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Kauai
Mountain Tubing Adventure
CLICK
HERE for video highlights!
NOTE:
This activity is VERY popular and advanced reservations are
required. Sometimes this tour sells out 3 weeks in advance in the
summer!
2009 Rate: 3 Hour Adventure: $100 per "floater"
2010 Rate will be $102 per "floater". The 2009 rate will be honored for dates in 2010 if your reservation is finalized prior to 11/1/2009.
Minimum age is 5 and minimum height is 43 inches. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Maximum weight is 300 pounds. No neck or back injuries. Pregnant women require a note from their doctor OK'ing them to do this tour.
This
unique activity gives you a chance to travel back in time to the
sugar plantation era. Circa 1870 a series of ditches, tunnels, and
flumes was hand-dug by Chinese laborers to deliver water from the
rainforest to thirsty sugar cane fields near Lihue. This land is
privately owned and has never before been accessible to the public.
The recent closure of the Lihue plantation has made this tour
possible ... allowing Kauai visitors the chance to travel into the
island's interior and witness this engineering feat in a fun and
relaxing way!
Your
adventure begins at Backcountry Kauai's office on Highway 56 in
Hanamaulu, just a few minutes away from the Lihue Airport. Your
guides will fit you with gloves, a helmet, and head lamp and check
your footwear to make sure that it won't come off and float away
during your adventure. (some sort of strap on the back of your
sandals is required ... rental shoes are available if you need
them). Your group will then load into a Pinzgauer ... a Swiss-built
4WD transport vehicle ... and you head into the interior of the
island ... crossing old sugar cane fields along the way. Your guides
will tell you about the plantation's history and about the life of
the men who maintained the ditch system you'll be enjoying. They
also make up a few things along the way for your amusement ... the
high tension power line that you encounter is NOT really their
zip-line tour! (haha)
The
Pinzgauer will stop for a great photo op at an overlook that gives
you the best view into the heart of Waialeale Crater that you are
likely to get on your vacation ... unless you take a helicopter
tour (which we also highly recommend). A few minutes
later you arrive at the start of the ditch ... and you get a brief
safety demonstration to help you enjoy your float.
As
you get into your tube you just sit back and enjoy the ride. This
isn't a whitewater adventure, but it isn't the lazy river at your
neighborhood waterpark either. The water is typically knee deep in
most places, and the current moves you along fast enough that no
paddling is required. This tour goes in and out of many tunnels, one
of which is almost a mile long! You'll glide along in the underworld
with a headlamp to light your way.
At
the end of your tubing adventure there is a stop at a natural
swimming hole where the guides prepare your picnic lunch. The total
trip length is approximately 3 hours including lunch and the travel
time to and from the flume.
This
activity is priced per "floater" ... there are no
children's rates. Advanced reservations are required. In addition to
our normal 48 hour cancellation notice policy, this vendor requires
72 hours notice of cancellation for groups of 6 or more.
When
you reserve this adventure on our website your reservation will be
guaranteed on your credit card. A 20% deposit will be charged just a
few days before you leave home for Hawaii. The balance is paid when
you check in for your tour.
NOTE: This vendor only accepts VISA and
MASTERCARD. They do not accept any third party billing or gift certificates; the balance due at checkin must be paid by a member of the party doing the tour, or someone who is not doing the tour but will be present at checkin.
KBA / D
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CRUISE
SHIP PASSENGERS |
Tubing is available for
cruise ship passengers and it requires a short cab ride of 7-10
minutes (or we can arrange a
rental
car for you). This tour
works for the afternoon of day one in port, or the first morning
time can work on day 2 if your ship is scheduled to depart Kauai at
2pm or later.
Activity
Tips
This is truly a
unique family-oriented vacation outing. While the minimum age is 5,
parents should also use common sense when planning this tour. If you
have a 5 year old who can't sleep at night unless you leave a light
on, this is NOT the tour for them. Some 5 and 6 year olds will find
the tunnels frightening ...others will love the tunnels. Almost 70%
of the time is spent underground ... while this trip is designed for
everyone, even an occasional adult who suffers from claustrophobia
might be better off going shopping while the rest of the group does
this tour. While older folks enjoy this tour too, anyone with neck
or back problems should consider if the posture you adopt when
riding the tube will aggravate any latent injuries.
The best rule of
thumb in planning this activity is that if it sounds fun to you,
you'll really enjoy it. If it doesn't sound fun to you, you probably
won't enjoy it. If it does sound fun to you, BOOK IT NOW! This
tour is insanely popular and sells out in advance. If you
wait until you arrive on Kauai you might not get on. This is
especially true for larger groups ... the more of you there
are, the more important it is for you to book in advance so that
your group doesn't have to split up and go at two different times.
This tour does go out
rain or shine, although heavy rainfall may occasionally cause the
activity provider to cancel the trip. The typically light rain
showers that give Kauai it's amazing garden setting are a part of
life on the island ... activities don't stop around here when it
drizzles.
The water temperature
... well, it is certainly cool and refreshing. You'll get used to it
quickly. The only part of your body that really gets wet and stays
wet the whole time is your butt, and we all have a little extra
padding there that helps keep us warm!
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