Kauai
This was an awesome excursion! The combo of boating,zipping, and swimming in the weird zip line area, the drive and views made this trip great! I would definitely do this again! It was so much fun! Definitely wear water shoes or something though it is very wet and slippery.
The luau was held in a beautiful place and it was really fun to explore. Unfortunately, when the seating began we were asked to move multiple times because of reserved seating and it made the dinner portion of our evening very very annoying. Luckily, the entertainment after dinner was awesome.
I was not particularly excited about this excursion because the fern grotto is all dried up and you can't go in anymore. However the entertainment was great. I dont think they could have made the excursion better with all the story telling, music and dancing. It was alot more than i expected and it was a great start to the luau we saw after!
The Cruise Is On A River Not IN THE Ocean FOR Anyone Worried About attire. It is very laid back atmosphere so any clothes are appropriate. The staff where authentic and made you welcome. I combined with smith laaui.
I made this a part of my 2nd nights activities and had a wonderful time. I had shuttle service from hotel free to a gorgeous park. The food was excellent and drinks were very good. I had the Mai Tai and Hawaiian punch. Take a camera because the park is amazing. Smoking is near the bathroom , fyi :) this company has best ratings with trip advisor. I would love to see it again. Oh video camera because no flash photos. You need $20 to purchase the photo taken upon arrival. Have fun!
Upon arriving in Lihue I was anxious about the greeter finding us, but as soon as we neared baggage claim their was a sign for us. Our greeter was warm and friendly and explained how to get our rental car once we'd obtained our luggage. She also explained how to maintain the leis for a few days. I'd highly recommend it.
Went this morning, had such a wonderful time. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and kept the pace moving. Far exceeded our expectations. Thank you Mark and Anthony for the amazing trip! Will be recommending this excursion to family visiting the island in the future.
I've been to several luaus on different islands and Smiths is my favourite by far. Beautiful property to walk around. Buffet dinner is very organized and extremely filling not to mention the free Mai Tai's. Really nice show of Hawaiin style dance as opposed to the "Vegas" act I've seen at other Luaus. And if you are staying in Kapa'a, transportation is included. Definately a "must do " while you are visiting the beautiful island of Kauai
Booked the activities through this website for NaPali and Nihau plus snorkeling.
Checked in the place at 6, and captain met us around 630. However, due to the weather condition, Nhau is not gonna be possible. 3 alternatives were given. We could either take the trip with a 25% discount, reschedule for another day or get a full refund on spot. Given we will only be on the island for one more day, we took the first option. And it didn't disappoint at all.
The ride to NaPali was a little rough, or "exciting" in the sailing world. Some people got sea sick and the threw up, but the crew members were very patient and friendly, didn't complain at all. We also saw a bunch of dolphins and a glimpse of whale during the ride. Captain stopped the boat for everyone to see in each situation.
On the way back, the weather got much nicer. We made a stop near Port Allen where we started for snorkeling. This was about an hour long. Once that's done, food was already waiting for us on the boat.
After lunch, we headed back and 25% refund was ready for us to pick up.
Overall, it was an awesome ride and honestly I couldn't ask for more. They offer both breakfast and lunch to accommodate its early schedule. They offer a large variety of drinks including beer, and all of them are free. The captain gives detailed background stories for every valley and beach we pass.
Just make sure to bring your towel and a camera, and you will be golden.
Aloha,
Thank you for your review and for choosing Holoholo Charters!
Mahalo
We did this in the morning and it was so refreshing. Water was great and guides were amazing! Great for the family!!
We had a great time. Guides were amazing!! Would highly recommend this excursion.
I participated alone as a woman. I originally signed up for a Japanese tour, but it was canceled due to not having enough participants, so I quickly switched to this tour at the last minute. (Kauai Island has many tourists from the mainland United States and Canada, and I hardly met any Japanese people during my stay.)
On the day of the tour, all the other participants were from English-speaking countries, mostly older couples and friends. Naturally, everything in the vehicle was in English, and the female guide (who was also the driver) shared enjoyable stories about the scenery and plants visible from the car windows, as well as the history of Kauai Island, sometimes mixing in jokes. I think bringing a guidebook or map would enhance understanding and enjoyment. The ride was comfortable enough that I almost dozed off.
After picking up all the participants, we passed through the charming old town and took a 15-minute restroom break at a souvenir shop run by Japanese Americans before setting off! Along the way, we saw a sugar cane train on the right and enjoyed the townscape as the car gradually made its way into the mountains.
We arrived at Waimea Canyon! The sight of the green and red earth mountains spread out before us was spectacular! The air was also clear, making me feel refreshed. (However, I found the 30 minutes of free time here a bit too long; 20 minutes would have been sufficient.)
Next, we visited the Kauai Coffee Shop. The shop, filled with the fragrant aroma of coffee, had a souvenir corner, café, and tasting area, and I wished we could have spent more than 15 minutes there.
