Na Pali Explorer

Can’t say enough great things about our Na Pali experience! Kevin was our captain and his crew did an amazing job ensuring everyone was having a great time. Saw two schools of dolphins and sea turtles. The captain slowed the boat down so everyone could see them.
The only thing I would do differently next time is to bring a lightweight jacket for my daughter. The day was slightly overcast and she got cold on the way back.
My last Na Pali tour was on a catamaran which I enjoyed. However, I will definitely be booking on the Na Pali Explorer in the future!

Fantastic tour — extremely funny tour guide, very knowledgeable and entertaining. Exciting ride, perfect amount of time and great lunch. Would highly recommend.

My wife and I went on the Beach Landing Excursion, which was well worth the money. In fact, I’d say this day trip was the most bang for our buck out of all our honeymoon activities.
We started at 7am, departing with 12 other people in the «Explorer 1,» a rigid hull inflatable raft powered by two 140-​horsepower outboard engines, and helmed by Captain A’a (Ah-​ah). He and his first mate Brandon were excellent guides.
The boat trip alone would have been close to worth the price of admission. It was exciting and engaging. You WILL leave sore, but satisfied! There’s nothing quite like sitting at the front of a boat which is flying through the air after hitting a large swell at high speeds. That said, neither me nor my wife, nor any of the other passengers (so far as I could tell) ever felt endangered. Captain A’a keeps things exciting, but does his job well.
The guided coastline tour was excellent. Again, Brandon and Captain A’a really know their stuff. We got history lessons, as well as tips on where to go to see the best sunsets and stargazing. Along the way, we encountered loads of wildlife, from dolphins, to spotted rays, to a variety of sea birds.
Our excursion was treated to trips INSIDE several sea caves, which again, Captain A’a navigated expertly. We made landfall at an old fishing village with a rich history, and Brandon guided is through the daily life if the Na Pali village, as well as some of their social customs and even a bit of local geology!
Finally, we were treated to snorkeling in the lagoon located at the base of the village. It is protected from the sea by a reef, and is deceptively deep and rich with sea life. My wife and I encountered large schools of fish, and a somewhat rare Trumpetfish, which was totally cool (but not guaranteed lol).
We booked our trip the day before with our hotel concierge at the Courtyard Kaua’i at Coconut Beach, but there is also a website.
If you want guaranteed fun and a real sense of adventure, book the Beach Landing Excursion on the rigid hull raft (preferably with Captain A’a, who is genuinely funny and so knowledgeable). You won’t regret it (but again, you will be sore)!

We opted to do this tour as the size of the boat would allow us to go in and out of caves on the coast. Everything was great! On the way out we saw some spinning dolphins which were super cool. Both of the captains were very knowledgeable about the area and gave us lots of interesting facts. We ended up snorkeling on a reef where the water was calm and it was so beautiful! The caves were amazing, and we were even able to go under a waterfall. Of all the tours I did in Hawaii, this was the BEST LUNCH we had. The bread was amazing! Overall great trip definitely recommend.

These guys are great. They do tours along the Na Pali coadtline. They were incredible with my mother who has some health issues and needs a little more attention. The captain, A.A. and crew member, John, for our tour were knowledgeable and good with the boat and snorkeling equipment. We went on the zodiac. A bit of a wild ride, but worth it. We had a wide range of ages on our tour, from a preteen to someone in her 70s. A couple sea caves, under a small waterfall, dolphins all around the boat, incredible views of the Napali coastline, topped off with a beach landing for the lunch they provided and snorkeling. They also have a tamer tour, if you really don’t want to be on a Zodiac.
They have a dry storage box for your items during the wet moments. Best items to bring: lightweight camera with video capability, underwater camera, towel, water resistant sunscreen.

A wonderful 5 hour boat tour of the Na Pali coast. We were on the snorkel and sightseeing tour, on a 48 foot Zodiac boat with a canopy cover and small bathroom. It was very comfortable and nice to have some shade for the long tour. The day was windy so the ride was a little bumpy, and we had to search for a good snorkel spot, but these were just minor inconveniences! We saw a school of spinner dolphins that swam with the vessel for a good 15 – 20 minutes. We also saw sea turtles, the amazing Na Pali coast, and a couple of baby humpback whales! It was an amazing experience and I would absolutely do it again, well worth the price.

