The Best Shopping in Kauai
- Banana Patch Studio (tel. 808/335-5944): This place has the best prices on the island for anything artsy and cute, such as tropical plates and cups, hand-painted tiles, artwork, handmade soaps, pillows with tropical designs, and jewelry. Plus, they will pack and ship for you anywhere.
- Bambulei (tel. 808/823-8641): Celebrate the charm and style of 1930s and 1940s collectibles in this treasure-trove at the edge of a cane field. Fabulous one-of-a-kind vintage finds -- Mandarin dresses with hand-sewn sequins, 1940s pake muumuus in mint condition, Peking lacquerware, and Bakelite jewelry -- fill this jewel of a boutique, owned by two women with a passion for the past.
- Koloa Rum Company Tasting Room, Retail Store & Gallery (tel. 808/246-8900): Kauai's first rum distillery makes white, gold, dark, and, on occasion, specialty flavors rum (like coconut and vanilla). They use high-grade molasses and sugar from Hawaii's only remaining sugar company (Gay & Robinson) and pure water from Mount Waialeale (one of the wettest spots on Earth). Enjoy a sample in the tasting room, browse the retail store (where the rum and other Kauai-made products are sold), and check out the historical display on the history of rum and sugar cane in Kauai.
- Kong Lung (tel. 808/828-1822): You'll be surprised by what you find inside this 1922 stone building. It's a showcase of design, style, and quality, with items ranging from dinnerware, books, jewelry, and clothing to the finest sake and tea sets on the island. Throw in a lacquer bowl or two, a pair of beaded sandals, and a silk dress from the women's section, and the party's on at "Gump's of the Pacific."
- Ola's (tel. 808/826-6937): Fine crafts from across the country find their way to this temple of good taste: lamps, vases, blown glass, drumsticks, jewelry, hard-to-find books, and the peerless paintings of award-winning artist Doug Britt.
- Tropical Flowers by Charles (tel. 800/699-7984): Charles is a flower genius who grows a range of tropical blossoms, including some very rare and unusual varieties. Prices are extremely reasonable.
- Yellowfish Trading Company (tel. 808/826-1227): Surprise yourself at Yellowfish Trading Company, where vintage bark cloth and that one-of-a-kind 1940s rattan sofa are among owner Gritt Benton's short-lived pleasures. The collectibles -- 1930s lampshades, '40s vases, '50s lunchboxes, antique silk piano shawls -- move quickly.