Today we went for a helicopter tour with Jack Harter Helicopters. Going for a helicopter ride with the doors off makes for a whole different experience. The wind is rushing through the cabin and you feel a lot higher off the ground then when you have a closed cabin. Another interesting difference is you can literally smell the areas that you are passing over.
The activity that is essential to of any classic Hawaii vacation is a Luau. Going and experiencing a little bit of Hawaiian culture is something that every visitor should do when visiting the islands. Some local food, dance and drinks will always lead to an enjoyable evening (for me). On Kauai, we have one of the most classic luaus that can be found anywhere in the state. It is owned by the Smith family and is set on their magnificent garden estate that is nestled into the banks of the Wailua River.
As we entered the Luau gardens we made our way through their picturesque archway. As soon as we entered we were greeted by a massive reflection pond that was surrounded by various gardens on all sides that extended over the horizon. There was a tram that was waiting just to the right of the entrance as we walked in. The tram driver was offering free tours of the gardens which sounded like a good idea, so we jumped on.
Our drivers narration was amazing! He was able to name every plant that we passed along the way. That feat is easier said then done, because the Smith Gardens are almost like a botanical Noahs Ark for everything that grows in Hawaii. They had every kind of Pineapple, Coconut, Macadamia Nut, fruit and flower that you could imagine.
The tour concluded at the imu pit. Early Hawaiians perfected the use of an underground oven called an imu many centuries ago, that has been used ever since. It’s concept is simple. You dig a pit. Then, next to the pit build a bonfire. Throw river stones into the bonfire until they are super heated. Meanwhile, wrap pigs, fish and poultry in banana leaves and season them with Hawaiian sea salt. Once the rocks are sufficiently heated, use tongs to pull them out of the fire and place them in the pit. Once all the rocks have been moved into the pit, pile the banana leave wrapped bundles of food on top of the rocks and then bury it all. Allow the bundles to cook underground with the rocks for the entire day and then uncover everything. The resulting is a slow roasting of any item that is placed in the imu. The pig comes out so tender that you can literally pick up the bone and all the meat will fall back onto the plate.
The Smith family had a beautiful imu pit, we watched as the luau workers dug up the pig that had been cooking all day. MC Kamika Smith narrated throughout the imu ceremony. After this was done, when the imu had been emptied, Kamika invited us to the dining hall for some drinks at the bottomless bar (unlimited free drinks).
The luau hall was a giant pavilion that had bars on two sides. There was a stage with live entertainment that we enjoyed. Our group conversed and sipped on our tropical beverages (MaiTais were the favorite drink of our table). After a couple rounds of drinks, our table was called to the luau buffet.
The luau buffet is always my favorite part of any luau. I grew up eating Poi, Kalua Pig, Poke, Teriyaki Chicken and Pulehu beef so I jump on any opportunity to have a crack at an all you can eat buffet that is stocked with all of my favorite foods. I made a mountainous plate that was absolutely saturated with Poi, grabbed another drink from the bar and made my way back to the table with an ear to ear grin across my face.
We enjoyed our plates of food as we watched a beautiful dance by one of the Smith sisters. The band played a few more songs before Kamika came on stage and informed everyone that the luau show would be starting in the amphitheater in a few minutes. We finished our drinks, then made our way over to get seated for the show.
The show at Smiths luau is my favorite part of the entire event. It was a Polynesian show, not a Hawaiian show. This means that they had not only the traditional dances from Hawaii, but they also had dances from: Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand, Tahiti, the Philippines, Japan, China as well as a few other Polynesian locations. The show culminated with an amazing fire dancing display which was a crowd favorite. The skillful dancer was very talented at his profession, and I was able to snap some great photos.
I’ve been to many luaus across the state of Hawaii and it is rare to find one that has the sort of down home family feel that the Smith family Luau has. This luau has been a central part of what the Smith family has done for generations. The pride the family show in taking part of their family legacy is evident by the extreme attention to detail that is apparent in all aspects of the operation. From the extremely manicured gardens, to the caring attentiveness they show to the needs of their guests. When I watched Kamika Smith (the operations manager) do his duties throughout the night I could tell this is more then a job for him. This is his families’ legacy, and it is apparent that he takes an immense amount of pride in everything that happens here. All the hard work and effort that has been put into this luau by the Smiths over the years has paid off, because they have created one of the most quality Luaus that can be found anywhere in the entire state of Hawaii.
Today we did a trip that I think is one of the best values that we have on our entire site. We went on a 70 minute long air tour around the entire island of Kauai in a 6 passenger Airvan. This tour goes for a little over $120 (and it is also offered in a 2 passenger Cessna for the same rate). What you get for the cost is an exceptional value to say the least.
