We recently spent 3 days and 3 nights at a beachfront cottage at Barking Sands, Kauai. It’s on the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) which is about 45 minutes from the Lihue airport. It was $110/night for the 2 bedroom cottage with full kitchen, dining room, living room, flat screen TV, and…. FREE WIFI in each cabin! The cottages are available to active duty, retired reserves, and contractors of the U.S. Military.

Here’s the view from the front of our cabin (1130). There is a grill and an outdoor shower to wash the sand away before going inside. The cabins are a short walk to the beach and it was virtually empty every time we went. Swimming isn’t recommended at most beaches on this side of the island because of the strong currents, but we had fun splashing around at the edge and chasing crabs.

After imagining my son waking up in the middle of the night and stumbling sleepily to the ocean, we spent awhile looking for a piece of driftwood to jam the sliding glass door (in addition to the normal lock). Then we realized there was another safety lock at the top of the sliding glass door, which made me feel so much better!

I really thought the free wifi was a nice touch. Most hotels have slow, crappy internet that you often have to pay for, but here at the beach cottages all spread out across a few acres you get free wifi.

The bathroom was very clean and had sealed towels and toiletries just like a hotel. Guests that stay at the cottages are responsible for cleaning the place before they go. Cleaning supplies are provided: broom, vacuum, garbage bags, etc.

The restaurant on Barking Sands is called Shenanigans and has a great view. There is also a small NEX for groceries and other items you might need.

There are a surprising amount of chickens and other birds around Kauai. Some of the birds are endangered and need to be left alone, but my son had fun chasing chickens around the cottage!

While you are on Kauai you don’t want to miss seeing the Waimea Canyon and other lookout points on the drive up there. You can see my full post on Waimea Canyon here.

Overall we had a wonderful time and it was WAY cheaper to stay at a cottage at Barking Sands than most of the popular hotels on Kauai. You can find more details here.

We love going on family adventures together, but it can be hard to fly with littles ones sometimes. Check out my tips for airplane travel with kids in these posts:

A Successful Flight (Minus the Swearing)

8 Tips for Airplane Travel with Kids