Non-hiking adventurous activity request
 

Hi. I am planning a trip for my parents. They will be going to Kauai, Oahu, and Hawaii. My mother unfortunately cannot do any strenuous walks/hikes because she has a bad knee. I would appreciate any suggestions for other fun adventurous activities since my parents are active people. Thank you in advance for your assistance!!!

Snorkeling, kayaking, helicopter rides.

Starrs, thanks for your response. Do you have any more specific suggestions. Ie, the name of a particular helicopter company on Hawaii for example to see the lava? Thanks.

Swimming is very good for a bad knee, isn't it? Lots of places to snorkel on those three islands, needless to say. Where are they staying on the Big Island?

This is the one I took -
http://www.bluehawaiian.com/

We also went out on an outrigger canoe. Plenty of snorkeling options on the islands. Big Island was my favorite. One of the tour companies offer a "snuba" option - a taste of scuba for snorkelers.

catamaran sunset cruise
helicopter ride
horseback riding

A snorkel cruise would be a good idea, too. There are several companies on each island.

How about deep sea fishing - no walking involved.

They are staying in Hilo and in Kilo on the Big Island so if you have specific operators in mind I would greatly appreciate the names.

Also, if you know of specific helicopter companies I would greatly appreciate some recommendations.

As for deep sea fishing, I might consider that because my father loves to fish.

Suze, who did you use for a catamaran sunset cruise?

Thank you!

I think we have used Fair Wind for snorkel trips on the Big Island, to the Captain Cook monument:
http://www.hawaiiactivities.com/us/h.../1482/ag/5583/

It's fun to go the entire day, and have lunch on the boat.

zipline

www.birdsinparadise.com

Napali Rafting

I plan on doing these next year.

Take an outrigger canoe ride - don't know if available on all islands bur Waikiki for sure
I lived in Hawaii and never did the outrigger rides until I went back as a tourist- closed thing to surfing without surfing- I loved it -

For some excellent scenery, I recommend a Na Pali boat tour while on Kauai. I've taken two different tours, and I'd recommend Na Pali Catamaran: http://www.napalicatamaran.com/. The tour leaves from the North Shore, so you see wonderful coastline the entire trip. The boat is powered and small enough to go into some sea caves; the return trip is pretty speedy, so best to take lots of pictures heading up the coast. They stop for snorkeling, but your parents will find better snorkeling from the shore.

I also greatly enjoyed a helicopter tour while on Kauai -- another view of that amazing scenery. And it was fun to see the Na Pali coast from two different perspectives. Happy planning!

These are some helpful ideas. Thank you.

Track down two (or one actually) 101 things to do in Kauai.

That will take you to other Island suggestions.

Lots of info on those sites - plus goto www.tripadviser.com

you could get some ideas from there - at least thats what we did - leaving tomorrow.

bbt

LDK~ I don't usually do activities myself. I know what I know from reading here and on Trip Advisor's Honolulu forum... people seem to like the one that leaves from in front of the Outrigger Reef. But there are several others, they are all 'parked' right there in the central area of Waikiki. Some seem to be more 'party' boats, some more quiet, etc. I'll see if I can find some specific names & post back.

You can also check www.gohawaii.com

I always like the Na Pali coast boat tours, have been with both Captain Andy and Holo Holo, what time of year are your parents traveling and what part of Kauai are they staying at? Na Pali Cat cannot go out all year due to weather and high surf in winter so they usually stop going around Oct-Nov and since they are a small boat which only holds 15-16 people you need to reserve in advance whereas with the bigger boats that go out of Port Allen on the West Shore you can usually reserve when you get there.

I contacted Na Pali Catamaran today and they said that they usually stop Oct. 15th so it looks like my parents will not be able to see the coast from a boat which would have been great. I am now wondering if they should see it by air or not. Do or anyone else on the forum have any experience? Is it worth taking a plane?

Other companies might still offer boat tours after October 15th, so you might want to check individually with each of them. When are they going? Doing a boat tour in the winter months might not be a possibility (certainly not something they should count on), but I believe other companies offer them if conditions permit. Might be something they'll need to confirm once they get there, but Holo Holo or Captain Andy might still offer winter options. Here is Captain Andy's site, they offer various sailing options: http://www.napali.com/kauai_sailing/. (I did a raft adventure with them, but I'd recommend something a bit more relaxed if they'd like to enjoy the scenery.) Anyway, contact them to see what their policy is for the winter months.

I highly recommend seeing the Na Pali coast any and every way they can, and many people here suggest a helicopter tour (me included). It was one of my favorite vacation memories, and the scenery is just spectacular. I recommend Jack Harter (http://www.helicopters-kauai.com/) and you can find other recommendations on this forum as well. Depending on their interests and comfort level, they can take either a six-passenger helicopter (enclosed) or a four-passenger doors-off option. This is an expensive excursion, but truly amazing. They should definitely try to do an air tour whether or not they also do a boat tour (in my opinion!).