# sailing tours - Kauai and Oahu



## Zac495 (Jun 24, 2009)

So I've read about Cap Cook Sunset sail in Kauai - sounds terrific  - I really want to see the gorgeous cliffs and oceans - what one can't see from driving and walking to the edge and looking out. We are not good about getting up at 5 am on vacation - so 9 pm or later sounds good.

It's expensive. Is it great? 

How far from Marriott Beach Resort is this? I think it's off the North Shore and we're not, right? 

Anything on Oahu to see what can't be seen in any other way? 
I realize there are helicopter tours - don't want to do that.

THANKS!!!!!


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## DeniseM (Jun 24, 2009)

I think you mean Captain Sundown?

Captain Cook came to a very bad end in Hawaii!  Let's just say that he was a special guest at a luau! 

There are many Napali Boat trips - shop around and compare.  Also note how far you are going to have to drive from the harbor back to your accommodations at night.  It's a long way from the Marriott Beach Resort - over an hour in the dark on little winding roads.

Mapquest Lihue to Hanelei

Personally, I'd do a day trip so I could see the beautiful Napali Coast, and not have to drive back in the dark.


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## thheath (Jun 25, 2009)

*Kauai Boat Tours to the NaPali Coast*

There are 4 or 5 outfits that are based out of Port Allen on the south western side of Kauai.  They all do boat trips to the NaPali coast on the northern portion of the island.  Also 1 or 2 also include the forbidden island of Niihau off the western coast.  Some use catamarans and others inflatable (Zodiac) boats.  Use can do a Google search and come up with the websites of the different companies.  Where you will be staying in Lihue is about 30 minutes away from Port Allen.  Depending on whether you want a snorkel cruise versus a sunset cruise will decide what time the cruise leaves port.  Businesses here on Kauai are hurting right at the moment so look for deals and don't hesitate to ask for a discount.  

PS:  Port Allen Sunset Bar and Grill overlooks the tour boats and is a nice and inexpensive place for a bite or a drink.  The views and sunset are beautiful and the beers are $3.


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## DeniseM (Jun 25, 2009)

thheath - question:

We are going to have a Jeep this trip and would like to do some off roading.  Not the tearing up the landscape kind, but the seeing something new kind.  I see there are lots of 4WD roads - is it pretty OK to use them, as long as they are not on private property?  Like in Waimea Canyon?


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## SueDonJ (Jun 25, 2009)

Last May my kids and their friends did the Captain Andy's Sunset Cruise on the catamaran and they absolutely LOVED it.  They said the food was okay but they would have paid the same price even without it, and the pictures they have are spectacular.  Steve had a blast riding on the front on the "trampoline."  If I remember right, we didn't have to drive very far from Waiohai to drop off/pick them up - thheath's description of the bar/grill nearby sounds familiar.  The "kids" set everything up through the concierge at Waiohai so probably the Beach Club will be able to do the same.

Now I know you didn't ask for recommendations for anything and everything, but one other thing that all of us really enjoyed was the drive up to Waimea Canyon.  Do what the Kauai Revealed guide book says and go all the way to the second lookout beyond the "official" lookout - it's worth the extra time.  The second time we went we packed sandwiches/cold drinks and bought the fresh pineapple onsite, and had a nice picnic lunch.  Geeeze, I'm envious of your upcoming trip!


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## Zac495 (Jun 25, 2009)

DeniseM said:


> I think you mean Captain Sundown?
> 
> Captain Cook came to a very bad end in Hawaii!  Let's just say that he was a special guest at a luau!



:hysterical: 

Oops! 
Great point about the driving. My kids hate getting up at 5 am on vacation, though. The day trips leave at 7 or 8 am... Wish there was something that left from our hotel area...


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## Zac495 (Jun 25, 2009)

SueDonJ said:


> Last May my kids and their friends did the Captain Andy's Sunset Cruise on the catamaran and they absolutely LOVED it.  They said the food was okay but they would have paid the same price even without it, and the pictures they have are spectacular.  Steve had a blast riding on the front on the "trampoline."  If I remember right, we didn't have to drive very far from Waiohai to drop off/pick them up - thheath's description of the bar/grill nearby sounds familiar.  The "kids" set everything up through the concierge at Waiohai so probably the Beach Club will be able to do the same.
> 
> Now I know you didn't ask for recommendations for anything and everything, but one other thing that all of us really enjoyed was the drive up to Waimea Canyon.  Do what the Kauai Revealed guide book says and go all the way to the second lookout beyond the "official" lookout - it's worth the extra time.  The second time we went we packed sandwiches/cold drinks and bought the fresh pineapple onsite, and had a nice picnic lunch.  Geeeze, I'm envious of your upcoming trip!



THANKS! I ordered that book - it should be here soon. I will do exactly that! The sailing and tramp sounds perfect - just worried about getting up that early - but hey - we going to sleep away our vacation? We're going!!!

Just found Kauai Sea Tours that has a sailing one leaving at 1:30. It's 5 hours, so it's not getting in that late. Anyone hear of that company? Also Holo Holo and Na Pali Sail. Anyone hear of these? Some of the timings are good - and there are some great deals on the internet. One is a great price with no snorkeling (I am not snorkeling - fear of ocean since my cousin drowned 3 weeks ago  but my son and husband may want to do it - is it great snorkeling?)

