Reviewed by: Monty Magnet
Taking this tour was very helpful in making sure we made the most out of our visit. Our guide gave us a detailed review of the area so that we were able to make an informed decision on our activities. I would definitely recommend this tour.
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| Packages: | [From Waikiki] North Shore Tour + Two Fun Adventures |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2016/04/25 |
| Activity Date: | 2016/04/22 |
Reviewed by: Syl
Loved the cultural center and all its history. I felt like we could have gotten there earlier if our tk guide didn't share so many personal stories. We had many beautiful stops but he'd wait till we sat back in our seats to stand and share stories. I'd prefer to get on the road and spend more time at stop points or cultural center
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| Packages: | Alii Luau Dinner Buffet Package & All Day Admission (Self-Guided) |
| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2016/04/13 |
| Activity Date: | 2016/04/06 |
Reviewed by: Lauren
We loved this trip. The guide was super helpful and friendly. We will be booking this trip again.
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| Packages: | [From Waikiki] North Shore Tour + Two Fun Adventures |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2016/04/07 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/05/14 |
Reviewed by: Georgie C
I think our guides name was AC... he was amazing, had so much interesting information, made the drive to the north shore very entertaining.
First stop was Haleiwa Town on the north shore where we could have a look around and even got to try the famous shave ice. Next a drive along the shore to see all the amazing beaches and even some celebrity houses, then had a stop at the pipeline for some photos, and then he took us to see all the activities so we knew what they all were.
My friend and I chose the waterfall hike/swim, then AC took us the Waimea Bay for a swim, then the kayaking in the afternoon, and a great burger from Haleiwa Town. On the way back to Waikiki we stopped at a beach famous for turtles and we saw one on the beach. AC then dropped us off at the dole plantation - a complete surprise - so we could have a look around and try the dole whip. On the drive back AC played some stand up comedy on the tv so we could all relax and have a laugh.
Overall an incredible day!
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | [From Waikiki] North Shore Tour + Two Fun Adventures |
| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2016/04/02 |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/12 |
Reviewed by: Steve b
The show was really great. I've never seen this show before, I would suggest everyone see it at least once.
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| Packages: | Prime Rib Dining, Premium Show Seating & Guided Park Tour |
| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Posted on: | 2016/03/14 |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/11 |
Reviewed by: Brian
For starters, the show Ha! Breath of Life is AMAZING! If nothing else, that is worth a visit.
Ok, so the Circle Island Tour - yeah, you circle (most of) the island and see some cool things (briefly), but you can get circle island tours from pretty much everyone and ended up with about 3 total after all of our activities there over our week. The biggest problem with this Circle Island Tour is that it takes TOO LONG! You're going to want ample time to do the tour, but not when that time cuts into your time at the cultural center.
We did the circle island tour and the ambassador package. By the time we finished the tour and go to the center, did all the ambassador check in crap, and got to start seeing the center, we had already lost at least 1.5 hours of the already short time available to visit the various cultures. The group tour and the guide does help you learn some cool things, but it also makes everything take longer. In the end, we went back a second day so that we could see all the things we missed the first day (maybe that's the point - more $$ from the visitors??).
I don't want to lead you to believe the center is poor. On the contrary, we very much enjoyed the center. The luau was meh. The show was GREAT! We just wouldn't recommend the circle island tour (as it was for us) or the ambassador package (unless you want to buy it for the good seats but ditch the tour guide in the park).
Definitely visit the park, definitely see the show. Consider ditching the tour guide in the park, consider doing the circle island tour with another company or on a different day, and if you see a luau anywhere else, consider skipping it here (it wasn't the best luau we attended).
Note, the 3 stars if for the package, not for the center on the whole. The center was great, we just weren't keen on the package we purchased.
Mahalo Brian for your wonderful feedback, very happy you were able to take advantage of another day; however sorry that the guide was not a benefit to you and your group. We will address these concerns with our team. Aloha oe!
