Wailua Kayak & Canoe

Worst trip ever! Don’t do it!!!
Our guide, Tim– I had to ask his name at the end of the trip because he never bothered to introduce himself – was the worst guide on the planet. Zero instruction to the group about how to kayak (I’m experienced but there were kids on the trip that didn’t know how). Zero instruction about staying out of the boat channel until there were people already in it. Zero instructions about where we were going. what to do if separated, where our end point was, what the hike was like, how long it was… you get the picture. There were two small kids on the trip so he told four of us (experienced kayakers and all adults) to «go on ahead and stay to the right at the fork». We did. We took out where all of the boats where. He never showed up with the rest of the group, he took a left channel to shorten the trip for the other guests. Thanks dude.
We sat there for at least an hour and even kayaked back down river to look for him and the group… Nothing. We didn’t get to hike to the falls because we waited for him. About two hours later we saw him pull out of the left channel with the rest of the group. He told us that he’d seen our boats before he turned off and figured we’d «gone on to the falls»!!! What? He didn’t take the :30 seconds to paddle to the primary takeout spot and see us waiting on the beach?
So… if we had hiked to the falls solo, one trail ahead was 3 hours round trip and one was an hour… His group took the short trail and they would have left without us. Seriously, there was something wrong with this guy. At the takeout point when we were loading up the kayaks and someone mentioned the dad and small kids were still out on the river behind us, he said, «oh yeah, I almost forgot about them». Wow. Incredible.
Did this trip before with Rainbow Kayak tours, they’re amazing. Go with them!

Tyson at Wailua Kayak and Canoe was friendly and really helpful. They offer hourly rates, which was nice, as our four year might think a five hour tour was a bit much. No need to have a kayak on your car. They put the kayak on wheels and you just pull it, easily to the boat ramp. We had fun!

Tim, you were the coolest person we met on the island, and it was our last day of 6!
So to all the others commenting about this company and their experiences… its a rental company, obviously others use the kayaks before you do and its not your personal kayak so don’t expect a $ 3500 brand new kayak. The kayak’s we received were perfect and above all the tour guide Tim (Hey buddy, it was a great time talking to you as we rowed down the river and hiked back)… thanks for the tour and sorry for not having a tip on us when we left, we came back the next day to drop off the money and found the main office down the road and left it with the owner, we left a good word for you :)
Back to other comments, if you are not fit to row a kayak, don’t expect someone to do it for you, if I was a tour guide, I would show you how to row, but then its on you to do the work… people get caught up on leaving a bad reviews because of something small that happened rather than leaving a good review because of all the fun you had.
Use this company if you like down to earth people and you you have a sense of humor. Thanks for the laughs Tim, cant wait to come back again and say hI!

This location is near Wailua river. The self guided tours start at 0700 or 1200. The price is 85 for a double and 50 for a single. We chose to go at noon and were given up to 1230 to return the kayak. The guy working at the time was friendly and offered our 2 groups dry bags and coolers. After a waiver is signed, he briefly goes over a map. Then you grab your canoes and pull it on wheels for about a ¼ mile to the water. Definitely a work out. It poured for the first 15 minutes of the trip. Make sure you use the dry bags and strap them down. Playing around, my husband flipped over and everything remained dry that was in that bag. Be aware that no directions are given on how to kayak or what to do if you flip or veer in the wrong direction.
We were informed that the first place we would pass is a stop off for snacks. We decided to pass and continued on to our first stop, which was the hike to secret falls. After you pull your kayaks onto the gravel, begin your hike by following the arrow on the tree that points right. The trail is a definite adventure. You cannot complete the trail in flip flops. You will cross a river that can be knee deep and the rocks are slippery. The trail is muddy and has many tree roots sticking out. There is also a slight incline at some points. Our whole group had water shoes that we bought at Wal-​Mart for around 10 dollars. They did the job. Also there are many mosquitos. I had on bug spray with 40 percent deet and they still got me.
The end of the trail leads you to the secret falls. There were still plenty of people there at this hour. Just make sure you get there before 10. We saw many guided tours arriving before we left. Great for a quick swim and photos. Careful when placing your hands on the rocks. There are bees and we saw a girl get stung.
After we finished our hike back, we continued up the river and made a right when we got to the fern grotto. That led us to an area that you can dock your kayak and get out. There is a 12 – 15 ft cliff that you can jump off of.
The way back was difficult due to the wind and the waves created by the boats passing. By this time, sunscreen was required.
So be prepared to have a workout. Bring snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, water shoes. It’s an awesome adventure and I’m glad we experienced it the way we did.