Captain Sundown's Exclusive Kauai Boat Trips  
~The only sailing catamaran departing from Hanalei traveling the entire Na Pali coast~ - is this closer to where I'm staying?


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## alwysonvac (Jun 25, 2009)

> My kids hate getting up at 5 am on vacation, though.



Don't forget the time zone difference. There is a 6 hours time difference between Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST) and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). 5am HST is 11am ET.


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## dive-in (Jun 25, 2009)

You are staying right in the middle so going to Hanalei or Port Allen is about the same time/distance.  If Kauai is your first stop in the islands, do the trip on one of the first days while you are still jet-lagged from the trip out.  While it may be early, it is vacation so a nap in the middle of the day is nice option.  Find a chaise in the shade by the pool and snooze away.  :zzz:

If you are going soon, I would recommend sailing out of Hanalei.  you'll see more of the Na Pali coast sailing west out of Hanalei than going north then east out of Port Allen.  Most trips out of Hanalei shut down during the winter due to the rough seas.  Depending on the vessel and the seas, you might even go into a sea cave along Na Pali. 

Because we were there in February last trip, we did Captain Andy's out of Port Allen.  We had a very good time.  I *loved* hanging on the tramp between the hulls in the front.  My feet and legs were probably flying 8" into the air when we hit the waves heading back to Port Allen.  The captain was hurrying back for the sunset sail.    My only complaint is that we didn't go very far east once we reached the NW side.  We made it to the Kalalau Valley and turned around.  

Here's a site with a good graphic near the bottom of the page showing the difference between Port Allen and Hanalei, Na Pali Catamaran.


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## Zac495 (Jun 25, 2009)

dive-in said:


> You are staying right in the middle so going to Hanalei or Port Allen is about the same time/distance.  If Kauai is your first stop in the islands, do the trip on one of the first days while you are still jet-lagged from the trip out.  While it may be early, it is vacation so a nap in the middle of the day is nice option.  Find a chaise in the shade by the pool and snooze away.  :zzz:
> 
> If you are going soon, I would recommend sailing out of Hanalei.  you'll see more of the Na Pali coast sailing west out of Hanalei than going north then east out of Port Allen.  Most trips out of Hanalei shut down during the winter due to the rough seas.  Depending on the vessel and the seas, you might even go into a sea cave along Na Pali.
> 
> ...



Great information and great site. Do you recommend this company? 
Holo Holo has the fastest boat - read a bunch on trip advisor about it - but it seems that going out of Hanalei makes more sense. I don't care about snorkeling - what I want is to see the falls and all the beautiful sites.


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## HatTrick (Jun 25, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> Anything on Oahu to see what can't be seen in any other way?



Hi Ellen,

Think you might enjoy taking Z & Z on a hike of the Diamond Head crater? You _can_ do it on your own, but if you go through a tour company (like _Oahu Nature Tours_) they'll pick you up at HHV (right across from Kalia Tower), provide water and any gear you might need (flashlight, poncho if it's raining, first aid), and pass along a lot of interesting information about the crater, the island, and the ecology. The trail is well-established and has railings, but you do have to watch your footing in spots. (Lots of stairs, too!) The early tour gets you up to the top in time for the sunrise and, of course, it's not as hot in the morning. Great views of the entire south and west coastline, Waikiki, the Diamond Head lighthouse, and the inside of the crater. Definitely views you can't see any other way unless you're in a plane or helicopter. This Web page has a great description and photos of the hike: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/hikediamondhead.html.

Roger


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## travelbug (Jun 25, 2009)

An advantage of taking the early morning cruise is that the ocean is calmer.  Wind and waves pick up in the afternoon.
Marilyn


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## Zac495 (Jun 25, 2009)

travelbug said:


> An advantage of taking the early morning cruise is that the ocean is calmer.  Wind and waves pick up in the afternoon.
> Marilyn



Marilyn - is that the case leaving from Hanaeli, too? I'm leaning towards doing that - what we want is to see the whole coast and it appears that some of the ships from the other location don't always make it (I've read things on tripadvisor - though they mostly say how great the tours are, some say you may not get to the end of the coast).

I don't think I want to do 5 or 6 hours - I just think that'll be too long on a boat  - I know myself - and seems the afternoon tours are shorter...

Roger - cool site! THANKS! I think we'll do that hike on our own since we have a car.

Here's a site I found
http://www.resource4hawaii.com/kauai/travel-kauai.htm

Well, I didn't exactly find it - it was via Dive-in's link - but I happened to click around and thought it was cool and useful.


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## travelbug (Jun 25, 2009)

Leaving out of Hanalei will cut the trip time tremendously.  Yes, the wind and wave action increases  from all parts of the island.

Marilyn


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## thheath (Jun 25, 2009)

*4 Wheel Driving in Kauai*



DeniseM said:


> thheath - question:
> 
> We are going to have a Jeep this trip and would like to do some off roading.  Not the tearing up the landscape kind, but the seeing something new kind.  I see there are lots of 4WD roads - is it pretty OK to use them, as long as they are not on private property?  Like in Waimea Canyon?