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| Packages: | Ambassador Luau - Premium Show Seating & Guided Group Park Tour |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2016/02/22 |
| Activity Date: | 2016/02/17 |
Reviewed by: Lani S.
I wanted to head out to the North Shore, but did not want to sit on a stodgy bus all day and listen to someone drone on and on. The Surf Bus was the PERFECT choice since I not only got to experience the highlights of the area, but got to do some fun activities as well.
I decided to do Snorkeling, the Waimea Falls nature walk and SUP. Harry was very accommodating about squeezing in two activities for the morning section, and I am so happy that he did. The snorkeling was AMAZING! It was literally like swimming in an aquarium. I got to be in the water for a little over an hour and then I was picked up to go to Waimea Falls Park. The walk was quite easy, and if you have a hard time walking, shuttles are available for $10 round-trip at the park. I didn't go into the water since I just wanted to sit and relax, but the walk to and from the waterfall was about 45 minutes total. REALLY beautiful.
For my afternoon, I chose SUP and even though I had never done it before, I figured it out pretty quickly after the briefing from the guys at the surf store. I never quite made it to the "stand up" part of "stand up paddling", but my "sit up" paddle was just as fun and I made it all the way down the river.
With about an hour left before I had to meet the bus, I had a delicious burger and fries at Teddy's Bigger Burger and washed that all down with some shave ice from Matsumotos (lychee and strawberry YUM!). All in all, a great experience and wonderful way to see the best of the North Shore in a day :)
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Posted on: | 2016/02/17 |
Reviewed by: -PAUL-
I mentioned this before on the phone. This was fun, but was only able to do one activity. Unfortunately the ad misleads you into thinking you can do whatever activities, whenever. You are allowed to swim, snorkel, bike ride or hike in the morning. Then you can either surf(which you cant cause it will cost you more when you never did it, apparently you have to take a lesson before using their boards), kayak, or stand up paddleboard in the afternoon. It just was a disappointment to have an expectaion of what to get for my day, then not do it. In other words, two spereate locations for the morning and afternoon activities, so majority of your time is traveling. Which is fine, but also would of have a different opinion. Knowing what i know now, i probably would never choosen this activity.
I missed the bus to go to the afternoon location, needless to say i was given the wrong time by tourist, but honsestly by the time i got there, i was out of time. One thing that is odd is the memory game, being dropped off somwhere and being picked up elsewhere. However, the people that works at the snorkel rental place, especially that young kid, clueless to his surroundings. Knew who i was & i who else i was there with in regards of the other party on the tour bus & couldnt inform me of the other party making it back. So knowing the time i had to be picked up, this kid not being observant and missing the bus is all my fault, right? So thanks for that! I had to wait for the city bus to pick me up to find out where the tour bus was to get back on it.
All in all, i only did one activity and did a lot of sitting & waiting around. Snorkeling was fun, but was my excitement was short lived with the turmoil. I had fun snorkeling, and thats about it. Oh yeah, dont worry, ill take care of that bus fare!
We are sorry you got the pick up times mixed up and were forced to catch a city bus to catch up , therefore missing your second activity. Normally we have other drivers on the North Shore and could have expatiated things so sorry for that too.PLEASE GIVE US A FUTURE DATE TO COMP YOU THE TOUR SO WE CAN SHOW YOU WHAT ITS REALLY LIKE.
P.S; FOR SAFTEY REASONS SURFING IS THE ONLY ACTIVITY WHICH IF YOU HAVE NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE WE REQUIRE YOU DO A LESSON. Those with some prior experience may surf with our basic package pricing.
Aloha Justin
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | [From Waikiki] North Shore Tour + Two Fun Adventures |
| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Posted on: | 2016/01/11 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/05/16 |
Reviewed by: McDougalls
We had a wonderful day with AC as our guide. He was very knowledgeable, pointing out local sites and giving history along the way. He bent over backwards to accommodate everyone on the tour, taking each group to their favorite locations, running back and forth moving us around from hot spot to hotspot as we each finished our excursions. He was very professional at all times. We would hIghly recommend him as a tour guide. We had a blast! He even went out of his way to go back and find a lost article for us- which fell out of the van at a previous stop.
