Holo Holo Charters
Holo Holo Charters
5
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Get to the Fun Faster! The memories will last a lifetime... Our four boats, Leila, Holo Holo, and Adventurer II & III, get you to the action quicker than anybody else, so you have more time to snorkel, sightsee, relax and enjoy the pristine waters and spectacular cliffs of the Napali Coast & Niihau. We are the only Kauai boat tours company that offers daily trips to the "forbidden island" of Niihau.
Kauai, Hawaii
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Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023

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Tours and Tickets by Holo Holo Charters
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(626 reviews)
(528 reviews)
(1,857 reviews)
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
7,728 reviews
Excellent
6,673
Very good
645
Average
224
Poor
83
Terrible
105

rickloyst
Queensbury, NY3 contributions
Feb 2020
Awesome tour with Holo Holo Charters!
Had perfect weather Feb 24, 2020 as we left Port Allen (Kauai) for our 5 hour catamaran sail along the Napali Coast. Captain Wendell, Ian, Kama, and Niko made it the trip of a lifetime catering to our group of 34 tourists (giving history of inhabitants and landmarks along the rugged coast, overseeing our snorkel time in the water, cruising at a comfortable speed that nobody got sick, brought us in close proximity for picture taking of Spinner Dolphins & Humpback Whales, and provided ample breakfast and lunch items along with sodas, beer, wine after our time in the water). Our snorkel time in the water was approximately 45 minutes at the beginning of our sail; highlighted by spotting a turtle in addition to many colorful fish. The scenery along the coast was spectacular; a must see tour not to be missed if one ever makes it to the Garden Island. We were able to book our tour 2 days in advance and would recommend not waiting last minute as these tours often sell out. Winter tours are weather dependent and will cancel if conditions are not safe or limit seeing the coastline. Days that are sunny and less windy will be most enjoyable if you can plan ahead. Thumbs up to Holo Holo! Mahalo.
Written February 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It is wonderful hearing how much you enjoyed your trip, and we'd like to thank you for joining us out on the water! We are elated to know how well taken care of you felt, and how much you enjoyed our staff. We hope to see you again soon! Mahalo and Aloha
Written March 9, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

whnewhouse
Princeville, HI1 contribution
Jul 2021 • Family
We took the all day Niihau + Napali Super Tour, check in at 6a in Port Allen. It was a great experience, and evidently one that not all the charters are equipped to do (channel cross to lava cone near Niihue) The $1m catamaran made quick work of the journey, with relatively smooth cruising. We had one of the best weather condition days, as remarked by the captain and crew, so your experience may vary due to weather, but the ship, crew and value get high marks. The staff in the offices for check-in were sunny and cheery. Note - when signing the waiver online available from an email sent weeks before the trip, be sure list and sign for each person in the group which wasn't apparent to me when I signed - the form appeared to indicate to me that one signature for the group was what was needed, but then we had to complete three more for my kids and spouse when standing in the check in offices, which took up some time for the other passengers (sorry if I didn't read closely and missed something!). Take a rain jacket if you want to sit on the bow during the faster legs, you will get wet! Take sunscreen to reapply, and a shirt or rashguard top to protect your back while snorkling. We saw several pods of dolphins that swam up in front of the ship, monk seals, and lots of reef fish at the lava cone. Napali coast is amazing in scale and beauty. Several stops along the way, Crew was very engaging, conversing with everyone, sharing stories and knowledge, and making sure everyone was hydrated and feeling well. This trip was a great value, and I'd highly recommend it for active people. We took our 11 and 12 year olds, who did fine. We could stand in the spray, sit at the stern, or in the cabin completely out of the wind and water. I could write a lot more, but you probably stopped reading a few sentences ago. :) Mahalo!
Written July 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are glad to have had you aboard, and are smiling reading over your review! Thank you for choosing to join us here at Holo Holo Charters and for letting us know what you thought about your time on the water! Mahalo and Aloha
Written August 6, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Pathfinder755176
3 contributions
Jan 2020
My wife and I had a wonderful experience on the Holo Holo Na Pali Coast Sunset Dinner Cruise! The scenery was particularly beautiful along the Na pali Coast itself as relatively calm seas allowed us to get quite close to the mountains, pocket beaches and a large sea cave. But, even the cruise up to Na Pali from Port Allen was fun as we encountered groups of whales and dolphins along the way and Captain Glen paused long enough for us to enjoy them. We also could see the island of Ni' Ihau and Lehua Rock in the distance and the longest beach in all of Hawai'i as the weather was quite clear.

Captain Glen did an excellent job from start to finish including his opening welcome and safety presentation along with many on board narrations on points of interest, beaches, history and marine life which was made all the more fun by his wonderful sense of humor throughout the evening! As a good responsible captain, he also emphasized the importance of safety throughout the excursion.

