Late April, 2023 This was by FAR the best guided tour I've ever been on. My boyfriend and I were hoping to see a few fish and hopefully turtles on our kayak/snorkel excursion. But what we got was a comprehensive and entertaining lesson on the history and current affairs of the islands and a safe, exciting look at the world under the sea. Grif is a long time local who truly loves his home and is passionate about maintaining it. He is also funny as hell. Wonderful sense of humor, but serious in his role as a responsible guide. That said, his tour is appropriate for novice kayakers and seasoned paddlers alike. Even though we were novices, we felt very comfortable and had a fantastic time! Thank you SO much Grif for adding so much fun & beauty to our trip! read more

Another great trip with Griff. He never disappoints and neither do the whales. Multiple breaches, great company and another amazing kayak day in the books. Thanks!! read more

Aloha Kayaks Maui - Humpbacks breaching - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

See all

We live in Kauai and have gone on countless whale watching and snorkeling experiences here in Maui during whale season. This experience with Griff, our guide, was by far, the very best we have ever experienced. Not just because we saw 4/5 whales, or that the weather was perfect, or that during our snorkel, we saw two turtles, countless fish (including a mahi mahi chasing flying fish) and a beautiful reef. All those are incredibly awesome! But I must admit, having Griff as our tour guide was really what put this trip over the top! He was outstanding in every way. He kept us engaged and provided his knowledge on whales, turtles, fish, all the islands, and the importance of being respectful to the Hawaiian land and culture. He was so genuine! His passion and love of his work was infectious!He definitely lives A l o h a!! Mahalo Griff!! read more

Aloha Kayaks Maui - Griff and the whale :) - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

This is an Amazing tour! We went today and thanks to Griff and his extensive knowledge we saw a fantastic variety of sea life in the Turtle Town reef area. Griff is an excellent guide that gave ongoing knowledge of the ocean, and history of area and Hawaiian islands. I highly recommend Aloha Kayaks Maui! read more

This is a must-do excursion, we had the best day kayaking and snorkeling with Griff as our guide. He really goes out of his way to make it a memorable experience! It's a great tour for both novice and experienced snorkelers. We kayaked for about 40 minutes to get to our snorkeling spot. Griff did a great job of getting us to a spot that wasn't on top of other tour groups. Because of this we were able to see turtles and some other beautiful marine life! After our snorkel we kayaked back to the beach to conclude our tour. Griff had granola bars for everyone to fuel up before the kayak back, which was nice of him! He also provides snorkel gear, life vests, and a wet bag for personal items if needed. read more

Aloha Kayaks Maui - Picture from our kayaking adventure! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

We took a trip out to the ocean with Griff. Very enthusiastic and fun with a lot of local knowledge. He took us away from the crowds. We ran into a mom and baby whale with an escort whale. 50/100 yards in passing - pretty close encounters. Following which we went snorkeling with turtles. We caught some great weather as well. Highly recommended!! read more

This was such a special experience and my absolute favorite activity during my trip to Maui. Griff was a fantastic guide, teaching me all about Maui, Hawaiian history, and the fun fish and creatures we saw in the ocean. So personable, personal, and one of the best ever days. 10/10 will book again on my next Maui trip! read more

Tour guide Griff was super knowledgeable and fun, positive vibes all around! Great location and beautiful views. Highly recommend. read more

Aloha Kayaks Maui - Perfect day - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

We booked the snorkeling kayak tour today and found it to be a wonderful experience. Our guide Griff was amazing, the knowledge of the Hawaii culture and history was unbeatable. This was very much a hands on experience and the 3 in my group all walked away thoroughly impressed. Griff's knowledge of the ecosystem, the fish and even the weather patterns was so helpful and interesting. We will be back. I'd give 10 stars if I could. read more