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | [From Waikiki] North Shore Tour + Two Fun Adventures |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2015/12/23 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/12/21 |
Reviewed by: Mr Ed
We had an excellent day out and learnt a lot of interesting facts about Hawai'i, and the shrimps were fantastic
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| Packages: | Standard |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/12/07 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/11/14 |
Reviewed by: Carol
Paul our driver was very informative and told us many stories about the island and showed us so many beautiful places. Shrimp lunch was yummy.
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| Packages: | Standard |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/11/20 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/11/17 |
Reviewed by: Eric
This was one of the most enjoyable and informative tours I have been on, Tiffany was an excellent and knowledgeable host this tour offers more than the tour description indicates and includes detailed interesting natural fauna information. I can highly recomend this very enjoyable tour and is excellent value for money the shrimp meal was enjoyable. Well done Tiffany for making our day day an enjoyable one.
Aloha Eric,
Thank you for your great review, and awesome praise of Tiffany. We will be sure to let her know how much you appreciated her tour. We are thrilled you had a great day, and got an amazing experience with her knowledge and information. That is the Oahu Nature Tour Difference. We hope you join us on another one of our adventures the next time you are in Oahu.
Mahalo,
Oahu Nature Tours
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| Packages: | Standard |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/10/18 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/10/13 |
Reviewed by: Laura
Great day at the north beach. We chose the waterfall hike as our activity in the morning. You could have done snorkelling or bike rides if preferred. We then had free time on waimea bay beach. In the afternoon we had a free lunch instead of doing another activity such as kayaking. Saw sea turtles at a beach on the way home
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| Packages: | [From Waikiki] North Shore Tour + Two Fun Adventures |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/09/26 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/09/25 |
Reviewed by: Bill
Rained most of day, so sopping wet weather in water or not. Confusion all day about activities etc.
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| Packages: | [From Waikiki] North Shore Tour + Two Fun Adventures |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/09/14 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/09/11 |
Reviewed by: Dot
The tour guide was not that good, spoke in a soft voice and let the passengers talk too much so it was hard to concentrate on what she was saying.
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Prime Rib Dining, Premium Show Seating & Guided Park Tour |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/09/12 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/09/05 |
Reviewed by: Bonnie
We had an excellent experience! Will definitely recommend to others
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Alii Luau Dinner Buffet Package & All Day Admission (Self-Guided) |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/08/04 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/07/31 |
Reviewed by: Family Trips
Overall it was a family friendly, enjoyable and relaxing experience. We all had a wonderful time.
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | [From Waikiki] North Shore Tour + Two Fun Adventures |
| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2015/07/30 |
| Activity Date: | 2014/08/26 |
Reviewed by: Karel May 2015
The trip around the island was great I would highly recommend Veltra tours. The trip was made even better by our guide Bethany who was an endless wealth of knowledge, we did this trip2 years ago with another company and I can honestly say that we learnt 10 times more with your tour.
Aloha Karel,
We are so happy you had a great time. Our goal is conservation through education, So anytime we can share our enthusiasm and knowledge of our beautiful island we consider that a great success! We appreciate you taking the time to share your review here and hope we can take you on another adventure during your next visit to Oahu.
Mahalo,
Oahu Nature Tours Management
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| Packages: | Standard |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/06/21 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/05/28 |
Reviewed by: John A
My wife and I were staying in Waikiki for a week and everyone said we need to make a trip to the North Shore when on Oahu. We scoured Trip Advisor, Yelp and other Hawaii Adventure sites and this one looked appealing. Turns out to be a great deal if you are looking for transportation to the North Shore and a variety of options to choose from once you get there. We chose to snorkel in the mornng at Sharks Cove then spend an hour at Waimea Bay, then in the afternoon we did the SUP down the river in Halewia.
