Kauai Backcountry Adventures — Attraction in Kauai

Tubing review!

TICKETS: We purchased them online about a month out. Six time slots were available, in which we chose the last one at 2pm.

THE BASEYARD: Look for the big yellow warehouse building and park in the gravel lot to the right. They ask that you check in 30 minutes prior so you have ample time to fill out a questionnaire and sign a waiver. Inside are restrooms, a gift shop, and where you're handed out zipline or tubing gear. For tubing we received a helmet with headlight and gardening-like gloves. You'll need to bring your own towels, sunscreen, etc. No storage/lockers are here. Instead, bring your things with you to place in storage bins near the start of the tubing site.

VAN RIDE: Our 2:00pm tour (about 25 people) was broken up into two vans. Macy was our fun and bubbly tour guide. She kept us entertained for the 30 minute ride to the site with an introduction game and info on the area. The paved road gives way to a gated, bumpy dirt road in the mountains, with a short leg-stretcher and photo op along the way at a gorgeous lookout site before arriving at the ditch.

TUBING: Storage bins await your arrival to store your towels and personal belongings in. A port-a-potty is available here. A 5-minute guided nature walk showcases actual growing sugar cane, taro and bamboo on the way to the launch site.

The tubes get rolled into the ditch by personnel while you're going through a safety briefing. Then, one by one you descend a short pool-like ladder and plop your derrière into the tube. Smaller tubes were available for the kids.

The Old Lihue Plantation irrigation ditch is 3-feet at its deepest and filled with fresh, crisp mountain water fed by Mount Wai'ale'ale, the wettest spot on Earth. The tour will take you through a few mild rapids, a few drops with the highest at 3 feet, and 5 tunnels with the longest being 3/4 of a mile long.

A rope holds everyone together until all are ready to go. The rope pulls away and off you go. The natural current gently pushes everyone downstream. Tethering is not allowed, so be prepared to bump into, spin and float along with strangers. The upper sides of the ditch are smooth and is actually dirt that has been smoothed by the rubbing of the tubes. Some places are actual stone so be mindful of your ankles. The tubes are made of a tough, military-grade material so grazing by rocks do not faze it. Some areas have shallow rocks at the ditch bottom so your guides will shout "bottoms up"! You'll see lots of trees, grasses and greenery along the way. There was no mosquito problem. The only part of me that got wet was my surf shorts. Total tubing time was about an hour.

TUNNELS: I didn't think they were claustrophobic at all. This is where your helmets come into play as the walls of the tunnels have some protruding rocks. The first tunnel was narrow with single-file flowing, but the rest were fairly wide. The last tunnel is the longest and is where they asked us to turn off our headlights which was totally fun. There were no bats or creepy crawlies that I could see.

LUNCH: A short van ride away brings you to an open-air pavilion where a deli-style lunch was served in a peaceful mountain setting with a pond in view.

SWIMMING: I read some reviews and the activity description about swimming after lunch but that was never offered.

TIPS: Apply sunscreen to the front of your body only. You'll spend the majority of the time in the tunnels so it wasn't really necessary.

Unless you have a waterproof camera or phone, leave it in the storage bin. As much as I wanted to snap pics, it was fun to just experience the ride and not risk losing/damaging my phone. A photographer was taking pics as we descended down the highest drop of the ditch and towards the end of the float. Pics were ready back at the baseyard and an email link to purchase got sent. Prices were $15 for one picture, $20 for two and $30 for three +. I purchased one online, it got sent via email and was crystal clear.

Allow about 3 hours out of your day for this.

OVERALL: So much fun, safe and highly...

My family had booked the tubing adventure which they really enjoyed, but I ended up choosing the zipline option. Having a background as a first responder, I was naturally concerned about the safety of the event. I did quite a bit of research on both the tubing and the zipline, and had read that the staff is extremely professional and personable in regard to both, but I wanted to make sure that I was selecting something safe and enjoyable. I decided to book the zipline given that I had done rock climbing and felt that a mountaintop experience was more fitting for me.

Once I arrived, I was greeted by the front desk and asked about my reservation. Check in was simple, and there were benches, merchandise, and restroom areas to make the wait relaxing while the crew was being assembled for the next trip out to the lines. The staff was very polite and professional when I asked questions about GoPro rental, details of the event, etc.

Once the crew arrived, there was a very brief safety briefing, and they fitted us for helmets, harnesses, and made sure our personal belongings could be safely stowed during the drive.

