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North Shore
Since my horseback riding experience at a ranch in Hokkaido, I had been thinking, "I want to ride a horse again!!" When I found this activity, I immediately signed up. There were other horseback riding tours available, but I chose this one because it offered a Japanese-speaking guide.
In the morning, I was picked up from my hotel and we headed to Dole Plantation and the North Shore, stopping at each participant's hotel. Along the way, our guide Wayne shared various stories in fluent Japanese, making the car ride enjoyable and never boring.
At Dole Plantation, our time was short, so I couldn't try the popular pineapple soft serve, but I was happy to visit since I had wanted to go there. Taking photos with the train in the background before departure also became a nice memory. By the way, the restrooms at Dole Plantation are spacious and clean, so I recommend using them.
Shortly after leaving Dole Plantation, the beautiful sea of the North Shore came into view, and I felt a rush of excitement. Our guide kindly parked the car in front of the famous North Shore sign, allowing us to take commemorative photos.
We had an early lunch in the town of North Shore. Since we participated on a Sunday, we had lunch at a stand selling "Huli Huli Chicken." There were also famous shrimp places in North Shore, but I had heard that "Huli Huli Chicken" could only be tasted at the weekend market, so I decided without hesitation. I was a bit nervous thinking, "Is it spicy?" but it turned out to be pleasantly spicy and delicious. The vendor also gave us something like pickled starfruit, which was tasty too.
After lunch, it was finally time for horseback riding. The canyon riding team took us to the mountain ranch first. This was where I had to say goodbye to Wayne, who was fluent in Japanese (crying).
At the mountain ranch, there was no Japanese explanation at all, and I struggled to understand everything in English. At first, I felt like crying, but the staff lady explained things with gestures, which gradually eased my anxiety about not understanding English.
The horse I rode was very free-spirited, and when it got thirsty, it headed straight for the water bucket on its own, giving off a "tough" vibe.
北海道の牧場で乗馬体験をして以来、「もう一度馬に乗りたい！！」と思っていたところ、ちょうどこのアクティビティーを見つけ、申し込みました。
他にも乗馬ツアーがありましたが、こちらを選んだ理由は日本語ガイドとあったからです。
朝、滞在先のホテルでピックアップしてもらい、各参加者のホテルを回りドールプランテーション、ノースショアへ向かいました。
途中、ガイドのウェインさんが流暢な日本語で色々なお話をして下さり、退屈することなく車中を過ごすことができました。
ドールプランテーションでは滞在時間が短いので、人気のパイナップルのソフトクリームを食することができませんでしたが、一度訪れてみたいと思っていましたので、嬉しかったです。
発車前の汽車をバックに写真撮影できたことも良い思い出になりました。
余談ですが、ドールプランテーションのお手洗いは広くてきれいなので、こちらでお手洗いを済ませることをお勧めします。
ドールプランテーションを出発してしばらすると眼前にノースショアの美しい海が目に入り、何だか興奮してしまいました。
有名なノースショアの看板の前で、わざわざ駐車して下さるので、こちらでも記念撮影できます。
ノースショアの街で早めの昼食タイムがあります。
私たちは日曜日の参加でしたので、「フリフリチキン」の屋台（？）で昼食を取りました。
ノースショアで有名なシュリンプのお店もありましたが、「フリフリチキン」は土日のマーケットでしか味わえないと聞いていたので、迷わず決めました。
「辛いのかなぁ」とドキドキしていたら、程よいスパイシーさで美味しかったです。
お店の人がスターフルーツのお漬物（？）みたいなのを配って下さり、そちらも美味しかったです。
昼食が終わると、いよいよ乗馬になります。
渓谷乗馬チームが先に山の牧場へ送っていただきました。
ここで日本語が堪能なウェインさんとはお別れです（泣）。
山の牧場では、日本語の説明は全くなく、ＡＬＬ英語で聞き取るのに必死で、最初は泣きそうになりましたが、スタッフのおばさんが身振り手振りで一生懸命説明してくれたので、英語が分からない不安さは次第に消えて行きました。
私の乗った馬は、非常に自由気ままな馬で、のどが渇いたりすると勝手に水桶へ向かってしまったりと「手ごわそう」な雰囲気だ
Translated by OpenAI
This was my second time in Hawaii. I had visited the North Shore before and loved the scenery and the town, so I wanted to go back. This tour included sightseeing at places I had been to before, like Moanalua Gardens and Dole, but I thought it would be fun to go horseback riding on the North Shore, so my husband and I decided to join.