The tour is setup where they pick you up on a ~20 person bus from multiple Waikiki hotels, then up a narrated drive up to the North Shore which took about 1 1/2 hours all together. Sam was our host for the day and is awesome at his job. Very knowledgable, humourous and makes the tour a good time. Once you are there, you get to see the options for the day such as hanging at the beach of Waimea Bay, surfing, snorkeling, beach bike cruise, Waimea Botanical Gardens, stand up paddle boarding and probably a few others options that I am missing. There is no additional cost to do these unless you want to do more than two. If there was one draw back for the day, it was that we could have enjoyed a few more hours on the beach and shopping at the local surf shops there.
Overall, great trip and glad we did it!
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| Packages: | [From Waikiki] North Shore Tour + Two Fun Adventures |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/04/29 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/04/24 |
Reviewed by: Maria A
The best part is the knowledge and friendliness of your tour guide Bethany.
Aloha Maria,
Thank you so much for your kind words. We are glad you had a great time, and hope the rest of your vacation was full of aloha as well.
Mahalo Nui Loa,
Oahu Nature Tours Management
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| Packages: | Standard |
| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2015/04/18 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/03/28 |
Reviewed by: Stella Martin YT Cda
Our tour of the island was very enjoyable. Very happy to see the Pineapples growing, and the lay of the land. The guides were prompt and the guide at the Centre, was especially polite. (Congrats to them, too, for indicating they do not except tips.) We visited three villages but I've done these without a guide and on my own, saw all six villages in the time he took us to three. I know time is spent gathering people and passing out leis and explaining procedures, but this did detract from what we could experience. I would suggest that at the Center, folks are given the option to go with the guide or go on their own. The luau and HA - Breath of Life show are phenomenal!! We had half a house for the audience and I was so impressed with the quality of singing and dancing, of the performers, that I started the standing ovation. Those students really deserve our appreciation!!
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| Packages: | Ambassador Luau - Premium Show Seating & Guided Group Park Tour |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/04/05 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/03/19 |
Reviewed by: JDJones
The PCC, dinner, luau, and show were fantastic. The Island Tour itself was the sad part. Our driver was late and then we had to rush through all the sites, having barely time for a picture or look before having to reload.
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Alii Luau Dinner Buffet Package & All Day Admission (Self-Guided) |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/03/31 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/03/26 |
Reviewed by: R Studley
The concept is great. Transport is reliable, clean and on time. The tour guide, Harry, was entertaining and very friendly. The only thing we would suggest is that surfing be offered as one of the activities - it is after all what the area is best known for!
I would recommend this for anyone who wants an active day.
Thank you for the great review, surfing is offered to those with prior experience with our basic package.For the unexperienced folks we require they book the package which includes the "SURF LESSON". We are sorry if that wasn't explained thoroughly by Harry and will have to talk to him about that.
Mahalo Justin
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | [From Waikiki] North Shore Tour + Two Fun Adventures |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/03/23 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/03/20 |
Reviewed by: The Lyons Lot
Our family of 6 adults from Brisbane Australia loved this whole day tour. Our driver / tour guide Sam picked us up from our hotel on time, & drove safely. He was so friendly and knowledgeable about Oahu, and explained all the sights on the way to the North Shore - he make the entire trip an awesome experience. He gave us a drive by & quick stop at each of the available activities before we chose them, then dropped us all to our chosen areas. 3 of us chose bike riding along the famous surfing beaches where we could stop and have beach time as we liked; the other 3 the walk through the beautiful gardens to the waterfall. Though a lovely walk, it is quite a long one, for anyone older. If you want a swim at the Falls, take cash for a compulsory life jacket hire! From there we walked back to Waimea Bay beach for a swim until our bus pick up. Our next activity for 4 of us was SUP (stand up paddle boarding) and 2 did kayaking. We LOVED this time on the water and would have liked to have a bit less time on the morning activities and more time for the afternoon ones! After, we walked through the town and sampled the Shaved Ice and some delicious lunch before boarding the bus completely satisfied with our day. We did several different tours while in Waikiki, and this was BY FAR the very best for the sightseeing, and activities on offer, plus the freedom to have our own time was fantastic. We were REALLY impressed with Sam the driver & happy to tip him well for his outstanding service - he contributed in a big way to making it the best tour during our time in Hawaii. Thank you Sam! I would highly recommend this tour, well worth it and we have great memories of our day.
