On the Water
5 hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 94% of travelers
94% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$115
per adult
Alii Kayaks
Alii Kayaks
5
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
Take an eco-adventure Kayak/Hike to a Secret Waterfall! Among all the rivers available to adventure seekers, the Wailua River Valley seems to be one of those special places. Kayak 4 miles roundtrip on a Class Zero river, combined with a 1.5 mile moderate to strenuous hike through a tropical rainforest, wading through streams, and traversing muddy trails to get to the beautiful 120' Uluwehi Falls.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
3,036 reviews
Excellent
2,690
Very good
239
Average
64
Poor
30
Terrible
18
goin2france
Seattle, WA5 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
I’m not a kayaker, I am an accomplished white water oarsman however, so when my adult offspring insisted on kayaking, I was non-plussed. Bad weather was imminent which did not bolster my enthusiasm one bit. So after checking in and going through the safety drill we launched in a downpour. Our guide Ryan, was going to take us and another all-adult family up to the falls on the Waimea River. Paddling was new to my wife, so I sat in back and helped to synchronize our strokes and steer. She picked it up quickly and we were soon scooting along effortlessly, having casual races with our kids in the other kayak. Regardless, it was raining so hard that we were saturated to the bone before we got across river. Being hopelessly wet did not deter our good time. Ryan bounced between boats offering encouragement, tips on paddling technique and light hearted quips.
We watched passively as Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies zipped around the river aboard their $13k (each!) Fliteboards. A surfboard with a hydrofoil and propulsion system. We got a casual nod from one in exchange for some stiff (private) ridicule from our millennial adult kids. Back to kayaking. The weather was getting nasty, stiff breeze and torrential rain. We saw some occasional drift floating down the river. At one point, Ryan indicated it would not be safe to go to the falls as we might be subject to a flash flood and a non-planned campout in the jungle. So we went with plan B, tied the kayaks up to a root and marched inland a few yards to a restored ancient Hawaiian village. It continued to pour, but Ryan, undaunted and shirtless, very pridefully and from the heart, explained his own heritage and told the story of the ancient Hawaiians; how they lived and toiled and celebrated the land, the sea, the creatures, their ancestors and the universe in this place; a model of many ancient villages all over the islands.
My wife is kama’aina and although we have lived on the mainland for the last 40 years, the Hawaiian culture remains important to us. Hawaii is an integral component of our kids’ life experience. Ryan’s soulful description of the history of the village, thoughtful articulation of the history of this area and granular representation of the native Hawaiian culture was interesting, compelling and thought provoking. He is a magnificent ambassador to his people and ancestors. We look forward to visiting bruddah Ryan again soon and encourage you to ask for him specifically.
We watched passively as Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies zipped around the river aboard their $13k (each!) Fliteboards. A surfboard with a hydrofoil and propulsion system. We got a casual nod from one in exchange for some stiff (private) ridicule from our millennial adult kids. Back to kayaking. The weather was getting nasty, stiff breeze and torrential rain. We saw some occasional drift floating down the river. At one point, Ryan indicated it would not be safe to go to the falls as we might be subject to a flash flood and a non-planned campout in the jungle. So we went with plan B, tied the kayaks up to a root and marched inland a few yards to a restored ancient Hawaiian village. It continued to pour, but Ryan, undaunted and shirtless, very pridefully and from the heart, explained his own heritage and told the story of the ancient Hawaiians; how they lived and toiled and celebrated the land, the sea, the creatures, their ancestors and the universe in this place; a model of many ancient villages all over the islands.
My wife is kama’aina and although we have lived on the mainland for the last 40 years, the Hawaiian culture remains important to us. Hawaii is an integral component of our kids’ life experience. Ryan’s soulful description of the history of the village, thoughtful articulation of the history of this area and granular representation of the native Hawaiian culture was interesting, compelling and thought provoking. He is a magnificent ambassador to his people and ancestors. We look forward to visiting bruddah Ryan again soon and encourage you to ask for him specifically.
Written January 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.