Today I woke up at my house in Lihue eager to get down to the airport to go on a flight I had scheduled a few days prior. My girlfriend is not so keen on flying; the huge passenger plane going to California and back makes her uneasy already. I’ve been trying to convince her to go on a helicopter ride for a long time but she is adamantly against the whole idea. However, I was able to convince her to fly in a small plane to see some waterfalls.
We got to the airport and met our pilot, Captain Bruce. Bruce is the owner of Wings Over Kauai and also does most of the flying. We began by going over the map of the island and he showed us the flight path that he normally does. After he was done showing us, he asked the group:
“I am willing to take you anywhere you want to go as long as it fits into our 70 minute flight plan, is there any special requests?”
The group agreed that the normal flight plan would probably be the best because we would get to see the Kipu Kai coastline, the Waimea Canyon, the Napali coastline as well as the Hanalei River Valley. It turned out to be a great call because as soon as we took off we got more then we bargained for.
Right after we took off from the Lihue Airport we were greeted by a pod of Humpback Whales that were playing in the waters off of Kipu Kai. We made a few circles over the whales (in opposite directions so passengers on both sides could see). Captain Bruce then eased the course of the plane towards the Waimea Canyon.
The Waimea Canyon was amazing. From an aerial perspective we were able to see all kinds of places that are hidden from view from anywhere on the ground. We saw some waterfalls (or to be more accurate, many series of waterfalls) that were absolutely gorgeous. After making a few passes on some of the highlights of the Waimea Canyon we moved on towards the Napali Coast.
The Napali Coastline is the fastest eroding coastline in the world. The cliffs resemble a drip castle that children make at the beach, but on a massive scale. These cliffs are well over 3000 feet tall and it is almost impossible to really even get a perspective on their actual size in any photograph, because they’re SO ENORMOUS.
After viewing the cliffs of Napali we moved on past the Hanalei Bay and up into the Hanalei River Valley. Here we saw a completely different kind of terrain, that was covered with one of the most lush forests that you’ll be able to find anywhere in the world.
After we finished our tour and landed I had a new found respect for airplane tours. We saw pretty much everything that I saw on the last helicopter flight that I took around Kauai, and the ride was amazingly smooth. I think what impressed me the most about the entire trip, more then the big windows, or the amazing scenery, was the fact that Captain Bruce asked us where we wanted to go. If I said, I want to fly over my house (which we did, but it was on the normal flight path), or I want to fly over my favorite surf break, or just circle around one waterfall for 45 minutes. Whatever I requested, Captain Bruce was ready and willing to make it happen.
As we pulled up to the beach to go SNUBA diving in Poipu, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I've done quite a bit of SCUBA, Diving but I never did SNUBA before. When I was a kid I used to have a job as an assistant dive instructor for an intro dive company that operated off of the beach in South Maui. From my experiences working there I know that when you go diving from the beach, an experienced staff is very, very important.....and SNUBA has much more air hose involved then SCUBA so I was interested how they kept everyone from getting tangled up. As soon as we showed up, I could tell that I had nothing to worry about, these guys were pros.
Before we even got close to the water, we had a very thorough lesson covering all the basics of how to SNUBA dive. We went over the equipment, what it does, and how to use it and some of the common things to watch out for.
SNUBA Diving is very similar to SCUBA Diving except it is a bit simplified. Instead of carrying the SCUBA Tanks on your back you have them floating on a small raft. The regulator hose is extended to about 20 feet long. The SNUBA diver puts the regulator hose in their mouth and swims under the surface. The length of the hose determines how deep the SNUBA diver can go. Because the SNUBA system does not require the user to operate a buoyancy compensator and has a shallow maximum depth, it is easier, and safer to do.
As we got out in the water I was amazed how fast Simone picked up SNUBA diving. Within minutes she had her face under the water and was swimming around trying to get a better look at all the fish. The reef we explored in Poipu was shallow, which made it pretty easy to find the fish. At different times during the dive each one of us was completely surrounded by fish.
Our guide was right there with the group the whole time. He was not only making sure that everyone stayed safe throughout the trip, but he was also there make sure that everything was documented. He had a Sony HD camera in a massive marine housing that he was using to document the entire experience. When we got out of the water we got to see how dialed filming part of this operation really was.
The SNUBA Tours of Kauai van was outfitted with TV screens on the inside of it. Using this on-board video system we could get an instant preview of the video from the day as we were drying off. Some of the footage he captured was great!
