Kauai activities & Na Pali kayaking
Jun 28th, 2006, 11:20 AM
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Kauai activities & Na Pali kayaking
We're heading to Kauai for 8 nights/9 days, and there are so many things to do (and they're all so expensive) that we're having a tough time deciding what to sign up for!
Everything I’ve read says a helicopter ride is a must-do. Would you agree that it's worth $200/person? Would you recommend one company over another?
Which zip-line trail is best?
And finally, we’re considering the Na Pali kayaking tour, but I’m not sure if I’m up to it. I’m 30 and a somewhat active person, but I am prone to sea sickness... Anyone done this trip? How physically demanding was it? If we don’t do the Na Pali trip, we’ll just do the Wailua river one.
Thanks for any help!
Everything I’ve read says a helicopter ride is a must-do. Would you agree that it's worth $200/person? Would you recommend one company over another?
Which zip-line trail is best?
And finally, we’re considering the Na Pali kayaking tour, but I’m not sure if I’m up to it. I’m 30 and a somewhat active person, but I am prone to sea sickness... Anyone done this trip? How physically demanding was it? If we don’t do the Na Pali trip, we’ll just do the Wailua river one.
Thanks for any help!
Jun 28th, 2006, 12:04 PM
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My husband and I visited Kauai for 10 days on 2002 and fell in love with the island. Hopefully we are returning next year.
I just wanted to let you know that we did not do any of the expensive activities. The zip line didn't even exist. We hiked--Our all time favorite hike is on Kauai(Nualolo/Awaawapuhi Loop). We enjoyed the beaches and the dramatic scenery.
Tourists were enjoying Hawaii before zip lines and helicopter rides. I don't think you will be disappointed in Kauai if you don't do all the expensive activities.
If I was prone to seasickness, I would kayak the river. If you want to do NaPali, go as early as you can, the surf kicks up in the afternoon--I am assuming you are going in the summer. It is too rough to kayak the coast in the winter.
I just wanted to let you know that we did not do any of the expensive activities. The zip line didn't even exist. We hiked--Our all time favorite hike is on Kauai(Nualolo/Awaawapuhi Loop). We enjoyed the beaches and the dramatic scenery.
Tourists were enjoying Hawaii before zip lines and helicopter rides. I don't think you will be disappointed in Kauai if you don't do all the expensive activities.
If I was prone to seasickness, I would kayak the river. If you want to do NaPali, go as early as you can, the surf kicks up in the afternoon--I am assuming you are going in the summer. It is too rough to kayak the coast in the winter.
Jun 28th, 2006, 03:29 PM
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madi.....we just got back from Kaua'i earlier this month.
For half the price of a helicopter tour you can do an airplane tour with Wings Over Kaua'i:
http://www.wingsoverkauai.com/
We used them and we were very pleased. It is also much safer than a helo, IMHO.
I can't tell you which zipline is the best, but we did "The Kipu Falls Zipline Trek" with "Outfitters Kaua'i".
It was fabulous:
http://www.outfitterskauai.com/
That was my grandkids favorite thing to do on island.
Can't help with kayaking. We were planning on it, but never got around to it.
8-)
For half the price of a helicopter tour you can do an airplane tour with Wings Over Kaua'i:
http://www.wingsoverkauai.com/
We used them and we were very pleased. It is also much safer than a helo, IMHO.
I can't tell you which zipline is the best, but we did "The Kipu Falls Zipline Trek" with "Outfitters Kaua'i".
It was fabulous:
http://www.outfitterskauai.com/
That was my grandkids favorite thing to do on island.
Can't help with kayaking. We were planning on it, but never got around to it.
