All Reviews for Wailua River Adventures

We enjoyed this trip so much but I caution that the hike is a lot more rugged than I expected. Lots of rocky terrain to navigate, wear good footwear that can get wet.

Had a great time with Brian as our guide. He was entertaining and provided a fun tour. I would highly recommend it. He made sure everyone had a wonderful, safe trip.

When we booked our trip to HI my husband had been 3-4 times already. I hadn't been at all. He convinced me not to book a luau. We really like food and figured we'd save the money for something else. Once we got to HI I was really-really bummed we didn't have a luau on the docket, and it was too late to book anything.

This cruise was amazing and once we did it we weren't so bummed about missing the luau. The cruise is so peaceful. The guide is a smith family member and his family owns the land surrounding the river. He knows so much about the land and has tons of stories he tells while you cruise up and down the river.

You stop at the fern grotto, which is so cool. It's a must see on any trip to Kauai. The musicians on the cruise play songs and play a special song to people who have just gotten married or celebrating anniversaries.

Then on the ride back the musicians play native songs. It's the next best thing to a luau.

Already did it once but will do it again!

A must if in Kauai... Beautiful sights and a wonderful staff!

The morning pickup was on schedule. The participants included a couple from Alaska and another couple from America, making a total of six people. I noticed that there were overwhelmingly more male-female pairs in the kayaks, and we (two women) were lagging behind the other kayaks, struggling to catch up, which meant we missed out on hearing the guide's explanations during the kayaking.

I brought trekking shoes but ended up taking them off right from the start and paddling barefoot. After kayaking, we had to wade through a river about 10 meters wide, up to our thighs, to reach the trekking starting point.

They lend you a completely waterproof backpack, so there’s no worry about your belongings getting wet, but it is heavy during the trekking.

The trekking itself wasn't too steep, and we stopped here and there to listen to the guide's explanations, which were quite interesting, for about 40 minutes. (All six of us were moving at a similar pace, but probably a bit faster.)

At the waterfall, there were many people swimming, but even though it’s Hawaii, it was January, and that was unthinkable for us.

The lunch break was less than 30 minutes. After eating a wrap and drinking some juice, we set off again.

We walked and paddled again, and by 2 PM, we were back at the hotel. It was a tour that was dense in experience but not too intense.

朝のピックアップは予定どおり。参加者はほかにアラスカからとアメリカからのカップルで、計6名。気づけば、カヤックは男女ペアが圧倒的に多く、私たち（女2人）は他のカヤックより遅れがちで追いつくのに一所懸命で、カヤック中はガイドの説明が聞けず残念だった。
トレッキングシューズを持って行ったが、はじめから脱いで裸足で漕ぐハメに。カヤックのあとトレッキングの登り口まで幅10メートルぐらいの川を太ももまで浸かるのだった。
完全防水のリュックサック状のものを貸してくれるので荷物が濡れる心配はないが、これがトレッキングのとき重い。
トレッキングはさほど勾配もなく、ところどころ立ち止まってガイドの説明を興味深く聞きつつ、40分ほど歩いた。（6人とも同じくらいのペースだったが恐らくやや速め。）
目的地の滝では泳いでいる人もたくさんいたが、いくらハワイとはいえ1月、私たちには考えられなかった。
ランチ休憩は30分もない。ラップサンドを食べてジュースを飲んだら出発。
再び歩いて漕いで、14時にはホテルに着いていた。
密度が濃く、高くなくて良いツアー。

Enjoyed the Hawaiian show immensely which I was not expecting. Enjoyed the show despite the rain at the grotto. You should highlight the entertainment with such a pleasant show.

Great value for your money. Got to experience a lot of the culture, food, boat ride and much more . Learned about the Island we were visiting as well! It was an excellent item to spend on.

We are newlyweds, so the cruise to the Fern Grotto was very cool since weddings used to be held there!

My husband and I had a great time on this excursion. We were the only ones signed up for our particular day and time so it ended up being a private tour which was a bonus. We had the morning tour (check-in at 7:45 am) which seemed a lot less crowded than the later tours. There were a lot more people hiking in on our way out. The activity was very scenic and not strenuous at all for us moderately in-shape people (my husband more so that me!). Jamie was an excellent guide. He was knowledgeable in the flora, fauna, and area, but also personable so we weren't talking shop the whole time. Lunch was also more than adequate: fresh pineapple, deli sandwich on a good roll with cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard, a bag of chips, 2 Kauai cookies, a drink, and 2 bottles of water. Since we took a guided tour this time, the next time around we'd probably opt for renting kayaks on our own and making our way to Secret Falls without a guide. We definitely want to do this again with our children when they are a little older (at least 5). However, for first timers we highly recommend Kayak Kauai with Jamie as your guide! P.S. I would not recommend this tour for children younger than 5. It is very rocky, muddy and wet with lots of tree roots on the trail and by the waterfall. We saw another tour group with young children and several of them were crying because they fell on their way down to the waterfall. One small boy fell and hit his head on a rock, poor thing.

This was a great adventure, perfect for everyone! The guides were wonderful and the entertainment on the way back was fun. For $20 this is a great deal. I will definitely do it again!

