Spending a day with Polynesian Adventure Tours

Without a doubt, the most memorable part of the daylong event was seeing Waimea Canyon. As soon as the driver picked up the last passenger, he said he was driving directly to Waimea Canyon area and he was going to drive as far up the mountain road as he could get. The sooner in the day, the better the chance we would get great views. We didn’t get to the very top (Kalalau lookout) but we did get to about 3500 feet high on HWY 550! And the views were spectacular. We could not have picked a better day in the week since there were hardly any clouds in the sky to block our view. The scenes were spectacular and I won’t forget them for a long time.

Not only did we get great views (and hopefully my pictures will do justice to the magnificent sights) but also the tour driver was knowledgeable AND funny. One of his lines while driving DOWN Highway 550, was he wouldn’t be talking for the next 20 minutes or so since he needed to concentrate on driving since it is very treacherous. And then he said, "and it is my nap time!"

You can view photos on the web but unless you plan to vegetate on the beach, you must see the canyon yourself.

You can view a professional picture by clicking here

The next most memorable part of the tour was the boat trip down the Wailua River leading to Opaekaa Falls and the Fern Grotto. Even though those two sights were very nice, I believe the best part of the trip was the four people who were the operators of the boat. The one woman performed numerous hula dances and also sang beautifully. The other woman also did some of the singing. Both men either told wonderful stories of the region or of the people OR sang and played the guitar OR drove the boat. All in all very entertaining! Again you can see some of the pictures and information from the web, but it is something that can’t be missed. If you want to take just this portion of the Island tour, you can drive to Wailua and just pay for this portion only. See
pictures and more info

We also stopped at some of the other popular sights such as the spouting horn and Lydgate State Park. And as we drove by other sights such as the tree tunnel and Hanapepe, the tour driver kept up a running commentary about the history of the sight. And even though we weren’t on the popular "Movie tour", our driver did tell us about which movie was filmed where when we were passing by each movie location.

The cost for the entire day was approximately a person (cheaper if leaving from Lihue). This did not include our stop for lunch at a local restaurant.

Quick Tips:

Pick a nice day for the tour. With bad weather, the views at the canyon are not that nice.
If you don''t have all day, you can take the shortened version but I would recommend the full day version.
I would recommend having some knowledge of the sights ahead of time. I found it hard to absorb some of the sights because the names sound so similiar.
Wear comfortable sneakers so you can walk around at some of the stops. And without proper shoes, the walk to the Fern Grotto area will be very difficult.

Best Way To Get Around:

While the Fern Grotto may be "overrated", the trip TO the Fern Grotto IS the part to enjoy.

We all emptied out of our tour bus and got in the red and white boat (as distinguished from the other boat which belonged to the second tour company on the river). As we were waiting for other passengers who paid $15 for only this portion of the tour, we decided where we wanted to sit. It really didn’t matter since the boat wasn’t full and all the seats were good. Then we began chugging down the Wailua River, the largest "navigatable" river in Kauai and the entertainment began. During the trip down the Wailua River, one of the two male "hosts" drove the boat while the other kept up a running commentary of history of the river, the people, and other interesting tidbits of information. Then they would switch roles. Both of the hosts were funny as well as informative. I wish I could remember some of their jokes but then that would spoil it for when you go! Actually, since we had our video cam, I do have some of the jokes, and other antics, recorded!

After at least 10 minutes we docked where we were told to follow the road to the Fern Grotto. More jokes followed (along the line about not getting lost as if you could). We all sat in the "amphitheater", which was rock seats overlooking the performing area. Then the one woman began dancing the hula while the other woman began singing and the two men sang and also played the guitar. All three had beautiful voices. While listening (and one claim to fame of the area is the great acoustics), we also looked around at the beauty of the place. It definitely wasn’t as spectacular as Howes Caves (near where I live), but it definitely had charm and beauty. During this time we all were put in the mood of imagining having a wedding at the Fern Grotto (I mentioned to my husband that we should return in two years and renew our vows as we celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary). The only negative about having a wedding there is paying accommodations and travel for all of the guests!

Returning down the river was even better. Again the men told jokes and stories and the women danced and sang. In addition, the one male was dancing as he was driving! At this point I am glad I have the video! In addition, the crew got everyone on board the boat to stand up and they taught us a basic hula. Corny but fun. All too soon it was over.

One note of caution: it is better to have proper footwear since there is some moderate hiking involved and some of the ground is wet.

You can access a web site For a narrative and pictorial information of the grotto area.

You cannot go to Kauai without seeing what Mark Twain is accredited with saying is the Pacific’s Grand Canyon. While not as impressive as the Grand Canyon, it is impressive in its' own right. I cannot remember the roads in Arizona, but these roads were narrow and steep, and I am very very glad that I wasn’t doing the driving. And I don’t remember too many guardrails or places to pull off if other cars crowded you!

One thing different about the canyon area now then 12 years ago when I last saw it: less trees since the hurricane destroyed so much. It also appears that a lot of erosion is taking place. Some of the restraining areas where visitors can peer over the rails have been moved because the soil is moving. Something the same is the volume of chickens! They are everywhere. In fact the local people would like the tourists to bring some home!

