All Reviews for Family & Accessible Travel

Sorry in advance. Not much of a writer here but we really wanted to share our experience.

Pros:
- The whole team were amazing! They screamed aloha spirit. My personal favorite was the blonde gentleman who spoke Japanese and Korean.

- live band was a hit! Both singers were amazing!

- food was basic but good. It was nicely plated as well which I was NOT expecting. Center piece was a nice touch.

- Really good bang for your buck with all the activities.

Con:

Not really reflective of the crew but the sandbar was not as shallow as I expected. Obviously it depends on the ocean and tides etc.

I saw in the notes that there were people in sandals, so I thought it would be fine to go in sandals, but it wasn't. I ended up buying shoes at a souvenir shop... Please be careful.

I didn't request a shuttle and took the bus from Ala Moana Shopping Center. Along the way, an employee wearing a Kualoa T-shirt got on, which gave me a strange sense of reassurance. There were already Jurassic Park-like mountains on the bus ride, and I was amazed. The bus was extremely cold!!

When it was time for horseback riding, we gathered at the barn. When they asked about my English skills and I said I wasn't good at it, they showed us a video for Japanese speakers on a monitor. There were two other groups of customers besides us, making a total of six people for the ride. It was fun to walk through the mountains, across the fields, and see the ocean, but the main attraction, Jurassic Park, never appeared! It seems there are routes like that... I was really disappointed.

I had enough time to take pictures and videos with my smartphone.

注意事項に記載されていたことですが写真を見るとサンダルの人もいたのでまあ大丈夫だろうとサンダルで行きましたがだめでした。お土産屋さんで靴を買うことに。。。お気をつけください。

送迎は頼まず、アラモアナショッピングセンターからバスで行きました。途中でクアロアのTシャツを着た従業員の方が乗ってきたのでなんとも言えない安心感。
バスの道中ですでにジュラシックパークっぽい山がありおお～～～ってなってました。バスは異常に寒いです！！
乗馬の時間になったので小屋に集まり、英語は？と聞かれ苦手というとモニターで日本人用のビデオを見せてくれました。
私達の他に2組お客さんがいて計6人で出発。山の中を歩いたり草原を歩いたり海が見えたりと景色が変わるのは楽しかったですが、、肝心のジュラシックパークがいつまで経ってもでてこない！！そういうルートもあるようです。。すごく残念でした。

スマホで写真撮ったり動画撮ったりくらいの余裕はあります。

For this second attempt, I checked the tide chart for the sandbar in Kaneohe and chose the day and time when the tide would be the lowest during my stay to participate in the tour. It was perfect. When we arrived and moored the boat, the water was about calf-deep, and even after the first snorkeling session, which lasted 20 minutes, we returned to find a sandbar with broken coral exposed about 50 meters away. It was practically land (see photo). The quality of the sandbar experience depends on the tour company, but ultimately, the tide conditions are everything. I believe those planning to go should choose tours that operate during low tide, referring to the tide chart as much as possible. However, when walking to the sandbar, beach shoes are essential. The soles of your feet can hurt, and if you're unlucky, you might get injured. Captain Bruce already has established know-how, and there was a Japanese guide on board, making it a comfortable experience for Japanese participants. The spam musubi we had on the boat was very delicious. During snorkeling, we even encountered a honu (sea turtle) (see photo).

One downside is that the information provided in advance by Veltra mentioned that tips of 10% to 20% are not included in the travel cost and advised not to bring valuables. I only brought a single bill for tips, but there were signs on the shuttle bus asking for tips, and there was also a request for tips when we got off the boat after the activity. I found myself in a situation where I hadn't heard about tipping at two different places! I only had one bill! I wish they would stop the tipping practice, which is unfamiliar to Japanese people, and include it in the total cost. It's quite bothersome.

