Baby boomers, are you looking to add a little adventure to your beach vacation in Kauai? If so, spending the day on Kipu Falls Zipline Safari will satisfy your need to paddle, hike, zip and jump through Kauai’s mountainous scenery.
Alan and I arranged this excursion through Kauai Outfitters. We boarded a van at their Poipu Beach location, then traveled to Lihue, pausing along the way for a photo stop at Menehune Fish Pond.
After receiving instructions from our guides on paddling the two-person kayaks, we entered the Hule’ia River to practice. Then, our kayaking group proceeded two miles up the river passing beside thick stands of mangrove trees.
At our destination, guides stood on the riverbank to assist our exit from the kayaks. After a short hike through dense jungle accompanied by the sounds of birdcalls and crowing roosters, the group arrived at a cascading stream. Guests satisfied their inner Tarzan by swinging out over the water on ropes before dropping with a splash into the deep pool.
Continuing the hike, we arrived at a clearing where our ride, a covered cart pulled by a tractor, waited for us. The guides served a lunch of sandwiches, pasta salad and brownies before the excursion continued on a drive through Kipu Ranch, where cattle grazed in a vast caldera.
Next up, ziplining. We hiked through the jungle to the staging area, a series of wooden stairs and decks. After gearing up with helmets, harnesses and more harnesses, we waited our turn, took a deep breath, jumped, then zoomed across the river to another platform. Since this was more of an introduction to ziplining, baby boomers looking for a hard core experience should try Kauai Zipline Trek.
Afterwards, the group hiked back to the cart before walking another trail to Kipu Falls. The path was muddy and required a slip-sliding slosh across the creek. Picking our way over mossy stones, we waded into the water for a swim. Braver guests climbed a ladder up the steep cliff where they either jumped off of the waterfall or swung from a rope before plunging into the water.
Later, the cart returned us to another jungle path where a 20-minute walk took the group back to the riverbank. A motorized boat took us down the river to Lihue, the starting point of this adventure. The van then drove a tired group of explorers back to Poipu Beach.
We loved this action-packed adventure that offered a sampling of padding, hiking and ziplining. Be sure to book before you arrive in Kauai as these types of tours fill up quickly.
What’s your favorite adventure activity on Kauai? Join the conversation at the My Itchy Travel Feet page on Facebook or send us an email.
