Trick question: How many different places would a family need to visit in order to play tennis, golf, croquet, pickleball, bocce, checkers, and snooker; learn surfing, stand-up paddling, archery, and Hawaiian-style fishing; pick (and eat) fresh fruits and veggies at a magical upcountry farm; go hiking, biking, and sailing—and then cap off their recreation with a memorable farm-to-table meal amid exquisite surroundings?
Easy answer: Just one . . . if that place is Kukui‘ula.
Some aspects of Kukui‘ula’s exceptional charm are apparent the moment you walk up the front steps: the perfect beauty of the setting; the airy, art-filled interiors; the dazzling vistas of pools and lawns and ocean beyond. Others come into focus more gradually, with every day yielding new delights to enjoy, and explore.
One of those timed-release perks is The Club’s outstanding slate of recreations, offering innumerable opportunities for fun, fitness, skill-building, and adventure. Along with all the other facets of the property’s unique appeal, these activities make Kukui‘ula an ideal place—or destination—for families of every shape and size. (An unusual perk, rarely seen in private clubs, gives lodge guests who are renting any of the nearby Club Cottages, Bungalows, or Villas access to Kukui‘ula’s remarkable facilities and services, as well.)
The Huaka‘i Outfitters—Kukui‘ula’s impressive recreational department—is in a perpetual state of expansion and evolution, constantly adding new features and making innovative tweaks to existing programs.
This dynamic reflects the entire Club’s never-ending pursuit of excellence, and also mirrors the personality of its vibrant, visionary, dedicated Ho‘okipa (“hospitality”) Ambassador, Mariko Strickland Lum. A collegiate soccer star turned competitive stand-up paddler, Mariko approaches what she describes as her dream job with a dedication that’s thoughtful, creative, and energetic. “My goal is to create opportunities for growth, social enrichment, and life-changing moments,” she explains, adding that a primary aim is for activities to be both authentic to the culture on Kaua‘i, and optimally suited to the Kukui‘ula community. On the topic of family recreation, Mariko waxes reflective: “Growing up in Hawai‘i, you embrace the concept that family always comes first,” muses the Kaua‘i native. “I love that our members and guests are constantly inquiring about fun activities to do as a family. Kukui‘ula—and the entire island of Kaua‘i—is a perfect playground for families to enjoy the outdoors together.”
It would take a book-sized brochure to chronicle every detail of Kukui‘ula’s family-friendly activities—not to mention the myriad attractions for kids of all ages, singles, couples or pairs, and other types of groups, as well. Thus, what follows is only a small sampling of the amazingly vast and varied possibilities. These can be roughly classified as either fantastic year-round features; special events; seasonal programs; or spontaneous, independent recreational options that we’ll call “anytime adventures.”
FANTASTIC FEATURES
Week after week, all year round, the Club’s calendars and bulletins are jam-packed with intriguing activities that encourage full or partial family participation. And if the normal time slot doesn’t work, some can even be tailored to suit individual schedules.
SPECIAL EVENTS (ANNUAL OR PERIODIC)
SEASONAL PROGRAMS
During traditional vacation periods (spring, summer, end-of-year) Kukui‘ula offers the stimulating chance to spend several hours a day having fun while learning new—and potentially life-changing—skills. Family participation is invited, in varying degrees.
ANYTIME ADVENTURES
“Here at Kukui‘ula, we have a chance to be as active or as relaxed as we each want, every day,” says Jinee Tao, mother of two and a founding member of The Club. “It’s so easy to put together memorable family adventures, but we can also just do our own thing. I like that—the independence, the flexibility, and the balance.”
Flexibility and balance, indeed: this open, relaxed approach to living well forms a key element of Kukui‘ula’s distinctive ambience, and character. And while all the organized pastimes are delightful, sometimes a spur-of-the-moment activity can be a better fit for circumstances, or mood. This sets up another form of family fun: heading off in pursuit of individual diversions, then getting together to talk story afterward. (And for days when kids just want to hang out with other kids, or adults want to sneak away to the Spa, Kukui‘ula offers a beguiling selection of supervised kids-only programming.)
The first stop for impromptu amusements is often the Huaka‘i Outfitters equipment room, which is fully stocked with state-of-the-art supplies and overseen by friendly, helpful staff members. This enchanting space might be mistaken for the set of a childhood-fantasy movie, with its marvelous collection of fishing poles, kayaks, cruiser and mountain bikes (“very popular!”), boards and paddles for surfing and SUP (stand-up paddling), gear for lawn games, and every conceivable type of racket or ball, including bocce (for matches on the nifty little court behind the Makai Bar)—among dozens of other top-quality tools for recreation and enjoyment.
Tucked away in the heart of the sprawling Plantation House, Huaka‘i Outfitters’ very existence may come as a revelation to some. “I was talking to a family who wanted to do a beach day and they didn’t realize we had all this equipment for them to use,” Mariko Strickland Lum recalls. “They were going to buy everything, but we set them up with snorkel gear, coolers, chairs, and umbrellas, free of charge. They were stoked!”
The beaches are a major draw, of course, but an equally beloved “anytime outing” is a short jaunt to the wondrous upcountry Farm. There, visitors can get a first-hand look at the colorful, picturesque “farm” component of Kukui‘ula’s superb farm-to-fork dining, and even pluck tropical flowers, exotic fruits, and ripe tomatoes still warm from the vine. For more active recreation, the pastoral lake nearby is teeming with catchable fish—and with water-sports possibilities (sailing, rowing, paddling, SUP) as well.
Last but emphatically not least, one of The Club’s most enticing sanctuaries is an idyllic space that truly puts the “treat” in “retreat.” In the fully appointed Games Room—complete with breezy verandahs—that adjoins the Plantation House’s elegant lobby, members and guests can play all the best table games (including Scrabble® on a fascinating limited-edition board); read, write, and chat; or just bliss out in casual comfort, lulled by the timeless green-and-blue view of land, sea, and sky. Bonus perks: tasty snacks and beverages (hot or cold) are available at all hours, and every afternoon around teatime, freshly baked cookies are delivered direct from the ‘Umeke Kitchen. As a warm peanut-butter cookie melts in your mouth, you may find yourself wondering yet again whether you’ve somehow wandered onto the set of a fantasy film, where every detail is pure perfection and pleasant surprises rule the day.
Extraordinary facilities plus imaginative planning plus a genuinely caring staff do, indeed, make Kukui‘ula the ultimate family retreat. And if you don’t see your desired activity listed anywhere, don’t give up! Where there’s a wish there’s a way, and the uber-resourceful Mariko Strickland Lum and her conscientious colleagues are always ready, willing, and infinitely able to make wonderful things happen—not just for family groups of every kind, but for everyone else, as well.
Kukui‘ula embodies Ho‘okipa—heartfelt Hawaiian hospitality. We invite you to join us by staying connected. And don’t worry! We promise to only send you the good stuff.
Kukui‘ula embodies Ho‘okipa—heartfelt Hawaiian hospitality. We invite you to join us by staying connected. And don’t worry! We promise to only send you the good stuff.
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