All Reviews for Waipio Valley, Big Island

Had a great time with beautiful surroundings and very cooperative horses!!! Would definitely do it again.

This tour is very informative. You get to see black sand, volcanoes, waterfalls, and more. Our driver/guide was excellent.
There was more walking than indicated on the website, including climbing lots of stairs. Therefore I was not able to see some of the sites. But if you don't have any mobility issues, I recommend this tour.

It takes a long time to get on the horse. We went down the valley in a four-wheel drive vehicle, and it was quite an old car! The engine warning light was on, which was a bit scary.
The horses are well-trained, so it's safe. Even beginners will be fine.
Also, you can't go to the bathroom for about three hours. Just a heads up. Plus, the bathroom you can use before that is really dirty!

馬に乗るまでが長い。渓谷を四駆で下っていきます。しかも結構年季の入った車！エンジンの警告灯がついていたし、ちょっと怖かったです。
馬は調教されていて安心です。初心者でも大丈夫です。
それから3時間くらいトイレに行けません。注意です。しかも、その前に行けるトイレめっちゃ汚い！

The guys were awesome. Made it fun. The horses were strong and healthy. The scenery was breathtaking, green and lush. We would have liked to ride the horses through the waterfalls, same price, but this was good too. There were wild horses and donkey that let you pet them. Overall our experiences was great. Thank you for making the day fun.

We drove down the canyon with explanations provided. The horseback riding was on well-trained horses, making for a safe experience. They also took photos for us, and the service was very kind.

峡谷を解説付きで車で下ります。乗馬はよく調教された馬で、安心して体験できました。写真も撮ってくれて、親切な対応でした。

It was my first experience riding a horse, but I was able to enjoy it with peace of mind. The horses were well-trained and beautiful. This time I did the half-day course, but next time I want to try the full-day course.

乗馬初体験でしたが安心して楽しめました。
馬たちもしっかり調教されていて綺麗な馬たちです。
今回は半日コースでしたが次回は1日コースで楽しみたいです。

In the early morning, there was heavy rain, and I thought we might be riding in the rain, but fortunately, the weather cleared up. We drove down to the valley, but the road was steep and narrow. Arriving there was a bit nerve-wracking, but we made it. We also got to see the waterfall that I wanted to see along the way. The horseback riding tour began, and our two cute dogs joined us as well. We crossed a river along the way, which was very refreshing. However, the horse had to pee, poop, and eat grass at various points. At the end, the guide took some photos for us.

朝方に大雨が降り、雨の中での乗馬かなと思いましたが、運良く天気が回復。車で谷まで降りていきますが急坂で細い道。ちょっとビビりながらも到着。途中見たかった滝も見えました。馬に乗りツアー開始。飼っているかわいい犬２匹もいっしょについて来ました。途中川を渡ったりとても気分爽快です。でも馬は途中でおしっこ、うんこ、草を食べるなどいろいろあります。最後にガイドさんが写真を撮ってくれます。

I reserved the 9 AM session, and the confirmation email I received the day before also stated 9 AM. I left early to make sure I would arrive on time, but when I got there on the day, I found out that it had been changed to the 12:30 PM session without my knowledge. I was told that the 9 AM session was fully booked, so I had no choice but to kill time. The staff members were all very pleasant and apologized, but it seems best to directly confirm again before the day.

9時スタートの回を予約して、前日確認メールにも9時スタートとあったので
間に合うように早めに出たのに、当日行ったら12時半からの回に勝手に変更されていました。
9時からの回は一杯と断られ、仕方なく時間を潰すことになりました。
スタッフの方々は感じのよい方ばかりで、謝ってくれましたが
前日までに直接再確認したほうが良さそうです。

We advance through the canyon in formation. At first, I was nervous, but once we started walking, I could freely control my horse with the reins and my legs. Sometimes, the horse would eat grass on its own or relieve itself, which was amusing! Wild horses were also out for a stroll! It's all in English, but I managed just fine! I want to go again!