再挑戦の今回は、サンドバーのあるカネオヘの潮見表を調べ、滞在中のツアー催行時間で一番潮の引く日と時間を選んで参加しました。ドンピシャでした。到着時にボートを係留したところで、ふくらはぎ中くらいの深さ、最初に行われるシュノーケリングが20分して終わって帰って来ても、歩いて50mほどのところにある珊瑚が砕けた砂州？が露出していました。まさに陸地でした。(写真参照)。サンドバー観光の質は催行会社もありますが、やはり潮の状態が全てです。行かれる方は、潮見表首っ引きで出来るだけ潮の引いている時に催行されるツアーを選ぶべきだと思います。ただし、砂州？に歩いて行く時はビーチシューズは必須です。足の裏が痛いですし、運が悪ければ怪我をすることがあります。キャプテンブルースはすでにノウハウが確立しており、日本人ガイドも乗っていて、日本人が安心して参加できます。ボート上でいただいたスパムむすびがとても美味しかったです。シュノーケリングでは海中でホヌにも出会えました。(写真参照) 。難点を言えば、事前にベルトラからされた案内に10%〜20%のチップは旅行代金に含まれていませんとあり、貴重品は持ってくるなとありましたので、チップだけお札1枚で持って行きましたが、送迎のバスでも、チップくださいとの掲示がありましたし、活動が終わりボートを降りる時にも、チップくださいの案内がありました。2箇所でチップとは聞いていないよ！お札1枚しかないよ！ということになりました。日本人には馴染みのないチップやめて欲しい。代金に含めておいて欲しいです。面倒くさいですから。

The Luau was good. The Kalua pork was amazing. The plating could have been better. The staff were very friendly and nice.

I was supposed to meet at the main entrance of the hotel at 1 PM local time, but it seems I was waiting at the back entrance, and without the hotel accommodation card, I couldn't enter or exit. It appears the driver skipped me, and since they didn't come for the pickup even after the meeting time had passed, I called the local company listed on the voucher and requested another pickup. In the end, they arranged for a different staff member and vehicle, and although we arrived at the airport about 30 minutes later than scheduled, I was able to board my reserved flight. Another Japanese airport transfer service had closed its reservations early, but I was able to book this one right up until just before my departure from Japan, which was a benefit. However, I think it would have been safer to go with a Japanese tour company.

現地時間の１３時にホテルのメイン出入口で待ち合わせと思っていたところ、裏口、ホテルの宿泊カードがないと出入りできない外で待ち合わせだったようで、運転手さんにスキップされてしまったようで、待ち合わせの時間を過ぎてもピックアップに来られないので、バウチャーに記載されている現地の会社に電話をかけて、再度ピックアップのお願いをしました。結果的に代わりのスタッフと車を用意してくれ、予定時刻より３０分ほど空港に到着が遅れましたが、予約していた飛行機には搭乗できました。もう１社別の日系の空港送迎は早めに予約を締め切られ、こちらは日本出発直前まで予約できたのが、メリットがありましたが、やはり、日系のツアー会社にしておいた方が無難だったように思います。

I am so glad I booked this luau for my family and me. We all had such a good
time. The show was very entertaining to watch. We got to learn a lot about Polynesian culture. They also involve the audience as well. As for the food, it was great as well. There was a wide selection of food and dessert. If you want to have a good time and eat great food, I would recommend this. You also have the option of adding transportation which was great for us.

Overall very nice experience.
Food was better than anticipated and show was funny and very informative.
It is well organized as well.
A bit far and remote however was worth it and would highly recommend.

Dinner & entertainment experience was great,from Elvis to the dancers.Micheal Jackson could some inprovement in both singing & dancing.I would definitely recommend this dinner & show to anyone.photograph was a little overpriced in my opinion.

We learned so much about the history of Hawaii and the importance of restoring and maintaining its unique culture.

We spent a great afternoon at the Kaneohe Bay Sandbar. It was a great ride in out with live music from the best crew!

It got quite dirty with the dust. But that made it interesting. Since it was an English guide, I couldn't understand most of the explanations, but I was drawn in by the cheerful atmosphere and had a lot of laughs. I think they shared episodes and myths from the filming, but I felt it would have been nice to have printed materials in Japanese at that time. Anyway, it was a lot of fun.