8-)
Jun 28th, 2006, 03:32 PM
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Jun 28th, 2006, 09:26 PM
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you have to do the na pali kayak if you're an adventurous spirit
i just did it with kayak kauai on june 1 and had a BLAST!!! one of the greatest experiences in my lifetime. when i have the time, i'm going to have to link some of my pics and vids so others can get a sense of the thrill...to linger in the sea caves or at the mouths of the tremendous valleys or to glide under waterfalls for the best natural showers
our guides, doug and andrew, were great
napali kayaking is a long (16-mile) trip stretched over approx 10 hours (incl 1 hr lunch) from haena state park to polihale beach, so endurance is the biggest challenge...fatigue really kicks in at about 10 miles, where you begin to wonder if the idea of a lunch break is merely a dangling carrot; my only wish is that they spent more time in the beginning re proper paddling techniques to maximize efficiency instead of promoting a mostly-arm stroke; i gradually learned to make better use of my torso since my shoulders and arms were pooped
if you're worried about sea sickness (like i was), take a bonine/dramamine the night before and the morning of the trip; we were fortunate in that it was glassy conditions with very little whitecaps, which unfortunately made for a long trip with no wind behind us
reapply sunscreen during each break time; several of us including myself got burnt due to such a long exposure, and i put on 30-proof sport at least twice
i am only a moderately fit person as were seemingly the others in the party, but we all made it, so you don't need to be a spectacular physical specimen to survive
and also do the Nualolo/Awa'awapuhi Loop hike LindainOhio rec'd...like the napali kayak trip, it's like heaven while you take in the views but you pay like hell trying to finish the journey; pace yourself well or you'll be exhausted early in the long, steep hike back up; but the views of the valley and surrounding cliffs from along the nualolo cliff trail are incredible; the sight made me joyfully stretch out my arms at the cliff's edge only to scream out "this is why i spend all those hours keying things into a computer at work...to afford moments like this"
(you get the picture
)
you don't need to do a helicopter ride to experience kauai's natural splendors; in fact, it may be too short-lived (60-90 mins); so go soak up the island's best wonders over several hours via hiking, kayaking, biking or any other physical activity
i just did it with kayak kauai on june 1 and had a BLAST!!! one of the greatest experiences in my lifetime. when i have the time, i'm going to have to link some of my pics and vids so others can get a sense of the thrill...to linger in the sea caves or at the mouths of the tremendous valleys or to glide under waterfalls for the best natural showers
our guides, doug and andrew, were great
napali kayaking is a long (16-mile) trip stretched over approx 10 hours (incl 1 hr lunch) from haena state park to polihale beach, so endurance is the biggest challenge...fatigue really kicks in at about 10 miles, where you begin to wonder if the idea of a lunch break is merely a dangling carrot; my only wish is that they spent more time in the beginning re proper paddling techniques to maximize efficiency instead of promoting a mostly-arm stroke; i gradually learned to make better use of my torso since my shoulders and arms were pooped
if you're worried about sea sickness (like i was), take a bonine/dramamine the night before and the morning of the trip; we were fortunate in that it was glassy conditions with very little whitecaps, which unfortunately made for a long trip with no wind behind us
reapply sunscreen during each break time; several of us including myself got burnt due to such a long exposure, and i put on 30-proof sport at least twice
i am only a moderately fit person as were seemingly the others in the party, but we all made it, so you don't need to be a spectacular physical specimen to survive
and also do the Nualolo/Awa'awapuhi Loop hike LindainOhio rec'd...like the napali kayak trip, it's like heaven while you take in the views but you pay like hell trying to finish the journey; pace yourself well or you'll be exhausted early in the long, steep hike back up; but the views of the valley and surrounding cliffs from along the nualolo cliff trail are incredible; the sight made me joyfully stretch out my arms at the cliff's edge only to scream out "this is why i spend all those hours keying things into a computer at work...to afford moments like this"
(you get the picture
)you don't need to do a helicopter ride to experience kauai's natural splendors; in fact, it may be too short-lived (60-90 mins); so go soak up the island's best wonders over several hours via hiking, kayaking, biking or any other physical activity
May 27th, 2007, 04:48 AM
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Just want to insert another plug for Wings Over Kauai. I already posted similar thoughts on another thread, but we liked WOK so much that I wanted to spread the news around more widely.
We used WOK recently and had a great time. It's much less expensive than the helitours, the pilot (Bruce) is very friendly and knowledgeable, and the ride is very smooth. Views from the plane are great, as all the seats are window seats.
One additional note that will be highly relevant to anyone who is nervous about flying is that planes are safer than copters. I'm not suggesting that the helitours are not safe, but you'll have more peace of mind with WOK if that is a concern for you.
