All Reviews for North Shore, Oahu

saw the places mentioned, nice small group.
the driver didnt know any Hawaiian translations for the areas/names etc, the Bus/trolley people did. being from New zealand we all know what the names mean

I lived in Hawaii, and have been to PCC several times. I love it every time I go. Whenever I have a newcomer to Hawaii, I take them there or recommend it to them and I recommend it to you all. Also, I advise getting the Luau and show package for the whole experience.

We chose this luau because of the beautiful setting in the Waimea Valley. Would recommend getting to the North Shore early in the day, spend some time at Waimea Bay then tour the Park and Falls before the luau. Much better to experience this cultural experience in such a stunning, natural setting.We had our teenage son and daugher with us and our mother and everyone had a great time. The family and staff work hard, wearing a variety of hats throughout the evening-serving dinner, running the lawn activities, and of course performing a large variety of authentic dances and music. The host is genuine and the food was very good. Everything tastes authentic and high quality. The whole operation was enjoyable, I even enjoyed the lawn activities more than I expected. We reviewed many luaus on Oahu and are very glad we chose this one.

The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, open, and incredibly fun. It was a wonderful horseback riding experience that you can't have in Japan!

● Check-in and Preparation ●
Since we were traveling by rental car, we opted for a self-arranged course without transportation, which turned out to be a mistake as we got lost and arrived just in time. We checked in 20 minutes before the start instead of the recommended 45 minutes, and it was quite hectic. However, despite being late, they kindly accepted us, which was a relief. I regret not choosing the plan with transportation.

The check-in location is past the shop (there's a sign in Japanese), and you can check in by simply showing your passport and voucher, with almost no need for English. I went to check in while my companion took care of parking, and there was just a simple question about whether they were wearing proper shoes (not sandals). By the way, my companion didn’t need to show their passport.

We were instructed to leave our bags in a nearby coin locker (for a fee). A waist pouch was okay, but they provided a small bag to attach to the saddle while riding, so I felt we didn’t really need it. We left our bags in the trunk of the rental car.

When we arrived at the stable (which is diagonally across from the check-in location), we watched a 5-minute horseback riding instructional video (in Japanese), borrowed helmets and bags, and then we were off to ride.

On the way out, we mounted the horses using stairs, and on the way back, there were precautions to avoid stepping on feet when dismounting from the elevated area. In the group I joined, there were probably just two groups: a family from Korea and us, along with one guide, so it was quite a small group.

● Attire ●
Long pants and shoes that cover the toes, along with a rented helmet, are the minimum requirements for participation, which I felt was quite casual. Given the rugged mountain paths, it felt adventurous. In Japan, I think you would probably need specialized riding boots or protective vests. This lightness felt very much like being abroad!

However, for those with back or knee issues, it might be tough. Since we passed through areas with tall grass, wearing longer socks to cover the ankles would help avoid any irritation from the grass.

Perhaps because it was spring, the weather was unstable, alternating between sunny and rainy. The strong sunlight combined with light rain made a long-sleeved hoodie just right for both sun and cold protection.

● Scenery ●
The views were stunning. We could see majestic mountains and beautiful seas, which was very satisfying. Even if you’re not particularly interested in movie filming locations, I think you would still enjoy it. As a fan of the Jurassic Park series, I was thrilled to see the locations from the films.

Personally, I love plants, so it was fun to see rare mountain flora. It was interesting to see cacti growing wild.

● Guide ●
Since I don’t understand English well, I could only catch the movie titles and a few words (like right, left, stop), but there were signs and guides at the filming locations, so I was able to enjoy it to some extent. However, since you don’t dismount from the horse until you return, if you want to take close-up photos or be in pictures with the movie sets, I think another tour might be better. By the way, we passed buses and buggies while riding, so you might encounter other tours even if you sign up separately.

Also, the guide was friendly and responded with a smile when I awkwardly spoke to her in broken English about how many days I had been in Hawaii and how beautiful the ocean was. Still, I wish there had been a Japanese brochure available.

