Kohala Ditch Adventures

It is altogether different experience. Both the adventure and people are really good.
We called them a day before we wanted to go for the adventure. The lady who answered the phone was bit impatient but answered all my questions and gave us 9 AM booking. One of our friends had this adventure before and had given his next visit 20% off card to me. I asked the lady if I can avail the discount, which she happily agreed to apply. We saved a lot. Mahalo!!!
Our guide, Shaleese, was patient and knowledgeable. My parents were bit reluctant to join so she offered to have them in her boat.
It was great 2 hours trip down the paved roads, unpaved roads and water body. I would recommend it for families with young kids and all others who want to have a fun activities which is not only for brave hearts.

We had an amazing time. CJ was a great tour guide who was a native to the area and full of knowledge & fun. Before they drive you up to the starting point, they talk about the land and history of the area. They drive you past some beautiful picture ops as well. When we go to the starting point, we went on as three on each blow up kayak. The tour guide takes the lead with a head flashlight and the person in back gets a flashlight as well. If you aren’t into physical activity, sit in the middle. You do nothing but look at the sights and listen. It was a lot of fun and worth the money. When you book, ask to have CJ as a guide, you won’t regret it.

What a fun time!
This is a perfect, low physical activity level tour for the full family. This is not a moderate/​extreme-​level kayaking trip, but rather a slow float through an old sugar plantation’s irrigation ditches… think log flume ride. You will get wet, so plan accordingly!
Beth was a great tour guide, with great stories and history of the islands, thanks!

This is a very unique experience. Gabe was a great guide, providing a running commentary on the history and facts of the flume and the area.
You ride in a four person inflatable type kayak. I had the hardest time getting comfortable on the kayak.
I had taken along a disposable water proof camera but a regular camera with a ziploc bag would have worked fine. The ride is smooth so there’s no real danger of your camera falling into the water.
However if you go a rainy day then you may want to think twice about a regular camera.

Thanks to the tourguide, Gabe, for the fun kayaking ish. And for scaring all the chicks with the Hawaiian crawfish.
Mahalo.

Our family of four thoroughly enjoyed our Kohala Ditch Adventure and strongly recommend it others. We arrived early and chatted on the front porch with the employees. One came by with a bag of fresh picked tropical fruit which, to our delight, was promptly shared.
People here could not be any nicer! We loved hearing local island history and stories, and the scenery is incredibly spectacular.
What we learned and experienced was a one of a kind adventure. PLUS, in August we have our holiday card picture. Going through the ditches we heard all sorts of stories and it was so interesting and relaxing as we passed through all kinds of terrain. PLUS, at the end they had treats for us (local fresh macadamia nuts and cold drinks and more tropical fruit!), and as we hiked from where the van left us off and where the ditch began our host let us sample all the tropical fruit we could that was growing in wild trees.
We left this adventure relaxed, well fed with tropical fruit (which we just love, especially the highly perishable fresh picked off the tree varieties so abundant here), eager to learn more about Big Island history, and with plenty of suggestions of where to go next. In our case it was to eat food in the town of Hawi and then go the overlook and take the hike at the end of the road to the black sand beach. Gorgeous!
I took a ton of gorgeous pictures, the scenery was mixed and no matter where we were on the trip there was an interesting story being told. This is NOT a high action major rapids canoe or kayak trip… it is a trip through the Kohala Ditches where you are surrounded by raw beauty, immersed in local history, and you complete the journey so very glad you committed time and money to enjoy this adventure.
It is expensive, but even after paying for the four of us we felt it was an adventure we will always treasure. Ma halo!

Excellent service and friendly staff. Very knowledgeable guide! We had a beautiful, lazy afternoon float down the river :-)

Great outing for our last day on the Big Island. Our guide Gabe was super knowledgable and fun. The adventure kept my 13 year old’s attention the entire time. I would give it 5 stars had it not been so expensive, but for the unique factor, there is nothing else like it! Worth making the reservation.

I would have given three stars, but the Ditch Adventure is waay overpriced, and definitely not, not worth over $ 400 for three people! The setting is beautiful, the staff is super friendly — wish it was $ 50 each and not $ 130 each. For an example, going to Captain Cook Monument with Fair Wind was less, included morning coffee and fruit, included the beautiful cruise over and back, excellent snorkel equipment. Fantastic guides, and a delicious bbq lunch over pristine waters!
This tour drives you to the ditch, which is ok, then you paddle the ditch, which is pretty but slow going and then they give you a water bottle or juice with a tiny bag of about 7 macadamia nuts at the end and you go back. If you have money to burn, then go right ahead, otherwise just visit the beautiful North Kohala area on your own. Also, my daughters were bored at the slow pace of the kayaks. Though they did think it was pretty there. (also, not for those that are claustrophobic as the tunnels are long and dark — something I thought was fun)
Friendly people, but still shaking my head at what a waste of money that was.