The crew was also excellent and were very attentive to everyone's needs including drinks, snacks, answering questions and taking photos. In fact, they went out of their way to make sure everyone got photos taken of them along the way, especially up along the Na Pali coast. They also made a point of acknowledging a birthday on board as we all sang happy birthday. The buffet style dinner was also quite good and plenty of food and drinks were made available.

The boat itself was extremely well maintained, relatively stable (although the seas were quite calm that evening) and had plenty of power to motor along when desired. This was the highlight of our ten day visit to Kauai and I highly recommend this excursion!
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It's wonderful to hear how much you enjoyed our staff, and all that you experienced out on the water! Thank you so much for joining us and for your awesome review! Mahalo and Aloha
Written February 4, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

RNAC5
Oakland, MI1 contribution
Dec 2019 • Family
We booked the 7 hour super tour for Ni'ihau 13 days in advance. I am giving the tour 3 stars because I felt we overpaid for what turned out to be only a boat tour. Unfortunately there was a big swell New Year's Eve 2019. Therefore the captain stated we would not go to Ni'ihau, and 50/50 chance for snorkeling before the tour started. We were offered a 25% refund as well as choice to cancel. We chose to take the trip as scheduled. About 3 hours into our trip, the captain informed us we would not snorkel as the conditions were unfavorable.
Obviously the captain has no control of snorkeling conditions. In the future, Holoholo should offer 50% refund if there is no snorkeling. On the other hand, we were lucky to see spinner dolphins and whales. The crew and captain were friendly, and attentive. The food was decent, perhaps offer better drink choices and fruit with lunch in the future.
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for choosing to join us here at Holo Holo Charters and for sharing your honest review. We are sorry that the day you joined us found us challenged with weather and ocean conditions that would not allow us to run our Niihau + Napali Super Tour in full. The weather briefing and partial refund is our way of being transparent about conditions that are out of our control, and also to empower our guests to decide what they want to do. We hope the rest of your Kauai vacation exceeded your expectations. Mahalo and Aloha
Written January 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

bptee
1 contribution
Feb 2020
We went on a Na Pali Sunset Sail and came away with mixed feelings.

Good bits:
The crew were great, very friendly and attentive. The Na Pali coast was spectacular! The food was good too.

OK bits:
The captain didn't interact much with the passengers after the briefing. Sunset was only 5 minutes before docking, so not all that different from being on the beach. The boat was in good condition but some simple spray guards rigged alongside the trampolines would dramatically cut down the spray/ This would make the trip much more comfortable (and less hazardous for cameras!). We travelled about halfway along the Na Pali coast - which was about far enough - but it would have been nice to have paused a bit longer at the turnaround point. Turning off the engines for a few minutes would have been a bonus.

Bad bits:
We had a mix up when we booked over the phone, we wanted to go on the sunset sail but were booked on the sunset cruise (i.e. powerboat). The staff were really helpful and rebooked us for the sail... but we were on engine power the whole time. The sails were apparently just for decoration, they were never hoisted. I'm a keen sailor and had been really looking forward to sailing in Hawaii, and I was also really looking forward to some respite from the droning of the engines. Boats behind us sailed almost the whole way back from the Na Pali. Even more frustratingly, the weather was much better on our original date, so to have rescheduled and ended up just under power was really disappointing. So much for "nobody sails more"!

Overall probably 3.5 stars. The crew were great but I left feeling I hadn't quite got what I paid for. For a trip solely under engine power I think the cruise would be more comfortable.
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so glad to have had you aboard, and want to thank you for your honest comments on what you feel can be improved upon and how it impacted your overall experience. We hope to see you in the future and exceed all expectations! Until we meet again... Mahalo and Aloha
Written March 9, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

DHdiggityDogg
1 contribution
Feb 2020
The ocean and Na Pali landscape speaks for itself, but captain and crew were Top-freakin'-Notch. They wore multiple hats- great personalities, brought us drinks all day, dished out great food, but best of all, told us all the info and answered questions throughout the entire trip. We definitely did not expect that level of service and would recommend Holo Holo Charters to any person/group/family/fiesta squad.
Written February 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for choosing to join us here at Holo Holo Charters and for sharing your unforgettable review! We hope to see you again soon! Mahalo and Aloha
Written February 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

