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Kauai
Beautiful tour! Our family was happy we found time to visit the Grotto!
Great sights from above! Lower cost than helicopter but still amazing sights!
Kevin picked us up at our hotel on time and spent the day showing us the west and south sides of Kauai. He gave us lessons in pronouncing Hawaiian words, the geology of Kauai, and history of Kauai, while driving from viewpoint to viewpoint. He was sensitive to what we were interested in and what types of food we wanted for lunch. We were impressed that he understood the weather patterns, kept a constant watch on the clouds, and was able to get us to the Waimea Canyon and Na Pali coast viewpoints at times when we could see the views.
We had a most enjoyable day and would highly recommend tour guide Kevin and The Ultimate Kauai Private Island Tour - South and West tour.
I've been fortunate to attend somewhere between 10 and 12 different Lu'aus, mostly in O'ahu, Kaua'i, Maui, and Hawai'i. Our experience at Smith's was superior for the following reasons:
1. Atmosphere and ambience: the Garden is absolutely beautiful, and few lu'aus have an ambience like this. Another good one for this to be fair is the Polynesian Cultural Center Lu'au.
2. Authenticity: the Polynesian & Fire Show, and other traditions (like pulling the pig from the earth) encompassed in the lu'au, were top-notch and very well-executed.
3. The Food & Drinks: a greater variety, quantity, and quality of food & drinks were offered here versus any other lu'au I've attended. There were two times as many food choices, and thanks to the buffet style, you can feast on them all.
4. The Staff: the staff here is so genuinely kind. My fiancee and I biked a few miles over to this lu'au and we had to bike back in the dark. Our hostess ran to her car and gave us some headlamps! It was so kind of her. We're really grateful for the Smith Family team.
Thank you all very much. I highly, highly, highly recommend.
This luau is informing and very exciting! They talk a lot about the past of Kauai and ancestral history. Price point at only $25 (without dinner) is absolutely great, especially for families with little ones. Handicap seating is available. Main seating area is at a slant so if you want to sit towards the bottom (closer) come early. My 1 year old even loved it and was clapping. Attire is Hawaiian style and it’s wonderful to see all the cool outfits. Bathrooms are close by and water is provided. I felt it ran a bit short this time compared to last year but it was still super amazing and would 100% go again.
Counted on this boat tour for good snorkeling and did not get it at all even though waters were calm at the time of day we snorkeled. Co-captain agreed that captain could have picked a better spot for snorkeling. Decently long boat ride to get to Na Pali Coast. Boat tour was cut short by almost an hour (not sure why, but honestly it would have dragged on if it wasn't cut short). Other than those things, it was nice seeing the scenic coast and we saw turtles and dancing dolphins.
Entertainment was great! Everyone was very nice. Pictures were awesome. It was not all you could eat and drink. The food was cafeteria style and put away before we could get seconds. Desert was basic. Not at all what we expected at a luau.
Where is the pig on a spit?? Fresh fruits and vegetables from the island?
Definitely should’ve done more research before attending a Luau. If you want a Beach Luau, this is not the one for you. If you wanna plantation in Luau, where the people are friendly, and the food is average, this is your place!
I was expecting to "be at one with nature" but there were so many people. We took a short walk up the path, which was beautiful but no time to stop & appreciate it or take photos. Then, when reaching to grotto, it was so crowded, there are other people in all the photos. You don't actually go into the fern grotto, you see it from a short distance. We were told we could take photos on the way down, but the path is narrow and there's the huge line of people behind you so you can't stop. The river ride was nice, but the entertainment took away from the peacefulness of the ride.
Crew was wonderful! Trip was amazing! Would love to come back and do it again
Need to know…wearing a spf shirt would have been a good idea! Having salty crackers for upset stomach would have helped.
The captain surprised us by taking the boat into a small area so that we could see the entirety of amazing cave. Very cool!
My wife and I had taken guided tours before mainly in the Carribean. On those tours, we stopped for various activities: touring a ruin, lunch on the beach, and a hike through a rainforest. Our guide, Kevin, did an excellent job trying to show us everything (and finding restrooms). The fault was not in the guide but in the attempted scope of the tour. It was six hours of driving and stopping for photos and then more driving. For instance, there were two waterfalls on the tour: One (twin falls) in the great distance and the other along the roadside (blink and you would miss it). It would be better if we could be taken to the trailhead and allowed to hike close to the falls. Or maybe with some preplanning, we could have swum at one of the beaches we stopped at. Although my wife and I are in our 60s and 70s, we are both very active. It was an introduction to the Island but we were exhausted at the end of the six hours.
My husband and I did this trip with our 20 and 14 year olds. We all enjoyed it. The boat scenery is beautiful the grotto is an amazing site and the music and entertainment on the way home was nice. We all even participated in the hula lesson.
The perfect activity to do on one of your getaway days, was so great to learn the history, and the challenges of the locals with survival on just daily living, on Kauai.
Was so good to be out on a very nice boat, but even better to be out with a captain and crew with great positive energy!! Took my 16 yo,14yo,7yo with and we all had a great time with great memories!, even had dolphins ride the wake of the boat for a bit!
Beautiful river excursion; would have loved more time and not so rushed at the Grotto. One song seemed lame. Wanted time to take pictures of foliage on way down. Definitely would not recommend for wheelchair guests. It was steep and pavement unfriendly to wheelchair wheels and very steep and slippery incline uphill.
Entertainment on way back was very fun and good.
We took this River Cruise on our 20th wedding anniversary. it was to remind us of the beauty of the Fern Grotto that we visit many years ago. The boat ride was fun. We loved the narration, the music and hula dancing. I highly recommend this cruise.
