Adventures in Paradise

My husband and I, along with another couple, took this kayak trip on Dec. 30, 2012. We were unaware that the state of Hawaii was scheduled to enforce a ban on watercraft in this bay two days later (January 1), so we feel lucky to have participated. The tour guides who accompanied us -- I think their names were Chris and Reid -- were both friendly and seemed more professional than another, smaller group who appeared on the boat launch at about the same time. (Those guys were smoking cigarettes and didn't appear to be very friendly to their patrons. I would have been completely irritated by that!) Chris is a schoolteacher and was just a pleasant and well-informed young man. Despite only having moved to Hawaii several months before, he was very well-versed in the history of Captain Cook and the monument. On the van ride to the boat launch, he described some history of Hawaiian royalty and the story of Capt. Cook's arrival and ultimate demise, and he continued the history discussion after we kayaked to the site. It was clear that he really enjoyed this part of the job and I bet he's a well-liked teacher! He and Reid were quite helpful and attentive getting everyone safely into and out of their kayaks, which was tricky on this day with some rough seas. The trip itself was a lot of fun and not too strenuous for reasonably active and adventurous people. I think young children and the elderly might have more difficulty, but I wouldn't call it dangerous. The snorkeling in front of the monument is great; the best reef I've seen in Hawaii, personally. We saw an eel among the fishes, and then on the way back in the kayaks, a couple of people saw a manta ray near the surface. A pod of spinner dolphins was swimming some distance away, between us and the sheer cliff face. It was the first trip to Hawaii for one of our friends, and the first sea kayak adventure for all four of us in our group. While I understand the state's reasons for banning all watercraft in the bay (due to many people disregarding the rules and landing on the monument site without permits), it really is too bad that it hurts responsible outfitters like these guys. We hope the ban is only temporary so they can resume offering this trip. It is worth the price.

Aloha! A girlfriend and I went on an am trip. Luckily, we were the only customers on this morning, and had Roy and Joy to ourselves! The trip over was a little wavy, and I was worried me and my friend would never arrive. We made it! Once in the water, my fears, dissappeared and I was in Heaven. The snorkeling was amazing! The fish and coral came in a myriad of colors and shapes! Joy located Star Fish and swam me over while my friend was across the bay snorkeling with Roy. We had a great break which included freshly baked scones and coffee grown on their farm! A Wonderful Experience!

This is a very fun outing with very experienced guides. The reef is very unique and very beautiful. Enjoyed all the snacks too!

The snorkeling was great, but that was all about the location and had nothing to do with Adventure Paradise. I think the experience might depend on the group that ends up on your tour. We had 2 adults and 2 kids (ages 10 and 12) and the rest of the group was all adults. We ended up racing across the bay and racing back. It is definitely possible for kids to do this trek, just not ideal if everyone else in the group is going so fast. My son and I were at the back on the way out and we would have preferred a more leisurely kayak across the bay. We were the only ones to see the dolphins on the way out and felt like we couldn't stop to enjoy them because everyone else was so far ahead waiting to land their kayaks. Overall, I would have preferred to just rent our own kayaks and snorkel on our own. The guides weren't really that informative beyond what we could read online. We also wanted to rinse off and change into dry clothes before getting back on the van and everyone else just sat there waiting for us on the van so we felt like we were holding people up all day.

This was one of the highlights of our trip to the Big Island. It was our first time kayaking, but it was easy and such a nice way to get to Captain Cook's Cove. My husband has snorkeled all over the world, but he said the snorkeling at Captain Cook's Cove was the best he had ever seen. Our guide was Tyson. He was so enthusiastic and had a wealth of knowledge. We spoke with him after the tour and he gave us so many tips of things to do and places to see while we were there. Many of these places we had not considered, but were extremely happy he told us about them. He also have us awesome tips on local places to eat. I can't say enough about how much we enjoyed this tour.

