Na pali Boat Tours
 

Hi again. Thanks to all who replied to my first post, but I once again find myself in need of guidance.

During our Aug. stay on Kauai, we want to take a couple of boat tours - one during the day, possibly with some snorkeling; one sunset cruise. Problem is that there are SO MANY companies offering tours that I just don't know which one to go thru. Is snorkeling better at Nualolo Kai or Niihau? We're staying on the East coast, so North or South departure doesn't really matter for us, location-wise.

Since almost all the posts on this topic are 2 or more years old, I thought I'd ask for some feedback from folks with recent experiences.

Thanks again,

Karen

Aloha <blue>HIVirgin<black>,
We have done the 7 hour((o))HoloHolo Supertour of NaPali and Niihau and more recently the Kaua`i Sea Tours Powerraft trip to Nualolo Kai last September. The snorkeling was better in the waters just off Niihau and more informative regarding the history of the Napali coast. The Kaua`i Sea Tours powerraft trip however excelled at closely inspecting the features:[:[ of the Napali coast (e.g. sea caves etc) and exploring the Nualolo Kai ancient fishing village is a unique experience, however the snorkeling did not surpass other areas (e.g. Poipu Beach Park, Ke`e) and even though the ocean was relatively calm, the powerraft trip is really bumpy compared to the powercatamaran trip and recommend Bonine the night before to avoid :&

((~)) of Nualolo Kai:
http://vimeo.com/2677584

Check in your bookstore or library for The Ultimate Guide to Kauai by Doughty. It gives objective reviews of all the boat tours and lots of good advice on how to increase the probability that you'll have a good experience.

Thanks for the tips.

I actually do have the Ultimate Guide. I've had it for a couple of months & have read it cover to cover. Now I'm looking for personal opinions, too.

Did a spur of the moment HoloHolo sunset cruise last month and were pleased with it. The sunset was lovely, a very nice buffet, open bar. Nice friendly crew. Has to be some of the most beautiful places in the world.

Every time I'm on Kauai, I take a HoloHolo NaPali boat tour (and they give a small discount for repeat guests). Always a good time.

Also, I noticed your other post and wanted to throw in a few more suggestions for you. I love, love, love the Allerton Gardens. Gorgeous.

For restaurants, I love dinner at Postcards Cafe in Hanalei. If you're doing Limahuli Gardens (lovely!), you could do these together.

I notice on their website that HoloHolo has a 3 hour trip that tours the Napali Coast with no snorkeling. They bill it as a "sunset cruise", but it departs at 2pm. Has anyone been on this...or another..similar cruise? I am wondering if the ocean is more likely to be mid-day rough, or if will it be starting to calm down again? I have not been on a boat trip yet on Kauai, but am not that fond of snorkeling in deep water. (nor of just sitting on the boat waiting while others snorkel)

Barbara, we're leaning heavily toward HoloHolo for our sunset cruise. Not so sure about the time yet, tho. They say you have to be there at 2 "seasonally". I'm not sure if that's the time for summer months, but I'll be finding out soon. That's the time you have to "be there". You always have to be there a half to full hour before departure, from what I've seen. When are you going?

HVirgin: Not going until early November. Hope you try it and let me know how you like it. My travel companion has a bad back so I'm looking for a ride without too many bumps. The boat sounds well-designed for smooth sailing.

Barbara, we're going in August, so I will definitely let you know.

Reply to <blue>HIVirgin<black>, Hawaii's summer runs May through October, so August should be fine a time. BTW, we hope to be there the month after your visit, and look forward to your Trip Report.:S-

Go to Anini Beach and take the "Sea Breeze" boat tour to the Napali Coast. I think Captain Bob is still doing tours. It is breathtaking. There is snorkeling if the seas are not too rough. Lunch is provided. Captain Bob is very experienced and shows constant concern for his passengers.You will learn alot about the Napali Coast.I highly recommend this trip.
Have a great time.
Jo

We've done Napali Catamaran and enjoyed it and are booked with Napali Sea Breeze in July.

luv, please let me know how it goes with Napali Sea Breeze. I don't know how I missed them in all my "research". Thanks, jo, for the tip. I am looking into it now & they sound terrific. Can't wait to hear how luv's experience is.

Hawaii Virgin
So glad that you will be going on Sea Breeze tour to Napali Coast. Be very careful with dinner cruises. They are usually very expensive and not worth the money. I own a condo in Kauai and have been going to the island for 10 years. If you need anymore help with sightseeing, restaurants etc. please let me know. Enjoy this most beautiful island.

Jo

Thanks, jo. I think we are opting out of a "dinner" cruise, but do still want to do a sunset cruise. Thought we'd do the daytime cruise from the north, the sunset cruise from the south. Thinking of HoloHolo for the sunset cruise, but want to make sure it's a cruise that gets to NaPali, not just a southerly route. I'm betting that sunset is even more spectacular than in California. Can't wait to see if I'm right.

We took the HoloHolo cruise last night and, yes, it does get to NaPali. It's a long way, and they go pretty fast on the way out (read: it can be a little bumpy). I really enjoyed it. I took about 200 photos and have only had time to post a few, starting with #22 in this album:

http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p773547436

HawaiiVirgin, I am so glad you posted this question. After reading RNCheryl's trip report for her 40th Anniversary (thank you for posting it - wonderful, as we are going for our 40th also), I wanted to take a NaPali cruise also, preferably sunset. We are also going in August. You guys give great info to us "first timers". Thanks so much.

Reply to <blue>ms_go<black>,
As the Kahuna would say: <i>=;stop yer killin((u)) me<i>
Nice ((P))!

ms_go, those are fantastic. Thanks for sharing your pics.

please tell me...what kind of camera did you use? was it waterproof, or did you feel okay with a nice camera on the boat (because that had to be a nice camera).

Great pics, ms_go!!! Also curious about your camera. Ours has been 'fritzing', so I'm thinking about a new addition to the family before the trip. Thanks for the skinny on HoloHolo, too.

schectec, thanks for pointing me to RNCheryl's trip report. Lots of good info there.

Again, you folks are great! Mahalo!

Thanks, everyone. The camera is a Canon Digital Rebel XSi, which is not the least bit waterproof. It did get a little wet (I was constantly cleaning/drying the filter), but not too bad. There were others with DSLRs on the boat, as well. The boat makes a fast run out to Kalalau and then heads back in a more leisurely fashion. I generally had the camera put away for the trip out and took photos after we turned around. That was closer to sunset (we left at 3:30), so the light was better then, too.

I will post some more photos and a mini-trip report as soon as I can.

JohnD, it's killing me, too. Last night, I was seeing the cliffs of NaPali. Tonight, I'm seeing the inside of LAX.