At 20 miles long, the Wailua River is Kauais largest and longest, beginning on Mount Waialeale and emptying into the Pacific Ocean on the islands east side. If you choose to do so anyway, park your board at the sign that reads, kayak parking, and tie your leash onto one of the exposed tree roots. Guests can check-in directly at the Wailua River at the below location: With our 5-hour kayak rental, you will be kayaking 2 miles up the Wailua River. Maika will help you load the boats on your car, and direct you a few blocks to the River. Its incredibly important to think about kayak safety equipment. kauai coast Make sure to review sea kayaking safety tips before you start your adventure, and learn what you need to know about kayaking. I have really started to embrace slow travel too. For more advanced paddlers, there arent many places in the world more beautiful for sea kayaking than Napali Coast. Once take the right fork of the river, you have about 20 minutes to the bend in the river where you will park your boat and start the hike to Sacred Falls. Please note if you choose option #1 the latest you can get on the river is around noon. Required fields are marked *. Make your way into the lush tropical rain forest, which will take you to the famous Uluwehi Secret Falls. You can also stop for some exciting photography, as you enjoy a refreshing dip in Natures Pool! The great thing about Option #2 is that you have the boat for 24 hours. She enjoys exploring the outdoors with her family by camping, hiking, and kayaking in her free time. To further help you, should you choose to kayak the Wailua River without a guide, we have coupled pictures from our journey to Maikas step-by-step instructions. Wailua Kayak Adventures is located at 1345 Ulu Street in Kapaa. This makes for a safe and easy launch.In order for us to keep prices low and equipment nice, wed like to ask you to use caution and care when handling the equipment. Read on and youll see why. wailua Our kayak rental services include all gear (dry bags, coolers, life vests, river maps), and no hauling is required. wailua You will be provided with a dry bag and cooler, and will depart with your guide across the street at the Wailua River Marina. National Geographic considers kayaking along the Napali Coast the second best experience to be had in the country, and they are right! The only navigable river in the state, the Wailua was once the home of ancient Hawaiian royalty. I visited Hawaii in August. Keep in mind that the return paddle will be more difficult because you will be fighting the wind. With its calm waters and fairly straightforward route, the Wailua River is a great place for beginner and novice kayakers to explore on their own. We offer stable and sturdy sit on top ocean kayaks for rent. Kayak equipment is minimal, and a wise purchase is a drybag for all the things you want to take in the kayak with you such as wallet, cellphone, sunglasses when you are not wearing them and the keys to your Kauai rental car. Enter a lovely afternoon paddle on the Wailua River with a hike to the waterfall, Uluwehi, commonly called Sacred or Secret Falls. Paddle up the calm Wailua River and enjoy Kauai's natural life. So put on your swimsuits, sunglasses and sunscreen, pack up some ice, snacks and beverages and you're all ready for your Wailua River Waterfall Adventure! We talked to both the State Parks Department and Smiths to see if kayaks can land at the Fern Grotto. sacred kayak wailua guided falls river tour expedia Once you secured the boards back onto your car, we will be waiting for you at the shop to unload and say our good byes. Come kayak the Wailua river with us today! Many people launch from the Wailua River Marina or Kamokila Hawaiian Village. Spend lunch by the waters of the Secret Falls. Most outfitters are more than happy to provide you with a waterproof map of the river to keep you on course. And with Kauai SUPs expert arsenal of stand-up paddleboard rentals, youll be gliding the river way in style. Some of the links in this blog may be affiliate links. GUIDED TOURS MON - FRI 7:45AM & 12:45PM. Our best recommendation for the 6 mile round-trip paddle, is to go early in the day. Copyright 2021, Wailua Kayak & Canoe. The first Wailua River Secret Falls Rainforest Adventure starts at 7:45 am. The cost was $50 per tandem kayak. Seasonal Kauai weather will impact how green you find the Fern Grotto on your visit. wailua kauai what an absolutely spectacular adventure! In January of 2022, the cost to rent a two-person kayak was $50 per kayak. wailua river kauai kayak tour guided adventure history kayaking That sounds amazing! As you can imagine, being the only navigable river out of all the Hawaiian islands means there are plenty of businesses that operate kayak tours along the Wailua. The pricing is: Wailua Kayak & Canoe is available Monday through Saturday and only closed on Sunday. We came to a similar conclusion about Venice after spending a day paddling Venice with a local Venetian who explained the complexity of tourism on locals lives. alii kayaks wailua kayak river kauai tour I was just there in January and did not need a permit to kayak the river. In a nutshell, you can easily spend a half or full day on the river exploring the spectacular sights mentioned above in the accessible areas. Hannah, It was absolutely worth it. After reading more about Native Hawaiians legitimate concerns about tourism, I am not sure I would return to the islands. The van will be in a parking lot just past the Aloha Coffeehouse. If you are using GPS, the park address is 3-5971 Kuhio Highway in Kapaa. river sacred guided kayak wailua falls tour expedia From the Wailua River Marina, the paddle to Fern Grotto takes about four hours round-trip. If the river starts becoming muddy and murky, seek higher ground immediately. Go guided, go it alonejust make sure you go! wailua kapaa kauai attractions When conditions are right, when its calm, kayaking along the 17-mile Napali Coast is an adventure you will never forget. As I have already stated, we decided to kayak real late in the game. At the falls there was only one other family, which I understand is never the case. Again in January 2022, the average cost of a paddle tour was $125 per person. Instead of taking the right fork in the river from the Wailua River Marina or Kamokila Hawaiian Village, veer left up the south fork and you will find the enchanting Fern Grotto a short ways