砂埃で結構　汚れちゃいました。でも、それがまた面白かったです。英語でのガイドだったので　説明がほとんど分からずでしたが　陽気な雰囲気につられて　笑いがいっぱいでした。撮影時のエピソードや神話などを話してくださったように思うのですが　その時に日本語での説明の印刷物でもあると良かったかなと思いました。とにかく楽しかったです。

Incredible staff that made us feel welcomed and safe. I like the options to participate or just soak in the beautiful scenery going snorkeling or on the sandbar. Food was great also!

It was a very valuable experience for the children. The staff were also very kind and provided thorough explanations to the children's questions.

子供にとってとても貴重な体験となりました。
スタッフの方もとても親切で、子供の質問にも丁寧にく説明をしてくれます。

Interacting with the dolphins was very enjoyable. It was a valuable experience. Since you can also feed sea turtles and small birds, I think it's a place that will make children very happy.

イルカ触れ合いはとても楽しかったです。貴重な体験ができました。海亀や小鳥の餌やりなどもできるので、子供がとても喜ぶ場所だと思います。

I rented a car and arrived just in time, five minutes before the start, after getting lost. I almost gave up, but I was grateful they picked me up.
The buggy ride was pleasant, and the scenery along the way was breathtaking. We stopped at various points, and the guide introduced the sights and took many photos. The guide's commentary was in English, but there are videos in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean for how to drive the buggy and safety instructions, so even if you don't understand English, you can manage to drive. I couldn't understand the guide's jokes, which made it less fun.
I want to try the horseback riding course when my child gets older. They provide helmets, goggles, and face covers, but by the end, you'll be covered in dirt.

レンタカー借りて行きましたが、道に迷って開始5分前ギリギリに到着しました。諦めかけましたが、乗せてくれてありがたかったです。
バギーは気持ちよくて、道中絶景でした。ポイントポイントに留めて、ガイドさんが紹介して写真もたくさん撮ってくれました。道中のガイドは英語ですが、バギーの運転の仕方や注意事項は日本語、中国語、韓国語版のビデオがあるので、英語わからなくてもなんとか運転できます。ガイドさんのジョークがわからなくて面白さは半減しますが。
子供が大きくなったら乗馬コースも体験したいです。
ヘルメット、ゴーグル、フェイスカバーくれますが、終わった頃は全身土だらけです。

Even at an early hour, there were few other boats, and both the check-in and departure were smooth, making the experience feel a bit longer. If you time it right, you can enjoy a sense of rendezvous with the jet.

早い時間でも、他の船も少なく、受付も出航もスムーズで、少し時間も長く体験できたように感じました。
時間帯を合わせたら、ジェット機とのランデブー感覚が味わえます。

I participated in the morning session of a family trip (with elementary and middle school students). It was almost high tide, but at about 1 meter, it was safe for elementary school students to play.

What stood out the most was the cheerful and fun attitude of both the shuttle driver and the guide on the boat. They were quite fluent in Japanese (or rather, most of them were Japanese), so I highly recommend this tour compared to others.

Here are some points summarized by category for your reference!

【Shuttle】The outbound trip took about 45 minutes, and the return trip took about 60 minutes. We were picked up around 9:00 at the bus stop near Trump, making it easy to participate. The same driver took us both ways, and during the return trip, he engaged us with comments about our experiences. (He also provided cheerful guidance in English and broken Japanese along the way.) There was a service for those who wanted to stop at a famous malasada shop (Leonard's) on the way back.

【Boat Transfer】It takes about 10 minutes to arrive, and the waves are calm, so there’s hardly any worry about seasickness. We spotted several sea turtles on the way out (although we could see them multiple times at the sandbar).

【Snorkeling】Everyone wears life jackets and sanitized snorkels, and there were also zayaks (a type of board with a viewing window?) available for children. For adults who cannot swim, one of the guides provides support nearby. There were many fish, but everyone was particularly excited about the sea turtles.

【Activities】After snorkeling, you can enjoy SUP, zayaks, floaties, and photo opportunities at the sandbar. There was about one SUP per group, so everyone had fun (taking turns as a family).

【On the Boat】The boat has a restroom and is quite clean. The minimal rocking of the boat also left a good impression.

【Food and Drink】There are unlimited servings of spam musubi, apples, snacks, nut bars, and juices (only one spam musubi per person). So, you can go without bringing anything.

