Honolulu

Kualoa Ranch

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  • 49-560 Kamehameha Highway
     Kaaawa, Hawaii 96730
    +1 808 237 8515; +1
jeanita
jeanita
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Editor Pick

Nice Horses at Kualoa Ranch

  • July 27, 2008
  • Rated 4 of 5 by golden101 from Honokaa, Hawaii
Nice Horses at Kualoa Ranch

Well, I booked reservations online for a one hour ride beginning at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15th. Since we live on the Big Island, we got the special kama'aina rate of $49.00. Well we left the Hawaii Prince at about 6:45 in the morning since we had to be at the ranch at 7:30 am to check in. I thought that it wouldn't be a problem getting there especially if we went there via the new H3 highway. After we got on the H3 highway I couldn't find the road to get off the highway and get on Kahekili Highway which merges into Kamehameha Highway. My husband stayed on the H3 and we ended up going somewhere near the Kaneoha Marine Base which is not where I wanted to go. After stopping at the gas statiion in Kaneohe (or it could have been in Kailua) I got the correct directions to get on Kahekili Highway. By the time we got to Kualoa Ranch it was already 8:15 which was too late! The girl at the check in counter was really nice and said that we might be able to wait for the next ride at 9:30 am to see if there was space available. At about 9:00 a huge crowd came off of a tour bus and settled in the cafeteria area. They came with a tour and paid for a tour of Kualoa Ranch that included 2 or 3 activities (horseback riding, ATV riding, hiking, a Hawaiian bus tour, etc.). After my husband saw the amount of people that came off the large bus he knew that we had no chance of going on the 9:30 am horseback riding tour. Sure enough, the girl at the check in counter called us over and told us that there was no space for the 9:30 am or the 10:30 am horseback riding tour. So she talked to her manager and she told us that we could come back on Wednesday at 7:30 am to do the 8:00am horseback ride. We agreed! The next morning we got up early and left the hotel at 6:30 am and took the Wilson tunnel instead of the H3 highway. We got to the Kualoa ranch at 7:20 am and waited outside the main store with the other riders. At 7:30 am the doors opened to the main store and we proceeded to the check in counter in the back by the stables. Check in was an easy process. We were given our 3 tickets and waited until 7:50 am for our orientation. There was a girl that explained to us the basics of horseback riding (and she explained that Kualoa was not liable for any injuries that we might incur from horseback riding). Then there were other guides that helped us on our horses. My horses name was "Romeo" which was a nice dark brown horse that was just adorable. My husband had "Shortie" and my son rode "Buck" which was a beautiful tan horse with a white tail. The horses knew exactly where to go and they were very tame. None of them showed signs of being wild. First the horses winded their way up the side of the mountains up the ridge where you could see Chinaman's Hat and Kualoa Beach. Then we continued on down into an area with a lot of monkeypod and shower trees which was nice and cool. Since our guides made sure that we stayed together (my husband, son, and myself) we could see each other and each other's horses. It was funny because my horse (Romeo) and my son's horse (Buck) liked to eat plants on the side of the trail, which is discouraged by the guides. My son and I had to pull on our reins several times to redirect our horses back on the trail but as usual they were determined to have their way. The guide that was closest to us talked about the history of the area, the native and introduced plants on the trail, and about our horses. I noticed that the trail horses are healthy and big at the Kualoa Ranch. I used to go on many trail rides on Oahu and some ranches have tired and small horses, some ranches have feisty and naughty horses and some ranches have nice and tame horses (like Kualoa Ranch). I asked the guide if the horses galloped on the trail but she said no because of liability. About 23 years ago I went on a 2 hour horseback riding tour at Kualoa Ranch into Kaaawa Valley which was gorgeous. I remember that our horses galloped really fast and I felt like I was flying! My son wanted a horse that would gallop but I told him that it was dangerous for him to ride a horse that gallops especially when he is a novice rider. Lastly our horses came around a u turn in the trail and headed back to the ranch. They were hot and so were we (my husband, son and I). I enjoyed the ride and so did my husband and my son (even though my son wanted to gallop). I think the price was well worth the ride (don't forget to ask for the kamaaina rate if you live in Hawaii). Book online because the rides get filled up very quickly. I wanted to book the 2 hour ride into Kaaawa Valley but it was all booked for the entire week. I would recommend the horseback riding at Kualoa Ranch because you will ride nice horses on a beautiful trail with fantastic views! You don't have to worry about wild horses trying to buck you (but again, you can never predict a horse's behavior if they are agitated).

From journal Week in Honolulu from July 12 - 17, 2008

Editor Pick

Tropical Farms and Kualoa Ranch

  • July 27, 2003
  • Rated 4 of 5 by jeanita from Kansas City, Missouri
Tropical Farms and Kualoa Ranch

Located in one of the most picturesque places on the island (where all the films are made), this farm is part of the 4000 acre Kualoa Ranch that backs into the mountains. There is an 800-year-old fishing pond, many tropical plants in the gardens bordering the pond, a tropical flower nursery where flowers are picked daily and sent to the mainland. The main purpose of our visit was to buy direct from a nut farm outlet the gifts we wished to take home with us.

We were greeted at the entrance to the shop by a friendly lady who patiently explained to me which fruits were which. There was a sample of each kind found in the islands and a plant out front to show where the fruit originated. Inside, there was coffee to sample and all kinds of macadamia flavored nuts to sample. We tried cracking some of our own to taste fresh and they were delicious . . . sort of like a mild hazel nut. There were a couple of other shops. One had some very nice locally made jewelry and other crafts.

From journal Oahu 25th Anniversary Trip

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