As we were driving back home from the dive, I could not help but to replay the mornings events in my mind. I was absolutely amazed how well our guides were able to keep everyone safe and under control. With their two man team, they were able to make things as simple for the customers as going in the water, grabbing the regulator from the guides, (that was attached to a float that was already launched) and go diving. When the dive was done we just had to take the regulator off and give it back to the guide. It was so simple. I did not have to really deal with any: setup, breakdown, or launching of the floats. They made it so easy I think that almost anyone could do it!
When we checked in this morning at the Ali'i Kayaks office on the north side of the Wailua River, I knew it was going to be a wonderful day. It was one of those beautiful blue bird winter days with not a breath of wind in the air. After check in, we boarded the Ali'i Kayaks bus to make our way to the boat landing on the southern banks of the river.
As we pulled up to the boat launch, our guide was waiting for us with our kayaks. Before we launched the boats we were given some time to pack our boats and dry bags with our lunches as well as any belongings we wanted to stow. Our guide went over some of the fundamentals of paddling, as well as a detailed summary of what our days itinerary was going to entail. After our guide was done with the briefing and we all had our gear squared away, we dropped our boats in the river.
The paddle up the Wailua River was one of the most relaxing, "serene experiences" (as described by another member of our group) I have ever been a part of. The glassy, still water of the river and the calm, rhythmic stroke of the paddle almost put me in a state of trance as I just let myself enjoy the jungle views.
Our guide pointed out an ancient Hawaiian village on the banks of the river that was used in the making of the medical drama "Outbreak", starring Dustin Hoffman. He also pointed out some beautiful native and non-native plants and flowers that grew along the banks of the river. Before we got too tired, the first paddling portion of our trip ended as we pulled our boats onto the shores. The beach that we landed on was also the trail head of the path leading to the "Secret Falls".
We gathered our gear off of our boats before our guide pulled the boats onto the banks of the river for us. As soon as everyone and their boat was out of the river, we began our hike to the falls. The hike was an adventure in itself. The trail contained one major stream crossing, and the rest of it was made up of a moist single track trail. The trail was mostly shaded by the thick canopy of the jungle. The surface of the trail was muddy and we had to use extreme caution as we made our way up the hill, and closer to the waterfall.
Once we got to the falls, we were greeted by a massive waterfall with a strong flow that emptied into a swimming pool surrounded by jungle foliage. It was magnificent! I wasted no time and placed my belongings on the shore before I made my way down to the waterfall for a swim.
Some words of caution on swimming here: Swimming under and around waterfalls brings with it a certain set of risks. These include and are not limited to: slipping on the rocks, kicking or bumping the bottom of the pool or getting hurt by debris contained in the waterfall hitting you. To sum it up, be careful and realize that your taking a risk by swimming near waterfalls.
After I was done with my swim, and we all finished our meals we made our way back down the trail to our boats. From here our guide launched our boats for us. We then boarded them, and then began the paddle back to the boat landing near the mouth of the river. We took our time and enjoyed our paddle back up the river. When we got back to the landing, our guide loaded our boats back onto the trailer. The group loaded back in the bus for the ride back to the Ali'i Kayaks Headquarters.
We lucked out, we had an awesome trip, with perfect weather and a great guide. I enjoyed this tour so much that I might have to look into some kayaks or canoes on craigslist. I've loved paddling since I was a kid. I used to do canoe club in the Summers, this trip might have been just the motivation I needed to get back into it.
The evening theater with Oceanside Productions is a delightful evening activity on the south shore of Kauai. Their comedic performance consistently puts smiles of the faces of their audience.
When I was growing up, I always had a love for all things off road. I don't know if it was because my early childhood years were influenced by the monster truck racing that seemed to always be on TV, or if it had more to do with the childhood adventures on my mountain bike, or if it was a combination of the two. Whatever it was, if it was off-road, I was there. If it had a motor and it was off road, I was there even faster (probably fighting to get towards the front of the line). It was no accident that one of the first things I signed up to do upon arriving on Kauai, was Kauai ATV Tours.
We checked in at the Kauai ATV Tours office in old Koloa Town. Koloa Town used to be a hub of the once thriving sugar industry, but has since shrunk to a few shops and restaurants. After checking in, we were given a map to the ATV barn where we met our guide Pat.
Pat was a very nice guy that had a farm hand-ish sort of look and personality. He went over the basic operation of the ATVs as well as the two person buggies (which my girlfriend Simone and I elected to try). We also changed into some camouflage pants and t-shirts that were provided for us to use by Kauai ATV Tours. After we were all geared up, we started our engines and began our ATV adventure out on the ranch.
