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Captain Andy's Nā Pali Coast Raft Tour
When you think of Kauai, most people might picture those giant green cliffs expanding along the shore that is often posted online, and that is the famous Nā Pali Coast. While you can drive & hike to look-out points of the coast, it is best to experience it on boat in order to fully take in the grand scale of a picturesque scene.
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With many boat tours to choose from, my friends and I blindly chose to book the "Nā Pali Raft Snorkel Adventure" with Captain Andy's Boat Tours, and it was the best decision! While I'm sure other tour companies also give a wonderful ride and experience to their customers, I would say a big reason why us, tourists, have a great time on these tours is because of the local employees and we got lucky with some of the best guides at Captain Andy's.
As I previously mentioned, my group did the raft snorkel tour, as there are a few different boating options to choose from, and I highly recommend this route if you can handle some roughness! Because the raft is a lot smaller than a typical catamaran, the boat can go faster while ripping through the waters as well as inside sea caves, which I will talk more about down below.
Now back to our Captains who were on the tour with us, they really made an impact on how we got to experience the full Nā Pali Coast. For instance, they let us, meaning everyone on the boat, decide how far we wanted to go along the coast or if we wanted to turn back around for more time to snorkel. Though it's a simple gesture, I thought this was really nice because those of us who don't see this everyday get to decide how we want to spend our time. Additionally, both captains had a great energy that gave off such a fun vibe for everyone on the boat. They let us pick the music on the boat, lent passengers personal gear, gave so many interesting facts about the Coast and Kauai, and had amazing driving skills to have extra fun zooming around the sea caves.
Experience an Exhilarating ride in Multiple Sea Caves
With the raft tour, you get the opportunity to explore multiple sea caves by actually riding in them instead of looking at it from afar. We were able to adventure inside of three caves while our eyes fixed on the beautiful volcanic rock formation and waterfalls streaming down into the aqua blue water.
Wildlife Encounters if They're Feeling Playful!
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A chance to experience close-up encounters with wildlife including: dolphins, sea turtles, & whales (during season). Our captains were very educated on how to safely navigate around the dolphins, as they came to us, while being sure to give them space away form the boat. After all it is their home! It was definitely a surreal moment to be able to observe these playful guys and learn more about their lifestyle.
Admire the Coast & Coral Reefs While Anchoring to Snorkel
After cruising down the coast for a while, we were able to get about an hour of snorkeling in while getting to see some amazing coral and even, a sea turtle. This time is also a nice break to enjoy some snacks the guides bring along and rest before the adventure of getting back to the dock begins.