Coconut Coast

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Back to KauaiThe Coconut Coast

As you make your way from Lihue to the North Shore, you'll pass Bambulei (tel. 808/823-8641), bordering the cane field in Wailua next to Caffè Coco. Bambulei houses a charming collection of 1930s and 1940s treasures -- everything from Peking lacquerware to exquisite vintage aloha shirts to lamps, quilts, jewelry, parrot figurines, and zany salt and pepper shakers. If it's not vintage, it will look vintage, and it's bound to be fabulous. Vintage muumuus are often in perfect condition, and dresses go for $20 to $2,000.

Wood-turner Robert Hamada (tel. 808/822-3229) works in his studio at the foot of the Sleeping Giant, quietly producing museum-quality works with unique textures and grains. His skill, his lathe, and his more than 60 years of experience have brought luminous life to the kou, milo, kauila, camphor, mango, and native woods he logs himself.

Wailua

The Kinipopo Shopping Village, on Kuhio Highway just past Wailea Beach, is more of a minimall than a "shopping village," but a few places here are worth a stop. Entering The Tin Can Mailman (tel. 808/822-3009) is like stepping into the past. It's filled with old things Hawaiian, like out-of-print books on Hawaii, rare artifacts, kitschy items from the 1940s, and artwork. Kauai Water Ski and Surf Co. (tel. 808/822-3574) has everything you could possibly need for playing in the water, from swimwear to equipment (fins, mask, snorkel, and so on), all for sale and for rent.

Kapaa

Moving toward Kapaa on Highway 56 (Kuhio Hwy.), don't get your shopping hopes up; until you hit Kapaa town, quality goods are slim in this neck of the woods. The Coconut Marketplace features the ubiquitous Elephant Walk gift shop, Gifts of Kauai, and various other underwhelming souvenir and clothing shops sprinkled among the sunglass huts. Our favorite shop here is the unassuming Overboard, a small but tasteful boutique with great aloha shirts by Kahala, Tommy Bahama, Duke Kahanamoku, and other top labels for men and women. Also check out Ship Store Gallery (tel. 808/822-7758) for an unusual collection of nautical artwork, antiques, and contemporary Japanese art.

Nearby, set back from the main road across from Foodland supermarket, Marta's Boat is one of the island's more appealing boutiques for children and women. The shop is a tangle of accessories, toys, chic clothing, and unusual gift items.

Among the green-and-white wooden storefronts of nearby Kauai Village, you'll find everything from Wyland Galleries' trite marine art to Yin Chiao Chinese cold pills and organic produce at Papayas Natural Foods. Although its prepared foods are way overpriced, Papayas carries the full range of health-food products and is your only choice in the area for vitamins, health foods to go, health-conscious cosmetics, and bulk food items. If you are interested in Hawaiian arts and crafts, stop by Kauai's Heritage Center of Hawaiian Culture & the Arts (tel. 808/821-2070), which not only has a retail shop with authentic Hawaiian artwork, but also offers exhibits, demonstrations, and lectures on Hawaiian culture and art. You can sign up for workshops ranging from lei-making and hula to language and legends.

Less than a mile away, on the main road, the Waipouli Variety Store is Kapaa's version of Maui's fabled Hasegawa General Store -- a tangle of fishing supplies, T-shirts, thongs, beach towels, and souvenirs. Fishermen love this store as much as cookie lovers swear by nearby Popo's Cookies, the ne plus ultra of store-bought cookies on the island. Popo's chocolate-chip, macadamia-nut, chocolate-macadamia nut, chocolate-coconut, almond, peanut butter, and other varieties of butter-rich cookies are among the most sought-after food items to leave the island.

And Kapaa town is full of surprises. On the main strip, across from Sunnyside Market, you'll find the recently expanded Kela's Glass Gallery (tel. 808/822-4527), the island's showiest showplace for handmade glass in all sizes, shapes, and prices, with the most impressive selection in Hawaii. The gallery is owned and operated by Larry Barton, who loves to display more than 50 artists specializing in glass. Go nuts over the vases and studio glass pieces, functional and nonfunctional. The gallery also has a great collection of hand-carved and hand-painted wooden flowers. Continue on to Hula Girl (tel. 808/822-1950), where the wonderful and the dreamy prevail, with aloha shirts (very pricey), vintage-looking luggage covered with decals of old Hawaii, Patrice Pendarvis prints, zoris, sandals, sunglasses, and shells. Next is South China Sea Trading Company (tel. 808/823-8655), a treasure-trove of Indonesian furniture, vases, artwork, wind chimes, and baskets. You'll find everything from little carved turtles for $1.95 to a bamboo four-poster bed; from mosquito netting to carved doors; from inexpensive bead necklaces to a coconut inlaid armoire for $2,500. We love the fragrance of rush and reed; the amber tones of Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Philippine crafts; the coconut rice paddles and kitchen accessories; and the sumptuous Indonesian silk sarongs of high quality and reasonable prices.

Down the street, Earth Beads (tel. 808/822-0766), on the main drag (Hwy. 56), sells beads, jewelry, gemstones, and crafts materials, along with a small selection of gifts and accessories. Across the street is the town's favorite fashion stop, Island Hemp & Cotton (tel. 808/821-0225), where Hawaii's most stylish selection of this miracle fabric is sold: gorgeous silk-hemp dresses, linen-hemp sportswear, hemp aloha shirts, Tencel clothing, T-shirts, and wide-ranging, attractive, and comfortable clothing and accessories that have shed the hippie image. It's also a great store for gift items, from Balinese leather goods to handmade paper, jewelry, luxury soaps, and natural-fiber clothing for men and women. A few doors to the north, Orchid Alley gets our vote for most adorable nursery on the island. A narrow alcove opens into a greenhouse of phalaenopsis, oncidiums, dendrobiums, and dozens of brilliant orchid varieties for shipping or carryout.