Makana Charters & Tours

We didn’t get to go because it was too windy, which I completely understand. However, they didn’t tell us until we were on the way. The weather hasn’t changed all day so they could have called earlier so we didn’t waste half our day.

Such a great trip!!! Scenery was amazing, snorkeling spot was fantastic, the crew was amazing!!! We are so glad we went with them, although we were a bit saddened that we did not go into all the caves promised, but other tours were there first. We will book with them again next time we come to Kauai.

I wish i could have had the opportunity to review Makana, but
every time i called I got voice mail. I left my name and number on several occasions NEVER got a call back. We really love Kauai and wanted to try a different NaPali boat trip. We inquired at the Marriott Waiohai about booking through their concierge and they said they do not have that capability as they don’t have an agreement with Makana. So, Makana, please exercise courtesy and return customers calls. We were rally disappointed and do not feel we should have to chase after a business to book 5 people on a tour!

Captains Darrell and Rob were honestly the best! They are super passionate about their jobs. Both of them were very knowledgable about the history of Kauai. They were funny and made the charter cruise very enjoyable, my family and I would recommend this Company to anyone who wants to see the Na Pali Coast. It’s One of the most beautiful places we have seen, we definitely suggest this charter tour especially with these two guys, Darrell and Rob.

Had to reschedule due to weather but the got us in for the very next day. We did the Na Pali coast tour with Rob, Chris and Daryl and had a wonderful time. There was a whole pod of dolphins, a few sea turtles, some excellent snorkeling in spite of the recent winds and weather. And best of all they took us into two separate sea caves and under some waterfalls. We could not have asked for a better tour and I can’t recommend them enough.

Captain Rob and Chris are quite passionate about the history of Kaua’i and the Nap’ali Coast. It’s quite infectious! The tour was smooth and along the way we were privileged to see Bottlenose Dolphins swimming and doing flips. Saw a few Sea Turtles and the stunning views of the coast line was breath taking.
They took us into the caves too! It was a WOWZA experience!
Lunch is included and their brownies are so delicious so save your appetite!
Rob and Chris are a good team and they were very caring and warm. Swimming and snorkeling is also part of the tour so come dressed in your bathing suit attire. They supply cold beverages and water and overall you end up making new friends from around the world! We will be back and this time we will bring all our friends!

Our group of 6 had a great time on makana’s afternoon na Pali coast tour. The boat was big enough to handle the rough (ish) conditions, but still small enough to go inside a few caves. The crew (2 guys, can’t remember names) we’re extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The snorkeling spot that we hit on the return trip was great and the sandwiches were awesome. This feels like a local company — small and unpretentious, which was totally what we were after.

Fabulous trip! We had originally signed up for the smaller catamaran but the captain advised us that due to the wind that afternoon, the way back in would be very choppy (we had older folks & young ones with us). They gave us the option to go on the bigger boat & it was super nice. Even with the high waves, it was a smooth ride & not too packed with people (only about 25). The captain & the crew were laid back guys. They took us to a great spot for snorkeling with all kinds of colorful fish, we had yummy sandwiches, & then we went exploring into a bunch of really cool caves. My son has told several people that he «took a shower in a waterfall in a pirate cave!» There were other boats in the area (companies that I also looked at booking) that couldn’t fit into the caves or even get close so I am so glad that I booked Makana. We saw the best parts of the Na’Pali coast. We saw spinner dolphins, seals, & several green sea turtles. The trip was topped off with a smooth ride back watching the sunset. Awesome day!

This was the trip of a lifetime and I am soooo grateful we chose Makana Charters! A lot of other boats were out and about that day but were packed w/​way too many people on board. We had 10 people total and plenty of room to peer over the rails to see dolphin, fish, sea caves, coves, etc. Our captain went well out of his way to get us wet in waterfalls pouring into sea caves, took time to let us snorkel at our own pace in a private cove, and motored through some tight spaces so that we could see every crack and crevice of the Napali coast. They even called to let us know that our original tour time would not allow for full access and took time to reschedule us for a better day/​time. Thanks Makana!