Had a good time overall, but in the end felt the tour was overpriced.
Pros:
–The tour is VERY well organized. The staff that runs the tour here are very kind, detailed and professional.
–The guide (I had Hula) and the driver (I had Wilton) were excellent. Hula is a 5^th generation Hawaiian with real great knowledge of Hawaii overall and the local land near the ditch. I was happy to know that the tour guide wasn’t a native New Yorker and just working the tour for the summer. This was the real deal.
–The ride in the military issue look-​a-​like 6 wheel ATV was pretty neat. I didn’t find the ride too uncomfortable over the bumpy terrain, but it certainly wasn’t smooth. If you have back or neck issues, you might want to think twice about going. The ATV ride is 10 – 15 minutes on the main road (smooth) and 10 – 15 minutes on the dirt road.
–Very little effort is required for the 2.5 mile Ditch adventure. The tour allows children as young as 5 years old.
–The scenery is amazing. The waterfalls and streams and old growth trees will keep you green with envy.
Cons:
–Cost. I think my total cost for one person was $ 145.00 with taxes.
–The seating position in the boat can be slightly uncomfortable, especially if you don’t have the option to outstretch your legs (I did). If you don’t have the option to extend your legs, you either need to sit Indian style or straddle the float/​raft.
–If you’re looking for that WOW factor or amazing POP in adventure, this is not your tour. I didn’t walk off at the end talking to others how incredible it was and neither did the other tour goers in my tour group. I found the educational component most enjoyable.
–At the end, I think the tour guides «expect» a tip or two which is obvious when you get back to headquarters and see the guide plant a large tip jar in front of your face. I was happy to give a tip (which I did) because the guide and driver were excellent. On the other hand, I didn’t feel a tip should be given based on the overall price of the tour. I guess in today’s day in age, everyone and their mother expects a tip of some form.
–The Kohala Ditch Adventure could be much improved if the actual ditch portion was longer than 2.5 miles (the entire ditch is 22 miles) and a nice lunch was offered midway.
–if your a photography nut, you will not be happy. Once on the raft, it is nearly impossible to find a moment to take a photo. You’re too busy listening and paddling along.

My son and I took this tour today. They were courteous to give us a call a couple days before to confirm and checked in today as we drove up to make sure we weren’t lost. There are many things that people can do here in the Kohala district of the big island. This is one of those events that can be done with the whole family. The 15 minute drive to the drop off point was fun and gives you a nice glimpse of some country side that you couldn’t see if you didn’t have a 4 wheel drive. At one point, you have to unlock the gate to drive up the dirt trail.
The kayak tour itself was a very interesting, one of a kind thing to do. The ditches were created a little over 100 years ago to carry rain water down to the lower lands for agricultural usage. The speed of the kayaks stays pretty constant at around 4 or 5 miles an hour, carried by the current of the water traveling downstream. The country side itself is beautiful and the tunnels that you go through (there were 10 of the 56 we traveled through) are quiet and dark. The guide was very good about giving us historical information about how the tunnels were built. He was also very friendly, entertaining and knowledgeable about Hawaiian history and culture.
As one other reviewer said, this is kind of a one time thing though. There isn’t a lot more that you could see on subsequent tours that you couldn’t see on the first one. I’m glad that we did get to go, and it is a very unique opportunity to be able to go through these ditches and through the tunnels and I would suggest going for people looking for something to do up in the north end of the big island.
The one not so great thing about the tour is that you are going up there with a party of several people. There was one woman that had a bit of trouble going through the tunnels, not wanting to hear about the superstition of some of the workers who lost their lives in the construction of the system and still may be «haunting the tunnels», and had issues with the darkness of the tunnels. If you have one person that’s vocal about their displeasure then everyone gets to hear it.
All in all, we had a good time. We really enjoyed the staff, their friendliness, helpfulness and knowledge. I would recommend!

Five stars because it is family friendly. Not high adventure but something the entire family can do together from very young to somewhat sedentary. To get the most out of the excursion engage the guide (s) in conversation. They are happy to talk story especially about the interesting history of the Big Island. If you are looking for running rapids and Eskimo rolls of your canoe: this is not the trip for you. Here’s some pictures and video I took in early February 2013 via a YouTube link.

The only other reviews here at the time of this writing are glowing 5-​star reviews. So perhaps I’m missing something. I was really excited about this since my wife and I are already kayakers, and how great to do it in gorgeous Hawaii for a change, rather than dodging alligators in Central Florida like we usually do?
Excitement continued to rise as we got to ride the open-​air Pinzer wagon to the initial drop-​off site (which was a lot of fun in itself), and walk to the location where the kayaks are put in the water. Due to the odd number of people in our group, all of the kayaks except one had three people in it — the remaining kayak had four. My wife and I were put in the four-​person kayak with an older couple, and our kayak was inexplicably the one all the way in back. So, a kayak sitting lower in the water and only one reasonably strong paddler (the older gentleman in back being the second designated paddler, and they told him basically just to steer and push off the walls) means a slower kayak. Even with no one paddling in the kayaks ahead, we would still lose ground unless I was working really hard, and even then we could only barely keep up.
Did the guide wait for us? Only when he lost sight of us completely. So while the other boats got to hear everything he said, we never heard a thing. On a couple of occasions everyone stopped to wait for us and we’d hear a little of his material if it was a designated stopping point. Unfortunately, that was it.
So we completely missed out on what MUST be the main attraction for this tour, because why else come to one of the most beautiful places on Earth and spend your time riding in a concrete ditch that you can’t even see over the edge of? There were moments where you could at least look up and see some nice trees and it felt a little relaxing, but most of the time you’d see trees for three seconds and then you’re right back into another concrete tunnel.
By far, the best experiences of the trip were the Pinzer wagon ride and the ATV ride back after the kayaking was done — those were the times when you could really see and appreciate the landscape without a concrete ditch in the way. This company also offers ATV tours — apparently we should have done that instead.