The crew was very interactive with guests. They told the story of the grotto and about Hawaiian history. The fern grotto isn’t what it used to be but still a beautiful spot.
The boat ride was enjoyable, with about 15 minutes of explanations about the surroundings on the way there, and on the way back, we all danced the hula together. The fern cave was breathtaking. The meeting point on the map was slightly off, and I got lost.
船は15分ほどで行きは周辺の説明、帰りはフラを皆で踊るなどして楽しかったです。シダの洞窟は圧巻でした。
地図上の待ち合わせ場所が少しずれていて、迷いました。
Translated by OpenAI
Perfect night. Seating was good, the variety of food was plentiful and delicious. The show was great. Very beautifully done. Loved the story of the love a father has for his daughter and interesting history of the island. Marvelous performances, great fire dances, wonderful cast. Recommend to everyone.
This was a perfect tour ever. The crew was so knowledgeable, pleasant and helpful. Would recommend this tour for everyone. Amazing scenery, great island history, interesting island stories and a fun boat ride. If I ever get the chance to visit again I will absolutely take this tour again.
The overall cost was reasonable, the grotto beautiful, but the cruise and experience was pretty dull overall.
This was an amazing tour that was the highlight of our week in Kauai. It was well worth the cost for our group of six for an amazing afternoon cruising the Na Pali Coast for for over four hours. Included a great lunch, sights and snorkeling for those that wanted to.The crew was absolutely amazing and made the experience. Thank you
There is a meeting point at a port not far from the airport in Lihe. There is no check-in; you just show your voucher and board the boat. Once we set sail, we traveled upstream while listening to various explanations about the surroundings. Along the way, we waved to people in kayaks and arrived at the dock in about ten minutes. Just a few minutes on foot from there, the cave we were aiming for suddenly appeared. While we couldn't enter the cave itself, its grand and mysterious presence brought an indescribable sense of calm and satisfaction. In front of the cave, a hula performance was showcased, allowing us to fully enjoy the Hawaiian atmosphere.
On the return boat ride, there was a performance of Hawaiian music, and we even had a mini hula class with all the tour participants! Everyone was in high spirits, and the sense of unity was wonderful! During this tour, there was a significant participation from Japanese tourists, so they also performed a hula version of "Ue o Muite Arukou." It seemed like they were part of another tour group, but if they hadn't been there, I would have been the only Japanese person, and I might not have had the chance to hear that song. It was quite a lucky experience.
リフェの空港から遠くないところに集合場所の港？があります。
特にチェックイン等もなく、バウチャーを見せてそのまま船へ。
出航したら周辺のいろいろな説明を聞きながら川を遡行。
途中、カヤックに乗った人達と手を振りあいながら十数分での船着き場に到着。そこから徒歩で数分のところに目的の洞窟がバーンと登場。
洞窟の中にこそ入れませんが、壮大かつ神秘的とも言える佇まいに何とも言えない落ち着きと満足感が漂います。洞窟前では、フラも披露され、ハワイ感を存分に堪能できます。
帰りの船内でもハワイアンミュージックの披露や、ツアー参加者全員でのプチフラ教室?!も。皆んなノリノリで一体感もまた良かったです！
今回のツアーでは日本人のまとまった参加があったため、「上を向いて歩こう」のフラバージョンの披露も。別のツアーの団体さんか何かのようでしたが、もしそれらの方がおられなければ日本人は私一人だったので、この曲を聴くこともできなかったかと。なかなかラッキーな体験でした。
Translated by OpenAI
I highly recommend Makana Charters for your tour of the Na Pali coast! Capt. Rob, Leroy, and Bobby were the best crew! They were friendly, knowledgeable, and entertaining! We enjoyed the stories and Hawaiian tradition around the various stops along the way. I was impressed that Bobby remembered every person's name on the boat and showed a genuine interest in each and every one. Leroy even took song requests! The water was a bit choppy the day we went, but that made it all the more fun! We enjoyed the amazing sights of the Na Pali coast, the cave and waterfall, the dolphins swimming right under the kids' feet off of the bow, the sea turtle waving hello, and the snorkeling. The sandwiches were delicious, too! I would definitely book with Makana Charters again! We had a blast!
Grounds the luau takes place on is breathtaking- my favorite luau on all islands.
The whole family had a blast. The river boat ride in total took about 2hrs. I appreciate that this is family owned and ran. Good people and great stories. It is worth going to for the experience.
So good highly recommend great food, amazing show, loved it all!
This was an amazing experience in every way!
The boat ride felt like a roller coaster ride, the sightseeing was breathtaking, the crew was so friendly and kept us entertained with all the knowledge and stories about the island and lastly the snorkeling experience was so refreshing!! I am a non swimmer and so a big paranoid in very deep water, even with my floaties!! But leeroy took such good care of me when I was snorkeling, he even took me for a ride in the water with a tube, so that I could see more fishes and get a complete experience, it was amazing!!!
The whole crew is amazing, captain Rob, Kana with the storytelling skills and Ofcourse Leroy, they all make such a a amazing team. Will be back soon!
Loved this event and so did my daughters- the hula dancing is simply gorgeous and unforgettable.
Our family of 8 ranging from ages 16-91 really enjoyed this excursion. Relaxing ride on the boat with beautiful live Hawaiian music and dancers was an extra treat. The Fern Grotto was beautiful. I would highly recommend this excursion.
Great tour very informative. The people were so funny I would definitely do it again and recommend my friends and family.
Decent boat ride, Hawaiian music & Hula dance. Walk to Fern grotto the best part of ride
