For anyone visiting Charleston or passing through the area, I highly recommend stopping in at the…read moreonly Tea Plantation in North America. There is a trolly tour that's offered for about $18/pp which takes you around the plantation. Since we arrived late in the day, we opted not to do the trolly tour, but instead, toured the gift shop, sampled all the hot and cold teas (I think there were 12 samples), and took the 15 minute FREE factory tour. The teas? delicious! The tour? Super educational! It was great learning how tea grows, harvested, and processed. Whether you're a tea drinker or not, you will love stopping here. And if you're not in a rush, go sit in a rocker under the trees, or at one of the many picnic tables. Enjoy the fresh air and the sound of the birds. You won't be disappointed!

I visited the Charleston Tea Garden with a large group last weekend, when I was visiting Charleston…read morefor a birthday celebration for a friend. I'm not sure if it's the only tea plantation in America or just the oldest (I haven't been able to figure it out on Google either), but it's certainly a unique experience - tea grown in the United States! When you visit, there are several different things you can do. They offer a Factory Tour (free), where you walk past windows looking onto the factory floor and stopping at different TVs where a video about the history of the Charleston Tea Garden is played in portions at each stop/TV. There's also a trolley tour you can book. The trolley tour is a narrated tour through the tea fields, including a stop at the greenhouse. The offer a Tea Bar in their gift shop, where you can sample hot and iced teas made from their teas and shop for other souvenirs and gifts. It's a really unique experience, and I learned a lot. For example, I didn't realize that green, black, white, and Rooibos teas all come from the same leaves/plant (Camellia sinensis) - the differences come from the part of the leaf (white tea is made from young leaves) or the processing of the leaves (green tea comes from unoxidized leaves, while black tea leaves are fully oxidized)! But the experience is pretty dated - the factory tour in particular! The videos were really dated and hard to hear with some many people in the area where the videos played. And one TV - the last one - just stopped playing the video, so we missed the end of the "tour." The trolley tour was interesting but would probably be better enjoyed in the spring or summer when things are more lush and green. It was a little gray and dry in the winter. It's worth a stop if you're in the area and want to learn about tea (some parts of the experience are free, so you can just pop in for a tea tasting and a sit on the rocking chairs on their porch), but I wouldn't say you need to go out of your way to visit unless you're going to be in the area.

From the moment we walked in, everyone made us feel welcome. The ladies and gentlemen at the front…read moredesk, the wonderful staff servicing the rooms and serving breakfast, and the drivers, Nick and Clifford, were all kind, welcoming, and helpful. The location is great, and the beach shuttle to Kiawah was perfect. They provided chairs, towels, and cold water, and we were able to reserve an umbrella when we arrived. Everything was so easy and convenient. I came with my boys a few weeks ago and enjoyed it so much that I had to come back and bring my husband. We all had a wonderful time and will definitely be back!

A group of us girls stayed at Andell Inn for a few nights to celebrate a girlfriend's birthday, and…read moreit was such a great experience. The rooms were very nice, everything was clean, and everyone working there was friendly and welcoming. We had drinks there and they were really good, and we also had breakfast in the mornings, which was great as well. But the highlight for all of us was the outdoor space. Sitting on the wraparound porch in the rocking chairs with those views was so peaceful and relaxing--it truly made the trip. I would absolutely recommend staying here and would 100% go back.

I always imagined that I would get married on Kiawah Island, but I never had a specific place in…read moremind. Shortly after getting engaged, I researched the Kiawah Island Golf Resort venues and the Kiawah Island Club venues. Not only were they all really expensive, but you had to use their catering and follow their list of preferred vendors. Nothing was jiving with my idea of having an intimate island wedding until my dad suggested Sandcastle. The Sandcastle event coordinator (Megan)* got back to me pretty quickly with more information and dates that were already booked. I had a Fall wedding in mind, but also wanted to pick a date that was at the bottom of the off season, so we went with 12.1.12. Sandcastle is an oceanfront facility that can accommodate up to 180 people, and you can rent one, two, or three rooms. Tables, chairs, glassware, dinnerware, and flatware are included. I was really impressed with their reasonable rental rates-- if you don't qualify for the member rates, then getting sponsored by a member is an option. My favorite thing about having our reception at Sandcastle was that we got to choose all of our vendors.** There are definitely pros and cons to this: It's time-consuming to choose all of your vendors from afar and you have to be okay with the fact that you might end up with wonky centerpieces like we did. However, you absolutely cannot beat the views, huge verandah, and large catering kitchen that Sandcastle offers. *Ask Megan about her day-of coordination services. She did an awesome job and was five million times more organized than the wedding planner we originally hired. **Be sure to check out KICA's Preferential Pricing list for vendor discounts.

I had my wedding there earlier this summer and everything was great. The location, view, reception…read morerooms and staff all made it a memorable event. As a member, it was also incredibly affordable (which is saying something on Kiawah). If you aren't a member, try to find someone to get the discount! It is thousands of dollars cheaper than other locations on the island and you get an incredible view!

Went to the b-liner for my sisters birthday and had a great time. Service was incredible and we had…read morea few of the beach sunset while we had dinner. The have a seasonal menu which appears to change on a month to month basis. Would highly recommend coming here for a special occasion

I took my wife to Kiawah, as a surprise trip, for her birthday. Unfortunately, this coincided with…read morethe snow and ice storm that pretty much shutdown most of Kiawah and Charleston, in January of 2018. We weren't able to leave the island on the first night because the roads had frozen over. We ate at the pub. The food was pretty good although moderately expensive. I will say that the service was excellent and worthy of Michelin Star restaurants. I ordered a BLT. It had delicious heirloom tomatoes, thick cut bacon, and was on artisanal bread with Bibb lettuce (my personal favorite). It was good but not great and, honestly, I can't figure out why. It had the best ingredients and should have been one of the best BLTs anywhere. If you're looking for an $18 BLT, this is the place to go!

