270 Kilauea Lighthouse Rd. (828-6244)

The perfect place to get a lunch, dinner or picnic take out. Located at Kilauea on the north shore just off the road to the Kilauea Lighthouse. You can choose from the deli section with fresh fish ready to take home and cook your self or have them do it all for you. Vegetarians daily specials, choice of brown or white rice, and organic greens.

Kapaa: Pono Market, 4-1300 Kuhio Hwy. (822-4581)

Fresh sashimi, poke, Hawaiian food, sushi, and a diverse assortment of takeout fare.

COSTCO POKE BAR , bySandyRat

Ahi poke recipe: Here’s a simple ahi poke recipe. You can always spice it up or add some crushed mac nuts to the recipe. We like ours with bit of honey or brown sugar and sometimes a squeeze of lime right before eating.

 

1 1/4 pounds ahi tuna (or any sushi grade tuna or firm meat sashimi)
4 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 teaspoons mirin
2 Hawaiian red chiles finely chopped
3/4 cup chopped scallions (reserve some for serving)
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (reserve some for serving)
2 to 3 cloves garlic mincedKosher salt/ ground pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in bowl and cover.
Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL PHOTOS OF THIS PROPERTY
PRINCEVILLE - Condos
These condos are located in Princeville, a private resort community on the beautiful north shore of Kauai. Princeville features two world class championship golf courses, tennis courts, and a spa. Located nearby are the beautiful north shore beaches -the world famous Hanalei Bay is just a 5 minute drive down the hill.

Puamana 13-C is a bright, open, nicely furnished condo, located in the exclusive resort community of Princeville, Kauai.

This two story condo features berber carpet, island style furniture, a kitchen and dinning area, 2 spacious master bedrooms with their own baths, a lanai and approximately 1200 feet of living area.

From the lanai, you can enjoy views of both the ocean and golf course.

Other amenities include a swimming pool and sunning area. This complex is within walking distance of the Princeville shopping complex and restaurants, walk/jog path, library, and path to Anini beach.

1 downstairs bedroom
1 large upstairs loft bedroom
2 full baths
Sleeps 4
2 Queen Beds
Washer/Dryer
Non Smoking
Microwave
Dishwasher
Outdoor Pool
Fully Equipped Kitchen
2 TVs
DVD/CD Player
High-Speed Internet Access
Partial Golf View
Partial Ocean View

RATES:
Daily: $150 Weekly: $900

Monthly: $2000 does not include electric. 3 months minimum stay

All rates are subject to 11.42% tax plus $150 cleaning fee.

Vacation Rental Terms
Check Availability
Print vacation rental brochure

GET DIRECTIONS

Instead of the savory smells of garlic and Italian seasonings, stale smoke and soot filled the air after an early morning blaze yesterday at Kaua‘i Pasta in Lihu‘e.
According to county officials, the fire was contained to the kitchen in the empty restaurant. The interior sustained heat and smoke damage throughout as well as destruction to equipment and appliances. Damages were estimated to be around $200,000.

Kaua‘i Pasta General Manager Gino Quintana said an employee at the neighboring 7-11 reported the fire sometime after 5 a.m. Firefighters and rescue specialists responded at 5:33 a.m. and upon their arrival noticed flames coming from a side window of the restaurant.

Quintana said the restaurant should re-open in a few weeks. Until then, employees will have to figure out what they will do for income.

You can read the full story here: GARDEN ISLAND NEWS

KAUAI PASTA: Italian Cafe and Takeout

4-939B Kuhio Hwy, Kapaa, HI 96746 · 808-822-7447
Varied menu of Italian pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salads.

We love their Chicken Panini Sandwich.

The chefs (formerly of Roy’s) also have a catering business www.kauaicuisine.com

The median price of a condominium on Kauai skyrocketed by 40 percent last year, even as sales fell by nearly 60 percent.

Sales of single-family homes, however, slid about 14 percent and prices held relatively firm, with the median price dipping by just 4 percent, according to statistics from Hawaii Information Service.

The median price of a Kauai condo in 2007 was $565,000, up sharply from $405,000 in 2006. The median price for December alone was $430,000, however, which was down from the same month in 2006, when it was $600,000.

The number of condo sales on the Garden Isle plummeted in 2007 to 295, down 58 percent from 698 units sold in 2006. Sales were down last month as well, with just 13 units sold, compared to 51 units sold during December 2006.

For single-family homes on Kauai, the median price for 2007 was $650,000, down slightly from the 2006 median price of $675,000. The median price for December held steady at $590,000, compared to $595,000 during the same month in 2006.