For about 25 minutes, we drove up the rolling green hills to the top of the first zipline. During the drive, our guides shared about the history of the island, FAQs, tips for having a fun and safe time, and even made a few jokes to keep things light. Once we arrived at the first zip, they spent about 15-20 minutes going over safety, inspecting everyone’s gear again, and going over their basic SOPs. At this point, I could tell they were taught well, took their jobs seriously, and had experience being on the lines and also being aware of any potential complications. I could tell that they had an understanding of safety ratings, common issues, and they made sure to go over the redundant safeties they had in place on the harnesses.

The zip lines were amazing, exhilarating, and a couple who were a bit nervous ended up smiling and laughing after their first run. I’ve done rock-climbing, so perhaps I was a bit less worried, but I considered safety seriously and I think everyone’s concerns were rested as the crew continued to give positive feedback before, during, and after each run.

It did rain off and on during our run, but it didn’t cause any issues other than some mud on the short trails between zip lines. Some lines have little to no walking required between them at all. The platforms did get a little wet but no one slipped or had any issues. At no point did I feel like we were disregarding safety. There is plenty of runway to get on the zip and they even anchor people in so it’s impossible for them to zip until the line is clear and the rider is ready.

I was really touched by the crews’ personal care for our group on the drive back. One of our guides, Hans, who was native to Kauai, shared the history of the island, best places to visit and avoid, and even shared some of the Hawaiian language that really expressed the aloha spirit of love and acceptance. We saw wild cattle, pigs, and of course chickens on the way back. We were all very blessed and all of us bonded closer together as a group, as we were all called Ohana and encouraged to hang out together after the trip.

When my partner picked me up (she couldn’t participate due to an injury), they even came over to greet her and said they hope she heals fast and that she’s always welcome to just come and hang out.

I got the feeling that all of the staff really cared about making people feel safe, answering their questions, staying encouraged, and helping others learn things about each other and the island that will make the memories more lasting.

Thank you Keanu, Oliver, Brice, and Hans for taking great care of us and making us...

Omg! How can I put into words how AMAZING this experience was/is!!! Our favorite out of all the experiences we did on all the islands!

Luckily, a friend in our large group had heard/researched and mentioned to our group. It sounded cool so we tried to book with her group but her day/time was booked. We were able to get the day prior and was able to relay our experience to them.

We Uber’d there from the cruise terminal took about 20-25m. We ended getting there about an hour prior to our check-in time. They had plenty of tables/benches to hang out at while we waited. They are very organized and there is a staged area for photos and 4 clean bathrooms plus dressing rooms. They do have dry boxes at location to keep what you do not want wet or can’t take while tubing.

The drive is in an open bus/safari type truck that rides like an ATV and was about 30-40ish minutes through beautiful scenery. Our tour guide Keanu gave us the history of the area and culture. He answered questions and was very knowledgeable since he was born/raised there and only left the island to the mainland once. We saw cows, wild pigs, chickens or course and cats. They stop at Mt. Wal’ ale’ale and offer to snap pictures and give you a history about the area.

Once at the tubing start area there are clean porta potties and collect everyone’s items for the dry box. I ended up not taking my phone even with having a water pouch for it and glad I didn’t because I feel it would have taken away from the experience and highly suggest you don’t. Plenty of photo ops they do and their pricing was the lowest ($40 for all, yes all from the entire group) out of anything we did on the islands.

The tubing - just WOW! So much fun! No words just a must do! Definitely would do again. Slow and fast parts, amazing views, and enjoyable no matter your age (47-49).

They made sure we felt safe. Besides Keanu they had two ladies who assisted one that hung out in the back and one in the middle unless needed upfront for certain areas. One person in the group happened to be claustrophobic and it was wonderful that they did everything they could to make her feel comfortable. (She did fantastic and loved every moment of it). The water was refreshing and invigorating. Also clean and clear. The scenery was so beautiful. You go through 5 tunnels with the last being our favorite. at the end, you roll down a lazy river and they take the last photograph before finishing up.

After grabbing our stuff out of the dry box and drying off they bust us to a picnic area on the property which is beautiful and itself with a little lagoon. I believe you can swim in and provide us lunch. They served a build your own sandwich meal consisted of a croissant and your choice of turkey and salami; two cheese choices, mayo/mustard and hummus (good for me since I don’t eat meat); lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers. With chips and a cookie. This area had more clean porta potties. Then the beautiful ride back - Keanu talked more about Hawaii his love for free diving, and answered everyone’s questions.He was pretty entertaining.

My only suggestion would be for them to sell logo stickers because I would have bought to add to my collection of experiences for my suitcase.

Highly recommend and favorite thing we did...