● Photography ●
In the initial instructional video, it was stated that video recording is prohibited but photos are allowed. You can take photos with either a smartphone or a camera. During the ride, the guide took individual photos of us with her smartphone, and we received the data f

とにかく絶景で開放的でとても楽しく、日本ではできない乗馬体験で素晴らしかったです！
●チェックインと準備●
　レンタカーでの行動だったため、送迎なしの現地集合解散コースにしましたが、これが失敗で迷ってしまいかなりギリギリについてしまいました。45分前のところ、20分前にチェックイン、10分前に集合とバタバタでした。
　しかし、遅れてしまったものの幸いにも受け入れてくださり、ほっとしました。大人しく送迎ありのプランを申し込めばよかったなと反省しています。
　チェックイン場所は売店を抜けた先にあり(日本語立て看板あり)、パスポートとバウチャーの提示のみでチェックインでき、英語はほぼ不要でした。同行者に駐車を任せ、私のみがチェックインに向かったため、同行者は靴を履いているか(サンダル等ではないか)という簡単な質問があった程度です。ちなみに同行者のパスポート提示は不要でした。
　荷物は近くにあるコインロッカー(有料)に置くように指示されます。ウエストポーチはOKでしたが、馬に乗るとき鞍に取り付ける小物入れを貸してくれるのでいらなかったなと思います。私たちはレンタカーのトランクに荷物を置きました。
　出発場所の馬小屋(チェックインの場所の斜め向かいくらい)に行くと、5分程度の乗馬の説明ビデオ(日本語)を見て、ヘルメットと小物入れの袋借りてさっそく乗馬です。
　行きは柵の奥にいる馬に階段を使って跨がり、帰りも高台の上に降りるので足を踏まれないよう工夫されてるなぁと感じました。
　私が参加した回は、おそらく韓国の家族の方と私たちの２グループで、そこにガイドスタッフさん1名でしたので、かなり少人数でした。
●服装●
　長ズボンと爪先がカバーされている靴、そしてレンタルヘルメットが参加の条件ですが、本当に最低限の軽装だなぁと感じました。結構な山道にこの服装なので冒険感がすごいです。日本だと多分乗馬用安全靴とかプロテクトベストみたいなものを着なきゃダメな気がします。この身軽さが海外～！という感じでした。
　でも腰や膝に持病がある方はしんどいかも。結構草丈がある場所も通るので長めの靴下でくるぶしもカバーした方が草まけの心配がないかと思います。
　春だからなのかわかりませんが、晴れたり雨が降ったりと不安定な天気で、日差しが強い上に小雨にも降られたので、日焼け対策としても寒さ対策としても長袖パーカーでちょうどよかったなと思いました。
●風景●
　素晴らしい絶景でした。雄大な山も美しい海も見られて大満足です。映画のロケ地にそれほど興味がなくても満足できるのではないでしょうか。ジュラシックパークシリーズが好きなので、映画のシーンの場所が見られて感動しました。
　個人的には植物が好きなので珍しい山の植物が見られるのも楽しかったです。サボテンが野生で生えているのが面白かったです。
●ガイド●
　英語がわからないので正直映画のタイトルと単語(右とか左とかストップとか)くらいしか聞き取れませんでしたが、映画のロケ地には看板や案内があるのでそれなりに楽しめました。
　ただ、乗馬コースでは帰ってくるまで馬から降りることはないので、近くでじっくり写真を撮りたかったり、映画のセットと一緒に写りたかったりするなら他のツアーの方がいいと思われます。ちなみに乗馬中にバスやバギーとすれ違ったので別々のツアーに申し込んでも途中で出会うのかもしれません。
　また、ガイドのお姉さんはフレンドリーな方で、ハワイに来て何日目だ海が綺麗だ等カタコトへっぽこ英語で話しかけても笑顔で答えてくださいました。
　でもやっぱり日本語のパンフレットでもあればなぁとは思いました。
●写真撮影●
　最初の説明ビデオで動画撮影は禁止で写真はOKと案内があります。写真ならスマホでもカメラでもいいようです。途中、ガイドスタッフさんが、乗馬の様子をご自身のスマホで一人一人撮影してくださり、終わったあとデータが無料でもらえます。ただ、iPhoneのAirDrop機能を利用してデータ送信してもらったのでAndroidだともらえないかも……。
　印刷された写真は売店前に写真販売コーナーがありそこで自分の写真を勧められます。買わなかったので覚えてないですが多分$15～$20くらいだったような。この辺は日本のテーマパークと同じスタイルだなぁと感じました。
●馬たち●
　よく訓練されていて道も覚えているようでさっさと進んでいきます。こんな軽装で馬に乗って本当に大丈夫かな？と思っていましたが、大人しいしかわいいしそんな不安は途中から忘れていました。
　ちなみに馬は全員男の子だそうで、私が乗った馬はギリアン(と聞こえました)君でした。
　機会があったらぜひまた乗りたいです。