At Turtle Beach, we met turtles for the first time, which we hadn't encountered during our last visit! In Haleiwa, we strolled for about an hour, including lunch, and we filled up on giant hamburgers at Kua Aina!
In the horseback riding group, there was a foreign family along with us, making a total of six people. My husband was trying horseback riding for the first time, and I hadn't ridden in a few years, so I felt a bit nervous seeing the size of the horses. However, they carefully explained the instructions, and they matched the horses to the participants' sizes—smaller horses for children and women, and larger ones for men.
We rode in a line through the mountains, with the lead instructor checking on everyone as we progressed slowly. The horses were well-trained and followed the horse in front without needing much direction, so I had no worries at all. The course had some ups and downs, which made it even more enjoyable. From the top of the mountain, we had a stunning view of the North Shore sea! The instructor took photos at the scenic points. The riding time felt long enough to really enjoy it. I think it's something that both adults and children can enjoy!
今回が2度目のハワイ。
前回もノースショアは訪れていましたが、その時の景色や街並みが気に入って、また行きたいと思っていました。このツアーには、モアナルアガーデンやDoleなど前回も行った場所の観光が含まれていましたが、ノースショアで乗馬なんて面白いかも♪と思い夫婦で参加しました。
立ち寄った亀ビーチでは前回は出会えなかった亀に初対面！
HALEIWAではランチ込みで1時間ほど散策。KUAAINAで巨大ハンバーガーを食べてお腹いっぱいになりました！
渓谷の乗馬参加者は私達の他に外国人ファミリー。子供を含む計6人でした。
主人は乗馬初挑戦、私も数年ぶりだったので馬の大きさを見て少し緊張しましたが、注意事項など丁寧に教えてもらえたし、子供や女性にはわりと小柄な馬、男性には大きい馬と体格に合わせて馬を選んでくれました。
6人で列を成して山の中を歩く、といった感じで先頭のインストラクターの方が参加者の様子を確認しつつゆっくり進んでいくのですが、馬はしっかり調教されていて特に指示をしなくてもちゃんと前の馬についていってくれるので、何の心配もありませんでした。
コースは起伏があってそれがまた楽しかったです。
山の上からはノースショアの海が一望できて、景色は最高！
撮影ポイントではインストラクターの方が写真を撮ってくれました。
乗馬時間は長く感じるくらい十分楽しめました。
大人から子供まで楽しめると思います！
Translated by OpenAI
I participated at the beginning of October. It was a relaxing trip in Waikiki, but I wanted to do some sightseeing in other places and also had a desire to go horseback riding, so I decided on this tour. I was torn between this and Kualoa Ranch, but I chose this one because the horseback riding time was longer and it included sightseeing in the North Shore.
The tour started with a meeting at the hotel at 9 AM. There were 10 people in total, including us, participating in the tour (all Japanese).
First, we made a brief stop at Moanalua Gardens for some photos. Next, at the Dole Plantation, we had about 30 minutes of free time to enjoy pineapple soft serve ice cream and stroll through the gardens. After that, we headed to Haleiwa. The drive was pleasant, with coffee fields stretching out along the way. It took about an hour and a half, but it didn’t feel long at all.
We arrived in Haleiwa around 10:30 AM. After that, we had about an hour of free time, including lunch. I heard there’s a famous garlic shrimp restaurant in Haleiwa, and it seemed like the other tour participants went there for lunch. Since lunch was quite early, I think those who decide to eat there should have a light breakfast that morning. We were dropped off at the Haleiwa Shopping Center and wandered around. We tried something called “Huli Huli Chicken” from a nearby food stall. This stall, which only opens on Saturdays, is quite famous and had many Japanese tourists. The whole roasted chicken was hot and well-seasoned, and while it may not look like much, I highly recommend it.