My brother and his family went out with Griff in 2021 and highly recommended we book with Griff when I was taking my family to Maui this year. The expectations were high and the morning adventure exceeded our expectations in spades. Despite some potentially challenging weather, Griff called us the night before to modify our launch location to give us a better shot at a great day. And within 15 minutes of paddling we happened upon a baby whale and it's mother. We had an epic morning with many close encounters with whales - at one point we didn't even know where to look as we were surrounded by whales. We were fortunate to be in the right spot, at the right time, to be able to see sooooo many whales - babies, mothers, guardian males, singing males, breaching, fin slappers and so much more. While we were thankful for the bounty of the whales, what really made the trip was Griff himself. He was an amazing guide - humble, incredibly knowledgable, funny and genuinely a really nice person. He also shared knowledge about the Hawaiian culture and the respect for nature. If you are looking for an intimate experience in the Hawaiian outdoors, I can't recommend Aloha Kayaks enough. While we were out on the water, we saw another kayak group out there and the guide had music blaring from a speaker on his kayak and he was shouting loudly to his customer. It was a totally different vibe and I was glad we didn't book with them. Griff really wants his customers to have an intimate, respectful experience with the whales. We really appreciated this and throughly enjoyed it. It was the highlight of our trip and one of the best outings our family has experienced. read more

Excellent customer service! I had booked an excursion the day before we were going and I had fallen during a hike that day so I was able to cancel my reservation with a full refund. I was pretty bummed since I had dislocated my shoulder and was able to put it back in within minutes. But I had limited motion. So I babied it for 2 days and on the third day, I was able to move it without problems so I re booked the excursion. Totally worth it. We loved the experience and our guide was informative and snarky. We learned a lot about the island and the wildlife. It was the perfect amount of time too. read more

It doesn't surprise me that Griff and Aloha Kayaks have a solid 5-stars on Yelp. They are amazing. I'll just add our experience to the many others: All in our group had done a little kayaking and snorkeling, but it's fair to call us beginners. But at no time did we feel over our heads because of Griff's excellent instructions and watchfulness. Griff guided us to reefs that had no other snorkelers, so we had the area practically to ourselves. The snorkel instructions were great and in a very short time we were swimming with green turtles and schools of tropical fish. This is an incredible experience, and if you're the least bit curious, go for it. It'll take your whole morning, but you'll be on land and done before lunchtime, probably with tired arms and amazing pictures and memories. Thank you, Griff! I almost forgot to mention: Griff is a terrific conversationalist and has a professorial knowledge of Hawaiian history and the ecosystem. On our paddle out to the reef, I honestly learned more from Griff than in any of the other tours we did in Maui that week. No lie. read more

This tour with Griff was one of the shining stars of our trip. Griff was funny, attentive, and extremely knowledgable about the history and culture of the beautiful land that we were exploring. He entertained us while safely guiding us through bouncy ocean waves, and with his keen eyes, he helped us see dolphins and turtles. We were a bit late to catch whales, but it was still absolutely worth it to be out on the ocean for a few hours among good company. The snorkeling was a highlight--such gorgeous fish to be found! And even though I can't swim, I felt perfectly safe with my life jacket on and Griff nearby checking in often. The fig bars were tasty, too! Highly recommend. read more

Griff is awesome. He clearly cares a lot about the island, its people, and their culture. We had a blast on the water, learned a lot, and enjoyed hanging out with him. Mahalo, Griff! Hope to see you again, next time for some whales. read more

Book the kayak and snorkel tour now!! What an incredible experience, and a wonderful way to take in all the beautiful sights and nature of Maui! We cannot say enough how much we loved Griff. He was so knowledgeable (had an answer to the millions of questions my husband had about the islands, culture, politics, ecosystem), so friendly, so funny, and just an all around good guy. He even helped save a turtle caught up in fishing line on our trip!!!! The sights, the company, the experience - just everything is amazing! Thankful for this fun excursion, and for making our honeymoon even more memorable. read more

See all

Just left Griff and what an incredible time we had! We are still on cloud 9!! What an incredible experience we had an what an awesome education we received on the islands. His knowledge and appreciation of Hawai'i was so impressive! Would recommend this trip to anyone! It was a very personalized experience and we learned so much! Thank you! read more

Spectacular! Been out two guided tours now with Aloha Kayaks Maui, and both have been amazing. Griff provides snorkel gear, a dry bag, life jackets and a mid kayak snack. He is an excellent guide, got in the water with us both times and pointed out different types of sea life. We saw all kinds - colorful fish big and small, turtles, octopus, etc. We learned a lot, not only about sea life, but also about the history of Hawaii and life on Maui. On the paddle back, spotted a large pod of spinner dolphins and they swam around us. Unforgettable, and an incredible way to start the morning in Maui. We will definitely be back for a third tour next time! read more

Went on a kayak tour to see some whales. I loved that Griff has embraced the culture and language of the islands. The tour was small and personal. Griff was a great guide and taught us a lot about the singer whales. Will definitely be back to do this again. read more