Sales of single-family homes on Kauai were down to 409 in 2007, from 475 homes sold in 2006. There were 30 homes sold in December alone, down from 45 homes sold during the same month in 2006.

More statistics can be found from : Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

1. View our current rental listings.

If you need a rental the best place to start would be to look at our current available rental listings and reviewing the rental process below.

2. Subscribe for instant notification of upcoming rentals.

We update rentals as soon as they become available on our website, which is always updated a few days before the ads hit the newspapers or radio.

If we don’t have anything that meets your needs, then subscribe to our:

Subscribe RSS FEED

Subscribe by Email to get updated immediately when new listings become available.

3. SUBMIT RENTAL APPLICATION

To expedite the rental process, you may also submit a RENTAL APPLICATION along with a note detailing your rental needs.

The RENTAL APPLICATION should be completed, signed, and submitted by dropping off at our office or fax to: 808-822-5218.

You’ll need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print the PDF form. If you don’t already have this software, you can download it at the ADOBE site.

4. RENTAL SUBMISSION FORM:

We have a new rental submission form to assist you with your housing search. Go Here »

*This article is from http://www.learnthat.com

Most companies that offer home owner’s insurance also offer renter’s insurance.

And these companies are often the same as the companies that offer auto insurance.

So you can start by calling your auto insurance company and asking if they offer renters insurance.

Or you can try calling all the “main” insurance companies like Allstate, State Farm , etc.

They can also explain to you how to estimate the value of the belongings in your home.

Don’t let them just estimate that your belongings are worth $25,000.

That is usually their lowest payout level, and many people who don’t know their belongings’ worth may go with the $25,000.

But this can end up costing you if, when calculated out your belongings are really worth closer to $45,000.

Get a couple of quotes and compare before making your choice.

LINKS:

STATE FARM RENTER’S INSURANCE WEBSITE

GEICO RENTER’S INSURANCE

For informaton on an insurance policy checkup, log on to www.iii.org.

PAYMENT

Full payment is due 30 days prior to your arrival. The full rental balance, plus tax (11.42%) and the cleaning fee will be due 30 days prior to check in. Please make your check or money order payable to KAUAI DREAMS REALTY

MAILING ADDRESS:

KAUAI DREAMS REALTY
C/O Property Manager
P.O. BOX 1086 Kapaa, Hawaii 96746

TAX

We are required to collect Hawaii Transient Accommodations taxes of 11.42% for all stays of less than 180 days.

OCCUPANCY MAXIMUMS:

Economy studio+1BR/2-4 persons; 2BR/6 persons; 3BR/8 persons, 4BR/10 persons.

MAID SERVICE:

Daily maid service is NOT included, but is available for an extra fee.

CLEANING FEE

A charge for cleaning range from $100 - $250.

CHECK-IN \OUT

CHECK-IN TIME: After 3:00 p.m.

CHECK-OUT TIME: By 10:00 a.m.

Keys will be made available on the day of arrival. Security deposit will be held until all keys are returned.

SECURITY DEPOSIT

A fully refundable security/damage deposit of $200.00-$500  must be received at time of reservation.

CHANGES IN RESERVATIONS:

One free change if made 30 or more days prior to arrival. $40 processing fee will be charged for all other changes.

RATE:

Rent is due 60 days prior to your arrival. While we make every effort to keep our information current, because of the increasing cost of owning and maintaining a home in Hawaii, the rates quoted on the following pages may change slightly from time to time. All rates are plus 11.42% HAWAII TRANSIENT TAX. If you plan to stay longer than a week, the extra nights are prorated at the weekly rate.

CANCELLATIONS

Your deposit will be returned if your reservation is cancelled within 30 days before your scheduled arrival. If cancellation is made less than 30 days from scheduled arrival, the deposit will be returned if a new tenant is found for the cancelled time period.

ELECTRIC

For stays of 1 month or longer, electric is not included. Tenant to pay directly to KDR pro-rated electric for length of stay.

NO PETS

No pets or animals shall be kept on the Premises.

NO SMOKING

All units are non smoking. Smoking includes all kinds of inhaled material. Violation of the NO SMOKING policy is grounds for immediate eviction.

Search the entire island of Kauai for your Dream Property.»

Email updates:

• You can be notified daily with new listings of properties that meet your criterias!»

Curious about what your home is worth?

• Contact us and we’ll send a CMA to you right over the internet.

Mortgage Calculators:

• Am I better off renting?
• What home can I afford?