On Kauai any road that is not gated is fair game and explored by locals and tourists alike.  I live in Kalaheo and I'm most familiar with the south and west sides.  You are correct that the Waimea canyon and primarily Kokee park is a good choice to explore.  Also the road to Polihale state park is another of my favorites on the west side.

Something to also consider is hiking with the local Sierra club group.  They have enjoyable hikes ranging from any easy stroll through the National Tropical Botanical Gardens in Poipu to strenuous hikes in Kokee.  The Sierra club has access to areas that might otherwise be off limits.  When I've hiked with them half the hikers are tourists and they welcome them.  The local chapter’s website is:  http://www.hi.sierraclub.org/kauai/


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## Zac495 (Jun 25, 2009)

Thanks to dive-in - I booked Captain Sundown out of Hanalei. Based on what I read - you're missing the 1 hour boring part of getting to Na Pali. Captain sundown is the only sailboat from there - there are catamarans, but they're noisier and smaller (based on what I read - I'm not the expert YET:whoopie: )

Now I just have to decide if we want the day trip (6 hours) 8 am start - meaning dragging the kids out of bed at 6, or the sunset tour at 3 . Only think I hesitate with the sunset tour - being cold. I hate being cold.

They were very nice and said I could change which tour so long as there is availability.


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## DeniseM (Jun 25, 2009)

Ellen - with the time change you are all going to be waking up before dawn the first few days anyway, until your internal clocks reset.  Take advantage of that and schedule the trip for the 2nd or 3rd day of your trip.

The road to Hanalei gets tiny and winding at the end with one way bridges - I really don't think you want to drive back from there in the dark.  Remember that there is no daylight savings time in Hawaii, so it gets dark early.  

Most of Kauai is very rural; this is Hanalei -


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## thheath (Jun 25, 2009)

*NaPali Boat Cruise*

I would recommend the day tour, especially with kids.  I think the sunset tour is more a couple's thing and would be less enjoyable for them and ultimately you.


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## Zac495 (Jun 25, 2009)

We will be in Oahu for the first week, so we should be adjusted. However, the point that it might be more a couple thing............. and the windy........... let me sleep on it. THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## dive-in (Jun 26, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> Thanks to dive-in - I booked Captain Sundown out of Hanalei. Based on what I read - you're missing the 1 hour boring part of getting to Na Pali. Captain sundown is the only sailboat from there - there are catamarans, but they're noisier and smaller (based on what I read - I'm not the expert YET:whoopie: )
> 
> Now I just have to decide if we want the day trip (6 hours) 8 am start - meaning dragging the kids out of bed at 6, or the sunset tour at 3 . Only think I hesitate with the sunset tour - being cold. I hate being cold.
> 
> They were very nice and said I could change which tour so long as there is availability.



Let me know how you like Captain Sundown.  We will probably use them next April.  I found their web site while I was doing a little research for my initial response to you and liked what I saw.  We'll have to get up even earlier since we're coming from Poipu.  As I said, it'll be a great afternoon nap when we get back to Waiohai.  :zzz:   Please provide a review of Captain Sundown here or PM me. 

On our first trip to Kauai, we stayed at a B&B near Princeville and took a boat tour of Na Pali from Hanalei.  It was a small motorized catamaran with no canopy for the passengers, similar to the one pictured on Na Pali Catamaran's website.  I thought we were going to get carbon monoxide poisoning.  On the way back to Hanalei the wind was blowing the exhaust from the the engines onto the passengers.  That memory makes the sailing w/Captain Sundown sound great.  On the positive side, we saw a baby humpback breach on the way back on that first trip.   

I also recommend wandering around Hanalei when you get back, getting a Bubba's burger, and sitting at a picnic table to eat it.  Put "Cheeseburger in Paradise" on your MP3 player.  It's much better than the restaurant by that name on Maui.  The Hanalei location is wonderful.  Much better than the one in Kapaa.  I just saw on the website they are opening one in Poipu/Koloa!!!  Can't imagine it will be better than Hanalei though.  Just so beautiful and green there.

Enjoy your trip,
Darrell


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## Zac495 (Jun 26, 2009)

Denise and Darrell, 
We're doing the morning trip - thanks for everything. We decided the kids can just wake up that day. 

I promise to provide a full review complete with pictures, Darrell. Tuggers will tell you I'm good at that.

Here are the directions they provided - does this look right?
Directions to Hanalei Town Check-in for your Shuttle
*  Take Highway 56 into Hanalei town
*  On the RIGHT hand side before the first intersection of Hanalei town (Aku Road), you'll see a sign for "Tahiti Nui" Restaurant.
*  The second driveway entrance has a sign for "Tiki Man Pizza"
*  Turn RIGHT into Tahiti Nui Restaurant's ( 5-5134 Kuhio Hwy. ) parking area to park your vehicle in the back.
*  A Captain Sundown employee will be there to meet you.

And I think this is my 1,600th post. 

We'll have the burgers afterwards!


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