渓谷をみんなで隊列組んで、進みます。最初は緊張していましたが、歩き出せば手綱の引き方、お腹の蹴り方、などで愛馬を自由にコントロールできます。時々、勝手に馬が草を食べたり、うんこ、おしっこしたり、面白い！野性の馬も散歩したり！
英語だけだが、なんとかなりますよー！また行きたいな！

I participated with friends in November. I was looking for a tour with transportation included, but I was told that the transportation companies were fully booked, so I decided to take the plunge and join this tour without transportation, renting a car for the first time abroad. It was a good decision in terms of cost performance.

This was my second time riding a horse, but that didn't matter; we set off after a brief introduction. The height was quite significant, but we walked slowly through the woods, so it wasn't scary. We also splashed through the water, which added some variety and made it fun.

My horse was a bit of a glutton and stopped to eat grass along the way, but it was all very relaxed. The dogs that walked alongside us were also very cute.

Oh, Japanese is not spoken here. They knew a few words and occasionally said something, but it wasn't a problem for horseback riding.

11月に友人同士で参加しました。
送迎付のツアーを探していたのですが、送迎会社がいっぱいだと言われ、思い切って海外初レンタカーで、送迎なしのこのツアーに参加しました。コストパフォーマンスとしても正解でした。
馬に乗るのは2回目でしたが、そんなことおかまいなしに、ちょっとのレクで出発します。結構高さがありますが、木立をゆっくり歩いていくのでこわくはなく、でも水の中をじゃぶじゃぶ入ったりして、変化もあって楽しかったです。
私の馬は食いしん坊で、道中草を食べて動かなくなったりしましたが、それものんびりと。一緒に散歩する犬たちもとてもかわいかったです。
あ、日本語は通じません。少し単語を知っていて時々何か言ってましたが。乗馬には問題ないですよ。

Compared to other tours, the waiting time before starting was long, and the time spent riding the horse was short. We followed almost the same course, but other tours were already turning back and passing us. We were on the horse for about 40 to 50 minutes. I expected it to be 1.5 to 2 hours. The route felt more like the horse was just walking along a car track rather than going through the great outdoors. The guide spoke in English, but since there was a long line of horses, only those near the speaker could hear. I would recommend a tour that allows you to walk down into the canyon instead. Alternatively, if you're looking for a similar tour, I would recommend the Na'alapa tour.

ほかのツアーと比べて開始までの時間が長く馬に乗る時間が短い。ほぼ同じコースを通るのですが他のツアーは、すでに折り返しで我々とすれ違う状況。馬に乗っていたのは４０～５０分くらいでしょうか。1.5～２時間と思っていましたが。ルートも大自然の中を行くというより車のわだちを馬が勝手に歩くという感じです。案内も英語さらに長い馬の隊列なので話す人の近くの人しか聞こえません。私は、渓谷に下りて足で歩く時間をとるツアーのほうをお勧めします。または、同じようなツアーならばナアラパのツアーをお勧めします。

I, who can hardly speak English, participated with my 67-year-old mother, who doesn't understand any English, and my 9-year-old son, along with five other beginners in horseback riding. They showed us a demonstration and explained key points in Japanese. My 9-year-old son was guided by the staff, and we slowly rode through the valley. There were eight participants and two guides, which gave us a sense of privacy, allowing us to enjoy ourselves without any hesitation. Next time, I would like to try riding on the mountain side. Everyone was satisfied. Thank you for providing us with a wonderful experience.

英語が殆ど出来ない私が、全く英語が分からない67才の母と9才の息子を筆頭に乗馬初心者5人を引き連れ参加しました(^o^)
実際に見本を見せてくれ、要所は日本語で説明もあり、9才の息子はガイドさんが手綱を引っ張り、渓谷の中をゆっくり回りました。参加者8名でガイドさんが2名、プライベート感もあり、気兼ねすること無く十分楽しめました。次回は、山側を回ってみたいです(^-^)皆、満足しておりました。素晴らしい体験をさせて頂きありがとうございました。

It feels like a friendly couple runs this place. Since we were supposed to gather at 9, I arrived 10 minutes early, but no one was there. The couple showed up right on time. We departed at 9:30, and they told us to eat bananas and macadamia nuts while we waited. I was worried about being able to ride the horse, but it seemed well-trained, so I had nothing to worry about. I had a very enjoyable time. I had previously looked at the scenery from above the valley, but this was a valuable experience that you can only appreciate by going down.

