Help with Napili Coast

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

What's your ideal way to explore/enjoy the Napali Coast on Kauai?

Tours ok, but prefer small/less commercial, but don't hold back if you've done a larger one and loved it. Zodiac ok if not a rough ride, but something a little sturdier would be better. Going in July. Hiking ok, but not more than a mile or two, rockscrambling/rough terrain is no problem (actually preferred). I am a little nervous about kayaking on our own up there, but would do it with a guide.

Looking forward to your replies.

[aliikai2 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close aliikai2]

Did you mean Napali or Napili? If Napali on Kauai then,

We have used Capt Zodiac and Holo Holo for ocean tours, we have also gone on the Helicopter tours that get into some of the valleys.

If you only want to hike a mile or two, you can't get to much of the Napali coast.

We have never hiked as Joyce isn't that mobile, but from what I have read, it is about 4 miles in from Ke'e Beach to reach the beach that is the start of the trail along the coast.
Many hikers take out a camping permit and spend the night there and take the rest of the trail on the following day.

There are guided kayak tours out of Hanalei , I have read that they take the better part of a day, and are somewhat grueling.

Holo Holo was a great way to see the cliffs, nice catamaran, food, and a snorkel trip to the straits of Niihau.

The zodiac trip was brutal, rough, a sandwich and a can of pop, no restrooms... some like it allot, we didn't.

If you drive out to Polihali beach on the westside, you can take a jeep up the beach for a short distance and be at the end of the Napali coast, we walked there and enjoyed the views, or up in Kokee park there is an outlook that if your lucky won't be covered in clouds, that shows a splendid vista of the coast.

There are no wrong ways to view the beauty of this magical place, so go and enjoy it the way that makes you happy.

Greg

What's your ideal way to explore/enjoy the Napili Coast?

Tours ok, but prefer small/less commercial, but don't hold back if you've done a larger one and loved it. Zodiac ok if not a rough ride, but something a little sturdier would be better. Going in July. Hiking ok, but not more than a mile or two, rockscrambling/rough terrain is no problem (actually preferred). I am a little nervous about kayaking on our own up there, but would do it with a guide.

Looking forward to your replies.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Hiking is a wonderful and inexpensive way to experience the Na Pali coast, but one to tow miles won't cut it.

Minimum hike would be half day (and ~1000 ft elevation change) on a ridge trail such as the Nu'alolo.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

We have used Capt Zodiac Greg

Capt Zodiac if you want to have fun. There raft boats are super fast and the music is loud. The rafts come out of the water at times. We had a blast!

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Sorry, I meant Napali. Thanks for the replies so far. Zodiac sounds too rough for me. Holu Holu sounds good, if it doesn't get overcrowded. We just can't hike for a half day, or 4 miles to the beginning of a trail. We will have a Jeep, so will also check out Polihali.

[Luanne Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Luanne]

We did a boat tour up the coast years ago when we were there. The boat was bigger than a zodiac, so you didn't get quite the bouncing you would in one of those, but still lots of fun. Unfortunately I think I heard that company is not doing business any longer, and I can't remember the name either. I know they left out of Hanelei, and I think I also heard that the boats don't leave from that location any longer either (but that could have changed again). We're not hikers, so that was never an option for us.

[StressCadet Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close StressCadet]

We liked Holo Holo. There were 10 of us in our group and even with the other passengers-it never felt crowded to me. We were not there in the height of summer though. It was the first week of June. That could make a difference. I do not believe the boat was filled to capacity....they did mention that they can carry X amount but only take Y amount to keep everyone comfortable. It seems like there were maybe 30 people. We did an afternoon snorkel/sunset sail. I have pics....I can try to post them here....or I can email them to you.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

After looking at maps and reviewing Kauai Revealed, it seems there are only two good companies that leave out of Hanalei (we will be staying there after the first 3 nights). Na Pali Catamaran, and Captain Sundown. Anyone with experience on these?

With three nights in Lihue, does it pay to spend a day sailing on Holo Holo from Port Allen to go up to Na Pali, if we'll be staying in Hanalei at the end of the week? Also, the tours out of Hanalei only take 15 people, which appeals to me...

[davhu1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close davhu1]

Hike the Kalalau Trail. The trails can be rough. We been there 3 times and every time it has rained/showered even when we started on a sunny day. The trails are wet and muddy. Hiking poles will help. Make sure to bring water and start early.

Hike about 1/2 (takes about an hour) you'll get a nice peek of Napali Coast. We hiked to Hanakapiai stream and beach there. It about 2 miles and tooks us about 4 hours and took us an extra half-hour to get back.

You can also swim/snorkel at Be'e Beach at the beginning of the trail.

Have fun!

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

You can also take a helicopter ride.
When we did it with Capt Zodiac, we took the snorkal cruise with the speed raft to a deserted part of the islands where you can only get there by boat and the boats are not allowed to get close so you have to swim to the island where you have lunch with the buried Kings of Kauai along with a few cats and about a thousand mice. When we were done with the raft trip we were only 15 minuites from Waliuma canyon so we knocked off both things in one day.
I have a review of it on yougoigo.com big_frank is my id.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

The Napali Coast snorkeling tour was the most overrated experience we had. The reefs were basically raped and pillaged of their fish and we only saw juvenile fish. The snorkeling is better elsewhere IMHO. Try Ke'e and Tunnels on the north shore during the summer.

Take something smaller that can go into the sea caves since the snorkeling is a waste of time.

As far as I know there are not that many waterfalls on the coast as the water is channeled off for irrigation so that was disappointing too.

I would try to get out to Nihau Island in hope that it was not so worked over and for some prime snorkeling. I think one of the tours includes snorkeling near the island.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Hike the Kalalau Trail. The trails can be rough. We been there 3 times and every time it has rained/showered even when we started on a sunny day. The trails are wet and muddy. Hiking poles will help. Make sure to bring water and start early.

Hike about 1/2 (takes about an hour) you'll get a nice peek of Napali Coast. We hiked to Hanakapiai stream and beach there. It about 2 miles and tooks us about 4 hours and took us an extra half-hour to get back.

You can also swim/snorkel at Be'e Beach at the beginning of the trail.

Have fun!

I've hiked the first half of the Kalalau (including the hike back to the waterfalls), the Nu'alolo and the 'Awa'awapuhi (the latter two are on top of the knife ridges that are the Na Pali coast. The Kalalau is justly famous, but the Nu'alolo and the 'Awa'awapuhi are almost as spectacular. They are also drier - i.e., generally easier hiking.

re snorkeling at Ni'ihau. You can't snorkel at Ni'ihau, but there is an adjacent island where snorkeling is done. I don't remember that charter that we did that with - it departed out of Port Arthur. One reason the charter went to that location is because fewer boats go there and the operators that went there didn't chum.

Chumming attracts more fish, but chumming favors more aggressive fish species. So while you might see more fish in a chummed region, there is less variety.