Direct Flights to Kauai

Kauai has some of the best golf, hiking, and scuba dive sites of the Hawaiian island chain. Now North Americans can get there without a transfer. Thanks, Alaska Airlines!

Doesn't a vacation in Hawaii sound nice? Each island provides a different feel for a tropical vacation, from the cosmopolitan scene is Waikiki Oahu, to the ultra luxury of Wailea Maui, to the remote, get-away-from-it-all romance of a vacation in Lanai. And Kauai, as rugged as undeveloped as it is, boasts some of the best golf courses and golf resorts of the entire island chain (Maui is its only Hawaiian competition). And Kauai's Na Pali Coast is one of the best dive sites in Hawaii.

Only 3% of Kauai is developed. It's easy to have an escapist luxury vacation once you get there. However, until recently, the "getting there" was by no means half the fun. There have been no direct flights from the United States to Kauai - until now. ATA Airlines now offers four weekly flights to Kauai is only airport, Lihue Airport, through a partnership with Southwest Airlines. Alaska Airlines is also starting a direct flight from the US to Kauai, from Seattle/Tacoma right to the Lihue Airport. No more transfers in Maui or Oahu! ...And that's a relief: Getting to Kauai has never been easier. Now we can take our kids on what otherwise would have been an arduous journey.

While you're in Kauai, check out some of the best golf courses in Hawaii. Each has won their fair share of awards, and the Princeville Resort's Prince Golf Course, in particular, has been named the best golf course in Hawaii. No, not by me, although I probably would do so if it meant something. This award has been given by Golf Digest, and these guys know a thing or two about what makes golf courses great. So if you love Hawaii but have been putting off a vacation in Kauai, now is your chance to take advantage of an easier way to get there.