We had a blast on this adventure. It was exciting along with informative on the history of the island. We would recommend this to anyone.

Both ikaika and James were fantastic! Excellent tour guides and a fun experience overall. We saw turtles, eels and even a mantaray up close. Highly recommend!

This tour was very exciting.

My sister has done her first time horse riding.
She said the tour guide was so kind and her horse was so gentle and cute.

Mine was so aggressive and also was not good match with the guide horse.
I had to worried about my horse and the guide horse were not very close.
One time, my horse kicked the guide horse. It was sorry and a bit scary.

But the tour was so fun. My sister and me had a great time.

Next time, I want to try again but also try to run a bit with horse.
Because, my horse walked so fast. I think he wanted to run a bit.
One day, you guys would make the tour for the horse riding tour for experienced people.
If you guys would have that tour already, I would like to try next time.

Website easy to use.
Driver on time, and very helpful with local area.
Told him what we wanted to see and do, and he accommodated with ease.
Got stuck in traffic driving up the North shore, so he stayed a little longer for us.

This was my 2nd time visiting PCC, 16 years ago was my 1st visit. Nice to see Chief Kap is still there and still has many talents. A lot has changed, the Breath Of Life show was spectacular. The fire dance was amazing. The students that work there, every single one I came across were so pleasant and helpful. Everyone had a big smile and go out of their way to make sure you’re comfortable. If you haven’t been to any luaus in Oahu, I’d suggest PCC. Hands down the best one on the island. Mahalo!

Was so impressed with the overall layout of the PCC. Upon arrival there are restrooms, water refill stations. Shops selling lots of good value and different styles of gifts. We started with a ride on the canoe through the villages , the guide was knowledge and told us about the fifferent countries also very interactive with the younger children. We visited as many villages as possible , experienced aspects of their culture through dance, craft or food. It is clear to see the young peoples love of their countries and culture. The buffet was way beyond my expectations, proper dining experience, we were able to taste all foods and it was self service, chicken,beef pork,fish, rice,noodles,salads and so many desserts the list goes on. Very disappointed to see people wasting so much food, piling plates with too much food, especially when the culture of the Polynesian people is to value food and not waste food. We were thanked for supporting the PCC, the monies raised support the students to study and return to their countries to improve the lives of others. Would highly recommend great day out

We had the best time. Loved everything about it. Our tour guy Jonah was amazing and very knowledgeable. Took our time since we were a smaller group. The diamond head hike was a bit harder than we thought with the baby but we took our time and made it up there. What a beautiful view!! It was worth it!!! Do not regret anything about this tour! It was amazing!!! The dole whip ice cream was amazing. The Lenard’s malasada was amazing too. Saw a few turtles and the food trucks was so delicious. We really enjoyed our time on this tour and we totally recommend to do this tour if you’re ever in Oahu Hawaii!!!

I wish I could have received more detailed information about Haleiwa Town, such as maps and travel time distribution. We did a quick tour around the town, but the explanations and movements were fast, and before I knew it, we had free time, which made me a bit flustered. However, seeing how quickly the parking lot filled up with cars by noon made me understand the urgency. Thank you for your help.

