Kualoa Ranch Tours - WHICH ONE?

[Tigger031266]

Can someone tell me their exeriences with the different tours? Which was was the best and why? There are 4 of us with 2 kids (9 and 13).

 

[dwelty]

Not sure of the activity pricing, but this video will show you some of the activities they offer. It will sure put you in the mood to pack your bags for Aulani!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ4WsRolZ4E&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[marx]

Not sure of the activity pricing, but this video will show you some of the activities they offer. It will sure put you in the mood to pack your bags for Aulani!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ4WsRolZ4E&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Wow, what a video! We'll be there in April and this video cements our previous tentative plans to visit Kualoa.

 

[podsnel]

I agree- that looks like a place WELL WORTH the visit- just can't decide which to pick!

 

[LoriKutchey]

Thanks for posting the Video We will definately be doing the ATV ride when we go in May.

 

[DVC Doc]

We did the ABD Kualoa Ranch Tour. Overall I think it was a great experience and a good value for all the different activities we got to do. It was great having our own ABD guide along with us as well!

We met in the Aulani lobby around 11:00am. From there we boarded our own private shuttle for the nearly 45 minute drive to the other side of Oahu. Snacks and beverages were provided!

The first stop was the fish pond which was constructed by the ancient Hawaiians. If you were a fan of the TV show LOST, you will recognize this area as a lot of scenes were filmed here! You board a small boat which takes you across the pond to "Secret Beach." It's called Secret Beach because, although all beaches in Hawaii are public, to get to it you either have to cross through private property (owned by the ranch) or swim out to it!

At Secret Beach a wonderful BBQ lunch is served. Steak, chicken, corn on the cob, rice, macaroni salad, pineapple, and s'mores were all included. ABD gets its own private area, complete with dining tent, sand volleyball courts, swings, and hammocks. After lunch you got time to use the beach and participate in some water activities, including kayaking and paddle boarding.

On the beach, they have a large catamaran parked which our group then boarded together. We then took a pleasant 30 minute ride out around "Chinaman's Hat" island which gives you a great look back at the mountain range of the ranch. If you have your bathing suit on, I highly recommend sitting on the front of the catamaran with your legs dangling off the front. You'll get wet, but its tons of fun!! After the catamaran ride we got some more beach time before heading back across the pond to the shuttle.

The shuttle then takes you to the main part of the ranch for your horse ride. ABD gets a special horseback riding route that isn't offered to the public! After everyone gets matched up with a horse, you set out on the trail. Don't worry if you've never ridden before, the horses really know where to go! The valley is absolutely breathtaking and you will recognize it from the many movies and TV shows that were filmed here.

All in all Kualoa Ranch was one of the highlights of my trip! You could probably get by without doing the ABD excursion, but everything was so well organized I wouldn't hesitate to do it again!

 

[Tigger031266]

I am still not sure which tour to book. Not going with ABD.

 

[Texas Disney Fan]

They offer packages so that you do more than one. We are thinking about doing the 4 tours and lunch for like $79 a piece.

 

[travlrmel]

We did the "Full Day Adventure" which includes 4 tours. There was a gap so we paid for an extra one ala carte.

We did the:

Jungle tour:
I liked the Jungle tour, but my wife didn't. I sat shotgun so I was able to see everything, I think that may be why there was a big difference in opinion.

Ancient Fish Ponds and Gardens:
If you do the Ocean Voyage tour, you will see the fishponds. They also give you various fruits to sample (if it's in season)

Movie Sites & Ranch Tour:
Don't know what I was expecting, but I was a little let down. They do show you various sites on the property. I don't know if I was tired but I got bored.

Ocean Voyage:
You basically go out to Chinaman's Hat and come back. It does give you spectacular views of the the island and the mountains. They also stop by a reef where you can view some sea turtles.

ATV Tour:
This was our favorite. Riding around the ranch on your own ATV. Since this was out last tour, we got a closer look at things we only saw from the bus on the other tours.

 

[Tigger031266]

We signed up for the Jungle tour and the Ocean voyage. We actually leave tomorrow

I asked the lady for the most exiting tours.

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[nemofans]

I want so badly to go to the Ranch! I am a huge Lostie & Jurassic Park is one of my all time favs. I can't wait to see these areas in person. I didn't realize ABD had a tour. If I book directly w/Kualoa tours, how do we get to the Ranch from Aulani w/o a car? Is it better just to go thru Aulani then?

 

[travlrmel]

IMO I'd just rent a car. Depending on how many are in your party, it will probably be cheaper. Our rental was ~$250 for an entire week, we are going to Disneyland this week and the car is that much for 4 days. They do have transportation available, but I think they pick up in Honolulu or Waikiki. I'm sure you can e-mail them. I don't know if there is a difference with the Disney package vs the regular tour.
http://www.kualoa.com/tours

 

[nemofans]

I would have kids with me that need car seats/boosters though so we usually avoid renting cars. We'll have to figure it out.

 

[brewcrew]

We wanted to do the ATV tour but you have to be 16 or older to be on the ATV. Think we might do the horseback tour or the movie tour.

 

[living20057]

On the Secret Beach are there food options or is that just with the ABD?