Snorkeling is now my new favorite water activity because of Aloha Kayaks Maui!
I registered for the Olowalu Beach kayak/snorkel tour through the AKM website. I was impressed with how organized and easy the process was. We arrived early the day-of to meet our tour guide. My husband and I were the only people who signed up for the Olowalu Beach 7:15 a.m. tour that day. So our group was just the two of us and the guide — what a pleasant surprise!
All throughout the tour, our tour guide Griff did a great job explaining everything we needed to know — how to maneuver the kayak, what we were seeing in the water, Maui’s history. He was very knowledgeable, and we learned more about Hawaii from him than anyone else we met during our trip!
He knew of a location in which sea turtles frequented, so we kayaked out to that area, anchored the boats, and we snorkeled there. I was a little bummed that the turtles stayed near the ocean floor during our snorkeling, but of course they have a mind of their own. Griff joked that, “I think she’s addicted.” I had a great time snorkeling!
We enjoyed the AKM tour so much that we rented snorkel equipment later during our trip to go snorkeling again near our hotel.
Thanks to AKM for helping me discover my love of snorkeling! This was a big highlight of our trip, and it was such a fun and exciting way to spend the morning. I would recommend AKM to anyone in Maui looking for an unforgettable ocean experience.
Aloha Kayaks saved our day! We had booked a trip with a different company that never showed up, and when Peter saw us wandering around looking lost, he let my boyfriend and I tag along with their group! I really think it worked out for the best, because the whole experience was wonderful. The guides were friendly and informative, telling us history of the island, the Hawaiian language, and information on different types of sea life. We even got to see dolphins!
The area we snorkeled at was BEAUTIFUL! The water was clear as could be; we got to see so many colorful fish, eels, and even turtles. The fresh pineapple after we got out of the water was the perfect treat to get the taste of salt out of our mouths.
We highly recommend this company to anyone looking for an awesome morning adventure! Thanks again guys for the awesome experience
We had an amazing trip with Griff this morning! We have been coming to Maui for many years, and this was our first time on a Kayak whale watch. Now we want to make it part of every future trip we go on! We joined a group tour and there was only one other boat plus the guide, so it was really nice to have such a small group. We couldn’t ask for a more perfect, sunny and calm day. We estimated seeing at least 20 distinct whales, and many of them multiple times. Some were pretty close to our boats, which was incredible. Griff was an excellent guide- we learned a ton about Hawaiian history, the geography of the islands, and about the animals that inhabit it. The snorkeling was also wonderful! It was super clear, and there were tons of turtles. We couldn’t recommend the experience or the company more.
Best decision we ever made. Our guide was Griff and he was friendly and knowledgable. We helped us both in and out of our kayaks, knew all the different types of fish we were seeing and gave us some background in Hawaiian Culture. It was more than just kayaking. Since the ocean and its wild life are unpredictable you can’t really going into it expecting to see anything. However, we got lucky. About 15-30 minutes into our trip we ran into a pod of dolphins. We spent 10-15 minutes jut floating as they swam around us. From there we kept kayaking and anchored where we saw more fish and sea turtles.
Long story short, if you are looking for something fun, exciting and unpredictable – book with Aloha Kayaks MAUI. You won’t be disappointed.
I’m a really cheap person so someone like me would usually pay for the $75 kayak tours instead of $85 (aloha kayaks), and if I’m going to pay $10 more i do a lot of research to see if it’s worth it, and it’s worth!! My experience with aloha kayaks was SOOOO awesome even though I got seasick and threw up the delicious pineapples i ate (that says a lot about how awesome the experience was). We had Jamie as a tour guide and he was really knowledgeable, considerate, and caring. He brought us to mind blowing places that were away from those loud boats. A sea turtle actually approached me and touched me, it was terrifying (but cool). I actually don’t know how to tread water and it was my first time snorkeling so jamie was very good at making sure i was feeling alright. For people who are horrified at the thought of floating around in the ocean, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. If we had a guide that didn’t pay attention to the newbies and whether they were okay, an hour in I probably would’ve jumped off the kayak, try to swim back to shore and drown on the way there. I was feeling really sick, but Jamie was a good sport and asked if everyone else was okay with going back to shore and luckily, I wasn’t the only one feeling awful so he brought us back early. From my research, you run the risk of getting cheaper gear and a not so attentive guide on the cheaper tours. So for first timers, aloha kayaks is a great option to gain your confidence for being in the ocean, and I’m sure experienced kayakers will have fun too!
We saw whales, sea turtles and a great variety of fish. My daughters were new to sea kayaking and had a fantastic time. Jason, our guide, had the right balance of safety, fun and local history.
We booked our trip from the website in the US and had a great experience. Weather looked like it might be an issue and the team called the night before and offered to switch locations for departure. While it was rainy and windy elsewhere we had a near perfect day.
Had two trips with Michelle last week. Michelle is great – lots of information, quick with the camera, scouts out the turtles and whales while being very respectful of their environment. I am disabled and can’t row so we chose her as a guide for just our kayak with only Rob rowing in our boat. Between the two of them, it was possible for me to have an exciting adventure. Recommending this company!!
This was the highlight of our trip to Maui. Griff was amazing and patient with first time kayakers and snorkelers. He took us to secluded spots away from the bigger boats where it was just our small group. The turtles were about 2-3 feet away from us. He was also knowledgeable about the whale movements and we were fortunate enough to that close encounters with the whale kind. 2 humpbacks went gliding past under our kayaks.
He also told us a lot about the history and beliefs of the native Hawaiian people and what whales and turtles meant to them.
After all that kayaking and snorkeling, the fresh pineapple was a welcome snack while you are still in the ocean.
They are a small company but it looks like they really care about the tourists and first timers. I will be recommending them to my friends who want to kayak and snorkel in Maui.