Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [411]
Most tours last four to five hours and depart around 7am or noon (call for exact check-in times). The maximum group size is 12, with paddlers going out in double kayaks. The pricier tours include lunch, but on budget tours you can store your own food in coolers and waterproof bags. Bring a hat, sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
Experienced paddlers might want to rent individual kayaks and go out on their own. Prices wildly vary. Note that not all tour companies are also licensed to rent individual kayaks.
No kayak tours or rentals are allowed on Sundays. Of course, noncommercial kayaks are always allowed on the river.
Of the following companies, Kayak Kaua′i and Outfitters Kaua′i are big and established, with many other tour offerings. But the two recommended little guys offer better value for this basic tour.
Kayak Wailua (822-3388; www.kayakwailua.com; Kuhio Hwy, Wailua; tour per person $40) This small, family-owned outfit specializes in Wailua River tours. It keeps boats and equipment in tip-top shape and provides dry bags for your belongings and a nylon cooler for your BYO snacks. If you prefer to speed ahead of the group, it’s flexible enough to accommodate different preferences.
Wailua Kayak Adventures (822-5795, 639-6332; www.kauaiwailuakayak.com; Kuhio Hwy, Waipouli; per day single/double kayaks $25/50, tour per couple $85; check-in 7am & 1pm) Go here for the cheapest individual kayak rentals. It offers three budget-friendly Wailua River tours (which include generous snacks at the waterfall). Call for times, as they vary slightly for each tour. Located behind Lemongrass restaurant in Waipouli.
Wailua Kayak & Canoe (821-1188; Wailua River State Park; single/double kayak per 5hr $45/75, tour per person $55-90) Located at the boat ramp on the north bank, this outfit is very convenient for individual rentals (no need to transport the kayak). Tour quality is fine but the prices have skyrocketed since 2006.
Kayak Kaua′i (826-9844, 800-437-3507; www.kayakkauai.com; Coconut Marketplace, Wailua; double kayak per person per day $27, tour per adult/child under 12 $85/60; check-in 7:45am & 12:15pm) This longstanding and reputable outfit, with shop locations in Wailua and Hanalei, offers river and sea kayaking tours, including the Na Pali challenge. Rates run high, but lunch is included. A good choice if you need a Japanese- or Spanish-speaking guide.
Outfitters Kaua′i (Map; 742-9667, 888-742-9887; www.outfitterskauai.com; Po′ipu Plaza, 2827A Poipu Rd, Po′ipu; kayak per person per day $40, tour adult/child 5-14 $98/78; check-in 7:45am) Known for its multiadventure tours, this established outfit is good except for its steep prices.
BOAT RIDES
If you’re curious to see the legendary Fern Grotto, there’s only one way to get up close – or least as close as you can get. Smith’s Motor Boat Service (821-6892; www.smithskauai.com; 1½hr tour adult/child 2-12 $20/10; departures every 30min 9-11:30am, 12:30-3:30pm) since 1946 has had exclusive rights to ply the river in covered riverboats (the size of a bus) to the grotto. Bear in mind that since the heavy rains and rockslides of 2006, visitors cannot enter the grotto but must stay on the wooden platform quite a distance from the shallow cave.
* * *
THE SACRED WAILUA RIVER
To ancient Hawaiians, the Wailua River was among the most sacred places across the islands. The river basin, near its mouth, was one of the island’s two royal centers (the other was Waimea) and home to the high chiefs. Here, you can find the remains of many important heiau (religious sites), including the following places.
Hikinaakala Heiau (rising of the sun) sits south of the Wailua River mouth, which is today the north end of Lydgate Beach Park (Click here). In