Oh, the restroom is extremely dirty. It stinks! So, I strongly recommend taking care of that before arriving at the meeting point. There is a public restroom at the Waipi'o Valley lookout, so it's a good idea to use that. It's not clean either, but it's much better than here.

Also, after the horseback riding, the couple leaves the customers behind to go for lunch. That was refreshing in a way.

気さくなご夫婦でやられている感じです。
９時集合だから10分前に行ったら誰もいない
オンタイムで夫婦登場。
9時半に出発だから
バナナとマカダミアナッツを
食べて待っていろとのこと。
馬を乗りこなせるか不安でしたが
きちんと調教されているらしく
何の心配もいりませんでした。
とても、楽しい時間を過ごせました。
以前、谷の上から景色を眺めたけど
これは、下に降りてこないと味わえない
貴重な体験でした。

あ、トイレめちゃくちゃ汚い。臭い！
なので、集合場所に着く前に済ませておくことを強く勧めます。
ワイピオ渓谷の展望台に公衆トイレがありますのでそこを使うといいです。
ここも、決して綺麗ではないですけど、よほどマシです。

それと、夫婦は乗馬が終わったら
ランチに行くのでお客を置いて行ってしまいます。
それも、なんか新鮮でしたよ。

My 7-year-old daughter, my nephew, and my grandfather all participated. Since my daughter had ridden horses once in Hokkaido, she had some understanding of the process, but everyone was very satisfied as they were able to ride more than they expected. Unlike in Japan, where the instructor walks alongside holding the reins, here the instructor was also on horseback. At first, my daughter had some tears because she couldn't lift the horse's head well, but after a while, she seemed to be doing well.

The explanations were, of course, in English, so it seemed quite confusing for them. However, we had trouble finding the meeting point. We intended to arrive 30 minutes early, but we got lost and arrived right at the starting time, which caused inconvenience to those who had arrived earlier. It would be helpful to have more detailed information about the meeting point.

The weather was quite rainy, to the point where we thought it might be canceled, but the event went ahead. It stopped raining by the end, but I wished I had reminded everyone to bring raincoats based on the weather.

I participated in a different tour with my baby and mother, but the timing of the horseback riding experience worked out well, and I was able to pick them up properly.

My daughter said she wants to participate in horseback riding again and try running next time.

参加した7歳の娘も甥っ子もおじいさんもみんないっています。
北海道で一度乗馬をしているので、ある程度の流れわかっていたのですが、思っていた以上に乗馬でき大満足のみんなです。日本とは違い、指導の方が歩いて手綱をひいて、、いう乗馬の方法ではなく、指導の方も馬の上からなので、初めは娘がうまく馬の頭を上げられなく涙する場面があったようですが、しばらくすると、うまく進んでいたようです。
説明はもちろん英語だったので、ちんぷんかんぷんだったようですが、、、、
ただ、集合場所がわからなく、30分前に到着しよう思っていたのですが、迷子になり開始時刻に到着。先に到着されていたみなさんに迷惑をかけてしましました。
もっと詳しく集合場所がわかるといいです。
お天気も、、、中止か、、とおもうくらいの雨でしたが決行されました。最後には雨は上がったのですが、、持ち物にお天気によりカッパ必要とあれば持たせていたのに、、と思いました。

私は赤ちゃんと母と別のツアーに参加していましたが、乗馬体験の時間といい感じで組み合わせることができ、お迎えにもきちんいくことができましたよ。

娘は、次も乗馬に参加して走ってみたい、、といっています。

This was my second time riding in Waipi'o. This time, I tried going into the valley, and it was fun to go right into the river. Last time, it was a private tour with just the guide, my husband, and me, and the guide spoke slowly in both English and Japanese, so I understood well. This time, there were about ten people, and only one group of Japanese (two people), so I couldn't catch everything, but it was still enjoyable. The scenery was more impressive on the mountain climbing tour I took in 2014. However, this experience allows you to ride a horse casually, not worrying about getting wet, and going deep into the water, which is something you wouldn't imagine in Japan, all at a reasonable price. I highly recommend it.

