peaceandenthusiasm
Mar 2022
This was the perfect combination of river kayak and forest hike that I was looking for in order to appreciate the diverse landscape of Kauai. You start out by kayaking down Huleia Stream, which provides a picturesque setting for a relaxing paddle. As you are going with the wind and the current it is not difficult to make progress. Experience kayaking before helps, but we traveled with two inexperienced couples who were moving just as easily as everyone else after a few minutes. Likewise, the forest hike requires a bit of physical exertion but there is not a large elevation change and it is not a challenging hike by any means. For those who are able, I highly recommend taking advantage of the rope swing and of the short climb up one waterfall to get to another. Our guides Dusty and Mel did a great job of sharing many interesting stories and anecdotes about the history of the property, as well as facts about the local ecology and biodiversity while we observed examples right there in the wild. They also happily answered all of our random questions. The return trip upriver is on a motorized canoe, so you get to relax and have a snack while enjoying the view one more time. We stayed quite warm throughout the tour and only used one layer of clothing, but we did appreciate wearing quick drying clothes and shoes with a good grip as the trail can be a bit muddy and you’ll probably get wet in the kayak. I would take this tour again in a heartbeat!