DRAMAMINE, y'all…read more You're choosing to do the Na'Pali coast from the North Shore, which means smaller boats, and choppier waves. I took one Dramamine, the night before. Then another, an hour before our departure. AND THE BOAT RIDE WAS GREAT. I was all smiles and adventure and breathing -in the ocean air and wind! Unlike, a few folks, who were NOT doing so well. (One or two barfed over the side, but thankfully I didn't notice. Know how your body handles boats and waves. Don't do tours like this, without proper prep. It will NOT be fun if you underestimate it.) Check-In staff was super friendly, and personal. They remembered me from my original email. Sweet. Parking was easy. Shuttles team was super friendly. The strangers we rode with, all turned out to be cool. 2 boats go out (mini-catamarans, with cover from the sun). They expertly traverse the waves, and cliffs, and the caves, giving you some amazing first-hand visuals and photos. But yeah, that boat will be a rockin', during those up-close cave moments. Spoiler: You probably won't see whales, unless you're there before May. But we DID see a cute pod of Dolphins, who cozy'd up to our boat for a while. Our boat had Casey and Spencer. They were wise beyond their years, in all things Kauai. Funny and friendly. Spencer navigated the heck out of those waves, while Casey handled the nauseous passengers with MOTHERLY CARE. Spencer was 50/50 on allowing us to snorkel, based on conditions and a previous scare, a few weeks prior. But he ultimately made the call to GET IN THE WATER. He wisely kept us on a leash (not literally), whistling at swimmers when they got too close to a reef (with waves that could wash you onto the reef). It was fun and chill. Saw a HUGE, MASSIVE KING DADDY SEA TURTLE. He did not enjoy us as much as we enjoyed him and he bounced. Followed by a JR. Turtle, who stuck around a bit longer. Tons of fish. Spencer & Casey gave us good food and hike recommendations, and everyone treated us like friends / family. Highly recommend this team if you're going out. And you already know I highly recommend some Dramamine.

Spectacular experience on all levels. Highly recommend this company. We went near the end of the…read moreseason in October so we weren't able to snorkel but the trip was wonderful anyway

Fantastic, early morning boat trip down the Napali coast. Captain Caleb and Jackson were fun, safe,…read moreprofessional and full of interesting local information. Can't recommend this more highly.

We got super lucky with our adventure and snorkel tour with Hanalei charters- we saw Humpbacks!!!…read moreI was recommended by a coworker to pick a tour that leaves from the North shore vs South, and Hanalei charters did exactly that. From our check in at arrival, to end of tour - everything was seamless. Our captain was Dale, and first crew teammate was Caleb - they were both very friendly and had so much information to share! Our ride through some of the sea caves was amazing, and the very first for us as well. They do provide snacks and beverages on the tour as well, right after snorkeling. 100% recommend!

We had the best time!! Even during "winter" but please keep in mind these guys cannot control the…read moreweather! It is not their fault if the ocean is rough that day. And yours need to cancel, turn back, or etc. And even on a nice day, it's the ocean and the water/wind is unpredictable. Even those not prone to seasickness need to come prepared! There is plenty of ways to prep in advance and ensure your not in the middle/back looking at the deck or a bag the whole time. We saw so many humpback whales! And even a mama and her baby! As well as Hawaiian spinner dolphins! And of course the Na Pali coast line! Even on the way back blasting thru the ocean I was able to spot humpbacks in the distance. So it's also what you make of it and my husband and I really had the best time. I also want to say this but all of us are just guests on Hawaii and yes we are paying for a tour but they are stewards to showing us some of the most important parts of Hawaiian history and landscape. That is a PRIVILEGE and I think too many of us forget that. I really would like to thank Shawn, Elijah, and Jay for closing out our trip with such a memorable experience. You guys are all stars! Mahalo!!!

