I booked Kaycee as a single violinist at my wedding a few weeks ago and she was AMAZING!! I had a couple specific requests regarding song choice and timing, and she delivered perfectly! Her beautiful playing really added to the ambiance of the ceremony and made it so much more special and picturesque. Kaycee is super nice, very responsive, easy to work with, and is obviously a beautiful violinist, I can’t express how perfect the music was!! Thank you Kaycee for making my wedding unforgettable!!
Kaycee’s talent made the moments in our wedding so incredibly special. She plays so beautifully; perfect tempo, perfect sound. Impeccable skill. I’m forever grateful for her contribution on our significant day.
Strings of Hawaii went above and beyond to make our wedding ceremony extra special! They were friendly, accommodating, and the music was beautiful. They even learned a new song for me to walk down the aisle to — and it did an amazing job with it!
3. Talk Story Bookstore
Address: 3785 Hanapepe Rd, Hanapepe, HI 96716 , ‘Ele‘ele , Hawaii , United States
Love this store. Just the place for something to read
Found James Earl Jones reads The Holy Bible — on audio cassette — there…nuff said…;-)
Talk story is a wonderful, good old-style used bookstore. If it were in my town I’d be there every day to see what treasures they had unearthed. You don’t have to be a bibliophile to enjoy talk story as the name say’s it all…Talk story, and if you want you will get some great stories…enjoy, and Hanapepe town is NOT to be missed.
The only real bookstore on Kauai, but an excellent one.
Charming small town store.
Fabulous bookstore. Terrible math. She said 20% trade value and she gave about 5%. Sorry to not challenge her but did not want a rude fight. Just do not be blindsided.
Unfriendly owners of the business !
Only “bookstore” on Kauai
Moldy overpriced books, many of which they obtain free from library giveaways
4. West Kauai Piano Lessons
Address: 5137 Alii Rd, Lihue, HI 96766 , ‘Ele‘ele , Hawaii , United States
Scotty’s has the best selection of ukuleles on the island. They have a ukulele for every budget. The staff is top notch-very friendly and knowledgeable. I love my ukulele and look forward to playing it for many years to come.
Excellent service, very knowledgeable. Huge range of instruments
I recently visited Scotty’s music in Lihue and I was pleased beyond expectations. I had visited several music shops previous to Scotty’s but when I went into Scotty’s I immediately knew I was at the right place. The staff were friendly, knowledgable and professional. There was no rush and no pressure to buy. Prices were cheaper than the other shops I had visited as well. So I bought a beautiful little ukulele and when I returned home, I had soon developed a crack (no fault of Scotty’s). I was worried I would be left out in the cold thousands of kilometres away but Scotty immediately put my mind at ease and quickly resolved my issue beyond my expectations. It is hard nowadays to find such amazing service, not to mention the 100% backing of their products. Mahalo Scotty! I will certainly stop in for a visit next time I visit the garden island!
They know what they sell. Helpful staff. Competitive pricing
Very helpful, yet one of the employees here were very rude.
Informative and incredibly helpful staff.
Make sure to respect the instruments and ask for help before touching.
31 year old Male Staff employee took advantage of me(16 year old). Told me a guitar was 600 dollars retail was 400. Made the mistake of buying it, looked it up later and it was 300 dollars. I knew it was my mistake too. Definitely a store you cannot trust
6. Kulture Tattoo Kollective
Address: 4556 Awawa Rd, Hanapepe, HI 96716 , ‘Ele‘ele , Hawaii , United States
Sam’s the man!!!! Best tattoo artist ever, lines always on point always get good compliments about my artwork.. all my tattoos done by Samuel Morgan Shaw..
Thad is amazing! He made special time for us on our visit, and was so personable. His talent, skill and meticulous detail was remarkable!
Friendly service from very professional artists. Samuel is the bomb. I’ll go back time and time again for amazingly detailed work. I would recommend Kulture Tattoo in Hanapepe to everyone.
Thad was awesome and he did a great job. Mahalo until next time.
Samuel designed matching armbands for my husband and I in a traditional Hawaiian style. He communicated promptly and was easy to talk to. His lines are clean and he’s quick, but not sloppy. He wasn’t heavy- handed at all; I’m a bleeder and I hardly bled at all. His shop is clean and interesting, and he tattoos with a cordless gun. I also appreciated that he’s an adult who has been tattooing forever, so he’s had a lot of life experiences leading him to where he’s at. He designed a tattoo that is both meaningful and beautiful! If I could give 4.5 stars, I would.
great place for a tat2thad
Mr. Thad Nakao’s skilled Tribal artwork piece is an intricate, detailed piece. But it was not worth the very torturous six hours of pain and unplanned monetary cost I was not expecting to pay almost Midnight, our last night in Kaua’i.
