Flights to Kauai arrive at the capital, LIHUE , which stands slightly inland of little Nawiliwili Harbor. It's roughly at the midpoint of the round-island highway (prevented from completing a loop by the Na Pali cliffs), but as a base it's pretty undistinguished. The population is just five thousand, and downtown consists of a few tired plantation-town streets, well back from the sea and surrounded by anonymous malls.

The small Kauai Museum at 4428 Rice St (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 10am-4pm; $5) traces the island's history from the mythical menehune (the most ancient Hawaiian people) through Captain Cook's 1778 landfall and on to its sugar-growing heyday. Kauai was the one island not conquered by Kamehameha the Great; he spent six years amassing a fleet that never sailed, and settled in the end for accepting economic tribute.

Lihue's airport is only two miles from downtown ($8 by taxi ; Wailua or Kapaa cost more like $20). Along with the usual car rental outlets, it also has helicopters - Safari Helicopter Tours (tel 808/246-0136) is typical, offering basic tours from $120. The Hawaii Visitors Bureau is in town at 4334 Rice St (Mon-Fri 8am-4.30pm; tel 808/245-3971, ).

There's no real point staying in Lihue rather than along the coast. However, the Garden Island Inn , near the harbor at 3445 Wilcox Rd (tel 808/245-7227 or 1-800/648-0154, ; $75-100), is a lovely refurbished three-story motel, dripping with purple bougainvillea. For a quick meal in the heart of town, call in at Hamura's Saimin , 2956 Kress St (tel 808/245-3271), a family-run communal Japanese food counter, open very late and specializing in bowls of saimin (noodles) for $3.50. The Hanamaulu Restaurant and Tea House (tel 808/245-2511), a mile or two east, is a delightful old place, complete with fishponds, that serves both Chinese and Japanese food.