If you're on the fence about whether this tour is worth it -it absolutely is. We honestly had zero…read moreexpectatons and booked a morning tour in January, and it turned out to be the best decision. The water was calm enough for snorkeling, and we got incredibly lucky - we saw hundreds of dolphins, whales, albatrosses, turtles, and so much more. And that's not even mentioning the unreal beauty of the Na Pali Coast. Huge shoutout to the captain, who made it feel like a full-on adventure - taking us through sea caves, near waterfalls, and still making sure everyone felt completely safe the entire time. A few tips if you're not very experienced with boats: - Definitely bring towels and warm clothes -- it can get very windy. - Sunscreen is a must. No explanation needed. - Take Dramamine about an hour before boarding if you're worried about motion sickness. Everyone in our group took it and felt great, unlike a couple of other tourists who were clearly struggling. The worst part is when the boat stops and rocks on the waves. Another awesome bonus was the unlimited drinks, plus really tasty sanwiches and snacks throughout the tour. Highly recommend - this ended up being the best experience we had in Hawaii!

Unreal guides!! This trip was the greatest. Captain Greg & copilot Caleb made everyone feel like…read morefamily. From the lunch to the snorkeling to the vast amount of information... what a home run. Greg guided us perfectly through some rough chop and we came out on the other side ready for more. Greg is 6th generation Hawaiian so ask away... he knows everything. It is unbelievable !!! Would definitely do the tour again

Our young friend recommended this as her favorite thing to do in all of Hawaii Nei. This was her…read morethird visit because she likes to bring all her favorite visitors on this tour. After taking it myself now, I can see why! We met Captain Greg Baptiste and copilot Caleb at Kiki'aola Small Boat Harbor at 8:45 and ended about 2:45. We were supposed to end at 2:30 but got delayed by kayakers who caused boat traffic. A 6th generation Kaua'i kama'aina, Captain Greg was extremely experienced, confident, and relaxed so we felt very safe with him at the helm, even when the boat was slapping the waters and we felt like we were on a mechanical bull ride. Luckily I didn't get seasick, so it felt a like a real life Disney ride to me. However, I don't recommend this for those who get queasy. His first mate, Caleb, took turns with him at the wheel and dove in to achor us. Throughout the tour Greg educated us with fascinating facts and tales about the geography, history, and lore of the breathtaking beautiful Na Pali Coast. One of the lessons from the legend of Na Keiki a ono iwi that resonated with me was 1.Listen to your elders 2. Do not Steal 3. You are responsible for your children's actions. (Teachers, gotta love this one!!) Highlights were the open ceiling cave and iconic "Cathedral " cliffs. We stopped for about an hour or so of beautiful clear snorkeling where we got to see turtles in addition to some beautiful and large fish. They use excellent Mantis brand snorkeling gear which I really liked and will fit you for fins. After that we were very ready for lunch! They normally cater sandwiches but something happened so we assembled our own with fixings from Costco which tasted extra good at sea! The only suggestion I would have for this business is to do a better job of briefing folks about safety and how to treat the reef. Some kids in our group were sitting and stepping on the coral. Mahalo nui Capt. Greg and Crew for an incredible day trip!! Will definitely recommend this to everyone I know!

Easily One of the Best Experiences of My Life - 10/10 Would Do Again…read more If you're debating whether or not to book with Nā Pali Pirates, just do it. Hands down one of the coolest things I've ever done. Captain Dom was the perfect mix of chill, knowledgeable, and safety-conscious--dude knew exactly how to handle the boat, even when we got up close and personal with some pretty intense waves near the cliffs and caves. And Chaz? Absolute legend. Kept the vibes light with some solid (and delightfully cheesy) jokes, plus he snapped a ton of pics so we could actually enjoy the moment without worrying about our phones. But the real highlights? Getting insanely close to the cliffs and feeling the sheer power of the ocean, then just floating out in the middle of nowhere, taking it all in. Oh, and did I mention we saw THREE whale breaches and a bunch of dolphins? Unreal. If you're on the fence, take this as your sign to book it. Zero regrets, just pure adventure.

