On May 5, 2026 my husband and I went on a Kayaking adventure with Ali'i Kayaks in Wailua, Kauai. This was our first kayaking experience and it did not disappoint! Our guide for the day was "K-man". He was awesome! He had a great personality, was very knowledgeable and was funny. He was also great with names; he remembered everyone's, and he made it a point to make conversation with everyone single one of us. Our adventure started off by meeting at the office/pick up location. Then we loaded up into a van and made the short drive to the slipway. There we selected kayaks and were given oars and life jackets. Once we got situated, we hit the water. The weather that day was perfect; the sun was out with some clouds, and there was a light, constant breeze. Our journey on the water was a beautiful one. The water was cool, the scenery was green. I'll admit, the kayaking distance was a bit challenging. Maybe a bit more so as my husband and I are competitive and we were nearly racing with another couple. LOL! Once we reached shore, we gathered up and made our way to the hiking path. Honestly, the hike itself is not hard, with the exception of a few spots that may require teamwork/assistance. (**READ TIPS BELOW) Once we reached the waterfall, most of us went into the water. We stayed there for about 20-30 minutes. Our guide never rushed us. He sat back and let us enjoy ourselves. It was only when we all gathered up again that we headed back, same hike in reverse back to the kayaks. Once in the kayaks it was the same way back as well. The scenery was VERY beautiful. Several pictures were taken. Overall we had a great day. We would definitely recommend to anyone who has never been to Kauai and to anyone who is interested in being surrounded by beautiful scenery. TIPS: - [ ] Wear good shoes! The terrain can be unstable due to river rocks, tree roots, mud, and uneven ground. Your feet WILL get soaked and the ground is unstable. My husband and I both opted to wear sneakers that we were ready to retire. When we were done we threw them away. Another couple wore aqua shoes and they said they were extremely uncomfortable: good for water, bad for the rough terrain. Another couple wore brand new hiking boots and they became water logged. - [ ] Wear sunscreen!! Even if it's overcast, the harsh island sun will magnify through the clouds. - [ ] Sunglasses and a hat/visor is a wise choice. **if you wear a hat or visor, it may create a blind spot. Keep your head up! One person in our group hit their head twice on the same tree branch! - [ ] Wear clothing you can get wet. You will get wet from the waist down from the kayaking and hike. - [ ] Wear swimwear underneath your clothing. When you get to the waterfall, there is a pool of water you are able to swim in. - [ ] Bring a backpack/secure bag with water and snacks! You will need it! - [ ] Bring towels and leave them in the car. At the end of the day, when stripping off your wet shoes and socks the towels come in handy. *** For reference, our groups ages ranged from 52 to approximately early 70's. read more

Ali'i Kayaks - Tours Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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What an adventure we had!! Definitely a must do while on the island. The kayak and hiking trip was so much fun for our entire family. Our guide was Kamen aka K-man. Such a great guy with a wealth of knowledge about the land. He was very personable and made sure everyone was included in the Q & A sessions he gave throughout the tour. He had so much energy and really is a great asset to the tour company. We will absolutely come back again and ask for Kamen. The tour was a good 4-5 hours long. The things we were able to see on our hike were worth every dime spent. It was fun paddling on the river, slipping through the mud, hike up to the gorgeous waterfall. This is not something I would do with my parents who are elderly. I think the rowing alone would have worn them out. But it's the perfect trip for families with young kids. Thank you Ali'i Kayaks for a wonderful experience! read more

We did the wailua river tour to secret fall. Kai (and his trusted dog, Ku) was an excellent guide! He is so entertaining with lots of funny stories but he was also a wealth of information about the local flora. And the most amazing thing, he has trained a local wild bird to eat worms from our hands! It was so cool. The waterfall is beautiful. Tip- be sure to bring food and water to enjoy at the waterfall. It had rained a few evenings before and it was really slippery and muddy. Good water shoes (keens, etc) are a must. You should be in fairly good shape to do this kayak and hike. We did it (we are all in our late 50's and in ok shape) but we are all sore. Highly recommend! read more

4.5 stars. Guide Kala was great and even entertained us with his ukulele along the hike. A more descriptive overview about portions of the hike being rough--slippery, steep rocks and stream crossings--would have been helpful. And portion was very easy on path planks. Also, we would have packed our own wet bag if we knew they weren't provided. PS: Booked through Trip Advisor. read more