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | [From Waikiki] North Shore Tour + Two Fun Adventures |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2015/03/21 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/02/26 |
Reviewed by: LJB
This Circle Island tour was terrific. Our guide, Dai Mar, was very knowledgeable about Oahu, the islands in general, and the places we visited. We saw the North Shore and spent time at the Banzai Pipeline, we visited Waimea Falls after a nice stroll/hike with lots of info about the area and the flora/fauna, we ate at Fumi's Shrimp Truck, and we stopped at a Macadamia farm/shop. It was fun, relaxed, and I learned a lot, plus the views were fantastic!
Aloha,
Thank you for the great review. We are so happy we got to share these fantastic places on our island with you. We take great pride in the wonderfeul personalities and extensive knowledge of our guides. Your great review and kind words are always satisfying to hear. We hope you had a great time in Hawaii and come visit our paradise again soon.
Mahalo Nui Loa,
Oahu Nature Tours
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Standard |
| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Posted on: | 2015/03/20 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/03/17 |
Reviewed by: Lalit Khullar
Best tour arrangements . Driver was very helpful and conciderate.He did his best to show us around as much as he could. Best service .
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Ambassador Luau - Premium Show Seating & Guided Group Park Tour |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/03/13 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/02/28 |
Reviewed by: Chuck
Enjoyed the bus tour, but it gets you there 2 hours after it opens.
The center itself focuses too much on entertainment and not enough on education. It is run by the Morman education system, so one would think if we are supporting the students we in turn would be educated about the various Polynesian cultures around the pacific.
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Ambassador Luau - Premium Show Seating & Guided Group Park Tour |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/03/05 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/02/26 |
Reviewed by: Grace S
This was a truly awesome experience. We had Sam as a driver and he was totally great. He navigated traffic well and all of his narrating was necessary, funny and enjoyable.
We had a slight problem in that we missed our pick up (oops!) but the company was helpful and told us where to go to get another pick up.
We did some bike riding in the morning, saw Pipeline and had a great time. In the afternoon we tried SUP and saw turtles! It was a fully awesome experience. So good getting out and SEEING the North Shore, not just taking pictures of it.
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | [From Waikiki] North Shore Tour + Two Fun Adventures |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2014/12/12 |
| Activity Date: | 2014/12/09 |
Reviewed by: AJ - Melbourne
Had Justin as the guide. Very very good - he made the trip!
Think he managed to talk the entire day(!) and added a lot of interesting and useful information throughout. Wife wanted to try the Shrimp Trucks, so that was her highlight, I wanted to see the large surf, so all-in-all, satisfied all our wants. Highly recommended.
Aloha AJ,
Thank you so much for the great review. Justin and all our guides are the best in Oahu, and we are so glad you got to experience the North Shore guided by his passion and knowledge. I will pass your kind words on to him. Our guides love hearing that they were able to share the aloha spirit with our guests, and show visitors to our island a great time.
Mahalo Nui Loa,
Oahu Nature Tours Management
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Standard |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2014/11/17 |
| Activity Date: | 2014/11/13 |
Reviewed by: Kristen Olthuis
My husband and I were disappointed with the tour guide. We felt he had a attitude about him and really didn't want to be there. At times we thought he was being rude in his manor and attitude. We went on another tour and the guide was so different and really acted like he wanted to be there. It made a big difference on the tour and made it much more enjoyable. The tour itself was great, but it could of been a lot nicer if the guide was more interested in the people on his bus and what he was doing.
I'm so sorry, who was your driver?
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | [From Waikiki] North Shore Tour + Two Fun Adventures |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2014/11/02 |
| Activity Date: | 2014/10/27 |
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Mahalo Steve, Aloha oe!