Episode Details

Hawaii Fall Travel News Roundup: Hurricanes, Kauai Closures, Punalu’u Changes, and New Inter-Island Check-In Rules

Who this episode is for: Anyone with a Hawaii trip on the calendar this fall or winter, especially families heading to Kauaʻi or flying between islands.

What you'll learn: What's open and closed on Kauaʻi after Hurricane Lowell, what changed at Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach, and how Hawaiian's new 50-minute interisland check-in rule affects your travel days. Plus fall events, the extended North Shore Huakaʻi shuttle, and how to get ready for Black Friday Hawaii deals.

Places discussed:

• Kauaʻi
• Līhuʻe
• Lydgate Beach
• Kealia Beach
• Kapaʻa Beach
• Coastal bike path, Lydgate to Kealia
• Wailua River and Wailua River State Park
• Secret Falls (hike still closed)
• Fern Grotto
• Hāʻena State Park
• Kalalau Trail
• Na Pali Coast Wilderness Park
• Waimea Canyon
• Kōkeʻe State Park
• Polihale State Park
• Hāʻena and Wainiha (residents and recovery traffic only)
• Poʻipū Beach Park
• Salt Pond Beach Park
• Hanamaʻulu Beach Park
• Black Pot Beach Park, Hanalei
• Hanalei Bridge
• Big Island
• Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach
• Kaʻū
• Highway 11 near Waiʻōhinu and Honuʻapo
• Hilo
• Kona
• Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway
• Hāwī
• Aliʻi Drive
• Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and the Kahuku Unit
• Mauna Loa Road
• Hilina Pali Road
• Kīlauea summit
• Maui
• Haleakalā National Park
• Olowalu
• Kahului
• Lahaina and Front Street
• ʻUlu o Lele Marketplace, Lahaina (targeting November)
• Oʻahu
• Honolulu airport
• Waikīkī
• Kalākaua Avenue
• Duke Kahanamoku Beach
• Ko Olina
• North Shore
• Haleʻiwa
• Waialua and the Waialua Sugar Mill
• Banzai Pipeline
• Waimānalo Country Farms
• Aloun Farms country market, Waipahu
• Molokaʻi

Activities discussed:

• Hurricane-season trip planning and travel insurance
• Helicopter tours from Līhuʻe
• Wailua River kayaking
• Smith's Fern Grotto boat tour and luau
• Biking the Kauaʻi coastal path
• Hiking the Kalalau Trail (closed)
• Na Pali boat tours
• Ziplines and botanical gardens on Kauaʻi
• Sea turtle viewing at Punaluʻu
• Interisland flights on Hawaiian, Alaska, Southwest, and Mokulele
• North Shore Huakaʻi shuttle from Waikīkī and Ko Olina
• Fall Harvest Festival and pumpkin patch at Waimānalo Country Farms
• Aloun Farms pumpkin patch
• Halloween on Kalākaua Avenue
• Ironman World Championship
• Molokaʻi Hoe outrigger canoe race
• Honolulu Pride parade
• Hawaii International Film Festival
• Kona Coffee Cultural Festival and coffee farm visits
• Watching winter surf and the Pipe Masters
• Whale season
• Haleakalā sunrise
• Kīlauea lava viewing
• Black Friday and Cyber Monday travel deals

Marcie's recommendations:

• Fall is still a great time to visit, but book refundable when you can
• Travel insurance can really save you in a storm year
• Most people with a Kauaʻi trip should still go, just with a backup plan
• A helicopter tour is the way to see Na Pali and Waimea Canyon right now
• Don't drive out to Hāʻena or Wainiha to see the damage
• Respect closure signs, even if others ignore them
• Give Kauaʻi workers grace and spend at resident-owned businesses
• Check Department of Health water advisories before swimming on Kauaʻi's east side
• At Punaluʻu, plan your bathroom stop ahead and don't count on a lifeguard
• Give the turtles lots of space and never take black sand home
• Check Highway 11 ro