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Huge thanks to Kman who guided our group who was so informative, enthusiastic & our personal photographer! Such a fun tour, I especially love to hike & knowing that a waterfall will be at the end is so worth it. Taking a dip at secret falls was the highlight for me. The kayaking portion was fun too. Kman also shared his notes for great recommendations for good eats & activities along with airdropping our photos. Highly recommend & would do it again! :) read more

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We had an amazing time on this adventure! We had our two girls (11 & 8) and they loved it as well. We couldn't have asked for a better guide. Kayman was knowledgeable, fun to be around, and my girls adored him! They have talked about Kayman so much since we've gotten home. It was a windy day, which made kayaking a little more challenging, but it didn't take away from the beautiful experience. Kayman told the kids they'd be earning their kid friendly lava flows that night and they sure did! They practically fell asleep at the dinner table afterwards! The hike was great. Get in the water, take the pictures, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings! read more

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Highly Recommended! Great experience and very memorable adventure. Kai & ku (Pomeranian mix) were our awesome tour guides. Kai was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, resourceful and goofy at the same time. First timer here but Kai made me love kayaking. I find it very therapeutic. A piece of advice, heed warnings. Always Pay attention to your tour guides instructions and you will have nothing but just fun-filled adventure. read more

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Kayman was an amazing tour guide. This adventure was was of the best in Kauai. We had such a great time. Great day kayaks was perfect and hike was even better. Thank you all read more

Sam was great. He was fun and knowledgeable. He will make you laugh and make you sure you have a good time. So if you want to laugh and and have a good time while on an awesome adventure this is the place to book! read more

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Mana wasn't the best tour guide unfortunately. He seemed a bit uncomfortable to be leading our tour, and wasn't very nice about a health situation that came up along the hike. On the way back, both with hiking and kayaking, Mana went so fast that we could barely keep up. The leisurely pace of a a vacation experience you'd hope for was nonexistent sadly. It would've been more fun if Mana was more involved with our group and showed some excitement about the whole thing. Overall, the experience was cool but the tour guide simply didn't add to the experience. read more

Amazing trip! Beautiful scenery, a fun hike, and a phenomenal waterfall. Swam and took pictures under the waterfall. Definitely a trip that will be remembered. Our guide, Kayman, is an awesome dude. Kept it fun, informative, and took lots of photos of everyone in our group. 10/10 recommend this tour. read more

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Our guide was Khaiman or (K-Man). First, I'd like to thank him for the great job he did. He made this experience fun and enjoyable. He's extremely knowledgeable and cares about the history of the Wailua River and the rainforest. Kayaking was fun, paddling against the wind can be challenging but extremely doable. The hike was 100% easy. Expect to get wet (knee deep) so bring appropriate river shoes/sandals. The water fall was pretty neat. K-Man took the time to talk each of us and he remembered our names. He even volunteered to take individual photos of all his 12 guests at three of his favorite locations. K-man was the man!!!! read more

We just completed the secret falls kayak and hike. Such a great time! Highly recommend. If you are not able to easily walk, pass this one up. It is not a really long hike, but you will need good water shoes. There are rocks, sticks and mud. I had my phone in a ziploc bag. You wade through thigh high water at one point, so plan to wear clothes that can get wet and muddy. Worth it! We wore flip-flops, but the store had water shoes we could purchase right there. read more

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We did the kayak and hike tour. I was a little anxious at first, but it turned out to be the most amazing time. We had a great guide (Kayhman) that lead us down the river and through the woods to the most beautiful waterfall. We kayaked, hiked, and swam our afternoon away. Just an all around spectacular trip. read more

Ali'i Kayaks - Spoiler alert - this beautiful waterfall is awaiting you at the end of your hike - Tours Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

My partner and I had a great morning with this company! This tournis great for all ages levels. The guide will take the tour at your own pace. The walk had wood boards for most of it. There are two rock areas and one small portion to climb. The falls are beautiful and a great place to take a dip and eat lunch. read more

Sam was a very knowledgeable guide and very patient with the slow kayaks. He pointed out a lot of plants and fun facts along the tour. We even ate some of the local plants along the way! The secret falls were a beautiful sight, wish we could have spent more time there. Check them out! read more