Pat explained that this ranch was once all a giant sugar plantation that extended for thousands of acres on both sides of the mountains. For years the owner of the plantation was forced to pay heavy fines because he had no other option but to use the states public roads to transport the sugar from the fields in Koloa and Poipu, to the mill in Lihue. Eventually, (because of the cost of the fines he was constantly paying the state) he decided that it would make more sense economically to dig a private tunnel through the entire mountain then it would to continue using the states roads. So he did exactly that, and brought in Chinese laborers to make it happen. The tunnel is still there to this day, and we got to drive through it during the ATV tour.
After we made it through the tunnel to the other side of the mountain, we continued our full throttle journey around a giant loop that took us all the way to theside of the highway in Puhi. After going parallel to the highway for a stretch we eventually turned and made a giant loop, but not before stopping for lunch.
Following Pats lead, we eased off of the gas and made our way down a small side trail. The trail led to a wooden pavilion that sat next to a picturesque waterfall. Pat unpacked our picnic lunches from the cooler that he had strapped to the cargo rack on his ATV. We spent about half an hour or so checking out the waterfalls and eating our sandwiches. In the back of my head I was kicking myself for not wearing my bathing suit, because the waterfall and the pool looked like it would make for a nice place to take a break from the hot Kauai sun.
After we all finished our lunches we got back on our off road vehicles and completed our loop around the ranch before we ended up back at the ATV barn. Here we hosed ourselves off in the shower and then changed back into our dry clothes that we were wearing when we checked in. After the tour we decided to go for a swim in the ocean at the nearby "Shipwreck Beach".
When we checked in at the Kauai Backcountry Tours office in Hanama'ulu. After check in, we walked around the headquarters and checked out some of the informational plaques that were mounted on the walls. The plaques detailed the history of the ditches that the tubing tour goes through. The ditches were constructed during the sugar cane days of Hawaii in the early 1900's. These ditches were some of the first pieces of major infrastructure that were installed on Kauai by the European settlers. The gravity fed aqueduct system of Kauai is an engineering marvel, even by the engineering standards of today. The system meanders through lush jungle valleys and even tunnels through entire mountains at points to maintain the consistency of the mellow downhill slope that is essential to the flow of the entirely pump-less, gravity fed system. After we were done looking around the headquarters, our guide assembled the group to issue our equipment and go over some details of the trips itinerary.
We were issued helmets with headlamps on them so we could see in the dark going through the tunnels on our route. After our group was done getting fitted with helmets, we moved out to the front of the building where our other guide was waiting with a 6 wheeled military transport vehicle. The transport vehicle that had a trailer attached to the back of it that was loaded with giant inner tubes. We boarded the vehicle and began making our way up the hill towards our drop off point high up on the mountain.
Our guides pointed out where different films were shot on the ranch lands and jungles that bordered the road. The war films "Tropic Thunder" and "The Thin Red Line" were filmed in these fields. Also, the early 1990's Stephen Spielberg dinosaur classic "Jurrasic Park" had some scenes that were filmed here too. We stopped along the way at a scenic point where to took pictures and admired the views of the lush interior of Kauai.
Once we made it to our drop in point, our guides went over some last minute instructions before we began our journey down the man made stream. Right before we began our journey I remember wondering how cold it was going to be. I was pleasantly surprised to find our that while the water in the stream was colder then the ocean, it was not nearly as some chilling as the freshwater streams on Maui.
Our group leisurely pin balled its way down the ditch, enjoying the views of the jungle along the way. Our guide told us something was really helpful, he said:
"Today you cannot say sorry if you run into anyone".
This really helped to set a playful tone for the tour. Within about 2 minutes of being on the river the whole group was using their inner tubes like giant bumper boats, bouncing off the walls as well as the other members of the group.
We went through some sections where the current was faster then it was in others, but I think that the most exciting part of the tour was when we got to go through the tunnels. These tunnels were created when the methods of construction were still very primitive. They would have a team of workers tunnel towards each other from opposite sides of the mountain. Most of the time they were very good at lining the tunnels up so both of them met in the middle. However, there were some tunnels where they didn't meet in the center as planned and had to change course midway through the construction. This resulted in tunnels that ended up with an "S" shape to them. We went through one such tunnel. It was quite a thrill to bounce our way around the corners in the dark while we were floating in the giant inner-tubes.
At the end of our trip I think it was safe to say that we all had a good time. Everyone of all ages seemed to be smiling and I couldn't help but think to myself that I wanted to do this trip again. I think I will save it for next time some of my family from the mainland comes to visit, I know a few of them that would really enjoy this tour.
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