Sacred Falls Adventure - Wailua River Kayak, Hike & Waterfall Swim
Overall Rating
4.79
Rising river cancelled half the trip but not half the cost.
Reviewed by: Reid Johnson, 2024/04/07The guide was excellent, the river and surroundings were breathtaking. Unfortunately, high winds and a rising river stopped our paddles without ever seeing the falls. Weather is unpredictable, but since we paddled twice as hard against the winds, it was exhausting. Thought there might be a discount of some kind since our 4 hr. tour only lasted 2 1/2. Better luck next time, I guess. Would do it again with better conditions.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2024/04/05 |
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My experience to the Sacred Water Falls
Reviewed by: Silvana Behrens, 2022/07/23I enjoyed the location, but it is impossible to appreciate it during the hike or walk … it was very fast and unable to take pictures…. The description was the hike was by the “flat river bed”, but is was not .. it was walking on top of boulders, branches, wet ground, steep up and down….and Too many groups at the same time (crowded) or overlapping .. our group had 15 minutes at the waterfalls, not enough time to eat or get into the waterfalls…which also was very crowded with other groups….
Our tour guide was excellent…!!
Aloha Silvana, Allot has changed since we first marketed this tour 38 years ago as the "Secret Falls"; as you experienced, it it the best known secret. That said, even with the crowd at times, it is still a nice way to spend the day. Thanks for warning potential patrons that the road to the falls, is unpaved and uneven at times and can be challenging for some. Glad you enjoyed our guide and I guess excellent is good enough. Thanks again for you review. A hui hou, Micco/Head Guide
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/06/30 |
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Be very careful!
Reviewed by: Annie S., 2018/01/21The waterfall destination is spectacular, our guide, Web, was very good - and barefoot!. Well-fitting hiking or sturdy aqua shoes are a must for the average hiker. The kayak trip is easy in a wide river. The hike is often along narrow pathways along a dropoff area with no barriers. The ground is very muddy, uneven and you're stepping between roots of trees much of the time. Good foot placement, patience and balance are requirements. When we arrived at the falls, a thunderstorm dumped a lot of rain decreasing the time at the falls and created an extremely wet and muddy return trip on the path back to the kayaks. Puddle depths were unknown leading to many slips and falls and very slow and slippery going. While no one was hurt in our group of 12, I'd advise this trip only for the very adventurous, and very careful!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2017/12/26 |
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Would not recommend for families with children
Reviewed by: Anonymous , 2017/06/03I took this tour with my 8 year old and I wouldn't call this the highlight of our trip. I consider both of us in fairly good shape, and kayaking up Wailua was still quite challenging, especially with the wind. The tour guide seemed to be in a hurry so it added to the stress. The hiking part was quite difficult with rocks, roots, steep climbs and descents. Here again, our tour guide rushed through the forest, not even waiting for some of the slower group members. The "scrumptious" advertised lunch was awful - a stale deli sandwich and a pre-packaged cookie. The waterfall was the only redeeming moment of this tour. All in all, unless you're an adventurous young couple in good shape, I would not recommend this tour.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2017/05/31 |
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Conflicted ~ Good/Not So Good
Reviewed by: NorCal, 2015/07/07We had 3 athletic families attend this trip with adults and teens. The kayaking was BEAUTIFUL on the way 'in' to the hike (current and wind assisting). The hike itself was a bust and we all like to hike. Our guide left us to our own devices for most of this trip and was of little guidance. Even wading through the water to the hike our guide took us the more difficult route. We know this because on our return to the kayaks a couple of us followed a different guides route across the river which was so much simpler and safer! The hike was muddy and slippery despite having good water/hiking shoes. We had adults/kids fall many times and one significant injury. Others had already slipped in this location yet our guide offered no help or alternative. In early July, unfortunately the waterfall yielded little water. The hike not worth the end result. We did enjoy the 'work out' aspect of the kayak trip back. It was beautiful but challenging going against the current if you aren't a regular kayaker.
At a minimum: I'd rate this a moderate adventure and challenging for individuals who aren't regularly very active.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2015/06/30 |
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Aloha Reid,
Man proposes and the the gods dispose!
All our guides are excellent and do a great job in not only sharing the cultural and natural history of the area, but most important keeping you safe in questionable weather.
We do offer a discount when weather conspires and abbreviates a tour. Veltra should be extending a discount; if not, you know how to reach us.
Stay well and look forward to your return.
A hui hou,
Micco/Head Guide