There ought to have been more communication between Thad and I before and during the tattoo session. I explained previously in texts that I had tattoos in the past, longest sitting with breaks was two / two and.a half hours for a Tribal on the side of my right calf which was also painful. We agreed the week before for two hours at between $150.00 to $160.00, $150 if in cash. But because it took six hours, he decreased if to $130 and we didn’t have enough cash. Thad explained it was because the outlines kept rubbing away and had to be re-drawn, taking a whole lot longer. He said there was an ATM down the street in Town. It was almost Midnight and dark and we’re not from the area. There was a man on a bicycle down the street screaming expletives and cursing at a woman also on a bicycle. It didn’t seem safe to walk down the street in the dark to town withdrawing more cash while already carrying more cash on hand.
I ought to have confirmed that the design Thad drew on the left side of my back was going to take two to two and a half hours. He being the Subject Matter Expert in his tradecraft could have told me it may take longer, possibly four plus hours. If I had known it would take six hours, I would not have done the tattoo or stopped or finished off at two hours wherever in the process Thad would be at.
Even though we took around three breaks, I kept imploring to him if we were almost done because it hurt and was way past my two and half hours pain threshold. Thad was also late, almost arriving at 4:00 P. M.. My appointment was 3:30, so I was expecting to be done at 5:30 P.M.. My Spouse was finishing up his tattoo and we would have a nice dinner, our last night in Kaua’i. We were on a limited budget.
While I asked two small designs to be incorporated into the overall deign, I was still expecting the piece to be a simple, light and feminine Tribal piece similar to the picture I sent to him. My back was already shaking from the excruciating experience. I was dry-mouthed because I was running low with water in my water bottle. This is not criticizing the artwork or quality of the tattoo, but the lack of communication of what I was prepared for time and budget-wise. I feel I ought to have been told “.. for two to three hours, you can only do half of this design.” If I was told that, I would have agreed. Thad ought to have told me this was a four to six hours piece and I would have went with another option. Instead what I thought would be only 15 minutes more at the two and half hours mark resulted in four hours of constantly asking “How much more left?” This will be my last tattoo after this torturous, excruciating, and costly experience to my body, wallet, and memory.
7. Kamoa Store Kauaʻi, Hawai‘i
Address: 4-1310 Kuhio Hwy, Kapaʻa, HI 96746 , ‘Ele‘ele , Hawaii , United States
saying the usual “good selection”, “friendly staff”, etc. is inadequate!
Sam always made the effort to find the specific instrument that sang to you! He and his family provided exceptional service and never shied away from sharing their knowledge of the history, manufacture, & playing of ukuleles. I cannot recommend the Kamoa store in Kapa’a enough!
Amazing! Sam and his family really know their business. You can really tell their passion for music and good instruments! Sam took so much time for me and gave me good advice. I left really happy with a wonderful ukulele Thank you so much!
Excellent host! Ensuthiasm, so knowledgeable about ukelele
Was excited to stop by and had purchased a ukulele for the 1st time at Kamaka in Honolulu 2 yrs prior. I let the owner know I was an amateur, and as I played, he assumed I’d learned my strumming pattern on YouTube…but I listen to the music I like and interpret as an artist. He told me about the free lessons he offers. I said, “Let me try playing this song and you can tell me what to improve.” He says, “I don’t need to hear it; I can tell you right now.” I was enjoying playing and felt a bit disappointed. But I listened as he told me I was playing much too harshly, audiences do not like that, compared it to fingernails on a chalkboard, and told me as my audience it was basically terrible for him to listen to. I replied that he is like 2 feet away. I also agreed I could try softening my strumming, but his ex.of very soft, slow strumming did not fit the style of the song I was going for. I explained that, and he then told me that his dad had to leave the room b/c of my harsh playing. I said, “If he needs to leave that is his opinion and doesn’t offend me”(although it did make me feel bad!) I teach piano students and can’t imagine saying my husband had to leave the room b/c of the way they were playing the piano!! I guess there’s a reason the lessons are free! He could’ve said something positive and nicely asked, “What if you tried softening your strumming a bit?” I would’ve felt and responded totally differently. I was happy to take feedback but was there also for the enjoyment of trying out the instruments. This quickly dissipated through the interaction. He needs to work on his approach with a potential customer! I would never want to take lessons here, let alone purchase an instrument. Side note:, instead of starting out by explaining all the info about the instruments and knowledge, maybe could try asking what I’m looking for in an instrument. I highly recommend Kamaka Hawai’i, Inc. in Honolulu, because they treated me very kindly and respectfully.
*Response: His answer is unnecessarily scathing and of course refuses to take any responsibility or acknowledge my honest experience.
A. Don’t talk about my daughter; barely worth replying to; she was not crying because she wanted to try a ukulele. Has cried on and off during our trip when tired, and we both try to console her. Sad he’s even trying to bring up parenting to throw in our faces! Wow…no we were not looking for ukulele lessons for her but thanks for the offer. I told her about egg rolls…
B. There was 1 lady worker in the room who was quiet, and she was actually grooving a little after he walked out for a bit ;), & maybe 1-2 other people milling around, so I’d hardly say I was “entertaining” the store. As any musician can understand, we enjoy going in to a music store and trying out instruments for learning and enjoyment..