Then we had lunchtime (40 minutes) at a restaurant located within a golf course. The open design allowed us to enjoy lunch while feeling the blue sky, sunshine, and refreshing breeze, which was very pleasant. The menu mainly featured hamburgers and sandwiches, and according to the guide, the "coconut cream pie" is delicious. However, since we were a large group, if you don’t order quickly, the food takes a while to arrive. I only had 10 minutes to eat and ended up leaving half of my meal… (crying)
Next, we stopped by the blowhole at Poipu (15 minutes), and the car headed towards Wailua. After visiting Opaekaa Falls, we went on a Wailua River cruise to the Fern Grotto. We passed by people kayaking while we traveled up the river on a sightseeing boat. After disembarking at the dock and walking a bit through the jungle, we heard singing from deep in the forest. We were welcomed by a live Hawaiian music performance as we arrived at the Fern Grotto! It felt like a private space in the woods, and we enjoyed a performance by musicians and dancers along with a small ceremony, all wrapped in a mystical atmosphere. The performance continued on the return boat ride, culminating in a lively finale.
This tour is packed with highlights, so I especially recommend it for those visiting Kauai Island for the first time or those who do not have a rental car.
女性1人で参加しました。
元々日本語ツアー希望で申し込んでいたのですが、人数が揃わず不催行となり直前で急遽このツアーに変更しました。(カウアイ島はアメリカ本土やカナダ等からの観光客が多く、滞在中ほとんど日本人に会いませんでした)
当日の参加者は私以外全員英語圏の方で年配のご夫婦や友達同士が多かったです。車内は当然オール英語で、女性ガイド(兼ドライバー)さんが車窓に見える景色や植物、カウアイ島の歴史について、時にジョークを交えながら楽しくお話しして下さいます。ガイドブックや地図を持参するとより理解が深まって楽しめると思います。車の乗り心地も快適で、ウトウトしてしまうほどでした。
全参加者のピックアップを終えると、古き良き風情の残るオールドタウンを抜け、日系人経営のお土産屋さんでトイレ休憩(15分)を取っていざ出発! 途中右手にさとうきび列車(?)が見えたり町並みを楽しんでいると、車は次第に山合いへ。。
ワイメアキャニオンに到着! 目の前に広がる緑と赤土の山々は壮観です‼︎ 空気も澄んでいて清々しい気持ちになります。(…しかしここで30分の自由時間は持て余してしまったので20分あれば十分ですね)
次に訪れたのはカウアイコーヒーショップ。コーヒーの芳ばしい香り漂う店内にはお土産コーナー・カフェ・試飲コーナーがあり、ここは15分では足りずもっとゆっくりしたかったです。
続いてゴルフ場内にあるレストランでランチタイム(40分)。開放的な造りになっているので、青い空と太陽・爽やかな風を感じながらのランチはとても気持ちが良かったです。
メニューはハンバーガーやサンドウィッチ等が中心で、ガイドさんいわく「ココナッツクリームパイ」が美味しいんだとか。ただ、大人数での利用なので早くオーダーしないとなかなか料理が来ません。私はわずか10分しか食べる時間がなく、半分残す羽目になりました…(泣)
続いてポイプの潮吹き岩に立ち寄り(15分)、車はワイルア方面へ。オパエカア滝を見学した後、ワイルア川クルーズ&シダの洞窟へ。カヤックを漕ぐ人々とすれ違いながら遊覧船で川を上って行きます。そして船着場で船を降り、ジャングルの中を少し歩くと森の奥から歌声が。。ハワイアンミュージックの生演奏に迎えられ、シダの洞窟に到着です! 森の中のプライベート空間といった感じで、神秘的な雰囲気に包まれながらミュージシャンとダンサーによるパフォーマンスとちょっとしたセレモニーを楽しみます。帰りの船の中でもパフォーマンスは続き、盛り上がりのうちにフィナーレを迎えます。
このように見所満載のツアーですので、初めてカウアイ島を訪れる方・レンタカーを借りていない方には特におすすめしたいです。
Great introduction of group to each other - being ohana! The ride with the tubes was awesome! And the water was warmer that expected; very enjoyable. I strongly recommend it.
Further, the guides - Kat, Jessica / I forgot the name of the other two - explained a lot about the area and were very helpful and friendly.
it was fun paddeling up the Wailua river and hiking to the waterfall. Very good instructions and guided tour. The guide showed us a lot of things and explained to us. It was awesome to swim in the warerfall pool but also pretty cold! Great tour - I recommend it to everyone!
This was an excellent luau. Very well organized and a great venue for the event. It was great for all ages. We had a 16 year old and two 80 year olds with us. All enjoyed emensly. Thank you
This was an interesting trip. A lot of fun and a good "part" of the luau.
We truly enjoyed the luau at Smith's Tropical Paradise! Beautiful gardens, many picture opportunities, great food, excellent show! I love the family atmosphere at this luau and the hospitality that is extended to everyone. The show teaches about the many different people who settled in the Hawaiian islands. We always recommend this luau when we meet other travelers. It is an enjoyable and well-paced evening of great food and entertainment!
