I was reading through the section on kayaking in the Ultimate Guide and noticed that Kalihiwai is mentioned as being more scenic than the Wailua River and is a shorter distance (an hour). Has anyone done this kayak ride that could give me some advice? I have two young girls so I was thinking the shorter ride might be a better choice with them, plus it leaves from the north side where we are staying for most of our time.
Thanks!

Kalihiwai is a great choice. But your statment that it "...is a shorter distance.." confuses me. Any unescorted kayak ride that you take, can be as long -- or as short -- as you choose to paddle.

One strong word of caution -- do NOT go kayaking if the water is brown. Leptosporosis is rampant in all of our rivers, especially after a heavy rain...and infection has serious, life-threatening consequences. The front page of today's Kaua`i newspaper has an article about a young man from Po`ipu who is hospitalized on O`ahu in a coma, both legs have been removed, and the prognosis is dire. All because of leptosporosis.

Be careful, 'kay?

Ooops...I also meant to post this site, which gives info on each river:
http://kayakers.com/kauai_rivers.php#rivers

The distance up the Kalihiwai Rivers is shorter than going up to the popular waterfall trailhead on the Wailua. We owned our own kayaks on Kauai and paddled both rivers frequently. Near the end of the Kalihiwai it gets very rocky and difficult to maneuver. It is tempting to visit Kalihiwai Falls, you may get chased away as it is on "private property." I love the beach at Kalihiwai where the kayaks are put-in, lots of shade and a nice lazy pool of water to frolic in.

It sounds like the Wailua River takes 3-5 hours, depending on how long you spend doing the hike to the Falls, but the Kalihiwai takes about an hour. I am sure you could take less or more time at either location but I guess I would feel that I was missing out if we only did a little bit of the Wailua River..."the best is just ahead" feeling! Has anyone experienced the cranky horseback riders in the Kalihiwai area?

auntiemaria, Thanks for the link to the kayak company. It clearly explains each river plus their equipment which could hold three of us in one kayak, eliminating the need for three kayaks. That would be a good thing, as the youngest sometimes gets tired out very easily.

Thanks also for your warning about leptosporosis. Can you get that from just touching the water or is it from drinking it? It sounds terrible!

Check the CDC site for their advice. Looks to be pretty easy to get infected.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/disea...spirosis_g.htm

As a resident, I'm baffled as to why visitors aren't warned about this horrible stuff. It would be so easy to issue warnings -- everyone comes here by either plane or ship...captive audiences!

At one time, all of the access points to all of the rivers here on Kaua`i had warning signs posted -- but those signs are long gone now.

A neighbor -- recent arrival to the islands -- took 3 dogs to play at Hanalei Beach, near the rivermouth. Within less than a week, 2 of the 3 dogs had died from lepto. These dogs had been vaccinated and licensed by a local vet when they moved here, yet the vet gave the owner _no_ warning about this potential hazard to his pets. Sheesh!

The good news is, lepto cannot survive in salt water. So enjoy our beaches, stay away from the rivers and rivermouths, and you'll be fine.

vivi,
Since you have been on both rivers, which one do you find to be more scenic? Is the longer distance to the waterfall on the Wailua worth it? If you could only do one, which would it be and why?
And did you go to the falls off the Kalihiwai River? The website with the information on each river suggests only doing that hike when the horseback riders are not there (before 10 or after 2). Do you agree or should we scrap the hike?
I tried calling several of the kayak companies for information about renting and no one answered the phone! They must close down for lunch???

I'll start with your last question, first -- most of the kayak and tour companies rely on answering machines to take their calls during the day. Leave a message, and someone will return your call ASAP.

Kalihiwai River is narrower and definitely more scenic than Wailua -- which is wide, and used by kayakers, outrigger canoe club racers, waterskiers, and the Fern Grotto barge-boats.

As for the Kalihiwai Falls, I've heard more negative reports about access, than positive...which is one of the reasons we haven't bothered to go there (plus the always-present danger of stuff coming down over the falls...rocks, boulders, tree limbs, and icky things).

i agree with Aunti M, like Kalihiwai better, its less traveled and narrower. The Wailua can sometines feel like an expressway, complete with diesel fumes! I never hiked to the waterfalls other than on a guided ride with the stables. I know my kids paddled the Kalihwai many times and got chased away many times from the falls.

If we choose to kayak the Kalihiwai River, do we need to reserve the kayaks in advance like you need to do with the Wailua River? Also, how would you compare the Kalihiwai with the Hanalei River as far as scenery goes?

Yes, reserve your kayaks in advance to ensure you have them when you want them.

IMHO, views along the Kalihiwai are more interesting than Hanalei -- mostly because the reeds and foliage along the Hanalei River are so tall in most spots, that you cannot see over them. Your views are then limited to the nearby hilltops.

Hanalei River is a National Wildlife area -- no disembarking along the riverbanks is allowed (not true of Kalihiwai, however).