Ride the Rim

We visited December 6. We had so much fun, and learned so very much from these experienced guides. I got to ride with Brendan while my husband and son rode together. What a sweetheart he is. I enjoyed learning about the island, its history, its people. And what views! Most of the time you’re driving through trees, but even then, if you look around you, you can truly see history hiding in the leaves. Every single person in our team was delightful. We have a special needs autistic son and everyone treated him as if he was part of the group and just looked right over any rough spots he had. We felt included and accepted, which is hard to come by sometimes with our son’s difficulties. It was a bumpy, dirty, hot, wonderful, fun ride, and one we will surely do again if we ever make it back to the Big Island.
Thanks, guys!
Keith, Cheryl and Kolby

What a great experience! This is the best way to view the Waipi’o Valley. Jamie, Brendon and the Ride The Rim crew were awesome… Very friendly, helpful, and informative. It was a treat to learn the history and culture of the Valley. I recommend bringing sunglasses because the atvs will kick up some dirt.

After reading all the positive reviews about this experience i was quite disappointed and feel I was caught in an expensive tourist trap.
With limited time on my trip I thought this would be a great way of seeing the Waipio Valley, but i wish i had opted for a different type of tour. This trip was a steady 9 mile ride through a twenty to twenty five year old commercial eucalyptus forest with three stops to look at the valley. The stops did show incredible views of the valley as well as an opportunity to swim in a waterfall pool, so i do give credit here. The guides emphasised that this was a tour, rather than an ATV adventure ride, but with three stops in three hours, i didn’t feel it was adequate as a tour.
The ATV experience wasn’t very exciting for me either, even as a first timer. As the group was so large, around 14 – 16 ATV’s, the ride was slow and I found myself to get quite bored. Riding through a lifeless eucalyptus grove wasn’t quite what I was expecting, considering the stunning beauty of Hawaii island.
As well as the views, I also give credit to the guides who were enthusiastic and engaging with a wealth of knowledge on the areas history and culture. They were also very attentive to the groups needs.

This is a must do if you like adventure. First you check in at the local store and then the tour guides pick you up in a van and drive you to the location where you start the ride. Our guides were Omar, Jaime and Brendan who were very nice. As we stopped at the resting spots we were given a short narrative of the Waipi’o Valley. The stories were very interesting and made the experience. The 10 mile ride was alot of fun. We experienced hills flat ground and best of all mud puddles! I would definitely do this again and recommend everyone to experience Ride the Rim. Thank you to Omar, Jaime and Brendan we had a great time… Mahalo!

The best!!! It’s truly what you make it. I got covered in mud intentionally. The scenery was spectacular & so different than Kona. It was terrific for a multiage group — from 80 – 8. Wonderful history lesson. My girls swam in the falls. Too cold for me. We brought a change of clothes for afterwards. We loved the side by sides

We signed up for an afternoon tour of the Waipio Valley in a side-​by-​side buggy (think golf cart on steroids). Jay and Pat were great guides and were really knowledgeable about the area. The buggy ride was *super* fun — two stops provided amazing views of Waipio Valley from above while a third stop involved snacks around a picturesque waterfall and pool with some very chilly water. In between stops, you’re zipping through the forest in your vehicle, which handily managed the hills, rocks, and puddles we encountered. This allowed us to do something active (quicken the pulse, one might say) without exerting ourselves too much, which was perfect as we were sore from hiking Volcano National Park and Pololu Valley. As someone mentioned, the activity isn’t cheap ($ 350/​2pp after tip) but was well worth it. Overall, I loved our experience and would highly recommend!

Amazing ride around the valley with Rez and Uncle Boise (sp?)! Once in a lifetime, not to be missed!

By far my favorite thing I’ve done on the island! This was both fun and very interesting to learn about the history of the area. Our guides were Brendon and Jamie and they were so awesome! Plan on getting a little muddy but it’s so worth it!