We used WOK recently and had a great time. It's much less expensive than the helitours, the pilot (Bruce) is very friendly and knowledgeable, and the ride is very smooth. Views from the plane are great, as all the seats are window seats.
One additional note that will be highly relevant to anyone who is nervous about flying is that planes are safer than copters. I'm not suggesting that the helitours are not safe, but you'll have more peace of mind with WOK if that is a concern for you.
May 27th, 2007, 05:44 AM
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The only tour we have done on Kauai was a Napali Coast cruise and we had a great time. There is a long list of remedies for seasickness including ginger candy and the aforementioned bonine/dramamine. The helicopter tours and planes sound exciting but if they don't fit in the budget this trip you can do them next time. There are enough beaches and hikes to keep you busy w/o the expense of some tour.
May 30th, 2007, 03:02 PM
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Just to update my own thread...
The helicopter ride was definitely worth the money. We went with Interisland Helicopters and really enjoyed our pilot's guided tour. Even though we took the earliest flight, the mountain was still covered in clouds and we couldn't get too close.
Zip-lining was a blast! Sooo much fun. We loved the crew at Backcountry Zipline Adventures and got to do 7 zip-lines.
We didn't end up kayaking the Na Pali coast because of my sea sickness and because I was worried I wasn't fit enough! We took a boat tour and hiked part of the trail instead.
We absolutely fell in love with Kauai. It is a hikers paradise! The scenery is breathtaking. You feel like you are living in the movie Jurassic Park while in Kauai...just waiting for a dinosaur to come out of the tropical vegetation!
The helicopter ride was definitely worth the money. We went with Interisland Helicopters and really enjoyed our pilot's guided tour. Even though we took the earliest flight, the mountain was still covered in clouds and we couldn't get too close.
Zip-lining was a blast! Sooo much fun. We loved the crew at Backcountry Zipline Adventures and got to do 7 zip-lines.
We didn't end up kayaking the Na Pali coast because of my sea sickness and because I was worried I wasn't fit enough! We took a boat tour and hiked part of the trail instead.
We absolutely fell in love with Kauai. It is a hikers paradise! The scenery is breathtaking. You feel like you are living in the movie Jurassic Park while in Kauai...just waiting for a dinosaur to come out of the tropical vegetation!
Jun 1st, 2007, 03:42 PM
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nice to hear you had a good time !!
we did the heli tour on NaPali and was fantastic !
The boat tour was cancelled AFTER departure, this means we just came back due to sea conditions and did a short disapponting snorkelling close to the western coast !!! but no money back, not even partially !!! This was a real shame !!
But we did not give up and the next day we did the heli tour !
Kauai is my favourite island, having also visited Oahu, Maui and Big Island for a total of 4 weeks !
we did the heli tour on NaPali and was fantastic !
The boat tour was cancelled AFTER departure, this means we just came back due to sea conditions and did a short disapponting snorkelling close to the western coast !!! but no money back, not even partially !!! This was a real shame !!
But we did not give up and the next day we did the heli tour !
Kauai is my favourite island, having also visited Oahu, Maui and Big Island for a total of 4 weeks !
Jun 2nd, 2007, 01:04 PM
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Yes, we did the flight with the doors off. It was a little scary, but more fun! I was in the middle seat between the pilot and my husband, so I felt a little more secure. My husband loved it though. It definitely made it windier, but not too bad.
Mar 29th, 2008, 11:28 AM
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The Na Pali kayak trip is incredible! I'm in my 50s and survived the trip with no problems. Here's a link to my pictures and also to an article written about our trip.
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/552615717HXWeSE
http://home.ptd.net/~dwfarr/Kayakingnapali.pdf
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/552615717HXWeSE
http://home.ptd.net/~dwfarr/Kayakingnapali.pdf
Mar 29th, 2008, 01:56 PM
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Sweet photos Dfarr!
(The article didn't pop up when I hit the link...)
We've got 6 nights in Maui and then 8 nights on the North Shore, in the 2nd week of May. So if the Ocean is calm enough we'd like to Kayak the Na Pali coast. (Plus maybe one of the rivers.)
I imagine that it's one long day out on the water. Especially if the wind kicks up in the afternoon---though that may actually help a bit, if it hits from behind.