Aloha Kayaks Maui - 10' tall Humpback fin - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

I have been to Hawaii before, but it was my fiancé's first time. She picked out a adventure that had a little of everything, whale watching, kayaking and snorkeling. I didn't know what to expect to be honest. Griff is a stand up guy, a truly nice person that loves and respects the land and ocean. I wouldn't want to go on this adventure with anyone else. He has so much knowledge of the ocean and the whales. We got to see some amazing animals up close (whales, sea turtles, assortment of fish) it honestly made me appreciate life more. I am very grateful for the tour and will gladly recommend to everyone looking for a fun adventure. read more

Can I give six stars? No? Okay, fine then, just five stars. Honestly, I thought this was a whale-watching kayak tour... I didn't know we we were going to get a comedic history lesson while chasing whales and dolphins on kayaks! Griff is (1) funny, (2) knowledgeable of Hawaii/Maui/sea life, and (3) respectful of the Hawaiian culture. Although he can never guarantee sightings, we were lucky enough to see bottlenose dolphins (not a common experience) and many whales... UNREAL. We were there after some very heavy rains and high winds, so snorkeling conditions were unfavorable. Regardless, I'd rather watch a baby whale practice breeching than go snorkeling, so I was a happy camper. In Maui, this is money incredibly well spent. I felt like a novice whale aficionado after this tour and found myself spotting whales at a distance the entire duration of my trip following this tour. DO IT. read more

My two friends and I had the best time with Mikey. We had a family with our group for a snorkel and kayak tour. Mikey got us out into a great area for snorkeling and we were able to see a whole lot of creatures: sea turtles, octopus mating, sharks, and a lot of other fish. I had sea turtles swim up under me a few times and it was amazing. They kayaking was pretty easy going and just a lot of fun. The family we went with didn't get out of their kayaks, not sure why but it seemed they had trouble swimming or got too scared. I'd highly recommend going out with these guys. read more

Griff was an excellent guide who was knowledgeable in not only the kayaking/snorkeling portion but also the historical aspects of the Hawaiian culture. Even if it's your first time with these activities, he was able to provide tips and guide you in a comfortable way. He also knew when the water became too choppy and took the group safely out of the water. Griff took the time to engage with everyone in the group and make them have an enjoyable experience. Also, this one of the only tours that was able to accommodate last minute reservations, had a less than 24 hour notice for the booking. Recommend this tour for anyone in the Kihei area. read more

Aloha Kayaks Maui - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

Griff was awesome and delivered an unforgettable whale watching experience for our family. Super cool and knowledge guide who was very engaging and entertaining. We learned so much and had fun doing so. Moreover, he had a gentle touch in calming the nerves of my wife who was very nervous about kayaking in the open water. She was extremely grateful to him for not letting her miss out on the experience. Can not say enough good things about Aloha Kayaks. You can't go wrong booking a tour with them. read more

Our family of five had a fantastic time on the water with Aloha Kayaks Maui. Griff is not only a highly skilled sportsman but is also an incredible teacher; we learned so much about the geography of the area, the history, and the culture, and he was so so great with our 12, 13, and 14 year old kiddos. We were lucky to watch a mama whale and her baby for quite some time and Griff used that extraordinary moment to teach us about whale behavior. His appreciation and respect for marine life extends to life on land as well--he honors indigenous culture by learning customs and language and sharing that with us as well. He knew the great spots for turtle watching and our crew did not want to stop snorkeling; we were mesmerized. We will definitely book again when we are back! read more

Amazing whale watching experience. We took this tour with our family of 4 (with 2 teenagers) who both absolutely loved it! Griff, our guide, was top-notch! He cares about your safety and making sure you have the best possible experience. He has a wealth of knowledge regarding Maui and the whales. The whale sightings are not guaranteed, but you will definitely have a fantastic tour! We were blessed with some amazing whale sightings right beside us. We also snorkeled with a turtle! Highly recommend! read more

We highly recommend Aloha Kayaks! Griff was an excellent guide. Very knowledgeable and will impart a lot of knowledge and history of Hawaii and its inhabitants. He is patient and is quick to get to you if you need help. If you are a first time snorkeler or never used a kayak Griff will have you going in no time. On this trip we got to see whales up close, spinner dolphins, sea turtles, an octopus and many reef fish. Whales migrate and are only around in numbers between January through March peaking in February. Guides can't control the sea life. So just give Aloha Kayaks Maui a call you will not be disappointed. read more