Highlight of our vacation, so glad we picked this adventurous tour. Crew was helpful, knowledgeable, and treated us like family. We saw and experienced more in the 5 hour tour than our first two days on the island. Mahalo!

Have been out with them a number of times over the past 25 years. A stellar experience. Fantastic crews! Mary hope you continue to share the magic!
Mahalo

Captain AA (pronounced Ah-​Ah) was a true master of the island. While the tour was advertised as a snorkeling trip, snorkeling was actually the least exciting part of the expedition. After numerous encounters with spinner Dolphins, the Capt brought us to caves and waterfalls that could only be accessed via boat (and only known by experienced local guides). We had an absolute blast! Do not be discouraged by your first impression of the rough look of the rubber raft. This has to be the best guided tour from the Waimea area. Highly recommended!

Great tour! We took a 28 foot Zodiak with Captain Ah from Kekeha to the Na Pali coast. What a thrill ride that was! Our boat was small enough to go inside some sea caves and we did some snorkeling, saw some dolphins, turtles, waterfalls, and took in the grandeur of the Na Pali coast as can only be done by boat. Highly recommended!

We booked this tour through our resort and we had a really great experience. The staff was very friendly, knowledgeable, and had a great sense of humor. The boat ride was rough. Huge swells. But we saw a number of Dolphins and turtles. We came onto a beach, had lunch, and snorkeled. This was a great activity over all. Seeing the coast from the water is a great experience. Wear plenty of sun screen, it’s a long day of fun in the sun! We are glad we did it!

My favorite activity in Kauai! We did the last tour out of Hanalei last year. We had great weather, so the views of the Na Pali coast were breathtaking! Riding the zodiac boat was an experience itself, and definitely not for the faint of heart.
This is the only company that has a license to land on the coast, and typically this is where you would stop for lunch then go for a swim. We had a different experience, however. Due to increasing swells, we had to evacuate off the island. We eventually decided, as a group, to eat our lunch out in the open water. This was followed by our own spontaneous diving competition out in the middle of the ocean, which was a blast! Captain Jason and Nancy showed us a great time!
Lunch is provided: sandwiches, chips, and soda. Dry bags are also given to passengers to keep your stuff safe. Wear your swimsuits, cause you will get wet on the boat. And wear sunscreen! Leave the hats at home, because you will lose them.
This is definitely a must when in Kauai, and we would love to do it again in the future!

Great trip overall. Captain E and first mate J made it a memorable trip. The weather on the morning tour was beautiful and right out of the harbor we were surrounded with dolphins. The captain allowed us to stop and take photos. Then we continued on to a swimming spot with blue water and white sands for a quick swim before we continued our tour down Na Pali coast with sea caves, turtles and waterfalls. J’s energy and enthusiasm was infectious and made the trip that much better. Finally, they are one of 3 boats allowed to land in nuilolo kai for a small hike, lunch, and snorkel. I’d give it 5 stars if the boat was more comfortable then sitting on the pantoons. Definitely recommended.

This trip is BANANAS! First off, the boat ride is definitely not for the faint of heart but it is part of the fun! Get the ride in the smaller zodiac inflatable boats (just like the ones the navy seals use). These give you the ride of your life and allow you to go into the one of a kind sea caves. The nature-​scapes are amazing. Plus you get to snorkel and interact with the sea animals up close.
Be prepared to get wet!