Khayman was an amazing guide, he was very knowledgeable and provided us with a lot of information about the island throughout our walk from the river to the falls. Best of of all you could tell that sharing his knowledge excited him as well as he was very enthusiastic and full of excitement. It was truly a pleasure to have Khayman guide us!!! read more

Ali'i Kayaks - Tours Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

The tour guide Kman was so great. He was fun to go with. I hope to be back again soon! :-)

We loved the guides , very knowledgeable and great sense of humor. The kayak and hike were not easy but they made it fun and entertaining . I definitely would recommend this , just make sure you bring a back pack , lots of water and good terrain shoes. read more

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Kman was fantastic. Made sure that we were safe and got to the falls! Taught us so much about the area and the nature. Just a great day and highly recommend our guide! He made the trip even better! read more

Very nice adventure with our fun loving, comical and knowledgable guide Kayman. He was helpful to all remembering all 15 names in our group. Lots of beautiful scenery. Definitely plan to get wet and wear grippy shoes. I would reccomend this tour on Kauai read more

I am only giving this 4 stars as our morning started rough. If I could just rate the start of the morning before the kayak trip I would rate it a 2. We arrived 30 minutes early at the address provided in the email. It was to their main office. There were 3 other parties waiting with us. The building was not open and we sat there for about 10 minutes. Another party called the number on the door and was told we were all in the wrong location. Apparently the address they provided in the email( the "meet us here" address - picture included) was not correct. We all finally got to the correct meeting site and the main coordinator was not very friendly. He told us we didn't sign our waivers yet. I went through all the emails I had received reference the kayak trip including the confirmation and none of them had a waiver to sign or even the correct meeting location. The coordinator sent me the reminder email for the kayak trip while I was standing in front of him (which I never received before this) and also had the waiver link on it AND the correct meeting location. Mind you, now after being given an incorrect address, driving to the meet location and finally signing the waiver, we were now ready to go after 30 minutes.... On to the actual kayak trip. Our guide was awesome!! If I could give a review on just him - 5 stars. The stories and history he provided were very interesting. He was very thorough and we enjoyed our time with him. I cannot remember his name - I am probably getting it wrong, but I thought he said manako. It was a good kayak trip and the secret falls was amazing! A must do! read more

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Sam the tour guide would not let the group enjoy neither the Kayak , the hiking or the waterfall. He was on a hurry to get back. He even mentioned he wanted to get back to the waves. He wasn't professional , since he wasn't checking on the group and constantly leaving people behind. Nobody in our group went into the waterfall since this tour company didn't have dry bags and we needed to leave our stuff at the car. Go with the orange shirt company. Spend the extra $30. They provide dry bags and lunch and they care for people in the tour. Our tour guide was making constant jokes. Sometimes offensive to the other companies stating that walking sticks and waiting was a sign of weakness. Wouldn't recommend this company read more

We had a great tour with our guide, Mana. The kayaking was fun and a good workout (probably because my husband and I are competitive). The hike was fun too. Make sure to wear grippy shoes that are also good in water because we did hike through some rivers and streams. Mana also did a great job making sure the group was safe and stayed together. He also shared some Hawaiian history as well as the different species of plants and animals that live there. Lastly, the waterfall made all our efforts worth it! Definitely looked like something out of Jurassic Park (which was filmed in Kauai). Overall, we had a great time and highly recommend this tour. read more

Ali'i Kayaks - Selfie with the our guide- Mana. - Tours Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Second time using Ali'i Kayaks and it was another incredible experience! This time we brought friends and family and every person enjoyed their experience. Sam was an amazing and hilarious tour guide which made our time even more memorable. Such a great company with great service! read more

This was so much fun! Our guide Keymon (sp?) was very knowledgeable, helpful, encouraging, and kind--He made sure everyone was safe and having fun. Weather conditions were perfect so paddling was easy and the hike was not bad at all. Most can do this hike--if your balance is not the best, make sure to wear good water shoes and step carefully. The trail and waterfall was beautiful. read more