Beckles
4 contributions
Jan 2021 • Family
What a fantastic experience. To be honest, our group of 5 (3 adults and 2 kids -9 and 11)weren’t super excited to take a guided tour for 5 hours, but that was the only option at the time Bc most things were closed due to covid and Kauai had just re-opened to inter-island travel a few days before. Wow... are we thankful we had a guide, as we would never have found the secret falls on our own. Our guide Ryan, was native to Kauai, a wealth of knowledge and was so great. We booked last min. So they had to find a guide for us and Ryan came to the rescue. We weren’t rushed at any part, we saw maybe 8 other people in total... so it was almost as if we had the falls to ourselves. Again, not many visitors Bc Kauai had been closed for a while, so it worked out perfect for us. He told us a lot about the plants and trees that we passed on our hike, and was also prepared and used a machete, as part of the rainforest tour portion had not had as much traffic so he had to cut some grasses out of the way as we continued our hike. He made a bracelet for each of the kids out of rope from a tree which is super thoughtful. And even Cut open 2 fresh coconuts for us at the end our our tour... which was awesome to watch. The kayak there was 2 miles and 1.5 mile hike and then the same distance on the way back as well. My kids did great and were even in flip flops. Water shoes or keens or Tevas might be the best options. There are so many rocks to walkover, not as Muddy as everyone had talked about because now they have the boardwalk which made it way easier. You do cross three small rivers, kneed deep. I would recommend bug repellent as we did get a bunch of mosquito bites when walking through the tall grasses. What a fantastic and authentic Experience and probably our favorite thing we did in Kauai. Highly recommend. Alli.
Written January 15, 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.
Jesus Gastelum
3 contributions
Oct 2020
We had clear skies that morning. We met the tour guides as they were giving important information to the rest of the group. We got on the kayaks and went along the Kailua river for about 40 minutes or so. After that we started hiking for about 30 minutes. The guides were stopping us every now and then to share information about the area including wildlife, vegetation, the history of the region and even the mythology behind the river and the forest. At Secret Falls we swam in the water and enjoyed the cool waterfall. We had a snack and relaxed. After everyone got a taste of the waterfall experience, we went back to the kayaks and headed back to our point of origin. This tour is a must do! Guides were kind and funny, informative and humble, like good Hawaiians. Kayaking for over 30 minutes can be a nice challenge, however nobody's in a rush and you can take your time. Some people will get ahead but at the end everyone waits before stepping onto the trail that leads you the the falls. I recommend taking water shoes because you will need to cross the river at some point, a shallow part of the river. Navigating through the Hawaiian jungle is simply beautiful. I recommend not focusing on getting ahead of everyone, but instead to enjoy the greenery on both sides of the river. You will see some locals kayaking also, so be prepared to smile and say aloha!
Written October 31, 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.
evehadley1
Birmingham, MI1 contribution
Feb 2022 • Family
Our group wanted to kayak the hike to a waterfalls. Alii Kayaks was referred by a friend and I am so glad we went with them. Start time of 9am was perfect, no wind during the kayak and less headwind coming back. The most important thing for us was out guide. We were so lucky to have Izzy. She was engaging with every person in the group and shared with us old folk stories, nature, birds, and recommendations. I would return and be so happy to have her again. Well worth it. Thank you.
Written February 17, 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.
Brent S
San Ramon, CA1 contribution
Oct 2021 • Couples
This was a fantastic tour. As someone who has never kayaked before I dident know what to expect but it was really easy to pick up and our amazing tour guide Izzy made sure we were up to speed in no time. The river was calm and easy to navigate. My wife and I were at the back of the pack enjoying our relaxing paddle and taking in the scenery. The hike was easy, only a few small ledges to climb up and a couple small water crossings. Izzy really made the whole tour memorable, that girl is on another level. She was telling us all about the wild plants, history and culture of the area. Running off and grabbing various flowers, ginger, and all sorts of things. Weaving bracelets for the group out of tree fibers and making what I can only describe as origami flowers out of leaves for all the ladies on the tour, Her hands were always doing something and you could really feel her passion for the area where she grew up and her job. Not to mention she had a great sense of humor and was firing back at some of my snarky comments lol. She was even able to call two wild birds that live in the area along the hike whose trust her family has earned (go and find out how) and was having all of us digging for worms and feeding these two little birds treating them like royalty. It was a really cool experience and something we will never forget! The whole thing was really well done and I would highly recommend this company over any other on the river, it’s ran by a legit local family who has soooo much knowledge about the area. It made for a beautiful day! Thank you!
Written October 21, 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.
Vitaly v
1 contribution
Sep 2021
The tour was awesome, nice kayak down a river, followed by a comfortable hike and a great swim at the (not so) secret falls, and then a hike back and a kayak back. Alii kayaks was no frills, bring your own lunch, kind of tour, and the best part, by far, was Kai, our guide. Kai is a local and a vet of the armed forces (thank you for your service). Kai knew a lot about everything we saw and tied it all in to his personal experience with his family. He and his dad trained a wild bird to eat out of his (and his customer's) hand, and was overall a very interesting, informative guide. I will recommend this tour to anyone that is planning to go to Kuai.
One more thing is to take this tour at the beginning of your trip to Kuai because Kai goes out of his way to recommend places to see, eat at, and visit that most tourists don't know about.
One more thing is to take this tour at the beginning of your trip to Kuai because Kai goes out of his way to recommend places to see, eat at, and visit that most tourists don't know about.
