DesertBeachLover
Aug 2019
My wife and I have been to Hideaways Beach many times in the past, but never by kayak, so we decided to give it a try. Overall this was a very enjoyable tour. I'll address a couple of drawbacks that kept me from giving this a five star rating first and end on a positive note.
Due to the closure of the parking lot at Black Pot Beach, there was a long walk along the beach to get to the kayaks and then back to the van after the trip. Seems like there could have been a closer drop off and pick up point. And there were a couple of things beyond the control of the company. Hideaways Beach was extremely crowded with one other kayak tour already there when we arrived plus all the people who had hike down. I have to think this was at least in part due to the fact that the road north of Hanalei was still closed and it seemed all the north shore beaches were way more crowded than normal. Then there was the lady who complained that this trip was not "easy to moderate" as advertised and who refused to paddle back to the start point once we got to the beach. I guess I can understand that, but my wife and I, who are probably twice her age made it with no problem. To be fair, I would say this was moderately hard, but nothing beyond that.
Now to the good stuff. Both of our guides were personable, knowledgeable and helpful and I never felt unsafe at all, even on the open ocean. The provided lunch was nice - sandwiches, chips, cookies and beverages and my favorite, the freshly sliced pineapple. And the scenery was fantastic. We would definitely recommend this tour to others.
Odpowiedź od gospodarza
Aug 2019
Aloha,
Thanks for the many "stars" you gave for our Hanalei Blue Lagoon Paddle & Snorkel tour.
Since you took the tour Black Pot Beach much has changed and we are no longer having to walk to gain access to the park and our launch site by the Hanalei river.
We now drive with our van to Black Pot and empty paddlers by our launch site.
Hideaways, were you snorkeled, is no longer the hideaway of yesteryear, but in-spite of this, especially in the summer boast some great snorkeling.
If it the same "less than happy lady", I did point out to her that on our www page that we market this paddle the more active couple/family; that there is a mild inland sea kayak component within the Hanalei reef.
We do seriously try to match tour to clients and reviews like yours help. Thanks.