ワイピオの乗馬は2回目でした。今回、渓谷へのTryでしたが、川にガンガン入って楽しかったです。前回は、ガイドさんと主人と私の3人でプライベートツアーみたいで、ガイドさんもゆっくり英語&日本語でしゃべってくれたので、よく理解できました。今回は、10人ほどで日本人は1組（2人）でしたので、まったく、聞き取れなかったのにも関わらず、楽しかったです。景色は、2014年に行った山を登るツアーのほうが、感動できでしたね。でも、気軽に馬に乗れる、濡れることを気にしないでガンガン深くても行く、日本では考えられない体験を気軽にリーズナブルな価格で楽しませてくれます。非常におすすめです

The view of Waipi'o Valley was absolutely stunning. We went down to the bottom of the valley and rode horses at a leisurely pace, feeling safe as we progressed. The local guide's quick-witted jokes were fantastic and kept the guests entertained.

ワイピオ渓谷の眺めがまずすばらしかった。渓谷の下までおりて、馬に乗ってゆっくり進みましたが、安心して進めました。現地ガイドの当意即妙のジョークがすばらしく、お客さんを飽きさせないと思いました。

Jaime was a terrific guide and the ride was nice. It was drizzling pretty much all day but they provided rain jackets and my 10 year old son and I were comfortable. We were pretty wet from the waist down; my jeans were soaked, but the horses were gentle and well behaved.

We traveled with 8, 12 years old boys and wife.
It was so great. It was our one of best tour in BigIsland.

Excellent. Chris was exceptional. Had passion for his job and loves Hawaii

Had a great time Kevin the tour guild was great ,
We even had great weather
If you only can do one tour this would be the one and must have kevin

Our driver and tour host presented us with a very interesting and colorful history of the Big Island. He had a great sense of humor too! He paced the trip on the attendees, when there was an obvious interest in an area. This tour is a good for those wanting to get a broad acquaintance with the Big Island and it's various areas and interests. It was our springboard for other activities!

loved it, great fun! My son enjoyed cracking macadamia nuts before the ride!

We participated as a couple.
I was worried about the explanations in English, but the horses were well-trained, and I felt safe riding as long as I trusted the horse.
Even if you're not good at English, there's no need to feel anxious about horseback riding.
During the horseback riding course, we couldn't see the ocean, but Waipi'o Valley is a scenic spot with ocean views, so it was great to enjoy it on the way back.
We left Keauhou at 7:00 and arrived at 8:30.
There is only a simple Western-style toilet available.
If you go about 1 km towards the Waipi'o Tour Center, there is a drive-in, so it might be better to use that.

夫婦二人で参加しました。
英語での説明に不安がありましたが、馬が良く調教されていて、馬に任せていれば安心して騎乗できました。
英語が不得意でも乗馬については不安を感じる必要はまったくありませんでした。
乗馬コース中、海は見えませんでしたがワイピオ渓谷自体は海の見える景勝地なので帰りに堪能できて良かったです。
ケアウホウを7時に出発して8時30分に到着しました。
トイレは簡易式の洋式トイレしかありません。
ワイピオツアーセンター方面に1Kmくらい進むとドライブインがあるのでそちらを利用したほうがいいかもしれません。

We have been on several horseback rides on all four of the major islands and this tour had by far the best views.