C. He has no understanding or care about the frustration that I’m expressing here. I feel like he’s not used to sharing knowledge then listening to a slightly different response. He drives his point home at the expense of a person’s feelings. He wants to paint me as an obnoxious person who was there to brag on my talents and annoy everyone, though I berated my skills sev. times, then he says all these ppl walked out who weren’t even there. Keep in mind this was a short episode: I was talking with him, trying to figure out some chords, playing a couple short songs in a virtually empty store, until my terrible playing completely emptied it?
D. This was not an official “lesson” to my knowledge. I was there to try out instruments and be free to do so /ask for input
E. I took his advice by playing a song again more quietly, to which he said it was much better, so again his story is not adding up. Also, at that point, I was the one who showed myself to the door!
F. I was told this is common behavior for store owners/employees on the island, but we did have some nice experiences! I’m sure others have enjoyed this store, but I did not, and feel it is worthwhile to share my experience, even if it means I’m berated vs. validated once again in return.
8. McDonald’s
Address: 4469 Waialo Rd, Eleele, HI 96705 , ‘Ele‘ele , Hawaii , United States
This was the best McDonald’s I have ever been too. Food was hot and fresh and did it taste good!
I love the consistency of McDonalds. This one happens to have a teriyaki burger.
Long wait. Had to jump thru protocols to use the bathroom.
Always a kid favorite…
Custodian told me I wasn’t allowed to use my hat in restaurant
Service was very poor. We will never be coming back to this location
This was the dirtiest McDonald’s I’ve ever been in. The restroom was nasty and the windows, were needing cleaning. No towels in restroom to dry hands. There was a spot of blood on the floor and either mud or feces on the floor. They were told twice about this. They deserve no stars at this time
The teryburger was horrible!
9. ‘Ele’ele Shopping Center
Address: 4469 Waialo Rd, Eleele, HI 96705 , ‘Ele‘ele , Hawaii , United States
Great little ukelele shop. Live music tonight and ukelele lessons!
Great shop. Enjoyed the ukelele class enormously and bought my first ukulele here (added to my banjo and guitar skills). The service and memories here are lifetime in quality. Highly recomend when visiting Hanalei.
This is mainly a music store specializing in ukelele’s, but they also sell used records, yarn, knitting supplies and some other things. The owner was very helpful. If I was looking to buy a ukelele, I would definitely come to this shop. I did buy a skein of sock yarn. The yarn is hand dyed with colorways inspired by Hawaii. I had to get the Kauai Rooster colorway, but the Pele Fire was a close runner up. They have a nice sitting area for sitting around knitting, playing the ukelele, or just hanging loose. We will definitely come back next time we are in Kauai.
This is a lovely music shop in Hanalei, my family and I have visited several times, and purchased ukuleles as well as taken intro lessons here. The teachers are fantastic and very helpful. Definitely stop by!
Given the quality of our interactions and experiences in the past I was really surprised by the abrasive and rude nature of one of the employees/manager: Holly. A mistake was made–totally understandable, but she had no interest in helping us sort it out, and when I asked for ideas to remedy their mistake she dismissively told me she needed to help other customers. A quick–“how can we make this better” or “shoot, I’m so sorry could you guys stop in tomorrow so we can figure this out” would have been more than enough. She also referred to Hawaiian’s multiple times throughout her class as lazy (even after another student noted her vibe was rude). I grew up on Oahu, and I understand the laid back culture of the islands, but as a white woman with a whole lot of privilege as the teacher in the class, she could have been a lot more gracious in her assessment of the locals. My hope in writing this is that Holly will be more thoughtful in the future. Aloha!
Nice store with friendly staff, selection was quite limited at the time we were there. I guess New Year’s ran their stock low. Might return later next week when they restock
Friendly staff
I wanted to return the ukelele that I purchased there but they said no returns – I was not told when I purchased the instrument that all purchases were final. There is a sign but the sales person did not point it out to me or mention it – it was not written on the receipt either. I guess I made a bad purchase but it did not make me feel good that they didn’t mention about their return policy before I made the purchase. This store is also WAY overpriced. I checked the price I paid for my ukulele and it was like 70 dollars more than what it was sold on amazon – which I don’t really care because I wanted to support local business…but I just can’t support their business model. So here it is!
Wanted to check this place out. Even though the doors were open the lady was very dismissive shooing us out of the store said come back around 10:45 and said actually 11 is better. I guess I won’t be buying anything here as they have no interest in new customers.
The store hours listed on Google are not accurate – they do NOT open at 11AM. I was there today a few minutes after 11, and the lights were still off and doors locked. I hung out for a bit, but at 11:15 the doors were still locked. No clue what time they actually open