This was a great combination of exercise and adventure. It was listed as easy/moderate which I would think would be appropriate for slightly older, non-athletic people, but it included wading through muddy rivers with slippery rocks and hauling up a couple of steep and narrow muddy paths. I kept thinking I was glad I was with my fit husband instead of my healthy mom...she would never have made it. The description also mentioned something about "air conditioned vans will take you back to your car". This never happened...you hike and kayak all the way back. Again, I LOVED it and wouldn't have wanted it any other way...I just thought the advertisement was way off of what the actual experience entailed.

A great way to spend an afternoon. A slow relaxing ride up the river with a leisurely stroll through the tropical plants to the grotto. Once at the grotto the songs of Kauai serenade you while the beautiful and awe inspiring sites fill your senses.

This is an adventure that everyone must go on. Our tour guide was informative, patient and hilarious! Being a first time kayaker, he took the time to get me comfortable paddling before heading out. The hike was great and the waterfall was breathtaking! So many things to see along the way, all of which our guide pointed out. I would highly recommend this to everyone who visits the island. Thanks for the great memories. Be back soon!

I normally do not write reviews, but this was needed. Please read this through to the end for the grand finale. The trip to the falls with Adam from Outfitters was about as good as it gets. He was very knowledgeable and engaging. My wife and I took a relaxed approach when preparing for this trip and wore flip-flops (not recommended due to the muddy trail you need to hike). When we arrived at the trail, Adam actually took the time to identify a local plant, strip the bark, and retrofitted our flip-flops into sandals. Someone in our group actually thought it was a set-up, but it wasn’t. Beyond just that, he kept the group together throughout while keeping the trip new and fresh with information. I would imagine being in his shoes, being a guide day-in and day-out; it would be natural tendency to become a little dull or burned out, but maybe not, and not Adam. To top it all off, on our way back kayaking along the river, he helped to salvage a sinking kayak and rescue two panicked people, who were with another kayak company. These two people were stranded and abandoned by their guide, with their Kayak filling with water and sinking. Adam and another local guide came to the rescue, initiated help from a couple other kayakers nearby (including us), and managed to drain the water filled kayak, pluck the two people from the river, and get them back safely to the dock, including the damaged kayak. At the same time he ran into the guide for those people and being very classy said to him “You got my back next time right?”. (I don’t think I would have been as nice.)

Just as I remembered as a kid. Thank you for a great experience.

I didn't have high expectations, but it turned out to be surprisingly good. I was able to relax in a laid-back atmosphere. Since it wasn't a hotel that offered shuttle service, I had to make my own way to the boarding area, but it was actually more convenient to move around by rental car afterward. If you're going to the boarding area on your own, you might as well buy the tickets there, but having the tickets purchased in advance gives you peace of mind.

あまり期待していなかったけど意外とよかったです。のんびりとした雰囲気の中でくつろげました。送迎対象のホテルではなかったから乗船場までは自力で行かないとですが、その後もレンタカーで移動するならそのほうが都合がよかったです。乗船場まで自分で行くならその場で普通にチケットを買ってもいいのかもしれませんが、事前にチケット購入しておけるのは安心感はあります。

This was 2 hour boat tour to Fern Grotto and back with live music. The tour was average, nothing special.

Everything on Kauai has a beautiful plant variety. It is awesome

Great excursion at a very reasonable price. The crew were exceptional and talented. I would definitely do this again.

Wonderful tour guide, knowledgable and hilarious. The workout was respectable, but offered great sights along the way that kept us interested, and an interesting hike through the Hawaiian woods. At the end the jump off a cliff into the river was tons of fun. I would definitely recommend this trip; a good mix of fun, beautiful sights, and physical exertion.

I would have to say this place was the best !!!
They were very helpful and accommodated my wife's gluten free issue.
Cole
our tour guide was the best ,funny, patient and very informative.If we ever come back and do this again we will request him.

the river trip was fun, they had entertainment on our return from the fern grotto. The grotto was very nice to see, with ferns growing upside down. I recommend doing this at least once

The Smith Family Laua will not disappoint! I've seen five Lauas and this was far superior to all others! Food and the show was amazing! The grounds of the facility were very beautiful and the tram ride showed all the land had to offer! Many photo opportunities! The Fern Gratto was beautiful and the musicians were great! Very pretty!

Driver picked us up so we didn't have to worry about drinking and driving, fun and informative boat ride to Fern Grotto with music, singing and dancing then delivered right on time to the Luau and brought back to our condo afterwards......Al fun, no worry

We 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.

The river cruise was relaxing and informative. We loved the traditional Hawaiian music that was sung.

Excellent! Good music, good stories, wonderful local flavor!

We bought the river cruise as an add on to the Luau. It is a pleasant ride on the river with a tour guide and some hula dancing. Honestly we could hardly understand/hear what the guided was saying on the ride. The dancing was nice. The whole experience was just a little underwhelming. Would not sign up for it as an individual event.

The performers we're so friendly and entertaining. you could tell they enjoyed presenting the music and dance show. the river ride was scenic and relaxing. the walk to the grotto and back was beautiful. highly recommend. don't book online with another company for $40 each. its only 20 when you book on this site.

Felt a bit rushed through the whole trip, our guid stopped once for pic before reaching the water fall, very nice experience and had lots of fun