This was a great tour for our first full day on the island. Kala , our guide, was a world of information about all things Hawaiian! He was so excited to show us turtles on the black sand beach, lava at the volcano,and beautiful Waipio Valley. He gave us great ideas on where the best burgers and the most delicious malasadas on the island where...and yes we went back to try them ! It was a long day, but as others had commented before me, it flew by!

Tour Guide was great!!!!!! Great Value!

Would suggest that you have passengers switch seats during the tour. Unfortunately we get the back seats and the viewing is not as good as the seats further towards the front. Also it was harder to talk to the guide from back there. Might be nice if halfway thru the tour everyone switch seats.

This experience is certainly off the beaten pack and is an amazing way to explore the nearly inaccessible Waipio Valley.
We met at the meeting point and we were driven down into the valley down one of the gnarliest roads I've ever been on in a 4x4 to the stables.
We were introduced to our horses and led on a serene trek through the valley. We went through rivers and around small holdings that are dotted around the valley. We marvelled, from a distance, at incredible waterfalls as we trekked through paths with fields on one side and jungle on the other. It was awesome.
Our guide was great and it's something we'll both always remember. We're not riders but we're extremely well looked after.
It was great. Thank you!!

This was one of our favorite adventures during our time in hawaii! Our guides were awesome and we loved getting to see the beauty of the Waipio Valley while riding horses! Highly recommend this for anyone who loves the outdoors and loves a good adventure!!

The meeting point and ending point are local, and since the guide speaks only English, it's necessary to have a rental car and understand some English. They teach you how to ride the horse slowly and clearly, so as long as you can catch everyday conversation, you should be fine.

The guides for this trip were two local women. Besides the two of us, the party included a couple and their family from the mainland, making a total of nine people, creating a friendly atmosphere.

Along the way, they taught us about various wild fruits (such as mangoes, papayas, noni, avocados, bananas, etc.), we encountered wild horses, and we visited a waterfall that can only be seen by going down into the canyon, making it a satisfying tour.

There was also a tour that went down to the canyon by car, but I recommend horseback riding as it allows you to go deeper by crossing the river and navigating through narrow paths!

This time, I chose this option because I wanted to stroll around the nearby towns of Honokaa and Waimea before and after the tour, but if you simply want to enjoy horseback riding in the canyon, I think it's better to choose a tour with a Japanese guide and transportation included.

現地集合、現地解散、英語のみのガイドなので、レンタカーとある程度の英語が分かることか必要です。馬の乗り方とかはゆっくり分かりやすく教えてくれるので、日常会話が聞き取れれば大丈夫かと。
今回ガイドしてくれたのは現地の女性二人。パーティーのメンバーは我々２人以外に本土から来た夫婦と家族の総勢９人で、和気あいあいとした雰囲気です。
途中自生している果物を色々と(マンゴー、パパイヤ、ノニ、アボガド、バナナなどなど)教えてくれたり、野生の馬に出会ったり、渓谷を下まで降りないと見られない滝を見に行ったりと満足のツアーでした。
車で渓谷の下に下りるツアーもありましたが、馬の方が川を遡ったり、細いところを入っていったりとより奥まで行けるのでオススメです！

今回はツアーの前後で周辺のホノカアやワイメアの町もブラブラしたかったので、こちらを選びましたが、単純に渓谷の乗馬だけを楽しみたい場合は、日本語ガイド、送迎付のツアーを選んだ方がいいと思います。

The guide was very kind and made an effort to speak to us in broken Japanese, even though my English is basic. The atmosphere was fantastic, and my daughter, who was a bit nervous at first, seemed to relax and even started petting her horse later on. Crossing the river was a lot of fun, and our family is already talking about coming back here on our next trip to Hawaii Island. I'm really glad we participated—highly recommended!

基本英語ですが一生懸命カタコトの日本語で話しかけてくれたり、とても親切なガイドさんでした。
雰囲気も最高で最初は緊張気味だった娘も後半は自分の馬を撫でたり余裕もあるような感じで＾＾
川を渡ったりするのもとても楽しく、また次のハワイ島でもここへ来ようねと家族で話しています。
参加してよかった～！オススメです＾＾