I highly recommend Kohala Ditch Adventures on the big island. Our guide was Gabe and he was awesome and extremely knowledgeable on Hawaiian culture.
This was a great experience and our kids loved it. Gabe made sure each of our kids got a head lamp for the tunnels and they got to sample guava, cinnamon, and other cool fruit along the way. The flumes, tunnels, and rainforest made it an incredible experience.
October 2012

Kona adventures
My brother told me that the Kohala Ditch Adventures is a must see and do on the big island. The excursion is a 2.5 mile flume and tunnel ride thorough the some mountains and valley areas.
Note– wear something water proof because your rear will get wet and also wear some aqua sox.
First you start off on a four wheel drive in a Pinzer wagon-​an open air four wheel drive that takes you to the launch site of the kayaks. You then paddle a 3 to 4 person kayak going through flumes and tunnels. Some of the tunnels are as long as 800 ft, fortunately they give you head lamps. The guide Hula Carvalho instructs you on sites to see and possible obstacles along the way. She also tells of the history of the different workers — Japanese, Chinese and Filipino.
At the end of the adventure they gave us macadamia nuts and Hawaiian juices. A very nice touch. The ride down the hill is in these smaller four wheel drive Ranger buggies.
This can be done by anyone young or old. Highly recommended.

The guides are very sweet and full of knowledge about the local plants and old customs. The ride is very mellow, I would do it again with my grandchildren who are 5 and 2 with no problem. I don’t care for wild rides and was a tiny bit nervous about the wording of the liability release but it was a very peaceful ride.

This was a fun and easygoing trip through the old canals… We first got to the ditches via an offroad vehicle, then floated through the amazing waterways underneath lush greenery and tropical trees, with great tour guides telling us the history of the area.
At the end, you get into more offroad vehicles and get taken back to your car through a macadamia nut plantation…
This trip is fun for all ages and is probably one of the coolest attractions on this island. I’d definitely recommend bringing a warm jacket, and a change of dry clothes. Afterwards, grab lunch at King’s View Café.

What a great experience! We first did this back in 2006 when it was Flumin’ Da Daitch just before the earthquake that shut down the ditches for 5 years. Junior was or guide then. This time we had Hula. She was also one of the original guides from the pre-​earthquake days,
This is a fun, scenic, and easy adventure on the Big Island. It’s like a Disney ride that last and hour and a half! Not to be missed if you are ever on the Big Island!

This is one of the things one MUST do when on the Big Island. It’s equally fun for a 5 yr old as it is for a 70 yr old.
For folks that don’t know how to swim, yet want to do something adventurous that involves water, this is it!
Aside from doing something fun, it’s also a great opportunity to take photos. As you kayak down the 2.5 miles, you’re going through tunnels and the jungle. Going through this real experience, makes me appreciate what Disney has done to make things look real. For a minute, I felt like I was at Disney. Kind of a combination of India Jones and Pirates of Caribbean rides.
Hula Tayan-​Carvalho who gave us some history on Kapaau and how the Ditch was created was very informative. Our personal guide Trisha Pasco was very helpful and nice. Actually, every single person that works here is super friendly and helpful.
After you’re done, they give refreshments and nuts before you board the trucks to come back to home base.
The bathrooms are large and clean here as well. If you’re sitting in the back (like I did), you’re going to «work» and get wet. It was nice having a large clean bathroom to dry up and change into dry clothes.

This use to be run and owned by Flumin’ Da Ditch. This use to be an old water irrigation system. They are apart of the ATV Outfitters Hawaii.
We had a great 3 hour tour guide with Bernelle and Pono on a raft shaped like a canoe. They were very knowledgeable and knew a lot of the Hawaiian history. We got into a military transport truck that took you along a beautiful scenic view of the former sugarcane fields. You are not allow to wear flip flops so bring covered shoes. There is a lot of agriculture along the ride. We went through 10 tunnels and it’s shaded. Bring a flashlight. Bring a camera but just make sure you can put it in a ziplock just incase it gets splashed. At the end of the ride we got to ride on a 6 passenger ATV. They provided drinks and macadamia nuts. Oh, make sure you use the restroom prior to the ride.