upstream. The trade winds can become especially strong in the afternoons, which is one reason the majority of the local kayak tours launch in the morning. Both Rental and Guided Tour packages are complete with complimentary coolers, dry bags, comfortable backrests, life vests and all gear. Tours start at $65 per person. Most paddlers only venture a few miles out to the main attractions of Secret Falls and Fern Grotto. Some companies offer a five-hour guided tour to kayak Wailua River, Kauai, which is an incredible adventure for the entire family. Though their main office is located in Kapaa, you will launch your rental kayak from the Wailua River Marina. If the water is not high enough, you will not be able to reach it by boat as it becomes too rocky to navigate. Its a nice change from the cities or resorts here. I want to end the post here to be honest about our struggle about our trip to Hawaii. I also appreciate the information about the request of the Native Hawaiians. This includes, but not limited to, change of the activity date/ time, package, the number of participants, etc. kayak Or by phone at 1-800-SNORKEL. Learn how your comment data is processed. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Park your boat here. When you call to make a reservation, Mariaor another helpful personwill explain your three options for renting kayaks to paddle the Wailua River. wailua kapaa Dont deplete all your energy trying to see every site along the river. wailua kauai gelston dwight Instead, we recommend that you walk down to the waters edge and enter the river from the spit of sand to the west (right) of the ramp. Check-out at Kayak Kauai at Wailua Marina. Once you are down with the days paddle, you schedule a time with the staff member and meet them back at the lot. They provide a car rack too and will help load the kayak on the car for you. There is a paved walkway that will bring you to the grotto in less than two minutes. guided tour kayaking wailua hiking valley river expedia wailua One of our friends already had a permit to hike Kalalau Trail Saturday morning. The 90 minute open air boat tours have been in operation since 1946 by the same family. Choose to rent either a Kayak or a SUP and explore at a leisurely pace on one of Hawaii's only navigable rivers. reservehawaii So to accommodate usthank you again, Maria, they mashed up the options. On your return journey, you will be paddling against the wind. wailua viator Looks like you had a great time. Prior to 1935, a huge waterfall spilled into the area until the water was diverted for agriculture. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. wailua kapaa kauai attractions If you have any other questions, Id love to help. If you find yourself uncertain as your traverse the trail, simply follow one of the many kayak tour groups coming and going to the falls. Even if its not raining where you are on the river, flash flooding can occur from storms on the mountains where the river originates. kauai kayak alii kayaks From there, you will head up the river to Secret Falls, where you can enjoy a packed lunch (not provided) and swim in the pool at the bottom of the falls. Depending on your stamina, it is possible to visit all of these sites, or pick and choose one or two. Your email address will not be published. Car Rentals for Persons with Disabilities. Bring a towel and comfortable shoes for the trail. Please be aware of the wakes these boats can produce. [ See also: Why River Trips Give Our Life Meaning ]. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. A historic cave with ferns cascading from its ceiling, tucked inside a lush rain forest laden with tropical plants, are just two of the pleasures our Kauai vacation rental guests can enjoy at the Fern Grotto. wailua kauai Some say that when night falls, you can still hear primitive drums thunder in concert with the nearby surf. But more than that he talked us through every step of the paddle. And when all the tours had shown up as full online, we assumed it was just that, full. In truth, even as we booked our do-it-yourself rental, we had not realized we had to do it ourselves because there were, in fact, no tours on Wailua on Saturday or Sunday. The entire journey is 4 miles. For these reasons we dont encourage people to go to there. Prices begin at $50 per adult and $30 per child (5 to 7 years) and includes five hours of self-guided paddle time. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. I will continue to wrestle with all of the complexity of this understanding. Was super safe and the tour guide was awesome!! Wailua Kayak & Canoe looks forward to welcoming you to the beautiful Kauai in Hawaii for your kayaking, hiking, and waterfall adventures. The package includes all gear, including waterproof dry bags for your cameras and a cooler for your snacks and beverages. At the parking lot for the river, there is a clear boat launch. [ Read more: Survive Anything On Your Next Paddling Trip ]. So you can absolutely do more paddling than just the river. The answer is Yes as long as you plan your arrival and departure before or after the boats. Copyright 2022 Powered by Customify. Guests who are pregnant are not permitted to participate in this activity. Thanks for the great guide! In Hawaii, the only navigable rivers are on the garden island of Kauai, making Kauai kayaking a very popular Kauai activity. And it did. You may wish to find one prior to leaving for your trip, as the choices will be greater. kayaking wailua wailua 10 Paddling Trips Of A Lifetime, Feel The Rush At High Falls, Algonquins Best Water Slide, 12 Best Places To Paddle In The Ottawa Valley. If you opt to kayak Wailua River without a guide, which is totally feasible and also lessens the number of people on the river at one time, we definitely recommend Bring Me a Kayak. Kayak Wailua offers numerous launch times Monday through Saturday, so you can depart almost any time you like, so long as its 1:00pm or earlier. Tour guides and companies need permits to kayak, but individuals did not. If youre heading out with a tour guide, they will go over many safety tips with you. The second option is that the Bring Me a Kayak van delivers the kayak to you. The trail has recently been upgraded with a boardwalk for an even easier and cleaner journey. That means the time to avoid landing is approximately between 9:55am-10:30am, 11:25am to Noon, 2:25pm to 3:00pm and 3:55pm to 4:30pm.