【Caution】Jellyfish (Portuguese man o' war) were present, and a few people got stung (though everyone had minor injuries). I think long-sleeved rash guards are essential.

家族旅行（小学生＋中学生）で午前の部に参加しました。
ほぼ満潮のタイミングでしたが、1m程度なので小学生でも安全に遊べました。

何より素晴らしいのは送迎の運転手、船上のガイドとも明るく楽しい気持ちになりました。日本語もかなり通じやすい（というかほぼ日本人の方も）ので、他のツアーに比べて非常にオススメできます。

以下に観点別のポイントをまとめたのでご参考までに！

【送迎】往路は45分ほど、帰路は60分ほどでの到着でした。トランプ近くのバス停に9:00頃ピックアップだったので無理なく参加できました。また行と帰りは同じ運転手で帰宅時には感想などの声掛けもしてくれます。（道中、英語と片言の日本語で陽気にガイドもしてくれます）。
希望者はマラサダの有名店（レナーズ）に帰路で下車するサービスもありました。

【船移動】10分程度で着く上に波も穏やかなので船酔いの心配は殆どありません。往路ではウミガメを何匹か見つけました（サンドバーで何度も見れますが）

【シュノーケル】全員がライフジャケット、シュノーケル（消毒済み）着用しますが、小児はzayak（除き窓付のビート版？）の貸し出しもありました。大人で泳げない人はガイドの1名が近くでサポートもしてくれます。魚も多いですがやはりウミガメは皆さんテンションがあがっていました。

【アクティビティ】シュノーケル後はサンドバーでSUPやZAYAK、浮き輪、写真撮影などを楽しめます。SUPも1組1台程度はあるので皆さん楽しめてました（家族で交代しながら）

【船上】トイレ付で船自体も結構キレイです。揺れが少ない点も好印象。

【飲食】スパムにぎり、りんご、スナック菓子、ナッツバー、ジュース類が食べ放題です（スパム握りだけ1人1つ）。よって手ぶらで問題なし。

【注意点】くらげ（カツオノエボシ）が流れてくるので、刺されている人が数人いました。（ただし皆さん軽傷）長袖のラッシュガードなどは必須と思います。

I participated with my daughter (150m).

Due to weight restrictions, two participants are required (it seems that if you're over 80kg, you can participate alone), so we joined as a family of two. The meeting point was at the boat harbor, just a few minutes' walk from the Hilton Lagoon, which made it convenient without any hassle or loss of time, allowing us to fill our free time easily.

We were worried about dropping our phones, so we participated with a waterproof camera attached to a strap, but there were others in a different group who were taking selfies with a selfie stick (of course, at their own risk...).

The 150m height is truly impressive, with all the buildings visible below and a fantastic view of the surroundings. Also, if you wish (?), it seems they can provide some bouncing near the water's surface.

Although not much Japanese is spoken, I think you can manage since there are other groups around.

母娘で参加しました（150m）

体重の関係で2名の参加が必須（80kg以上なら単独も可能みたいですが）という事で家族2名で参加しました。待ち合わせ場所はヒルトンのラグーンから徒歩数分のボートハーバーで移動の負担やロスがない点がよく、空き時間を埋めやすかったです。

自分たちは携帯は落下させそうで怖かったので防水カメラにストラップ付けて参加しましたが、別の組では自撮り棒で頑張って撮影されてる方もいました（もちろん自己責任…）

150mというのは本当に高く建物は全て眼下に見え、周囲が一望できる点が素晴らしいです。また希望すれば（？）、水面付近での乱高下などもして貰えるようです。

あまり日本語は通じませんが別の組も居るので勝手は分かるかと思います。

I participated in a dolphin encounter with elementary and middle school students.

If you take the shuttle bus from the Marriott Hotel on the east side of Waikiki, it departs around 9:00 AM, so you don't need to wake up too early, and the travel distance is not too long (about 30 minutes). The bus also has a restroom, making it easy to participate with children.

The aquarium is of medium size, and there isn't a significant difference in the dolphin and sea lion shows compared to Japan. (Don't compare it to places like Churaumi, Kaiyukan, or Hakkeijima.)