Oak Point was one of 3 Kiawah Island golf courses I visited as part of a short golf vacation with…read moresome buddies. Its a Clyde Johnston designed course with some interesting nuance to it. While its a challenging course, playing in somewhat inclement weather made it a bit more challenging. Of the 3 courses we played-- Turtle Point and Osprey Point-- I found this to be the most difficult---certainly based on my score. Just the fact that you start out with a par 5 on the first hole should say something. How about having 3 par 5's and 3 par 3's on the front 9? I don't think I'd seen that before. Then 2 par 5's and 2 par 3's on the back 9. The back 9 for me was much more difficult. The condition of the fairways and greens are what you'd expect from a Kiawah Island course. The folks on the course and the pro shop were very friendly and helpful.

Oak Point is the only one of the 5 Kiawah Island courses that is located just outside of the Kiawah…read moregate. I feel Oak Point is the best course for a variety of skill level players, it would be challenging to the novice golfer and the experienced player will have a fair test, but may prefer the other 4 courses. The par 5's are reachable, but typically guarded on 3 sides with bunkers or other non green zones. Bordering the historic Haulover Creek and the Kiawah River, Oak Point was built on the grounds of an old indigo and cotton plantation. As I mentioned with the other Kiawah golf courses, Oak Point is another example of quality golf that Kiawah Island has to offer. The 18-hole Oak Point plays 6,759 yards of golf from the tips for a par of 72. The course rating is 73.8 and it has a slope rating of 140 on Bermuda grass, designed by Clyde B. Johnston. I have to rate Oak Point at the bottom of list of my Kiawah Golf Courses, but do not have that dissuade you from playing there, it is still excellent..The signature hole is #18

This place is a gimmicky marketing machine. (The tiny "agri" part of the "hood" being worlds…read morecheaper than a golf course.) These people are hard to deal with and you will play by their rules...(all 165 pages of them). Big lots and better builders might be ok, if you can afford them. The smaller cottages come with tiny lots, tiny garages, and pretty much no privacy. Houses are jammed in like sardines. Parking will be a nightmare...(Darby Demolition Derby..). You also have to deal with their low end builder, a regional tract builder named Saussy Burbank. Be prepared for a comedy of errors. Buy a level. Traffic problems and high HOA fees will be a staple if this place gets going. Just having land, as this place is lucky enough to have in these crazy times, is not enough. Be careful.

I can't recommend and extend my thanks to The Dunlin and their incredible staff enough. We traveled…read morefrom Dallas to John's Island with my niece who is special needs, and they were so understanding, accommodating, and kind. After a full day of travel my niece was quite tired and overstimulated, and the staff at The Dunlin sent us complimentary room service including wine and staff was so friendly and helpful. Staying here was an absolute treat. They had a full itinerary of fun things going on, like mat Pilates outdoors and a petting zoo, and nightly s'mores at 7pm. There were bikes that were available to ride around at any time, and a local market right on the property with fresh produce and locally sourced ready-made meals. Such a nice, serene experience and the room was adorable! Huge shower with a bench. The patio in our room overlooked the Kiawah River and we were surrounded by the sounds of water and birds, it was such a nice reprieve from the busyness and noise that comes from living in a big city. They offer an entire fleet of Mercedes Benz available to drive around in for 4 hour increments and golf carts to drive around the resort property. This was such a luxurious and beautiful experience, from the incredible staff to the beautiful suite. we really enjoyed it and I can't wait to come back!

A magical one night stay and we made the most of our brief visit before playing golf nearby…read more Gorgeous setting and the rooms were perfectly appointed. Loved the shades of green throughout and our screened patio had a wonderful view. Service is as expected for an auberge property, kind, prompt, and everyone we interacted with went above and beyond to make sure we were happy and satisfied. There was a wedding onsite that night so we people watched at the bar ahead of the ceremony while enjoying a cocktail.

Had a great time at Cassique. Golf is in great shape and the club house is incredible. Can't…read morerecommend this place enough !

With out a doubt, one of my favorite courses of all time, The River course is the sister course,…read moreactually more of the big brother course of these two fine establishments. The club is private and members are from all over the states and the U.K. 6,960 yards f from the longest tees for a par of 72 . The course rating is 74.5 and it has a slope rating of 138 on Bermuda grass. Designed by Tom Watson. I did cut and paste that info, but it really is an amazing links course. First hole is straight forward par four, but after hitting your second shot on @2, a great par 5 with a great risk / reward second shot, the course really begins to show its character. I may get my hole numbers confused, hole 4 gives you two fairways, but they assign 1 a day to play, 7 is a 100 yard, completely blind par 3, I have hit lob wedge and 8 iton into. 11-12-12 all spectacular,16 is the Turnberry hole, which is the signature hole, 17 is super risky, how much marsh are you willing to cut? The course is just immaculate, I saw a grounds crew member cutting grass around the sprinkler heads with scissors! Enough can not be said about Cassique (the chief of the Kiawah Indian tribe) I will add to this review.

Amazing knowledgeable kind staff! This is an incredibly well run center! With 3 generations asking…read morequestions they were very helpful to all of us! The programs are great for all ages!

Lets see. Swimming pool, nature center, big filed to host concerts and fire works, yep a good place…read moreto go. Now I will say this, the pool is crowded and they do run out of towels sometimes, but the area is clean and well run. You can order food their too. the burgers are so good! the nature center has so many live animals plus lots of information about local wildlife and its free. The fourth of july celebration here is the best. Bands, food, trains, bouncy stuff for the kids, the king of pops! Yum! Yep its free too. Head on out and make a day of it.