I can’t overstate how terrific this trip was. The tour is run by an extremely knowledgeable staff that are unfailingly passionate about their history, culture and landscape of their forefathers.
I was half expecting a high-​speed, testosterone-​fueled foray through the woodlands near the Waipio Valley. Instead the tour was a thoughtful and comprehensive Eco-​tour that was truly the intersection between the spiritual and the environmental.
Our guides taught us the sacred history of the region, that used to serve as the seat of government for the Hawaiian Islands. They also explained life in the valley of the kings, and how its denizens sustained themselves by living in harmony with the land and nature. They further explained how that tradition endures today, as there is no electricity or running water in the valley l, and how its current residents embrace the old ways to make their living. This trip is a «can’t miss» while visiting The Big Island.
Plan on getting a little muddy!

Absolutely phenomenal. The entire tour team were professional, friendly and very educational. Not only did they provide a tour of the most stunning and sacred spots near Waipio Valley, they also shared with us their local culture and spirit. The equipment was safe and new. I enjoyed every minute of it.
A few notes: Wear clothing you don’t mind getting dirty and bring a cover for your bag if you do not want mud on it. If there was rain recently there will be big mud puddles. While you can avoid them and go slowly, going through then is a ton of fun.

I highly recommend this tour we had the 2 brothers Jamie and Ray they were very educating and 100% know what there doing/​talking about so if you can get them as your guides it will make your whole trip to Hawaii and that tour worth every minute of it.

Highly highly recommend! I attended this tour with 3 other party members last Saturday the 12^th. Our guides were 2 brothers Ray & Jamie (sorry if I misspelled) & a 3^rd guide (red head) so sorry I’m awful with names. We all had an amazing time! I visit the islands each year to visit family and have been on ATV tours on Oahu & Maui, but I think this one is my favorite. Though this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, this tour isn’t about pushing the limits of your ATV and focusing on getting muddy.
This is an actual TOUR of the waipi’o valley where you’re riding around the upper rim. We made 3 stops over the 3 hour ride. The first was an initial view of the rim/​valley. The second is at a beautiful waterfall with opportunity to take a dip & enjoy some snacks. The third is a complete breathtaking view of the entire valley. What I truly appreciated with this tour is the personal touch from the guides. Jamie and ray explained their family history of the valley and the generations that grew up there. The passion behind their stories made their love for their home town obvious. I walked away with an appreciation of their lifestyle & waipi’o that I’m not sure I would’ve had without their firsthand experience explanations.
No worries if you’ve never ridden an ATV before. They have multiple options whether it be solo or tandem. They also have you run through their test course first (2 laps) and you must pass before you can start the tour. If they feel you need a little more practice, they’ll have you ride a few extra laps (we had 2 older ladies that required it but they powered through it!)

Amazing, it was lots of fun. The guides were knowledgeable and fun, I would definitely recommend this to anyone.

this was by far my favorite experience in Hawaii. Not only did the instructor know a lot about the island and culture, but they also made it fun for everyone! We loved the sarcasm and funny jokes along the way.
Definitely recommend!!! They bring goodies along the way and you can swim in the waterfall! We loved it!

This is a must if you visit the island. This was my first time driving an ATV and the team made me feel safe and in control. My 11 year old came with us so they let her ride in a tandem with her mom. Great trip and the guides give you a detailed history of the area. Loved it!!!

Faster than I expected. We both ride dirtbikes and quads and so, we were expecting to be stuck behind tourists and have a 10mph speed limit. 20 – 25 was plenty. We had some confident riders in our group so maybe we just got lucky. We went to a great waterfall and the view of the valley was amazing.
The staff was thorough and accommodating.
The terrain was beautiful and this was one of the highlights of our trip.
Horseback looked great too.

