North Shore Charters: I called to make reservations just a few days in advance. With kamaʻāina it is $139 per person. Otherwise it is $149 per person. You check-in at 7:00 a.m. at their office in Kilauea where you sign the waiver and they provide you with dry-bags to place your things. This is a good time to put on sunblock and use the toilet. They then load everyone into their van and drive you to Anini beach where you board their rigid-hull inflatable boat. You're going to get wet even if you decide not to snorkel, so it's a good idea to wear clothes that can get wet. The tour is about 4-4 1/2 hours long. After going up the coastline, they'll take you to a snorkel spot, depending on the conditions, and provide you with snorkel gear, which is all decent equipment. They give you lunch at this time consisting of water/soda, sandwiches, chips, and cookies. All-in-all I thought it was a great tour. The group size is small and their boat allows them to enter certain caves. Best to sit on the left side if you want to take pictures.
Going up the Nā Pali coastline with North Shore Charters. Caves and mini-waterfalls.
Going up the Nā Pali coastline with North Shore Charters. More caves and mini-waterfalls.
Going up the Nā Pali coastline with North Shore Charters. If you hike the Kalalau Trail, this is where it ends, at Kalalau Beach. Caught some dolphins on the bottom right.
Going up the Nā Pali coastline with North Shore Charters. Pod of spinner dolphins.
Going up the Nā Pali coastline with North Shore Charters. Looking down the coast. Caught more dolphins on the bottom left.
Going up the Nā Pali coastline with North Shore Charters. In one of the caves. Waterfall to the left.
Going up the Nā Pali coastline with North Shore Charters. We entered through the arch into an enclosed area with an open roof.
Going up the Nā Pali coastline with North Shore Charters. Looking up after passing through the rock arch.
Going up the Nā Pali coastline with North Shore Charters. The arch we just entered from.
The rigid-hull inflatable boat we rode on. Stopped at Tunnels Beach for our snorkeling spot. The usual spot they snorkel at up the coastline was murky, so this was the 2nd choice. Ate the lunch they provided us with here.
Snorkeling at Tunnels Beach. Tunnels Beach is where Bethany Hamilton got her arm bit off by a shark.
After the tour with North Shore Charters we went back to the condo to shower and change and then went to eat again at Chicken-in-a-Barrel for some BBQ.
The Sampler Plate at Chicken-in-a-Barrel has a little bit of everything: chicken, beef, pork, baby back ribs, brown rice, and chili beans.
Wailua Falls. A 173-foot waterfall.
Made a short hike to the bottom of Wailua Falls.
Kilauea Lighthouse. If you want to enter the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, it is $5 per person. It is a protective breeding ground for Hawaiian seabirds.
Right outside the Kilauea Lighthouse were nēnē (Branta sandvicensis). It is also known as the Hawaiian goose and is the official bird of the state of Hawai'i.
Right outside of Kilauea Point we also found a nest of wild chicken eggs.
Hanalei Valley Lookout. A view of the Hanalei river and taro fields.
Hanalei Valley Lookout. The taro fields.
We then had dinner at Postcards and grabbed some ice cream at Pink's Creamery.