Aloha Kayaks Maui - Saw a mom, calf and escort among spinner dolphins and sea turtles. An octopus even mad an appearance - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

Michelle was an awesome guide and we had a great time this morning with her! She was fun, knowledgeable and made sure we were safe all while keeping an eye out for whales, turtles and monitoring the winds and waves. After snorkeling, she offered fresh pineapple and we were given Aloha Kayaks Maui water bottles which was a fun little souvenir from our trip. We saw a tiny little turtle and lots of whales though sadly not as close as we hoped... but regardless we had a great time! I highly recommend booking a paddle with them and will certainly book another myself, maybe even before the end of this trip. I couldn't have picked a better way to start my birthday than out on the water with the whales. Thank you, Aloha Kayaks Maui! read more

My teenage daughter and I had an AMAZING experience kayaking with Griff and Aloha Kayaks Maui! We kayaked as a small group (much preferred IMHO) and Griff is a knowledgeable, experienced, professional, enthusiastic and fun guide. He is very helpful with less and more experienced kayakers and snorkelers alike. I highly recommend Aloha Kayaks Maui for a great experience on Maui! read more

I had the opportunity to go on one of Aloha Kayaks Maui's whale watch and snorkel tours last month and it was the highlight of the trip. Our guide was Michelle and she was absolutely fantastic. We launched out of Makenna Landing and had good views of whales and we stopped at a fantastic snorkel spot to see some turtles. Michelle was knowledgeable about what the area, history and the wildlife. I was back on the island this week with my wife, so we booked another tour. We got Michelle again, launched out of Olowalu this time. The whale watching was much better than the first trip. I will definitely book a third trip next time I am on the island. read more

We saw whales, sea turtles and a great variety of fish. My daughters were new to sea kayaking and had a fantastic time. Jason, our guide, had the right balance of safety, fun and local history. We booked our trip from the website in the US and had a great experience. Weather looked like it might be an issue and the team called the night before and offered to switch locations for departure. While it was rainy and windy elsewhere we had a near perfect day. read more

Aloha Kayaks Maui - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

See all

What an amazing time my boyfriend and I had on our excursion with Aloha Kayaks! We booked the Makena morning kayak and snorkel and originally had the booking for the Thursday after Tropical Storm Olivia hit Maui. Because we also moved our travel dates to wait for the storm to pass, I contacted them to also move our booking out-they were super responsive and accommodating. If you're staying in the Kihei or Wailea area, the morning trip we took is a perfect option. It embarked from Makena point and was so convenient to where we stayed in Kihei. Arrival time is 7:15. They will give you some guidelines and overview of the trip and teach you basic paddling techniques. By 7:45 our group was launched and out on the water. Our guide, Michelle, was amazing. I learned a lot about the surrounding islands and sea life as we paddled. . She took the time to guide us during the snorkel portion of the tour and was super patient with me when I told her I wasn't a great swimmer. We felt confident the whole time that our safety and enjoyment on the trip was her priority. Aloha Kayaks also cares deeply about sustainable tourism and made sure we didn't get too close to sensitive reef areas and wildlife. The groups were also smaller for more personal attention and less impact to the surrounding area. Also loved the fact that everyone got a reusable water bottle as a parting gift. We got to see a few turtles both paddling and snorkeling as well as a ton of fish. Definitely a highlight of our trip to Maui! Highly recommend booking with Aloha Kayaks. They also offer a photo package of your trip for $60 (I think or $65) using their underwater camera. It seems well worth it, but we opted out since we'd already spent a ton of money on our trip. There are a ton of snorkel and kayak excursion outfits out there, but go with Aloha Kayaks! You'll get personal attention, caring tour guides and a company that cares about the environment they work in. read more

Our group of two couples had such a great time w/ Griff kayaking out on the ocean. A really good guy that knows his stuff. Took us out to see some whales, and did we see whales in early December (not whale season!) It was really cool to be able to catch the whales in the ocean, and ended the tour w/ snorkeling w/ some huge sea turtles. I'm really glad I decided to travel w/ Aloha Kayaks w/ Griff, and will definitely do it again when my kids are old enough to join us. Thanks Griff for showing our group such a great time. Super memorable and you definitely represent well for the island of Maui! read more

