Day 1 in Kauai: Leave the airport, make a b-line to Kauai Beer Company for delicious food and beer, and go grocery shopping before heading to our resort.
If you haven’t heard, groceries are a little pricier in Kauai. Luckily, there are some great options like Costco and Target. We usually stop at these two first, and then if we need more items later, we’ll visit stores closest to our resort.
Costco
Is Costco dangerous for anyone else? My husband would prefer it if I wore a blindfold in this store! Luckily, when we’re in Kauai, I can’t buy too many things I never knew I needed!
Costco is usually our first stop for groceries. It’s in Lihue, not too far from the airport. If it’s just the three of us, we pick up a rotisserie chicken, fruit, eggs, meat, a premade pasta dish that can be popped in the oven, and booze.
We bought sunscreen a few times, but it ran out quickly and stung my son’s eyes, so we now get it at Target.
When our son was young, we’d buy beach toys to play with. Then, when it’s time to leave, the toys can be given to another family with little ones. You can also check to see if your resort wants them. We’ve stayed at places that have beach gear for guests to use.
Target
Next stop, Target in Lihue. This is a newer store, and it has an entire grocery section. The prices are reasonable, so this is where we do the bulk of our grocery shopping. It’s also nice to grab anything we might have forgotten to pack.
A wonderful thing about Target is kids love it! Our son doesn’t complain while there, making shopping more tolerable. Of course, he also leaves with a toy to play with during our trip.
If you want to avoid grocery shopping as much as possible, try their order pickup service. I’ve used this in San Diego but never thought about doing it in Kauai. I’ll probably still have to go inside to pick out my produce (and some toys), but this could be my new favorite way to knock out my grocery list while on vacation.
One minor issue with shopping there is the poor cell service. During our last visit, my husband dropped me off at Target while he went to Costco. Later, I realized I needed him to grab a few things, but I couldn’t text or call because my phone wasn’t getting any signal. It wasn’t a big deal, but something to remember.
Safeway
Safeway is another spot to stock up, and they have stores in Lihue and Kapa’a. The store in Lihue is a convenient stop after shopping at Costco. Then, if you’re headed north to somewhere like Princeville and realize you forgot to grab something, the store in Kapa’a is a quick turn off the Kuhio Highway.
Foodland
Staying in Princeville means you’ll be familiar with Foodland. This is a nice grocery store, and it makes sense to shop there when staying in this area. It’s a little more expensive than Costco, Target, and Safeway, but it’s convenient. Just be prepared to stand in line because the store can get crowded.
The most fun thing we ever bought from this store was fireworks for New Year’s Eve. I wish I had a picture of my husband’s face lighting up when he saw them. We can’t buy fireworks in San Diego, so buying and setting them off was so cool.
Longs Drugs
We go to Longs Drugs in Kapa’a since we can walk there from the resort. It’s great for grabbing basic groceries, medicine, sunscreen, toiletries, and other necessities.
Like movies? Longs has a Redbox! Sometimes, renting a movie to watch after dinner is nice, but I’ve found it’s hard to stay awake after active days in Kauai! The last time we rented one, it took us three nights to finish because I couldn’t stay awake past 8 p.m.
Big Save Market
We don’t go to Big Save Market often, but we’ve stopped there a few times to grab stuff if we’re wandering around Hanalei. It’s a small store with a good selection and reasonable prices. They also have stores in Kapa’a, Koloa, ‘Ele’ele, and Waimea.
Farmer’s Markets and Fruit Stands
The fruit is amazing anywhere you get it in Kauai, but it can be fun to skip buying it at the grocery store and head to the local farmer’s markets or fruit stands.
I usually can’t leave without buying incredible flowers and fruit smoothies!
Check out How to Make a Grocery List for Vacation for tips that’ll have you spending less time at the grocery store and more time at the beach!
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