Our family of 4 had the most relaxing and fun kayaking and hiking experience in Kauai. Our guide Nui is great. The hike is mostly flat until the last 10 feet leading up to the waterfall which requires climbing over wet and muddy rocks. But overall very easy with Teva. read more

Energetic, charming and knowledgeable, our guide Kayman provided us with an excellent and safe experience kayaking up the Wailua River and hiking up to the Secret Water Falls. He remembered everyone's name in our group and took over 145 photos, which he airdropped to the attendees at the end of the tour. It was an amazing way to spend a sunny Kauai afternoon. read more

Ali'i kayaks is a fantastic company to take an excursion with. Our guide Khayman was absolutely delightful. He was informative, patient, funny and downright the star of the show. He made the trip a delight. The falls are worth the hike and Khayman took every groups photos along the way to ensure your trip was memorable. All in all you won't be disappointed in this excursion. Book it!!!!!! But don't forget to take good shoes, lots of water and snacks. But they send reminders so you won't forget. GREAT COMPANY!!!!! read more

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Absolutely wonderful experience! The kayaking and hike were a little challenging but not too bad. Our guide, Sam, set a reasonable pace and stopped occasionally to describe the various plants and points of interest. He was very funny too! read more

Ali'i Kayaks - Tours Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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We had the best time on our trip with Nui! He had a ton of interesting information about the various spots and plants we saw along the way. read more

Ali'i Kayaks - Kayaking up the river - Tours Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Chayman was an excellent guide. Very knowledgeable and helpful. Best excursion on the island.

The trip was well planed and guided by experienced local people. We enjoyed our kayaking in river and hiking along the river. Hiking along the river bank is mostly flat and easily managed, giving us enough time to spend at the waterfall and pool side. Our time was sell spend on this trip. read more

Highly recommend this adventure! Our first time in Kauai during a mother daughter trip, and we couldn't be happier with our experience. Our kayak, hike and waterfall tour was unforgettable! Thank you to the staff for the informative tour, well kept kayaks, and hospitality! read more

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AMAZING! My husband and I were visiting Kauai for the second time and had been wanting to kayak but wasn't sure which service to use. We visited a church on Sunday and met Cheryl and her husband, who own this business, and it made our choice clear! The service, experience, and views on this tour (kayaking and hiking) were incredible! So happy we did this and will definitely do it again on our next visit! read more

Ka'Mu was our amazing and entertaining river guide! He was patient with some of us older hikers! Plus, he played the ukulele while we hiked! Loved that he was actually from the island! Mahalo! read more

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We are usually a couple that likes to do exploring on our own. After reading about potential flash floods, we decided to book with a tour guide who would know if our safety was at risk. We were extremely pleased with our decision to do so. We had a wonderful experience. Our guide, Izzy, was awesome! Her family is Ali'i Kayaks. They are local and really know this area well (they've been hunting and fishing here for years). She was very accommodating and friendly from the very beginning, starting with getting plumeria flowers for each of the females in our group and explaining what the location of the flower in you hair means. Then she went through how to steer and maneuver the kayaks and all safety precautions. Once we got out of the kayaks to hike, she led the way and remained in the river until we had all passed through safely. She told us about Hawaiian culture, the plants, landmarks, and more as we hiked to the falls. She was folding/weaving flowers from grass as she walked and had made each of the females one. Other groups would slow down to listen as their guides were not doing the same. We spent plenty of time at the falls to swim and had time to eat the food/drinks we brought along. Before leaving the falls, she distributed bracelets she made for everyone. On the hike back, Izzy told us about local places to eat and farmers markets. She also called out two birds that they've raised and we even dug for worms and fed them out of our hands! She continued to tell us more local suggestions and stories as we kayaked back. Seriously, such a wonderful experience! read more

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Friendly and guides are wonderful! They are all locals that know their island. The tour is relaxing and guides are helpful if you need help with the kayaks. read more

Excellent qualified guide. The kayak trip and hike led to a gorgeous waterfall. I would recommend this excursion to healthy mobile adults and older children read more

Ali'i Kayaks - Waterfall - Tours Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

This was the best way to start off our trip in Hawaii. We had a great time both on the water and during the hike. The views were incredible. Beyond that, our guide, Khayman, was the best. He kept everyone together, made us all laugh, took photos for us, and even made sure I found something I misplaced. I was super grateful for him! read more