North Shore
This is a great way to see the island. The driver was very knowledgeable, and we visited some beautiful areas. We had about 15 min. at each stop, which was fine, except at the Dole plantation. Honestly, I dont know why they bother. In 15 min we had time to get our ice cream, and that was it. No time to browse the gift shop at all, or browse the grounds at all. Either allow more time at Dole, or skip it altogether. The driver could use a bell of some sort. We often had to wait for people who didnt return when they were supposed to. I dont know if those delays made much difference, we still got to the Polynesian Cultural Center around 1pm, which was plenty of time. The evening show after the luau was fantastic.
We had a lovely day learnt alot about the island and seeing how the Polynesian lived was very interesting the whole day was very good and we recomend it
The activity lasted 14 hours, but we were never bored and the time seemed to fly by. A great guide/bus driver in Henry, an entertaining samoan, helped greatly.
You get to see many of the famous beaches, mountains and other parts of Oahu, as well as the Dole plant (where we spent so little time that it was almost a waste) and the Polynesian cultural center.
The buffet was OK, as expected, but nothing special. The shows before and after though, were very good. A must see for all visiting Oahu.
Good value for the money.
We had a BALL with Henry (our tour guide) and ALL of the employees we came across was sooooo friendly, funny and quick with jokes! This is a MUST DO! in Hawaii and booking thru Hawaii activities was easy and they call to confirm my pick up time and gave all the details again. From the time we got on the bus it was laughter from Everyone! Polynesian CC was just way beyond our expectations - we could not get enough. By the end of the day we were pooped! If you really want to get your $$'s worth and see Hawaii for what it is...DO THIS TOUR! you will not regret it. (Then again who regret anything in Hawaii?) I say BIG THANKS! to Henry and Hawaii Activities!! Mahalo again!
We thought we could hike to the waterfall and then go snorkeling. From what I had read that would be a possibility. Both were morning options. He parked centrally then we walked to meet him. For the price I should not have expected to be taken to each destination I suppose, but I did. Still we had a good time and swimming in the waterfall was GREAT
I have been to the North Shore before and enjoyed this trip the most. We enjoyed the Waimia Falls park more due to the guides suggestions. he was very knowledgeable and interesting. I especially enjoyed the turtles. I would recommend it for the young and hardy or an old folk like me. Great fun!
Overall the tour was very good with visits to many points of interest around Honolulu in the morning and then tour the PCC in the afternoon. Dinner was quite nice and the "breath of life" show as wonderful!
However, we wish that the driver would let us know that there would not be any time for lunch once inside the PCC as the activities inside the PCC would be jam packed. The bus driver should gave us 15 to 30 more minutes inside the Dole Plantation Center so that we could get a light lunch before we head off to the PCC.
Had a great time. Sam made the trip very enjoyable. Would highly recommend!
My husband and I took this tour recently while in Hawaii and it rocked! Our driver was Sam and he was great. Very knowledgable about Hawaii and offered some really interesting tidbits of info. He was laid back, friendly and very engaging. This tour is great because you have the freedom to choose your activities and even traveling in a group you are not forced to select the same options. You can add activities on site which was also a plus. We were dropped in each location for about two hours and were free to eat, wander and otherwise do as we chose. There was a lady in our group that was by herself and she really enjoyed herself as well. Hailewa town was cool to wander around in and my husband even had time to kayak there and join me at the shops. Free water and juice was also a nice bonus. I highly recommend this tour if you are headed to Oahu!
We took the tour on the first day after arriving and it was too much too soon. I am sure we would have enjoyed it more had we been rested but we were worn out.
The tour does go to all of the spots but you get very little time at any of them and the stop at the Dole Plantation is not long enough to do much of anything.
The Beach on the North Shore tour was beautiful, very clean, and a refreshing change from Waikiki Beach. The waves were much stronger and had great surfing beaches along the way for those interested in that. Really enjoyed watching folks on that diving rock there. The ride was long, but the driver was very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable and relayed lots of information about Hawaii. The stroll through the small, older town with shops and eateries was unique. Loved the music provided by that musical family that lives there and entertains the tourists. A relief to see more enjoyable aspects of Oahu without the hassle of driving.
I have been to Oahu several times and this has been my favorite tour so far!
We did this "tour" on our second trip to Hawaii. It is a great opportunity to experience the North Shore on your own but still get the guided tour experience. This is a "tour" you could take multiple times and have a new experience every time. We loved the options and being able to choose our adventure once we got there.
We had a great time on this tour. The staff was great and it was a very laid back atmosphere. The weather even cooperated with us. We would defintely recommend it to others.