My sister and I booked the two-hour kayaking + snorkeling tour. It was our first time snorkeling and we were looking forward to it. Our tour guide was Griff, who was filling in for the regular guide, and we got super lucky because we were the only ones who'd signed up for the tour! Cool to basically have a private tour. Griff was very knowledgable about the history of Maui and Hawaii in general. We appreciated that was able to talk about both the history of the colonialization of the islands and the type of fish and sea turtles we were seeing underwater. A++++++! We learned how to snorkel and saw such amazing things. This was the first activity we did in Maui and it gave us such a great context for where we were and awed us with the natural beauty of the island. Thanks!! read more

Griff is the best guide I've ever met. He has all the gear you'll need and can answer any trip related question you can think of. If you want a personal guided ocean/shore tour and snorkeling getaway, this is worth EVERY penny paid. Griff works with every level of kayak & snorkeling experience so it will be a blast if it's your first time & he knows all the best spots to check out if you want to really get into it. Griff's camera is waterproof, so he'll get all the shots right of you, friends, & family. Picture prices are very reasonable!!! Thanks for providing the highlight of our week in Maui!!! read more

Michelle gave us a great experience. Dolphins, whales and turtles were all fun to see up close. Taking a private tour was exactly what we wanted and we could determine what we did and for how much time we did each one. This was a fantastic time for us. Thanks Michelle! You were great! read more

Griff is an amazing guide! He knows the waters and wildlife - such a wealth of experience. in addition, he has a wealth of cultural knowledge and history of these incredible islands. It was an exceptional tour. Thank you Griff!! read more

Snorkeling is now my new favorite water activity because of Aloha Kayaks Maui! I registered for the Olowalu Beach kayak/snorkel tour through the AKM website. I was impressed with how organized and easy the process was. We arrived early the day-of to meet our tour guide. My husband and I were the only people who signed up for the Olowalu Beach 7:15 a.m. tour that day. So our group was just the two of us and the guide -- what a pleasant surprise! All throughout the tour, our tour guide Griff did a great job explaining everything we needed to know -- how to maneuver the kayak, what we were seeing in the water, Maui's history. He was very knowledgeable, and we learned more about Hawaii from him than anyone else we met during our trip! He knew of a location in which sea turtles frequented, so we kayaked out to that area, anchored the boats, and we snorkeled there. I was a little bummed that the turtles stayed near the ocean floor during our snorkeling, but of course they have a mind of their own. Griff joked that, "I think she's addicted." I had a great time snorkeling! We enjoyed the AKM tour so much that we rented snorkel equipment later during our trip to go snorkeling again near our hotel. Thanks to AKM for helping me discover my love of snorkeling! This was a big highlight of our trip, and it was such a fun and exciting way to spend the morning. I would recommend AKM to anyone in Maui looking for an unforgettable ocean experience. read more

See all

I went on Aloha Kayaks Maui's 3-hour Makena Kayak & Snorkel Tour with my husband in May 2021, and let me just say, it was fantastic and beyond expectations! The 3-hour length was perfect, the waters around Makena were very calm and incredibly clear (lots tropical fish, corals, and sea turtles), and Griff, our guide, was a great instructor, funny, and incredibly knowledgeable of Hawaii/Maui and sea life. Aloha Kayaks Maui provided snorkeling gear, life jackets, snacks, and dry bags for your personal belongings, so no need to bring anything other than your swimsuit, reef-safe sunscreen and sunglasses, and desire for a fun morning adventure. (FYI this is a public beach and did get a bit crowded, so be sure to get there early to find street parking and the right tour company.) Honestly, Griff and Aloha Kayaks Maui were the highlight of our Hawaii trip! I highly recommend this tour/company and would definitely sign up for another one of their tours. Thanks so much for a great time! read more

What an adventure! We had never kayaked before even though we had come to Maui before. My young adult sons loved it as well as all of us! Griff was great can't wait to do it again!! We saw tons of fish and a turtle!!! He was funny, educated us all on the culture and PATIENT! Love loved loved!! read more

We had the best ever Whale Watching kayak experience. Griff was an amazing guide for us. Be is a great guy. Very friendly and polite. We learned a lot from him about whales and Maui in general. We were a little scared at the beginning during the kayaking but Griff gave us lot of confidence and we felt more and more comfortable as the excursion continued. Griff- I don't have enough words to praise him. He is the best man if you are looking to have some guidance on how to kayak and watch the whales. I would recommend Aloha Kayaks Maui to everyone during their visit to Maui. Its a must try. Thank you. Cheers! read more