The horseback riding in the valley was a fun course with some ups and downs, but the scenery mostly felt like being in the forest. For experienced riders, it might be a bit lacking. However, they provide thorough instructions on how to ride and safety tips, so beginners will have no problem at all. After horseback riding, we stopped by Turtle Beach, but since we could see from the road that there were no turtles, we didn’t go down to the beach and headed back instead.
Although it was a bit rushed with the North Shore sightseeing and horseback riding in half a day, I was able to enjoy it as expected.
10月の初めに参加しました。ワイキキでのんびり過ごす旅行でしたが、他の場所も観光してみたかったのと、乗馬がしたいとう希望もありましたので、このツアーに決めました。クアロア牧場とで迷いましたが、乗馬の時間が長かったこととノースショアの観光も付いているということでこちらに決めました。
９時にホテルに待ち合わせでツアーはスタート。私達の他に４組１０人がツアーに参加していました。（全員日本人）
まずはモアナルアガーデンに少し立寄り写真撮影。続くドール・プランテーションでは３０分程の自由行動があり、パイナップルソフトクリームを食べたり、お庭を散策したり。その後、ハレイワへ向かいます。道中はコーヒー畑が広がっていたりして気持ちの良いドライブでした。時間にして１時間半くらいですが移動が長いという感じはしませんでした。
10時半くらいにハレイワに到着。その後昼食を含め１時間程の自由時間となります。ハレイワには有名なガーリックシュリンプのお店があるらしく他のツアー参加者の皆さんはそちらで昼食を取ったようです。昼食時間が相当早いので“ここで食べる！”と決めている方は当日の朝食は軽めが良いと思います。私たちはハレイワショッピングセンターで下ろしてもらいブラブラと散策。近くにあった屋台で“フリフリチキン”なるものを食べました。毎週土曜日だけ出店されるこの屋台は結構有名らしく日本人の観光客も多くいました。丸ごと焼いたチキンは熱々でしっかり味がついていて、見た目はさほどでもありません（笑）がおすすめです。
渓谷の乗馬は、起伏があり楽しいコースでしたが、景色はほとんど森林の中と言った感じでした。乗馬経験者には、少し物足りないコースかもしれません。ただ、馬の乗り方や注意点は丁寧に教えてもらえるので初心者でも全く問題ありません。乗馬の後は、ウミガメビーチに寄りましたが、道路からビーチが見下ろせるためウミガメがいないと分かるとビーチに降りることもなくそのまま帰路につきました。
半日でノースショア観光+乗馬だったのですこし駆け足でしたが、期待通り楽しむことができました。
Translated by OpenAI
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.
As shown in the photos on the site, you can have an incredibly thrilling experience surrounded by dozens of sharks. You can enjoy the excitement with adrenaline pumping, without feeling any danger, and I highly recommend it.
サイトの写真の通り、十数匹のサメに囲まれる、とってもスリリングな体験が出来ます。身の危険を感じることなく、アドレナリン出まくりの興奮を得る事が出来、オススメです。
Translated by OpenAI
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
I can't forget the fun of horseback riding twice on the mainland United States, so my parents and I participated together. It was their first time, but they enjoyed it.
At the beginning, they explain how to ride the horse and use the reins with simple Japanese, so I think it's not a problem even if you don't understand English. The horses are all calm and gentle. They are really smart horses, allowing us to enjoy horseback riding with peace of mind. They walk slowly, and when the horse in front stops, they stop properly and don't overtake. The owner and his daughter? follow us at the front and back, which was reassuring. There was only one moment when we cantered, which was a bit thrilling and fun!!
It was a hot day with strong Hawaiian sunshine, but the horseback riding in the valley was quiet and shaded by trees, making it pleasant. We could also see the ocean along the way, which was beautiful.
They take photos for you, and if you have time, you can also take your own photos and videos. You can either hang your belongings on the horse or leave them with them. They also lend you a waist pouch for valuables and cameras.