Every time we come to Kauai we take this River Cruise. It is so relaxing and the ride on the Wailua is calm and you don't have to paddle! We love the entertainment at Fern grotto as well as the fun on the way back to the dock. Everyone we have taken has enjoyed it! We always take this cruise right before going to the luau. A wonderful value too!
We had the best trip you can get to the Napali Coast! The weather did it's best to blow away the clouds, but also made the sea rough so we got lots of fun in the waves and went wet in the front of the boat. After half an hour we were completely soaked and decided to go to the back were it is almost dry. There you also have a god view but it is rather bumpy than on the front of the boat. We had a nice and sunny view along the coastline of Kauai. Compared to our trips by helicopter and car the boat trip is the most relaxing way to see the coast and for us the most impressive. The height of the cliffs of Na Pali Coast is best seen from the bottom. From up in the air you'll get a great overview but you wouldn't see the whole scenery. The buffet on board was well organized and we had some delicious snacks on our tour. The crew took very good care of us all along the trip and offered very often to take pictures of us in the beautiful scenery. Nearby the harbor we made an additional stop to watch out for wales and turtles which are often seen on that place. Unfortunately we didn't find any turtle or wale but a lot of flying fish. The beautiful sunset with a glass of champagne was the right ending of a beautiful day on sea. MAHALO to Capt. Kelly and the crew Aaron, Jake and Max!
Aloha,
Thank you for your kind review and for choosing Holoholo Charters!
Mahalo
We had 7 vacation days to take in as much of Kauai as we could, and we had booked our helicopter ride a month before we took it, but at the moment we were to get on the helicopter, the ride was cancelled due to poor weather. Can't fault them for that, in fact we appreciated that they cared enough for our safety and enjoyment of the ride by cancelling it when they felt compelled to. Fortunately, we were able to re-book 2 days later, and by then we had explored enough of the island to have a good idea what we were looking at once we were up in the air. This made the helicopter trip that much more valuable to us once we got up there. I had two cameras with me on the ride, taking both stills and videos the entire time, and now, a few weeks after the trip and having reviewed their and my photoraphy work, I've come to realize that the video of our trip that we bought from Blue Hawaiian Helicopters was BETTER quality than most of my videos, and I probably should have spent more time enjoying the ride than worrying about getting the shots. So if you go, be sure to buy the DVD or SD card of your ride, and don't be too concerned about taking pictures or videos. Although the ride was expensive, it was well worth the cost because you would never really see Kauai like you do in a helicopter ride, and Blue Hawaiian Helicopters gives a First Class ride!
If you don't know what to do with your time allotted to satisfying curiosity, take this cruise. It offers usual Hawaiian fare of beautiful scenery not accessible otherwise, enthusiastic entertainment complete with hula dance, and a photo op against inaccessible fern grotto
Was an excellent day well spent. Juan was an exceptional guide providing interesting insight. Timing was superb and food was exceptional. Well worth the money.Juan made it so,
Alan was a wonderful teacher! There were three of us in his group; a pre-teen boy, a 30 something Mom & me, the 50 something Mom. After straightforward and practical advice on land, we “hit the waves” and all three of us got up our very first time. The experience was exhilarating. I loved every minute of it. Alan was experienced, friendly, patient and had plenty of positive reinforcement. I would do it again in a heartbeat if I didn’t have to come back to Canada. It’s one of my best memories of Hawaii; thank you Alan!
Great food and drinks. Show was really nice. However, I suggest not to go on a rainy day. Can't enjoy the beautiful grounds like I would have liked. Tables a little too close together, couldn't move or relax easy like a luau should be.
Boring... Crowded and fern grotto was pretty but....
Because we were off season my husband and I were the only ones that signed up for a kayaking tour - so we got a private tour with a guide. Our guide, Christian, was very friendly, familiar with the area and so helpful to have along. Being I had never kayaked before he went over safety features and the easiest way to get in and out of a kayak! The kayaking was easy (gorgeous views along the river), the hike was fun (mud up to my knees) the waterfall at the end was beautiful. It was a very successful trip and would very happily do it all again.
The views and scenery were stunning. We had a family of 4 in 2 helicopters but they were not fully prepared for us. Better timing would have made this activity exceptional.
Knowledgeable, friendly, considerate and safety concern
I didn't know if we word receive flower lei's when we arrived to Kauai, I researched companies that would have the lei's at the airport. I did it as a surprise to my husband! Our plane was delayed and the woman waited for us to arrive after midnight! She had the sign up when exiting to baggage claim and I saw her in enough time to have my husband walk thru first. The greeter was very friendly and helped us to get a taxi to get us to our hotel. The lei's were beautiful! They lasted almost 5 days and we refrigerated them at first. This is an essential Hawaiian to-do!!!
Short and sweet ... the tour of the grounds was lovely; the food and mai tai's were superior; but the dances needed some umph! That was a sad ending to an event that started great.