The important part of interacting with the dolphins can be experienced slowly over a good amount of time (about 45 minutes?), and companions can take photos from the opposite shore (which has shade), so there were several participants with one child and one guardian. (Dads took photos and watched the bags from the shore.)

There are also tours to search for wild dolphins offshore, but for families with children, the early departure time and travel distance can be challenging, and since you can't guarantee seeing or interacting with them, the kids said they were glad to have participated in this tour.

小学生、中学生を連れてドルフィンエンカウンターに参加しました。

ワイキキ東側のマリオットホテルから送迎バスでの出発であれば、9:00頃なのであまり早起きも必要なく移動距離も長すぎず（30分程度）、バスにトイレも付いているので子連れでも参加しやすかったです。

水族館としての規模は中程度で、イルカやアシカのショーも日本と比べて大きな違いはありません。（美ら海、海遊館、八景島などと比べてはいけません）

肝心のイルカとの触れ合いはゆっくりと時間をかけて体験できる（45分程度？）のと、同行者も対岸（日陰もあり）などから撮影は出来るので、子供＋保護者１名での参加者も数名いました。（お父さんは陸から撮影＆荷物番）

他に沖で野生のイルカを探すツアーもありますが、子連れには出発時刻（早朝）や移動距離の苦労もあり、確定で会える訳でも触れる訳でもない為、本ツアーに参加してよかったと子供たちも言っていました。

The sea was cold enough that a wetsuit was necessary! However, the captain was a funny person and it was enjoyable. Next time, I want to go into the sea on a warm day.

海は寒くてウェットスーツが必要な位でした！しかし！キャプテンが面白い人で楽しかったです。こんどは暖かい日に海にはいりたいです。

I had high expectations, but it started to rain and the show ended inside. The food was delicious, so I wish I could have seen a bit more until the end.

かなり期待していたのですが、雨が降ってきて中でShowが終わってしまいました。食事は美味しかったので、もう少し最後までみたかったです。

the kids lvoed to get to see the fish from the portholes! great day underwater

This was best luau show we have been to. The Chief was so funny and made the show. We loved the girls dancing and the guys with the fire were outstanding. The food was ok

Had the most amazing time! The staff are absolutely wonderful!!!

My family loved this! Book early because we would not have wanted to miss this the most.

I think it's better to take excessive measures against seasickness. Even if the waves are calm when departing, once you head out to sea, the weather doesn't matter and the waves can be high, making you feel sick even in the cage.

I couldn't understand anything from the English guide, but it was manageable.

There are a huge number of sharks, and they don't attack, making the experience wonderful.

とにかく船酔い対策は過剰なくらいした方がいいと思います。
出航する時は波が穏やかでも沖に出れば天候など関係なく波が高く、檻に入っても酔います。

英語ガイドで何も理解はできませんでしたがなんとかなります。

サメはすごい量いて、襲ってくることもなく体験としては素晴らしいです。

Such a great experience! We had the best and want to return again soon.

We loved the experience. Such soulful music on the boat followed by snorkeling, SUP, and kayaking. And then chilling on the floating couch. Loved it all.

More than one-third of the participants were stung by jellyfish. It should be possible to take precautions such as wearing rash guards in advance. The sea is beautiful, but there weren't many fish, and it was murky, so we left early. For those who have experienced snorkeling in Okinawa, this may feel lacking.

During peak times, more than 60 people participate, so the boat can get very crowded during meal times and when entering the water.

参加者の3分の1以上がクラゲに刺されました。事前にラッシュガードの着用など徹底できるはずです。海は綺麗ですが、魚はあまりおらず、濁っていたので早々に引き上げました。沖縄方面を経験している方には物足りないシュノーケリングです。

ピーク時だと60人以上が参加するため、食事時や入水時など船上は大混雑です。

Snorkeling was amazing! A honu was right in front of me! It was an early morning, but I’m glad I was able to make the most of the day.

シュノーケリングは最高でした！
ホヌが目の前に！
朝は早かったけど一日が有効に過ごせて良かったと思います。