The company themselves were fine; my main complaint was I didn’t like the boat… though I’m sure if you like a rough/​wild ride, the other zodiac boats would be the same… I’ll blame this on my wife for booking the boat that was «more of an adventure» and not the «more tame» experience of the larger boat (despite my telling her that I did not want to be on a zodiac. Though I’m not sure this boat is technically a zodiac, it is in that style — they call it a «rigid hull inflatable boat».
We were on the 14-​person «zodiac style» boat, the Na Pali Explorer I. You have to hang on the entire time, lest you get thrown from the boat. It is *not* relaxing; it affords few chances for pictures, b/​c you’re so worried about hanging on and/​or getting soaked and you’re unable to get out a camera. Moreover, there is no shade on the boat, so you will (probably) get a little sunburn (make sure to re-​apply sunscreen after you stop for ‘lunch’).
Lunch was fine, but not that exciting; really just some meat on rice (pretty typical for Hawaiian/​Japanese (?) lunches). Came with soft drinks or bottled water. Also, we ate ‘lunch’ at like 10:30am, before we snorkeled. The snorkeling was decent, but unfortunately I got cold and had to quit a little sooner than I would have liked. The snorkel gear they provided was good and there were loads of other boats stopped at the same snorkel place. The trip also included a brief tour of an historic village that is being restored — which was at the beach where we had lunch and snorkeled.
You may want sandals or boat shoes for the trip, since you’ll have to brace yourself and run your foot under a rope the entire ride. You will almost certainly get soaked by waves crashing over the boat. When you get back from the trip, you are coated with dried, crusted salt. Bring a change of clothes and a towel; you’ll want to rinse off when you get back to shore.
The captain we had was very chatty… told lots of stories. My wife said he seemed a little ‘over-​confident’ and/​or was compensating… The day we were out (in July) was relatively calm; 3 – 6 foot swells; I can’t imagine doing that boat ride in 8 – 20 foot swells… but the water does get a lot rougher in the winter months… so think twice about booking a tour then.
No one on the boat we were on got sea sick; I didn’t feel bad at all. But I guess 1) the sea wasn’t too rough; and 2) you’re out in the fresh air, away from engine exhaust, and if you’re looking towards the front of the boat… you should be fine.
On our tour we went into a couple sea caves; they were ok, but not terribly spectacular (in my opinion). We didn’t do nearly all of the coast… as it takes so long to get out around from port. Plus, once you do get up to the northern bit, it seems the weather up there is liable to be much stormier than what you left (that was our case, at any rate); so we turned around sort of early, b/​c we were getting rained on.
We did see a number of dolphins the day we went, but no whales. (maybe they come in a different season.?) We also saw a turtle or two swimming around our boat. Also, at least for us, I would say the view on the way back was better than on the way out b/​c there was more fog/​clouds over the coast and mountains in the morning, but by afternoon it had mostly burned off. While I thought the coast was pretty, I also felt rather unable to appreciate it, given the fact that I was hanging on for dear life. If you like roller-​coasters and 4-​hr long wet raft rides, this boat is for you. If you prefer to take in the natural beauty of a place in peace, find a calmer ride.

My husband and I absolutely LOVED our trip on the Na Pali Explorer! Captain Emilio and First-​Mate EJ were first-​class all the way. They were friendly, accommodating, knowledgeable, and totally HILARIOUS! Quite the entertainers. :)
Our trip up and down the coast was incredibly beautiful. You can’t put that majestic scenery into words. I loved how they stopped and told us stories and history along the way. I learned so much about ancient Hawaiian life. And if you want adventure, going into the sea caves was thrilling! We actually went INSIDE the Queens Bath cave and it took our breath away! It was one of those experiences we will remember for our lifetime. We couldn’t believe it was happening.
We even came across a few pods of Spinner dolphins during the trip. Such amazing creatures. I was in heaven.
We could not have been happier with our choice in snorkel tour/​Na Pali coast adventures. I am SO happy we didn’t pick one of the overcrowded catamaran tours… the zodiac was fast, fun, and truly an adventure!!!
Oh, and lunch was a Hawaiian-​style Bento box… mmmmmmm delicious!!!