A great Island Adventure! Blane, our tour guide, was friendly and very knowledgeable of local history, culture and the plants & animals we saw along the way. The trip to «Sacred Falls» is fun, but does require a moderate level of fitness. We highly recommend Wailua Kayak & Canoe and really enjoyed our time with Blane.

They’ll let you kayak the Wailua river w/​out needing to be part of a tour. After that, the benefits pretty much end. Kayak was ok, at best. Expect to pay about $ 90 bucks.

Great eco-​adventure for our family. We had an excellent local guide to give us the scoop on everything from the Hawaiian culture to the horticulture we were hiking past. Yes you have to be able to paddle a kayak but if a 9 year old and his dad can do it, it must not be that bad. This was our favorite excursion. If you go, go earlier to avoid the crowds, be prepared for mud on the hike and ask for Blaine to guide your way.

This is a great place to rent a kayak for 2 up river to secret falls. Nice laid back attendant. 10% discount for living here. Was a great day with my wife and son and his wife. Not too demanding physically. Payoff fantastic with the waterfall. All in all a niceworkouk for two 55 year olds. Great day overall. Will not be forgot. Able to call same day to reserve. Highly recommended at well below other prices. 65 $ for 5 hours of fun. Will return tipped 15 $ just because. Bring a small coller and chill. Great day !

The kayak trip was fun — but you need to be in pretty good shape. We did the self-​guided tour and spent about 4+ hours on the river, hiking to the waterfall, then kayaking down to the fern grotto and back. The trip is worth it. Wear hiking shoes, Tevas, etc. bug repellent and sunscreen.
The kayak company was just ok — but not very helpful. The map really sucked! We met up with some other kayakers and collectively put our heads together to figure out the trail. We did with a little bit of effort. Hike to the waterfall is easy if you can find the beginning of the trail.

Blane was awesome. Our tour guide grew up minutes from the trails that he took us on and messed around in those woods when he was a kid. Needless to say, guy knew what he was doing. My wife and I lucked out and were the only two on that morning’s tour and he made us feel like we were hanging out with a buddy.
The kayaking was calm and good for beginners and our guide knew the trail like the back of his hand. He even found me fresh passion fruit along the way, which was a nice sweet treat to go with our provided lunch. Our experience at the falls was unreal. As soon as we approached the pond with the falls, it started pouring (keep in mind that you’re in a rainforest). After the kayak and hike, we welcomed it and used it as a great opportunity to cool off and have some fun. Also, because there were only two of us, we moved fairly quickly and made it to the falls before it got crowded with other tour groups.
Tour requires a moderate level of fitness, but nothing crazy. Was an awesome, fun time.

This place is walking distance to the River. This was one of my favorite things that we did on the island!!! scenery was amazing on the river & the hike at the end to the secret falls. Some of the most beautiful things i’ve ever seen– beautiful trees, plants, rocky river that you walk along, and waterfall at the end. The hike is easy for small children. If you have a double kayak, make sure the strongest person pairs up with the child. I saw a tour guide towing a lady in a kayak with a small child. My 11 yr old decided that kayaking was hard and opted to sit on the front of his brothers paddle board (and they had a full day rental and stayed out). So I paddled the looong 2 person kayak back by myself.
We didn’t do the tour– we enjoyed going at our OWN PACE. It’s easy to see which way to go. Go EARLY. We went at 7:15am. before it starts getting crowded with tourists and the current is calm. Plan on paddling against the current and wind when you come back 5 hours later. the paddle out TO the secret falls was much easier.
TIP: take BUG SPRAY. You’ll need it for the hike to the secret falls– you’re walking through the jungle. I remembered the sunscreen at 7:15a.m. but wasn’t thinking about bug spray. Someone in our group borrowed it from strangers. I didn’t & suffered with 43 bug bites (or somewhere very close to that).
We rented it through Fran at Barefoot Tom’s for a discounted rate.