Such a great tour! The crew on our boat (the Makana) was laid back and very knowledgeable. It is the smaller boat (12 people) which I highly recommend. We saw spinner dolphins, turtles, and lots of fish and beautiful scenery. The crew adjusted the order of our activities so that we got the optimal conditions for everything. And going in the sea caves was awesome! The lunch was simple deli sandwiches and chips but was delicious. One lady on our boat got pretty sea sick and the crew really made an effort to make her as comfortable as possible.
We would definitely take this tour again.

This boat tour was everything I had hope it would be!!! First let me start of by saying we are at the mercy of Mother Nature and animals are animals so you can’t bank on always seeing everything. It seemed a little cloudy the morning of but it turned into an amazing day!!! We started off the morning with a little boat tour speech from caption Cody, what the day would look like and safety info. Then we boarded the Na Pali III. During the entire tour we had Capt Cody? driving and would point out sea life over the intercom but also co captain Darrel that provided commentary on land marks and shared story’s along the way. Both really cool dudes. The boat is super comfy with 5 rows of seats can fit up to 30 passengers we had around 20. There is only 2 ½ rows of seats that provide coverage from the sun (perfect if you don’t want direct sun). The front row is super hot!!! bring lots of sun screen but provides the best seat I feel, you get to see out into the distance no one is blocking your view, just be mindful of the people behind you, not that your really blocking anyone. Also we entered around 3 – 4 sea caves and in the smaller ones I felt like only the front half of the boat got into the caves, since I sat in the front I can’t vouch for the other passengers in the back, just describing what I saw. During the tour it’s truly as beautiful as it looks on the postcards or TV!!! I don’t have enough words to describe how amazing it was. We saw at least 10 sea turtles and even got to snorkel with one. The snorkel area it self was OK. I was hoping to see more colorful fishes but you can’t have it all LOL the turtle was defiantly highlight. After snorkeling we had deli sandwiches ready for us with a bag of chips, pineapple slices and drinks. Heading back we saw a pool of spinning Dolphins. There must of been at least 30 – 40 of them jumping up out of the water riding along side the boat, an amazing sight to see, also greeted by a baby whale around 15 – 20 feet from our boat it came up super fast surfaced and dove back into water. We saw around 3−4whales during the tour. This is truly an amazing comfortable ride, perfect size not too big and not too small!!! I think you’ll have a great time!

After much research, we chose Makana Charters because the more popular companies seemed a bit large and commercialized. I’m glad we went with Makana.
First impression of Captain Rob — he looks & acts like a fellow San Diegan (we learned he was). He’s laid back and funny, but he doesn’t skimp on safety. Daryl is just as awesome. He provides thorough and accurate narration of the Napali Coast with a whole lot of fun.
We sat at the front of the boat the majority of the ride as our feet dangled over the crystal blue waters. We saw spinner dolphins, sea turtles, underwater fields of coral and flying fish.
For the poor rating reviewer who experienced weather, come on dude… Really? We missed out on the caves but the caves looked like a washing machine. I appreciate the charter’s regard for passenger safety.
There’s something to be said about unplugging from work & life to jump off a catamaran into the ocean.
Awesome crew & beautiful place on earth.

We almost didn’t take the NaPali coast tour, but we’re glad we did. Our Captain and first mate, Michael and David (gosh I hope I got their names right, were great. It was a nice, sunny day. Unfortunately it was a bit windy, which made snorkeling not so good. We got to see a few sea turtles (which was the highlight of my day), as well as dolphins. If you sit up at the bow of the boat, it’s almost like your swimming with them! The Captain did an awesome job navigating the sea caves. Very awesome. And we love David’s positive energy. Thanks guys!

We went on this tour as an anniversary gift from one of my best friends. I, for one am so glad that I took dramamine this time around (I’m a wuss when it comes to boats)! We went on the bigger of the two boats and there were about 30 of us on this tour. They gave us a short briefing before boarding us on the boat. It turned out to be a nice day, kinda cold (I’m glad I brought a jacket) on the way to the coast. It included lunch (sandwich, chips and a drink). The views are so spectacular. The crew was informative, knowledgeable and friendly. We were not able to go into the caves due to the choppy water. At first they weren’t going to let us swim, but decided to let us go for about 10 minutes. Be sure to bring your sunscreen because my husband got burned, but then again, he refused to put any on because he’s stubborn like that. We got to see a few turtles and whales so that was cool! I would recommend Makana Charters for anyone who wishes to experience the Na Pali coast!