I really had a great time...I was looking for snorkeling and that was the best part of the day. Then we also saw the turtles beach and the Haleiwa town...really a lot of fun! I'd do it again if I will ever go back to Hawaii :)
This was my third time to Oahu. I was looking for a North Shore tour that offered a visit to Haleiwa and Waimea Falls, this was the only tour that offered both!! The tour was fantastic and I would definitely partake again. Cheers : )
This way a great way to explore the North Shore without having to do the driving. The driver, Keoki, was great! He showed much aloha which made this trip very special. Thanks again Keoki!
We had a great time on this tour. The group was small, so the guide could be flexible and give individual attention to each participant. There was a range of activities so you could choose how active you wanted to be. We did the Wailea Falls hike and stand-up paddling. We had lunch at the cafe at Wailea Falls, very good Hawaiian-style food. We were glad we paid the extra for an instructor on the paddling as it was challenging. I would only recommend doing it on your own if you are experienced. I highly recommend this tour if you are interested in learning more about the North Shore.
We booked this tour on line before arriving in Waikiki. Wondered if we had made a mistake, but the tour was great. We were picked up on schedule exactly as promised. Our tour guide, Sam, was informative and knowledgeable about the island and the culture.
The best part of this tour is the choices! The next best thing is how much time you have on your own to enjoy the activity choices. Couldn't have been better. Absolutely loved it! Would go again.
Hello All!
My husband and I took this tour on Tuesday, Oct 6th, 2009. It was the best tour ever! North Shore is beautiful and absolutely amazing. We had one activity and rode a beach cruiser to all the beaches. We hung out at Waimea Beach and the waves were pretty insane. There was a surfing competition on the other beach. We saw sea turtles and that was a SIGHT! Our tour guide Sam is the definitely the coolest guide ever. We 100% recommend this activity to everyone. No joke. If you don't believe, you guys can contact us at mdot42@hotmail.com. =D
The ride from Waikiki was long, but the driver entertained us with great facts. The hike to the waterfall was nice. Unfortunately there seemed to not be enough time to do two activities in the morning. We hiked back down to the beach and only had enough time to jump in the water before pick up. I missed jumping off the rocks:( The kayak was relaxing and provided us with a great tan!
I highly recommend this tour to anyone who has never been to Hawaii!! Our tour guide was super nice and very knowledgeable. We rode the beach cruiser and it was really nice to just ride along the beach, but you have to be careful as you do share the road with cars. It was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki and spend the whole day at the North Shore. We had an awesome time and I cannot wait to do it again.
Sam our tour guide was very knowledgeable and fun! It was the best tour we went on, on our week long vacation to Oahu.
The Surf Bus tour to the North Shore was the best tour that we took. Our driver Justin was awesome. On the tour of the island he was very knowledgable and pointed out lots of things that we would have missed if we had just taken a rental car. This tour also gave us lots of options as far as activities and a choice of beaches to spend time at. Waimea Bay was the best beach on the island and the jumping rock was a lot of fun. I would recomend this tour to anyone!
Biking the North Shore was awesome
Guides Justin & Gabe were great. North Shore is amazing-must do if staying on Oahu. We got to see sea turtles, Waimea Falls, the Bonzai Pipeline & surfing was even an option.
Our tour guide Justin picked us up promptly outside our hotel when expected. He was very laid-back and friendly. We had a small group of 10. The bike ride was wonderful!! I would recommend it to everyone. Justin pointed out the must-see beaches (Pipeline, Sunset, Waimea) and north shore roadside eateries. North shore was unbelievable, unlike anything I've ever experienced. On the second half of the tour, we rode paddle boards which was also a blast! It was quite an upper body workout and was inexpensive too. Justin was very knowledgeable about the history of HI and kept us entertained during the drive. I would highly suggest everyone take this tour!
I took the biking tour through North Shore. Justin was a very good guide and showed us the ins and outs of the North Shore community. Justin showed me the best routes to take with my mountain bike. The tour was right on time and he was very friendly and knowledgeable. I would recommend this tour as it is a great value. It was a nice touch that water and snacks were provided on board.
The description of the Falls "hike" should be reworded to "casual stroll". All the interesting parts that might be qualified as hikes were barred as off limits for falling rock or just closed off. Also, the change in elevation was laughable. It was more like going to a park.
The waterfall actually had water, but not enough water yet for swimming, which was teh main point of it. That part was very underwhelming.
The snorkeling on teh beach was great. Amazing area and great knowledgeable staff/tour guides. highly recommend that part.
I really enjoyed this trip, we didn't rent a car in Oahu and this was a great way to see the North Shore. We learned a great deal of Hawaiian history on the way up. And the town and Waimeia Beach are incredible. We snorkeled and swam in the waterfall at waimeia (?), it was a cool day but the water was temperate and so fresh - if you go to the waterfall swim in the lake surrounding it - its really wonderful. Bonzai Pipeline had no waves though so I'll have to go back in the winter.