Did you snorkel at all?
Also, we're big hikers. Any recomendations other than the Na-pali coast hike? (We'll go halfway on that and maybe include the spur up to the falls depending on all variables).
Thanks,
pete
(The article didn't pop up when I hit the link...)
We've got 6 nights in Maui and then 8 nights on the North Shore, in the 2nd week of May. So if the Ocean is calm enough we'd like to Kayak the Na Pali coast. (Plus maybe one of the rivers.)
I imagine that it's one long day out on the water. Especially if the wind kicks up in the afternoon---though that may actually help a bit, if it hits from behind.
Did you snorkel at all?
Also, we're big hikers. Any recomendations other than the Na-pali coast hike? (We'll go halfway on that and maybe include the spur up to the falls depending on all variables).
Thanks,
pete
Mar 30th, 2008, 06:32 AM
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Pete....The link to the article didn't paste right. Copy and paste the entire link into your browser instead of just clicking on it.
Or try....
http://kayakkauai.com/Kayakingnapali.pdf
As far as hikes I highly recommend the Nualolo-Awa'awapuhi loop trail located at Koke'e park towards the top of the canyon road. Here are my pictures from the hike.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/552797463VeItlv
Or try....
http://kayakkauai.com/Kayakingnapali.pdf
As far as hikes I highly recommend the Nualolo-Awa'awapuhi loop trail located at Koke'e park towards the top of the canyon road. Here are my pictures from the hike.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/552797463VeItlv
Mar 30th, 2008, 09:56 AM
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Yo Dale,
Killer Article by your friend!
That should be required reading for anyone thinking about kayaking the Na Pali. (Especially those of us who have just slipped past the Big 5-0 B-day). Also, Thanks for confirming that the loop trail is indeed worth the effort.
Question: What month did you actually do the Kayaking?
We are a very active couple but the last time that we were in a small boat was 20 years ago on our Honeymoon when I talked her into canoeing from the Everglades National Park out to "Palm Tree Point" the southern most point in the continental U.S.
We watched a full moon rise from the pure sea while we set-up our tent. It was so perfect...
Did I mention that the following morning as we sliced through the glassey sea that a storm kicked up that tested both our strength and (briefly) our marriage?
Quite the ride...
pete (Clinton, NJ)
Killer Article by your friend!
That should be required reading for anyone thinking about kayaking the Na Pali. (Especially those of us who have just slipped past the Big 5-0 B-day). Also, Thanks for confirming that the loop trail is indeed worth the effort.
Question: What month did you actually do the Kayaking?
We are a very active couple but the last time that we were in a small boat was 20 years ago on our Honeymoon when I talked her into canoeing from the Everglades National Park out to "Palm Tree Point" the southern most point in the continental U.S.
We watched a full moon rise from the pure sea while we set-up our tent. It was so perfect...
Did I mention that the following morning as we sliced through the glassey sea that a storm kicked up that tested both our strength and (briefly) our marriage?
Quite the ride...
pete (Clinton, NJ)
Mar 30th, 2008, 12:02 PM
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Pete....We did the trip the last week of June. We had fairly calm surf and enough breeze to our backs to make the going pretty steady.
I get seasick myself but decided to take my chances and not take any seasick medicine. (I hate the effect it has on me) I didn't get sick but several in our group were not so lucky. It's a long trip even with two people paddling and really tough if you're partner can't contribute.
This trip isn't for everyone. My wife decided to spend the day at the spa while we did the trip. (she's the smart one in the family) It's a long tiring day but the rewards are definitely worth it. Once you pass Ke'e beach there's no turning back and you've got another 15 miles of paddling ahead of you.
I get seasick myself but decided to take my chances and not take any seasick medicine. (I hate the effect it has on me) I didn't get sick but several in our group were not so lucky. It's a long trip even with two people paddling and really tough if you're partner can't contribute.
This trip isn't for everyone. My wife decided to spend the day at the spa while we did the trip. (she's the smart one in the family) It's a long tiring day but the rewards are definitely worth it. Once you pass Ke'e beach there's no turning back and you've got another 15 miles of paddling ahead of you.
