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Kauai Back Country Inner tube Ride Adventure with That Adventure Life

Tubing in Kauai with Kauai Backcountry Adventures

Our first tubing adventure with Kauai Backcountry was 4 years ago. We had a blast doing it. It was such a unique adventure. