Compared to an earlier similar trip we took out of Lihue, this one was half the price and more interesting. 12 people plus guide in double kayaks. The Walua River is wider and a bit wilder than the one spilling into Kalipaki Bay, able to accommodate many groups during the day without seeming like a crowd scene. Our guide Brian? had lots of stories to tell about the region and made sure the slowest among us were not ignored. He would repeat the gist of his story again, to catch everybody up. Very conscious of safety too, as the trail was muddy, rocky and slippery. Be prepared to get very dirty! The waterfall is big and fun to swim to and behind. This is not a trip for the extreme sports crowd, but a nice way to get inside Kauai away from the beaches.
The kayak and hiking tour were really a lot of fun. The only issue we had is that we were not informed of the level of difficulty it would be. After it was over the guide said we went about 8 miles. I would think about 7 miles of that was 2 per boat kayaking and 1 mile of hiking. This kayaking wasn't so hard for us less than in shape people, other than navigating around trees and branches in and out of the water and rocks near the top, and my arm muscles didn't hurt as much as I anticipated the next day or two. The hiking was the really difficult part. There was maybe 1/2 mile each way of hiking through steams, rocks, small hills, lots of roots and branches crossing the trail, and most of all lots and lots of mud. It's a rain forest, and the wettest island in Hawaii, so expect it to be muddy most of the time. I managed not to fall, but my wife fell three times and banged up her legs a little. It helped that our guide brought walking sticks obtained from forest tree branches to help us keep our balance. The waterfall was amazing. It's coming off about a 60 foot cliff that wraps most of the way around a pool at the bottom. Going into the pool and behind the waterfall literally takes your breath away. I may not have done this if I'd known the level of strenuous activity involved, but I'm not at all sorry I did it. It was a big accomplishment and we had a great time and met some new friends, including some that came from within 30 miles of our home.