Our guides, Katie and Soarin, were awesome. Not only did they give us some information about the island and the sugar kane plantations, but they took really good pictures of the whole group. Be sure to hit the ditches in the ground that are filled with water, you get splattered with dirt and mud, but it is worth it. I would recommend going to a timeshare presentation because you will end up getting a percentage off of every activity you go on.

We had a 15%-off coupon for the AHI Activities & Attractions Association of Hawaii, where it costs $145 for each person to take an ATV out for 4-hour off-roading through the mud and hills of Kauai, having lunch and visiting a waterfall. We had a great time! They made a CD of us for $20!

Trena and Jess got their own ATV's, Mizumi was the driver of two-seater Mud Bog, and I was the passenger $125. She tried to hit every mud puddle she could and ran off the road in the mud; three guys had to help her get it out. Trena waved her to go ahead down a dark sugar cane tunnel, and she drove like a bat out of hell, with me screaming, and when we got to the end, a team leader came and said to go back with the group.

If you want to get to a waterfall besides the Opaeka’a Falls, which can be reached by car, then you either have to hike into the countryside, travel by horseback, or you can do it the way we chose, going on an ATV/Mud Bug.

We went with Kaua’i ATV Tours. You have to be 16 years old to drive an ATV, but they have other options. My husband drove an ATV, I drove a mud bug (small dune buggy) with my son as passenger. We were in a group of 14, including 2 guides. We drove about 26 miles back into the countryside on privately owned dirt roads and dirt trails through the Haupu Valley, a ½-mile-long tunnel, which was used to transport sugar cane, and on to the Kahili Falls. It was a beautiful trip!

On the way, there we were stopped twice for the guides to share information with us about the area. One of the guides is always taking pictures, which you can purchase on a CD at the end of your trip. You can also take your own water-resistant camera to use.

When you get to the waterfall, you get to swim for about a 1/2 hour, then you are served a delicious sandwich, chips, drink and cookies for lunch. After eating, you can go back into the waterfall for quick dip. The drive back was just as much fun. Check out their website at http://www.kauaiatv.com Pictures to come--once I develop them.

Kauai ATV was a excellent activity to save for our last day on the island. We decided on the waterfall tour, which takes you on a four hour ride to two secluded waterfalls, through a half mile sugar cane tunnel, and also through many off-road muddy dirt trails. We got to see a lot of the island in a different way - on ATV's.

Most of the trails are through a old sugar cane plantation on the Ha'upu mountain range. We rode to the final waterfall and had a sandwich lunch which included chips, cookies, and drink (ice tea, pineapple juice, water, or guava juice). We were able to swim in the refreshing pool at the base of the second waterfall. The water was VERY cold but refreshing. We all took turns jumping off the rocks into a 10 feet deep pool of water. The guide would stop often to explain some of Kauai's cultural history and unique plant life.

We rode Kodiak four-wheel ATV's. Our two kids, ages eight & ten, rode in the mud hog. The mud hog was not working very well this particular day as the driver spent more time trying to fix it than driving our kids around. The tours give you clothes to "cover up" with along with helmets and goggles because you will get muddy - red muddy! The guide takes pictures throughout the tour and you can purchase a CD for the cost of $20 at the end of your tour. It is worth it because I would not take a expensive camera on the ride - not sure if it would make it back in one piece. This is good for new riders as well as experienced riders.

I have included some of the pictures off of the picture CD. The check-in Hut is located right behind Old Koloa town. Vist their website at this link.