If you are looking to see the Na Pali coast at high speeds and incredibly close up while in Kauai,…read morethis is the tour for you. My son and I did the morning tour and had one of the most incredible experiences of our lives. Not only will you get up close to the cliffs, you will venture inside caves and thru tunnels w scenery that will leave you speechless. Our captain, Dom, and first mate Chaz were fantastic. Not only do they educate you with historical and geographical knowledge of the island, but Chaz will have you cracking up w his Dad joke "Dad-a-base" lol. If you are in good health, and enjoy a fast pace, exciting tour, this is for you. Mahalo!! \m/

This was a wonderful day and well worth the time and money. Who wouldn't want a tour of the island…read moreby a private driver and seeing the sites by someone who lives and breaths Hawaii? We learned things we never knew even after 20 years of visiting the island. Saw some amazing homes and the history of who lives there, saw beach's that we had no idea were there, and just had an amazing day talking about the history of Kuaui. Steve who was our driver for the day was very informative and we enjoyed the day with him immensely. We couldn't have asked for a better day! Would definitely do it again!

Our family, party of 5, all adults, took this tour on 6/14/23. Bart was our "tour" guide. He was…read moreanything but a tour guide. Very nice man, but this was not a tour. It was a car service. Bart did not share any history about the island. He only shared movie/tv knowledge. He did not share any cultural or historical knowledge. Don't waste your money or time! If you have a rental car, you can see everything for yourself. We paid for the "Ultimate Kaiya Private Tour, " which cost our family $1600.00 (with tip). The ONLY reason we tipped is because we feel it's important to support the local economy, and as I shared Bart was a nice guy. We did contact the business about our concerns, and they gave us a canned response telling us that they will tell Bart to do better. Hence the reason I am taking it to this review so that others can be warned. We feel we were dupped and that this business has unethical practices.

Asher gave us skills for life at ACE. We were able to go to a wonderful location and be greeted by…read morethe clear blue waters of the Hawaiian reef. Asher took us to outcroppings and showed us the hunting techniques that we brought back to our local community as well. We were able to make some awesome fish tacos for the rest of our time on island with our daily catch.

Asher is an amazing guide! I took my 3 boys out for a day of spearfishing including my 12 year old…read moreson. He was extremely knowledgeable. Really took the time to instruct and teach before leaving the beach and in the water. I was comforted knowing he's a trained lifeguard here on the island and has years of professional and recreational spearfishing experience. Highly recommend!

We were scheduled for a Waikiki Sunset & Wine Turtle Snorkeling Cruise at 4 PM this evening and…read moretheir operator forgot to pick us up. We tried the number listed several times from 4:15 until after 5 PM and no answer - not even a voicemail. We finally received a call back at 5:12 PM because she realized she had several missed calls from my number. Needless to say we traveled all the way from Missouri on our honeymoon and was not able to experience this excursion, so we are not happy. Had they answered when we first tried reaching out, we may have been enjoying this experience right now. Do better. Maybe make a roster of names and hotels of the pickups and cross them out as you pick them up... try that. Very, very discouraged.

From the owner: Enjoy Waikiki's beautiful sunset and Friday night fireworks aboard the Oceanstar. Have an evening…read moreto remember while snorkeling with turtles with a spectacular sunset, views of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head Crater. As we sail back, enjoy our complimentary home-made charcuterie board and wine. You are welcome to bring your own snacks and beverages as well.

My daughter and her friend each took a 60 minute private lesson. It was the top highlight of our…read moretrip. Of course the setting is beautiful. But what really made it special were the instructors - Eileen and Lucy were warm, kind, and confident. They focused on foundational technique and really -explained- things to the girls. We can't wait to return!

I guess my memory isn't so good, The owner said I wasn't…read morehere. Hopefully there isn't an imposter posing to be PR or the Owner