Written October 2, 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.
robertspj1
Petaluma, CA22 contributions
Nov 2020 • Friends
Seven of us went to celebrate four milestone birthdays (60th bdays all)! We had the very best time with this kayak and short hiking adventure.
Kai, our guide, was wonderful. He provided instructions and ‘pro-tips’ that covered all necessary health and safety issues, in a clear way, but with humor that lasted our entire trip.
We enjoyed the hike, even the sucking mud portions. And the “secret waterfall” was beautiful.
Kai was professional and handled the varied group easily. We had a range of people in our group, from small children to more mature kayakers.
We highly recommend Ali Kayaks, and even more, we recommend the best tour guide, Kai, and his little sidekick, Ku.
Kai, our guide, was wonderful. He provided instructions and ‘pro-tips’ that covered all necessary health and safety issues, in a clear way, but with humor that lasted our entire trip.
We enjoyed the hike, even the sucking mud portions. And the “secret waterfall” was beautiful.
Kai was professional and handled the varied group easily. We had a range of people in our group, from small children to more mature kayakers.
We highly recommend Ali Kayaks, and even more, we recommend the best tour guide, Kai, and his little sidekick, Ku.
Written November 9, 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.
SweetheartStP
San Diego, CA1 contribution
May 2021
I was hesitant to book a guided tour as they tend to be congested, on weird time constraints and you feel like just a number. But this was not that tour, the guide was a local (6 generations deep) and was SUPER knowledgeable of the land VERY interactive with the environment and providing us info. Took time to meet with each of us in a very personable manner. In the beginning it got off to a shaken start with two kayaks flipping but he handled like a Champ, caring, attentive and calm. Very observant of the crowd and adhered to all of our individual needs Alii aka chiefs really was the chief of the scene and tour! Highly recommend! I wish I remembered the tour guides name,
Written May 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.
sfgirl3
San Francisco, CA363 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
Great tour! Our guide Izzy was one of the best guides I’ve ever had in any tour. She was engaged from beginning to end, making grass flowers for everyone, telling island traditions and stories, singing out to her bird friend to come over and say hello and eat worms from our hands, and teaching about the plants and plucking all puui flower gifts for us that are good for our hair. Would definitely recommend Alii kayaks as it feels like a local family run operation. Secret waterfalls was definitely worth hiking to! Hike involves river crossings. Guide did the hike barefoot but I wore regular tennis shoes and it was fine as long as you don’t mind getting them wet.
Written August 18, 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.
KimC
Cullman, AL2 contributions
Apr 2022
My husband and I took the Secret Falls kayak & hike tour with Kai as our guide in our April trip to Kauai, and had a great experience! We are both retired and were visiting after a family wedding in Oahu. Kai was great at getting us where we needed to go both on and off the river. The hike is challenging if it is muddy, which it was. I found a walking stick helpful, but was totally happy with the hike, and the falls were so worth it. Because there had been some rain on the other side of the island the river was rising during the time we were there. Kai was very skilled at helping us know how best to ford the river on the way back, and making sure that he was there to help us in any way. He was also extremely knowledgeable about the falls, the environment, and Hawaiian history and culture. He even played ukele some of time while we were hiking. He loved questions, and interacted extremely well with the group! A heads up that is good to plan to bring your own dry bag or container for your phone and food. We simply had our phones in a zip-lock bag in a small back pack with our lunch. This was one of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences of our 2 weeks in Hawaii. If you love the outdoors and new experiences, and want to learn about Hawaiian history and culture, I highly recommend this tour with Alii Kayaks!
Written May 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.
What is the best time slot for this tour? I wonder if the crowds are less early or later?
Written October 11, 2019
Early day. It gives you time to dine at Lava Lava when finished.
Written November 5, 2019
Do they provide dry bags for keeping cameras, phones, etc protected during the kayaking portion of the trip?
Written September 8, 2019
Yes. The bag worked great. Don’t overpack. It’s about the size of an average to large backpack.
Written September 9, 2019
hi, we are there for 2 days in june on pride of america. how would we go about organising this trip, and is there a pick up point near the were the ship docks, thank you.
Written May 2, 2018
Aloha! Currently we are offering our 3-hour Scenic Paddle on Wailua and will be reopening our Secret Falls Kayak/Hike tour sometime in late June. Reservations can be made via our website or call us 808-241-7700. There are a few transportation options, Uber or taxi would be the best.
Mahalo!
Written May 2, 2018
I'm very sorry but I mixed up my reviews - published the wrong one to your site. I have thus far been unable to delete or edit it - please feel free to delete if you can from your end and I will write a new (great!) review.
Thank you!
Written March 5, 2017
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