ハレイワタウンの詳しい情報を　地図や移動時間の配分など伺えたらよかったなあ　と少し思いました　現地の町中を1周してくださいましたが　説明や移動が速くあっという間に自由行動となり　慌てました。　ですが　昼にはたくさんの車があつまりあっという間に駐車場は混雑しているのを見ると慌てていらっしゃるのも理解できました。お世話になりました

This tour was TOP NOTCH. The van was clean and comfortable and all of the places stopped along the tour were awesome. It was a fun filled day! We loved that this tour was a small group on an uncrowded, cool, comfortable van. Our tour guide, Alan, was super informative, easy going and hilarious. His approach, information and personality put this tour over the top for us. The cost for this tour was higher than the bus tour we booked with a different company but it was 100% worth it!

I experienced a 2-hour horseback riding course. It was my first time riding, but the horses were very smart, so I was able to enjoy the experience without any particular anxiety. The staff primarily spoke English, but they were very accommodating, so I felt safe and had fun. They also took photos with my smartphone along the way, which made for great memories!

2時間の乗馬コースを体験しました。
初めての乗馬でしたが、馬たちがとても賢いので、特に不安もなく体験できました。
スタッフの方は基本的に英語ですが、しっかりと対応してくださるので、安心して楽しめます。
途中にスマホで写真も撮ってもらえるので思い出になります！

There were no Japanese staff, but I felt reassured because there was a Japanese video explaining the precautions. It was wonderful to take a leisurely two-hour tour around the vast area that served as a filming location for Jurassic Park, and horseback riding while looking at the ocean was the best.

日本人スタッフはいませんが、注意事項を説明する日本語ビデオがあったので安心でした。ジュラシックパークなどのロケ地になった広大な地を2時間掛けてゆっくりと周り、海を眺めながらの乗馬は最高でした。

This tour was so much fun! Stephanie was our guide and she was very knowledgeable, funny, and entertaining. The hike in the morning was amazing and having a tour reduced the hassle of reservations, parking, etc. I would recommend this trip to anyone wanting a well-rounded and interesting tour of the island.

Absolutely breathtaking views, great instructor, well trained horses and an overall amazing time :)

I chose a seaside horseback riding course, and I was able to ride with peace of mind on a very well-behaved horse. The guide also acted as an interpreter for the local staff, which made everything easy to understand. Additionally, they made a reservation for lunch, and I was able to enjoy the popular garlic shrimp with no waiting time. They also explained the locations of shops in the city, making for a very fulfilling day.

海辺の乗馬コースを選びましたが、とてもお利口な馬で安心して乗馬できました。ガイドさんが現地のスタッフさんの通訳もしてくださり、わかりやすかったです。
また、ランチの予約もしてくださり、食べたかった人気のガーリックシュリンプも待ち時間0で食べられました。街のショップの場所も説明いただき、とても充実した1日になりました。

The horse was incredibly smart, so even though it was my first time riding, I had a great time horseback riding. They explained it in English like a scene from a movie. Since everything was in English, it felt like enjoying the atmosphere. Haha! I'm glad I could have an experience that I can't have in Japan!!! You can only bring the bare minimum, like your smartphone and some water, so a coin locker is essential. You can use a credit card for the coin locker.

お馬さんがとにかくかしこいので、馬に乗るのが初めてでしたが楽しく乗馬できました。
映画のシーン的なのを英語で説明されていました。
すべて英語なので雰囲気を楽しむという感じでした。笑
日本ではできない体験ができて、よかったです！！！
手荷物は最小限、スマホ飲み水くらいしか持てないので、コインロッカー必須です。コインロッカーはクレカが使えます。

After watching a video on horseback riding in Japanese, I spent about two hours horseback riding at the filming location of Jurassic World. I participated alone, but it was fun.