11-​29-​2011 ~ We booked this charter because we wanted to experience the Na Pali Coast up close. We thought with the small boat size, we would be able to go inside the caves as promised in the brochure. Not until we were onboard, were we told the choppy waters in the winter months would prevent us from getting close. We did back into one cave for about two minutes. The lunch was tuna or turkey sandwich, one plate of cut up pineapple to share, small bags of chips and individually wrapped cookies. Nothing like what the brochure made the lunch out be.
The captain and first mate did talk a little bit about the history of the coast, but only to the individuals sitting close enough to hear the conversation, so I really only got bits and pieces of the stories they were telling.
The fresh water shower was just a hose on the back of the boat, clean private bathroom was a small cubby hole below deck with a portable toilet you had to pump to flush into the tank attached to the bottom of the toilet! We were supplied snorkeling gear but no other fun floatation devices, such as boogie boards or water noodles, which were advertised, and like I have been provided on other snorkel trips. We were taken to one spot to snorkel for about twenty minutes. Because of the choppy water conditions, the water was murky and there were not very many fish. After sitting there for another fifteen minutes or so, the driver of the boat hauled ass back to the harbor so fast, you couldn’t even walk around the boat with out falling over. It was not a pleasant experience and compared to what the other larger charter companies were offering, I was very disappointed. The trip was not cheap. $ 130.00 per person and if I could do it over I would have used one of the larger charter companies, with better lunches, slides and a more pleasant, slower ride up and back down the coast. My pictures of the Na Pali coast were all blurry and had so much salt spray on the lens, I really can say I do not have more than a handful of photo memories of what I thought would be a trip of a lifetime!

Our family was debating whether or not to do a charter tour of the Na Pali coast. Some tour boats accommodate 40 – 50 while the smaller boats hold around 6. We decided to go with a smaller private boat and Makana Charters can take up to 12. By going with just our group, Makana customized the trip for our needs (no snorkeling, a bit of swimming). We had read that these catamarans are a smoother ride than the zodiacs (the inflatable type) and we were hoping to avoid getting seasick. Additionally, Makana was well reviewed by
.
As a precaution most of us took some dramamine around an hour before the tour started. VERY good idea if you’re even slightly prone to motion sickness. When the boat is moving it’s almost fun — like a ride. However, when it drops anchor to stop for lunch, the motion of the boat can be quite nauseating without the medication.
The crew, Mike and Chris, were friendly and knowledgeable. They made the tour informative and at the same time gave us some space to enjoy the views and chat amongst ourselves. At one point we went over a big wave and the bump made my nephew fall off the bench. Chris jumped to his side in a few seconds and administered a bandaid for his scratch. He was fine.
During the tour we went under a small waterfall, into a cave, and cruised alongside a large group of playful dolphins. AMAZING!!! I highly recommend Makana.

My family had a wonderful experience with Makana Charters. We left from Waimea and went as far as the Kalalau valley. The Captain and first mate were super friendly and had so much information about the Na Pali coast and Hawaiian legend. It felt good supporting local guys with a smaller boat. Because of the boat size we were able to go into all the caves, which was one of the best parts of the tour. When we were inside the caves I noticed all the other people on the bigger boats outside that were feeling like they wanted to be on our tour because they couldn’t go into the caves. The boat we were on has a max of 12 people, and when we were on it there were 8, including my family. Even with 12 people the boat would be comfortable and spacious. It even had a bathroom, and plenty of shade. I think it was the best of all things offered by different companies.
Lunch was nothing fancy, but perfectly acceptable. We had chips, sodas or juice, a freshly made sandwich, fruit and some cookies. Everything was fresh and good.
We saw lots of dolphins! You get to sit on the front of the boat and you can almost touch them! That was another highlight. We saw a turtle from a distance. There was an hour of snorkeling in the tour as well. These guys aren’ t the most popular or written about company but they deserve some kind words. They also accept pregnant women and handicapped customers when other tour companies don’t want to bother. This company has a lot of heart, integrity, and true Aloha. Thanks for a wonderful trip!