This was the highlight of my weekend in Kauai. I took the Zodiac boat which is a small inflatable boat with an engine. The crew was very fun and knowledgeable and they made the 45 minute trip up to the Na Pali coast a very enjoyable experience (if the dolphins and views weren’t enjoyable enough). Once we arrived at the coast, it was the single coolest natural wonder I have ever seen. We drove around the cliffs for about 20 minutes zipping in and out of caves before stopping at Nualolo Kai State Park for some snorkeling and lunch. The wildlife while snorkeling was great; I even followed a sea turtle for a while. Lunch was provided from The Grind Café which served a good plate lunch of pork, cabbage, chicken, rice, and edamame. Overall, Na Pali Explorer tours was the best activity I did in Kauai.

This was an excellent tour if your interested in seeing the Na Pali Coast. Shaun was our Captain and he was excellent, providing interesting information and with a great sense of humor. He is an excellent boatman with a wealth of ocean experience. A local boy born and raised on Kauai. We saw Bottle nose and spinner dolphins and turtles. There was snorkeling and we also toured an ancient Hawaiian Village. An experience we will never forget. Lunch was also included. Our kids both girls 12 an 16 had a blast.
Thank you Na Pali Explorers on a trip worth remembering.
The Garcia and Williams ohana.

After exploring the island by land and air, we had to tackle the sea as well. This was an awesome experience that we highly recommend, but check the weather ahead of time to see if it will be good for you. Remember, the winter season (through mid-​May) is known for rough and choppy water which can dramatically alter your experience.
We chose Na Pali Explorer because they had good review, a nice price, and they use the smaller inflatable «Zodiac» boats which can get closer to the action and explore some sea caves along the coast.
The staff were all VERY friendly and helpful, and the booking process was painless. We also got our local discount for working on the island. The only real hitch in the whole thing is that you have to meet up in Waimea at the office to check in and for a safety briefing, then drive almost to Kekaha to the Kikoloa boat harbor. Then, you have to drive back to Waimea to return your «dry bag,» but this shouldn’t be an issue for most who are staying in hotels on the other wide of Waimea anyway.
As it would happen, we were not actually able to go all the way to our turn around point, explore any caves, or snorkel due to the overly rough ocean, but they did find a calm spot for lunch and an open water swim around the boat which was really awesome. They do provide snorkel equipment, but you can bring your own if you have it for sanitary reasons… Even with this setback, we still had an awesome time.
Remember, you cannot blame the company for the weather or the presence/​absence of sea life. They do what they can to provide you with a great experience. The boat crew (Captain Andy [not to be confused with the Captain Andy of «Captain Andy’s boat tours], Nick, and EJ) were awesome. They were very knowledgeable of the area and any sea life we encountered. They were also very friendly and not afraid to talk with anyone on board, «talk story,» or tell jokes.
On a side note, YOU WILL GET WET. Don’t complain if you aren’t prepared. They do sell a lot of things you might want or need at the office like water proof cameras or sunglasses straps, and they provide a «dry bag» for towels or whatever else you want to bring and supply water, soda, and food on board.

Only the 48-​foot, 35-​passenger Explorer II was available for the 4.5 hr Na Pali snorkel expedition. Bummer because not as wet & wild as a zodiac — a little tame for my taste.
Continental breakfast = small slices of (store bought?) banana bread & coffee in the office where you check-​in. FYI — there is a drive-​thru coffee place next door.
Deli lunch = assorted ½ sandwiches (basic turkey, roast beef or veggie), chips & 1 Kauai Cookie.
Assortment of non-​alcoholic beverages = bottled water & soda. No POG or juices. :(
The website mentioned «Guided and narrated by marine naturalists and Hawaiian cultural specialists willing to share their knowledge and stories» but we had the boat captain & teenager who joined a few weeks ago. They did provide narration & some information on the sites. They were friendly & provided nice service.
We spotted a couple humpbacks on the way out. Disappointed we didn’t see the entire Na Pali coast — only went halfway & turned around. Stopped in an area teeming with spinner dolphins frolicking. That was the highlight! Wish we were able to snorkel with them. The snorkel spot had decent visibility but not many fish. 2 honu made an appearance after I exited the water. :(At least we got to see them. Of course this isn’t Disneyland — wildlife cannot be switched on & off to ensure an appearance.