We travelled to the Big Island for the fourth time and were looking for something special to do for my husband’s birthday.
We knew this would be a high energy action packed day. What we didn’t really realize was just how profoundly gorgeous this part of the island is, and how amidst the noise of the ATV ride would be this magnificient silence. We were truly in God’s country that day.
The tour guides are amazing, kept us safe and shared lots of stories of the area. We can’t wait to return. This is a very special way to spend a day. The memories will be with us forever.
Not inexpensive, but SO worth the treat!

Besides scuba diving, this has been my favorite activity in the many times that I’ve visited the Big island. To start, the ATVs are tremendously fun to ride. not only do you get to have fun driving one… you get to enjoy watching the others in your party learn how to use them.
They take you to a wonderful secluded pond that royalty once swam at. Of course, you also get many wonderful viewpoints into the stunning Waipio valley. One of the most stunning places on the island.
It’s expensive… but very well worth it.
Pro Tip: Elderly family, or young kids? They offer a professionally driven multi-​seat SUV for them.

My husband and I had a fantastic afternoon tour w/​Ride the Rim.
We parked and checked in for our tour at the Waipi’o Valley Artworks. Our group took a short van ride up to their barn, where the guides showed us how to safely operate the ATVs. They provided knit caps to wear under the helmets and keep our hair clean. They also provided bandanas to cover our nose and mouth from the dust. You will get dirty, but that is part of the fun!
They required everyone to take a few test drives around a loop to make sure everyone was comfortable handling the ATV. I had never driven an ATV, but my husband has. I had trouble controlling the speed and gripping. My hand kept falling asleep just during the test drive. So I opted out of driving the ATV (knowing it would be about 2 hours of driving) and elected to be chauffeured by one of the guides in the Polaris.
It was GREAT! All I had to do was sit back and relax. I also had free hands so I could take video and pics on my phone. I was the only one in our group of about 10 who didn’t drive an ATV. But one of the other ladies also told me later her hands were getting pretty tired too. So don’t worry if you want to just opt to ride in the Polaris.
My husband was on the last ATV in our group and I was in the Polaris behind him, so we still felt like we had the tour together. Travis was one of the guides and «my driver» for the afternoon. I think Travis sensed my anxiety and took it easy for me on the ride, but as I loosened up he hit the puddles and terrain a little faster. I enjoyed chatting w/​Travis during our drive and hearing about life on the Big Island. My husband also had a blast. We had a nice tame group of peeps and nobody tried to pull any stunts.
We drove through the eucalyptus trees which was beautiful and smelled so fresh. Our 1^st stop was a beautiful secluded waterfall. We didn’t choose to swim in the pool at the fall, but it looked very refreshing. They provided snacks and drinks. Our second stop was a scenic vista overlooking the majestic Waipi’o Valley. It was a slightly overcast day, but the view was still amazing. One of the guides grew up in the valley and was informative. Then we headed back to the barn.
All in all, a great afternoon.

Machines: good
Good handling, very good quick start run down of how to operate the ATV for the ones doing it for the first time. Very good and thorough explanation. Safety is number one. Then it ends.
History and educational value: not much.
The guys are young, tons of testosterone flying, ready to bust out the antics jumping off ledges at the waterfall. They say a lot without really saying anything. Although their passion for riding was admirable I questioned my guides’ (yes, both of them) knowledge. This is definitely no Hawaii Forest & Trail. Check out my review of HF&T if you’re interested.
I was not impressed by the way one of the guides blithely put down the horseback riding tour in the waiting area outside the gallery porch. There was a woman waiting there for her group and he brushed that tour aside as if it were a nose to tail boring affair. I held my tongue but if it had been me he was talking to he’d have gotten it sideways. It was very unprofessional and plain rude. He was lucky the lady was older and more timid than me.
You’ll get the general sense that Wai’pio is sacred and ancient ground especially for Hawaiian royalty. They’re really a good group of employees but you can tell management has given them a lot of leeway in the way they conduct themselves professionally. They’d do better with a bit more polishing and adding more educational value to their tours.