Although it was supposed to be a 90-minute ride, we were actually on the horse for about an hour, which was a bit disappointing. This time, with transportation included, we were able to stop by Dole Pineapple, garlic shrimp, a sea turtle beach, Haleiwa Town, and Moanalua Gardens, so I was satisfied. However, I would have liked a bit more time in Haleiwa Town.
The driver provided information about the hospital where President Obama was born and military bases along the way to North Shore, and we enjoyed the scenery from the car window. Without the transportation, it wouldn't be easy to get there, so I think having transportation is great.
Also, I think it would be perfect if the price were a bit lower!!
アメリカ本土での２回の乗馬の楽しさが忘れられなくて、両親と私の３人で参加しました。両親は初めてでしたが楽しんでくれていました。
初めに馬の乗り方や綱の使い方を簡単な日本語をまじえて説明してくれますので英語がわからなくても問題ないと思います。
馬はみんな落ち着いていて、おとなしいです。本当に頭のいい馬達で安心して乗馬を楽しむことができました。ゆっくり歩いてくれますし、前の馬が止まればきちんと止まって、抜かしたりしません。オーナーと娘さん？が先頭と後ろについてきてくれますので安心でした。途中一度だけ駆け足になりましたがちょっとしたスリリングがあり楽しかったです！！
ハワイの日差しはきつく暑い日でしたが、渓谷の乗馬は静かで木の影があるので気持ちよかったです。途中で海も見えてきれいでした。
写真も撮ってくれますし、余裕があれば自分でも写真やビデオをとることができます。
荷物は馬に掛けて持っていくか、預けることができます。
貴重品やカメラを入れるウエストポーチも貸してくれます。
９０分の乗馬とのことでしたが、実際馬に乗っていたのは１時間程でしたので少し残念でした。
今回は送迎付きで、ドールパイナップル、ガーリックシュリンプ、海亀のビーチ、ハレイワタウン、モアナルアガーデンにも立ち寄れたので満足でした。ただ、ハレイワタウンの時間が短かったのでもう少し長いとうれしかったです。
送迎の運転手さんはノースシェアまでの道でオバマ大統領の産まれた病院や米軍の基地等教えてくれ、車窓からの景色も楽しめました。
送迎がなかったら簡単に行けるところではないので送迎があるといいと思います。
あとは料金がもっと安いと最高だと思います！！
Translated by OpenAI
First timers in Hawaii. We booked the Ambassador package, which came with a tour guide. She was quick to get us from one village show to another, getting us good seats.
We learned some pretty interesting things from the different villages about different cultures.
The food was ok. Nothing to turn backflips over. The "Ha: Breathe of Life" night show was nice. My wife loved it, which was very important.
KAP TAFITI, THE SOMOAN GUY IS VERRRRRY FUNNY!
Overall great experience!
Save your tickets. You have 3 days after to return and revisit villages at no extra charge. We just had to see the Somoan guy.
We had a wonderful time at the center and the lua was great. We had a tour guide with us that allowed us to probably see more things but at the same time we couldn't really wander off on our own to see things that interested us. Overall it was a great day and would highly recommend this activity to anyone.
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!
Don't chicken out! It is worth it! The crew was great.
Had a great time!!
Our driver/guide was awesome. I won't forget him! I can't recall his name because it was extremely long, but he did an EXCELLENT job guiding us through the island during our drive to PCC. This is our first time to Oahu and he did such a great job in getting us familiar with the area. He was extremely friendly and made us feel very welcome, like we were his own Ohana. He made sure everyone knew which luau we were supposed to go to, where the main theater was, and even where to meet up afterwards for the drop off back to the hotel.
The Polynesian Cultural Center is an AMAZING place! Theres a 15 minute boat ride that takes u around the center to visit the different villages.
The luau was entertaining with great food!
The show was INCREDIBLE!! I really enjoyed watching all the dances. Especially the fire ring guys!!
We went for the late entry and we thought it was still well worth it! Definitely a must go.. and a must go again!!!