We enjoyed our kayak and snorkel tour with Adventures in Paradise. We did the first morning tour and we liked the fact that we were at the bay snorkeling for an hour before all of the tour boats showed up and it got crowded. I wasn't aware that the company has water shoes for you if you don't have your own and also wetsuits available if you get cold easily. The water was very clear and there are a lot of different types of fish to see. There was a couple from Oahu in our group and they said the snorkeling here was better than on Oahu. One of our guides seemed to watch over a shallow rocky area that people would sometimes get pushed into by the waves unexpectedly (including my husband) and he would jump in and help them get out safely before they hurt themselves. I noticed he also helped out others, regardless of whether or not they were actually in our tour group. We did see dolphins as we kayaked across the bay. Personally, I'm glad we took a tour and didn't bother trying to kayak and snorkel on our own.

This was an adventure not to be missed. Our party of seven, made up of four adults and three children 12, 15 & 17, are not experienced kayakers but our very knowledgeable and friendly guides, Roy and Tyson, gave us plenty of support, and we soon found ourselves paddling confidently across Kealakekua Bay accompanied by a large family of spinner dolphins. After 30 easy minutes of paddling across the calm waters we landed near the captain cook monument for a morning of snorkeling. Because we arrived so early we enjoyed the peaceful beauty of the site before it was inundated with travellers.We snorkeled for an hour under Tysons watchful eye, learning about some of the local marine life, then had morning tea.The food provided was abundent and delicious, and another opportunity for snorkeling was provided afterwards. Roy and Tyson's knowledge of the area is fantastic and, much to the disgust of the children who believe that school holidays aren't for learning, it was a very educational trip. Capt. Cook's history was particularly significant to us as Australians. We all enjoyed the paddle back across the bay and once again did it in the company of the dolphins (approx.50 of them swam and lept around us). Mahalo to our two guides for the experience of a lifetime. We highly reccomend this trip to everyone.

This is the second time we've used Adventures in Paradise for a kayak trip across Kealakekua Bay. Karen and Jeff always take care to make sure all equipment is in good shape. Roy and Joy, our guides, were lovely. The weather was warm and sunny, and getting out there early was wonderful. Leaving early means you're the first people on the site which becomes very crowded by late morning. By working with AiP, you're insuring yourself a good couple of uninterrupted hours. Roy and Joy took great care of us, provided us with yummy snacks and water, and made sure we were all safe and comfortable.

Do this trip! One of the highlights of our vacation. Staff terrific,snorkeling some of the best we have every done. Take early morning trip and see dolphins,turtles and tons of fish before the crowds get there.

We very much liked that they started out early in the morning. We were the first ones to arrive and had the place to ourselves for a little over an hour before all the other tours started to arrive. This gave us the opportunity to see so much more than we would have with the other tours since most of the fish seemed to scatter as the crowd grew. Our guide was very enthusiastic and knowledgable which made it a lot of fun. We also greatly appreciated that he was very conscientious about not damaging the reef and surrounding area....not so much it seemed from a few of the other tours we saw out there...especially the local guys renting out kayaks across the bay.

It was such a wonderful tour. My husband and I brought two sons, 10 & 13 yrs from Japan. We enjoyed everything even though our kids don't understand English so much. The guides were so kind that they encouraged our younger son to try to jump in the sea because he was scared. Then we had a great time for snorkeling. Kayaking was also so much fun.

Our guides were fun, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. It was a great trip, and the best part is getting there before the crowds! I would absolutely go with Adventures in Paradise again.

Well organized, nice people. Beautiful site, very clear for snorkling with lots of fishes On the morning trip, don't forget to wear a wetsuit because the water is pretty cold. Only bad point, it gets very crowed at the end of the morning.

Ryan, Tyson and Jeremy were fabulous guides who made the trip fun. They clearly had fun and knew their stuff. We saw dolphins (but realize that you will likely not get too close as they get scared and Adventures in Paradise is good about sticking to the rules). It was a beautiful day, fun snorkel and good time was had by all. Thanks so much to all.

It is a little harder to get in and out of the canoe than advertised. My mother (in her late 60's) and my sister in law (overweight) had difficulty. Bring a waterproof camera. Ours got wet and was ruined. Guides were friendly and knowledgeable. Rowing was easy -- only the youngest had a problem (age 9). Fish were spectacular. Best snorkeling in Hawaii. My own kids are 10 and 13 and had a great time. Good snacks too.