renelle22
California8 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
We took a sunset dinner cruise to the Napali Coast in early January. While it was sunny, the seas were not as calm. Captain Rich and his crew Jay and Bronson, were amazing and got us to the Napali Coast as smoothly as possible. We stopped and saw whales and dolphins along the way. Jay and Bronson were extremely attentive with those who weren't able to endure the "roller coaster" ride and made sure that everyone else was safe, happy and had drinks in their hands! Captain Rich was an awesome narrator and extremely informative. Jay and Bronson were also excellent at taking family pictures for you and knew exactly how to "frame" the pictures perfectly even as the boat was rocking! The dinner was super delicious and "bottomless" mai tais were fantastic! Holo Holo Charters will not disappoint!
Written January 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are beaming reading over your review! Thank you so much for joining us! Mahalo and Aloha
Written January 21, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Cynthia N
Honolulu, HI43 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
We were very grateful to go out under the excellent stewardship of the captain and crew of the Holo Hole, who regretfully abandoned plans to drive across to Niihau for snorkeling (and gave us a partial refund), but nonetheless beat up the coast of the majestic Na Pali to explore it in rainy, windy weather. The abundant waterfalls were breathtaking, and the slap of the waves created a rhythm to our journey. The trip was safe, and dramatic! We encountered whales doing a courtship dance and a super pod of 300+ spinner dolphins. We were fortunate to have a marine biologist on board to narrate the sights. The highlight of our wonderful Kauai vacation! I look forward to returning in the summer sometime and booking again with Holo Holo Charters!
Written January 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It is wonderful hearing how much you enjoyed your trip, and we'd like to thank you for joining us out on the water! We are elated to know how well taken care of you felt, and how much you enjoyed our staff. We hope to see you again soon! Mahalo and Aloha
Written January 21, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lyt68
Wildwood, MO11 contributions
Dec 2021
My husband and I had a wonderful time on Holo Holo’s Leila Napali Sunset Sail on 12/31/21. What a way to close out 2021! It was the rainy season and we feared the sail may be cancelled, but fortunately the weather cleared a bit that day and the trip was on. The views of the coast were amazing! And we even saw a humpback whale. Captain Matt (or Max) and the crew were personable, fun and attentive to the needs of the passengers. Drinks and food were good… nothing extravagant but understand that there is no kitchen on board so everything is prepared in advance and ready for the trip. A few people had issues with sea sickness, but I believe they stayed on the back of the boat below cover, which I don’t recommend. Stay out, keep your sights on the horizon, and see the beautiful scenery!
Written January 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for joining us and for sharing your great review! We hope to see you again soon! Mahalo and Aloha
Written January 11, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Kane A
Princeville, HI7 contributions
Aug 2021
We drove all the way from Princeville (leaving at 4:30 a.m.) to get to Port Allen by the 6 a.m. meeting time. If you are still fighting Mainland jet lag, it’s no problem at all, but having been in Hawaii for over two weeks already, the start time found us a bit groggy.

Registration at the Holo Holo office was followed by the captain‘s talk outlining all that we should expect. On our morning, we were told that there was an unusual ocean situation - swells coming from both the north and the south. With this in mind, we were informed that conditions might not allow the open ocean transit to Niihau and Lehua. It was also possible that we might not be able to snorkel. Only the Na Pali portion was guaranteed. After this was explained, we were all offered a full refund if we wanted to cancel and not take the risk. There were several groups that chose this option. In the end, it worked out better for those of us that remained because the boat was less crowded.

The gamble was worth it because, as it turned out, conditions allowed us to do everything! Here’s how it went:

1) a continental style breakfast was served as the trip started. It was sufficient and the crew really worked hard to make sure everyone had what they needed - food, drinks, etc.
2) a leisurely cruise up the Na Pali coast, filled with views that were simply amazing! We went from Port Allen past Barking Sands all the way up to the spectacular Kalalau Valley.
3) a fast and vigorously paced ride to Niihau and Lehua Crater. Be prepared to get some salt water spray on you unless you choose the covered section of the seating area. We went to the front of the boat and enjoyed the incredible spinner dolphins which raced alongside with us.
4) snorkeling while anchored directly off the coast of Lehua Island (and Niihau incredibly close by). Fins and snorkel gear were provided. The snorkeling itself was a beautiful experience. I should mention that the ocean was in no way flat. If you are not a good swimmer, I’d recommend staying on the boat. They did provide “noodles” to hold on to if needed.
5) After about an hour of snorkeling, those who were done found lunch waiting. Like breakfast it was buffet style. The food was good. I had somen salad and raw vegetables with hummus. There were pre-made vegetarian and turkey sandwiches available. This was also the time that they began serving alcohol.
6) After lunch, there was a high speed somewhat bumpy ride back to Port Allen.
Written August 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
You've left us with all the feels! Thank you so much for choosing to join us here at Holo Holo Charters and for your unforgettable review! We couldn't be happier knowing how much you enjoyed it! Mahalo and Aloha
Written August 20, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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