We were picked up at our hotel by Henry. He was an excellent driver and guide. We learned so much from him and loved his sense of humor. Will definately come back so that we can spend more time at the PCC. There is so much to experience and learn. The Luau and show were great
haha, yes misleading title, BUT what an event! the sharks were amazing and the staff were awsome. The staff know so much about the sharks and ensure ur safety at all times. You get a long time in the water, and lots of views of sharks and small fishes. I recommend going as early as possible to avoid waves as it was hard to breathe at times; and we took the 10am outing! Sign the petition they offer you at the end because wildlife groups are trying to shut them down, and they are in no way harming these amazing sea creatures!
have fun!
The Polynesian Cultural Center was a great experience! The Cultural show was the best. We even got this incredble dessert to go along with it and they were so good! Some sort of fruity type of ice cream. YUM! I highly recommend this! Shelley/Owen from Calgary,AB Canada
Very enjoyable experience, but a long day. The Luau wasn't what I expected. If you are looking for the luau on the beach you won't care for this one. Overall a fantastic place. There are so many things to see. Very friendly staff and guides. The night show was outstanding. You have to experience this if you come to Oahu. Well worth the money
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.
My family and I absolutely loved visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center while in Oahu. I highly recommend spending the extra money and getting the Ambassador All day package. You will get a very personal tour guide of all the Polynesian villages. You are kept well entertained and learn a lot about the Polynesian cultures. The luau and the food was great, and the Night Show was beautiful and entertaining. I wished i had know the we were able to return on the ticket purchased to go back and go through it slower and get to do some of the events. please check out how to return
I had gone to this Luau about 20 years prior and had a very favorable memory of it. This time, I have to say, was disappointing. First off, I bought the half day package. I'm not sure if there was a misunderstanding or what, but our driver ( I also paid for transportation) said that our guide couldn't make it, so he took us on a tour when we got there. I felt the tour was rushed and not very impressive. I suppose for the half day, you shouldn't expect much.
He then took us to dinner a little late, and we were seated in the waaay back of the line, which makes a difference. The tables go to the buffet in order, so if you are towards the back, it's slim pickin's. The buffet itself was average, although considering what we paid, was below average for the price. I didn't get to see anything of the cooking of the pig or anything about the traditions, again, maybe because I was late.
The show, however, was as billed. There were many many different dances, and the dan
This was the MOST AMAZING experience!!! Truly a must do! The sharks were huge and looked awesome from the boat and even more amazing from the water. It seemed surreal. WOW, would do it again in a heartbeat!!!
One of the best activities we went to on Oahu. The overall experience made a lifelong impression. America needs more Aloha!
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!
This was my first time visiting the place.
We really enjoyed the dancing show but we were not too happy with the luau. We were expecting more traditional luau.
Beautiful calm day, lot of fun and the staff was great. I've dived with sharks before in open ocean so this was a little tame in cage. But nice to see Galapagos sharks. Everyone had a good time as one doesn't have to be a diver.
food was good, entertainment was good as well....having to manage crowds is difficult, the row by row eating process reminded me of being in school, not at a luau.
thanks
I went to PCC with my hubby and his family who are originally from Fiji. This was a lot of fun for my son and I and I learned quite a bit about my hubby's culture and the culture of surrounding islands.
The Samoan village was a lot more laid back than the other villages. They really try to get a laugh out of you. I don't remember the guys name... but he talked about his culture and he was making little jokes left and right.
The Fijian village was a lot more serious but just as fun. The did a lot of dances for us and even brought my mother-in-law on stage to dance with them. My son and I got fake Fijian tattoos that meant "warrior" and "queen" and since my hubby used to work at PCC we got a personal tour from him and his old boss.
The night show was very entertaining. Especially at the end with the Samoans brought the fire into the show.
I would definitely go again. We had a blast.
Biking the North Shore was awesome
Our original reservation of Thurs was cancelled due to weather. The staff was very efficient at rescheduling us for Mon, and even opened up their 9:30 tour.
This comment is to my comment submitted on March 21, 2009. Captain Dave promptly refunded my money on the shark video that I purchased. Thank you, Captain Dave!