Also the same from 12 years ago is how awesome the views are. We had a wonderful day, so we were able to drive quite a bit up the mountain and then we stopped at various points on the way down. Since we had a video cam with a very strong zoom lens, we were able to get different perspectives (and pictures) of the canyons. Some of our pictures, taken near the top, show the gravel trails at the bottom. Some show the detail of the "walls" of the canyon. Since several lookout points had multi-tiered viewing areas, we even have pictures where it appears that you are next to the canyon. What our pictures don’t show is how immense the area is. You have to go there to appreciate how huge the area is.

We were lucky that we took our tour at the beginning of the stay. Later in the week as we drove around the island, we could see the canyon area in the distance and cloud covered! Unless you are staying in the Poipu area, it is quite a drive to see one major sightseeing site. But it is worth it and you have to do it.

There were many other sights of interest of the daylong tour.

For me, the Spouting Horn area was especially memorable mostly because of sentimentality. When I was last in Kauai, 12 years ago (almost to the day), I was viewing the Spouting Horn and browsing among the jewelry kiosks when all tourists stopped and listened to the radio. The Gulf War (Jan 1991) had begun. So when we were at this spot this time, with the threat of war in the air, lots was going through my head. In addition, 12 years ago, I didn’t really understand the natural phenomenon that caused the Spouting Horn. This year, after visiting Hawaii and knowing what lava tubes are, I now know the cause. As the waves come into the underground tube, a geyser effect is produced at the point where there is a hole in the top of the underground lava tube! The higher and more powerful the wave (surf), the higher the geyser! Even though the mystery is solved, the beauty still remains. My pictures don’t show the geyser at the highest point of eruption but I think you get the point. Spouting Horn is stop one of the Koloa heritage trail. Click For more information.

Opaeka’a Falls was also impressive. Again the tour driver did an excellent job of explaining more of why there are so many waterfalls in Kauai: in areas of greater erosion, there are more waterfalls. There is lots of erosion in the area. In fact many times, the rails that are built to guide the tourists have been moved according to changes in the landscape. I would have loved to hike into the falls but being on the tour, I had to be content with just watching the falls.

Of course part of the tour included the towns of Koloa and Hanapepe and seeing the Tree Tunnel. Koloa is the state’s oldest sugar plantation town and it seemed like we were stepping back in time when we passed through. By the way, apparently Old Town Koloa is National Historical Landmark. Click For more information. I had the same impression of going back in time while driving through Hanapepe, which is known as the site of lots of art galleries. I believe every Friday there is an art gallery tour. Click For more information.The tree tunnel was formed when the treetops of the miles of Eucalyptus trees planted along one side of the main highway began to "merge" with the treetops of the miles of Eucalyptus trees planted along the other side of the main highway. Unfortunately the hurricane destroyed the "roof" of this tunnel so light shows through and you have lost some of the tunnel effect.

We also saw Coco Palms where Blue Hawaii was filmed. This once beautiful Hotel Resort,destroyed in the hurricane, is now in the news. For more information

Going to Hawaii for vacation is a major outlay of money, so of course you want to see as many of the highlights of the islands as you can. But the problem is deciding between all of the possible "modes" and exactly what to see.

One choice you may select is to sit back in a mini-van and let the knowledgeable driver do all of the driving. On Kauai you can select Polynesian Adventures ( Click here for information ) or Roberts ( Click here for information ). Both companies offer variations that include the three major components of Kauai: Waimea Canyon, Fern Grotto, and the Princeville/Hanalei area. In addition to the three major components, the half-day or full-day tours include various other sights of interest. I highly recommend doing at least one of these tours. We chose the full-day Canyon/Grotto combination and not only did we see those two major sights, we also were entertained and educated by a very knowledgeable driver. And when someone else is doing the driving, you don’t have to worry about getting lost. You also see all of the items of interest since you don't have to keep your eyes on the road. And who knows best the inside scoop? The drivers of these tours!
Rating: Most Educational and informative

You can also select the specialized movie tour ( click here for information ). Personally we did not choose this option this time, but maybe next time. We did get some of this tour on the Polynesian Adventures tour, so I can imagine that this would be very entertaining.
Rating: Most likely to bring back fond memories of Kauai when watching various movies filmed in Kauai.

Or you can be adventurous and take one of the several ATV tours such as Aloha Kauai tours ( click here for information ). At our orientation meeting at our condo, the representative was excellent as she explained what you would see and do. Personally this option sounded great except I was concerned that my bum knee might have created havoc for all others on this trip.
Rating: Most likely the most fun day.

Or take a helicopter ride such as Kumulani Air ( click here for information ). No, we didn’t take a helicopter ride this time but I will never forget this option when we in the past chose this mode to see Kauai. The sights are absolutely fantastic. And you can see waterfalls, mountain areas, and the NaPali coast that you cannot see any other way. This is an expensive option, but you only live once!
Rating: The most breath taking.

Or take a boat trip to the North Shore (of course if visiting Hawaii in January, those trips are suspended). Since we have always visited Hawaii in January, that option has never been available to us. But we plan to return in May in two years, so this will be our top priority!

Or you can drive yourself. This time we drove ourselves (using the wealth of information available via the literature at the airport and hotels, especially 101 things to do) to see the North coast area. We spent the entire day and saw all of the items of interest. The advantage of this method is you dictate the pace, decide what to see and what to skip, and of course it is the cheapest.
Rating: Inexpensive and you still get to see the sights.