This was a great adventure to a beautiful hike and waterfall.
Our guide was Brian and he was hands down the best guide we have ever had on a tour anywhere. He called and kept us informed regarding his arrival time (we met the group at the docking area). He was relaxed, knowledgeable and kind. But most importantly we felt safe the whole time. In fact, another guide we passed on the adventure said "oh you're with Brian, he is the best guide there is." We definitely felt that.
There were two people per kayak and the adventure started with kayaking up the river. It was relaxing but with the wind there was some work. We then made it to the "beach" area where we stopped to start our hike The hike is over rocks and uneven terrain. While we saw families with young children, I would advise those with physical limitations and with young children to be prepared. The river crossing is dynamic. Per our guide, the depth and flow of the river changes depending on how much rain. Because of this, I honestly wouldn't do the hike with my young children. The area is also prone to flash flooding during rain season, so I was happy to hear our guide was monitoring river conditions and had access to an alert on his phone if flash flooding was a possibility.
Once past the river, the hike is fairly easy due to nice boardwalk that was put in during the 2020 pandemic shut down. It is narrow so time was spent standing aside as other groups passed.
The waterfall was amazing. We swam in it and Brian took some fabulous pictures of us. Lunch was good. After the kayaking and hike, we were starving so I would have used more food, maybe some chips or something. Because of this, I would highly recommend bringing snacks.
Overall we had a great experience. We learned a lot and had fun. We would definitely do it again but only with Brian as our guide.
One last note- we did many guided adventures during our trip to Kauai. Island time is real. This is so different than tours we have done on the mainland- which start on time and end on time and are fast pace. This tour was relaxed. We never felt rushed and really got a taste of "island time". But this also resulted in the tour being longer than 4.5 hrs. So just be aware so you don't over book yourself. There are other tour companies that do a few tours a day, so the pace is faster if that is something you need.
Odpowiedź od gospodarza
Sep 2021
Aloha Lauren,
Wow. Thank You for the excellent review. I always brag about what great guides we have but your review is what it's all about. Brian really is awesome. It's important to know you felt safe. We always say safety first with fun a really close second. Your comments are greatly appreciated too. Good advice. See you next time you are on Kauai.