This was one of the highlights of our vacation. We did the kayak trip and hike to the falls with a guide. My 3 year old was talking about our friend Blaine for days. The entire experience was fantastic and a true Kauai adventure. We are big hikers and outdoor adventurers but we had to be more selective traveling with a young child both to do something he would enjoy and would be manageable. He loved the Tri-​Ak (Kayak where a child has a middle seat) and hike to see the waterfall.
We did the morning tour and that was a great choice because it wasn’t too warm an the river wasn’t busy. This made the trip quite enjoyable. Our guide found us a nice spot to sit and have lunch at the Falls and we had ample time to swim and/​or enjoy the view. Even though the path was well worn, it could have been confusing to be sure we stopped at the right spot in the river and were on the right track to the Falls if not for use of a guide. I have done many self guided hikes and it was nice to relax and just enjoy the scenery, especially with a small child.
I would recommend this to others and thought the company provided friendly service. It was everything I expected.

In review of Wailua Kayak & Canoe, separate from the actual kayaking experience:
The kayaks were cheap and difficult to steer compared to the kayaks I own. The service was surprisingly unwelcoming, and bordered even a bit on being rude.
IF you decide to kayak the Wailua (which is an average trip at best), I’d begrudgingly recommend WK&C due to its convenient location on the river, though don’t much in the way of service…

My husband and I did the self-​guided tour. I didn’t really see the point of doing the guided tour. We rented a two person kayak, cost was 85 $ for 5 hours. (Note: You may want to pay in cash, for credit cards the guy took imprint of the card). You can pickup the kayaks at 7 AM or noon, you can even pick them up later but then you don’t get as much time on the water, since they have to be returned at a particular time.
The guy at the counter attaches wheel to your kayak and you’ve drag it yourself to the launch site (5 – 10 min walk). You get life-​vests, a dry bag and a cooler to carry food/​drinks and a «map». Service wasn’t really great, the guy didn’t really explain much; gave a brief description of the route you should follow and a few spots on the river.
We didn’t do the hike to the waterfall, since we were told there wasn’t too much water at the falls. There are a couple of swimming spots on the river where people were jumping off the ledge. Saw lots of people out on the water– people doing stand up paddling (even with their dogs), teenagers on the racing canoes, tour boats and other kayakers.
The water was pretty calm when we went, there was no strong current. Fun way to pass the time.

Why do all the kayak tour companies call it «The Secret Falls» if there’s always 50 – 100 people there on any given day and time?
Anyways, I won’t repeat what everyone else has written, but I say don’t do the self-​guided tour hike to the «Secret Falls» unless you’ve done it before or can follow along with another tour group. Its a little tricky to find where the trail starts, and its tricky too coming back to find where you parked your kayak. Don’t do this if you’re out of shape.
Minus 1 Star: $ 50pp seemed excessive
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –
QUIZ QUESTION: Which two footwear types below are most unsuitable for «Hiking»?
A) Hiking Boots
B) Sneakers
C) Flip Flops
D) The $ 200 Prada 2 inch heel sandals that were featured on page 87 of last month’s issue of Cosmo?
Hopefully the answers are common sense, but according to some Unilocal reviews and the folks struggling I saw on this kayak-​hike trip (also offered by other companies), not everyone has common sense. (For those morons, the answers are C and D.)

Average service, average canoes, right on the river (a plus), gives APC discounts (another plus), but mediocre information about how to find the river highlights. Pay close attention to the big map posted at the rental area, as the mini map they give you leaves much to be desired. Don’t pay for the guide, you can definitely do it yourself and avoid overpaying.