日本語の乗馬の方法のビデオを見た後、2時間ほどジュラシックワールドの撮影現場の乗馬をしました。
1人参加でしたが楽しかったです。

We had a great hike with our tour guide, Ryan. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. He was passionate about what he does and made a great day for us. The hike was just challenging enough without being too difficult. The lunch provided was great too. We didn't know what to expect going into this but had a great time and would recommend this to anyone. It's a great way to see a part of the island that we never would have seen otherwise.

Horseback riding while enjoying the magnificent scenery is exceptional. There were muddy paths, rocky roads, and slopes, which added to the adventurous feeling. After riding for nearly two hours, you can also get to know the personalities of the horses. The staff, although speaking broken Japanese, guide you kindly and attentively.

雄大な景色を見ながらの乗馬は格別です。ぬかるだ道や岩がゴロゴロした道、坂道等ありアドベンチャー気分も味わえました。2時間近く乗っているので、馬の個性もわかります。スタッフの方は、片言の日本語ですが、丁寧に優しく誘導してくれます。

We did the Admission only package, which is great for families with young kids. It rained the entire day but it was still fun and we enjoyed the experience. We were able to follow our own schedule and still head over the see the different villages even if we were not on the presentation schedule. The boat ride was a highlight for my kids and the giudes were very safety-oriented and made sure everyone was engaged in the narration.
The canoe ride ended on the other side of the park, with walkable access to the villages of Fiji, French Polynesia (Tahiti), and Hawaii. We were able to play some of the games and even check out some of the historical village buildings.
Don't forget to check out their very own large sailing canoe that was built by the staff and students who work at the Polynesian Cultural Center and BYU in La'ie. Ask about its story - it's truly remarkable.
The visit to PCC was very much worth doing during our trip. I highly recommend Polynesian Cultural Center!

Great Morning Out, was the only package on the Island (I checked with tonnes of tour guides out there) that offered Transport to the North Shore and Time in the town up there.
100% recommend, Get out of Waikiki and see the island and some Sharks. We also saw Dolphins and Wales but didn't get a refund for that.

Despite the rain, horseback riding was great. Transportation schedule meant an unreasonable amount of waiting around for pick-up and return.

It was my first time horseback riding, and we set off with just a brief explanation. I was a bit worried, but the horse was smart and seemed to take me along as long as I relaxed.
The scenery was amazing!
At one point, the horse started eating grass and drinking from the river. It was a wonderfully enjoyable time.

初めての乗馬で、サッパリとした説明だけで出発。大丈夫かな？と少し心配でしたが、馬が賢くて、身を任せていれば連れて行ってくれる感じでした。
景色は最高!
途中で馬が草を食べ始めたり、川の水を飲み始めたり。なんだか、ほのぼの楽しい時間が過ごせました。

There is a Japanese explanatory video on how to handle horses, and the staff gives instructions in simple Japanese, so even though it was an English guide, I felt more at ease and enjoyed it more than I had imagined. It's not often that you get to experience riding a horse by yourself, and it was great to enjoy that in the majestic nature of Kualoa Ranch. The two-hour horseback riding was a bit painful for beginners.

馬の扱い方については日本語の説明動画があり、スタッフさんも簡単な日本語で指示をしてくれるため、英語のガイドではありますが想像していたよりは安心して楽しめました。
自分自身で馬を操る体験はなかなかできないですし、それを雄大な自然が感じられるクアロア牧場で楽しめたのは良かったです。
2時間の乗馬は初心者には少しおしりが痛くなりました。

I was looking forward to horseback trekking, and as expected, I had a great time. Even beginners can enjoy it, so I would love for many people to experience it.

馬でのトレッキングを楽しみにしていましたが、予想通り楽しく過ごせました、初心者でも楽しむことが出来るので多くも方に体験していただきたいと思いました。

I have a call from there office they told me there tour guy was no show and they canceled don’t make the same mistake I did go a different way

Very nice spot and excellent stuff! We love it
It is first time for us to try it, but it turned out to be a very worthy and exciting experience, there are a lots of pets for young children to pet there too. The stuff are very patient and experienced, we have a good time there, will be back again!