Fun experience to go through the river, then hike and dive into the Secret Falls, but I am not reviewing the experience, but rather a service I got from these people while I rented the kayak.
First, we didn’t go on a guided tour as I was told it was pointless and quite frankly I am glad we didn’t because as I was passing by groups of people it looked uninteresting and crowded. We rented two single kayaks instead and with a help of our guidebook we kayaked hiked and swam in the falls. The service those people provide is rude and poor. They give you a pathetic map and treat you like meat. No curtousy to let you know that wearing flip flops or sneakers is probably not a good idea. They are not plesant and the way they talk to you after taking $ 104 for two kayaks, is like they are doing you a huge favor. BTW, go early in the morning, be there before 7 and be the first one before all the crowds show up.
They are on the river, YES, but there are few other companies on the river and I bet you will have way better experience.

Good kayak rental company for your trip up the Wailua River. I did the unguided tour, which is great because I arrived at the same time a group of 40 high school students arrived to get on the guided tour. The fact that it is only a short walk to the water is very convenient, and the staff were very helpful in getting you through the check-​in process and on the water as fast as possible. I would recommend Wailua Kayak & Canoe Inc to others looking to travel up the Wailua River.

Decent rates on kayak rentals right on the Wailua River. Laid back atmosphere and convenient if you want to do the kayak + falls excursion, but don’t want to pay for/​deal with a guided tour. Recommended.

When bf and I decided to do the Wailua River to the Opeaka’a Falls trail on our own — without a guide — we found this kayak rental place right on the river. It’s the only one that rents kayaks right on the river.
They give you about 5 hours to do the self-​guided trip on your own, so you can either pick up kayaks at 7am or 12noon. We did the noon pickup.
After a brief talk with us and another couple about the river route, and a once-​over on a big version of the smaller map they give you, we were towing our 2-​person kayak down to the river’s edge.
We unstrapped the kayak from the towing wheels and pushed off into the water, me with my life vest on, bf with his on board, and all of our stuff safely in the dry sack they gave us.
It was super hot in the sun going there! About 35 minutes of steady paddling later and we were at the trailhead for the waterfall hike. We had passed a dock for a museum along the way, but chose not to go. Remembering our number kayak to be able to pick it out from the rest of the ones parked there when we returned was vital!
The trail was well marked and maintained, even if it was mucky and slippery in some places. I was glad we had on our water shoes (pssst…cheap ones can be bought from Kmart) — flip flops or tennis shoes would have been a real pain given the muddy terrain and stream crossings necessary throughout the trail. Although we noticed guides hiking barefoot!
It was pretty buggy too — I have the mosquito bites to show for it — so next time I’d use bug repellant too.
Half an hour-​ish into it, we took a refreshing break at a rope swing — fun! After passing a smaller waterfall, we got to Opeaka’a Falls at the end.
It was pretty spectacular to get in the cold water and under the strong falls! Having our lunch here was awesome!
Then it was back down the trail and into the kayak. There was another swimming hole along the left fork of the river, but we were approaching 4 hours and were about done.
This is definitely the place to rent if you don’t want to be tied to a guide. The trail is totally visible and doable on your own — make sure you bring water, snacks/​lunch, your camera and sunscreen. And wear your bathing suit, sunglasses, a hat and water shoes!

This is a simple no frills operation but it was exactly what we wanted! We called ahead and reserved 3 double kayaks, which you have to do during the busy season if you want a kayak. The double kayaks are $ 80 for either the morning or the afternoon — which is about 5 hours. You pull your kayak down to the river and off you go. You can do it without a guide which is also what we wanted. You can kayak up about a mile to a fork in the road and head to the right for a hike to the Uluwehi falls, also known as the Secret Falls. Then you get to kayak back up the river, but don’t worry about the current, there isn’t one in either direction, to the landing spot and drag your kayak up to the shop.
The river kayak is beautiful, lush and peaceful, minus a few motor boats. The hike is adventurous because you have to walk across a river and a few streams. The rest of the path is fairly flat and easy to navigate. During the raining season the path can be incredibly muddy — muddy enough to require that we had to take our shoes off and go barefoot. The falls are lovely although the pool at the base is rather small. There are winds off the falls which if it isn’t warm out can actually be kind of chilly.
Overall — we enjoyed the experience and I would suggest it to anyone looking for a balanced activitiy.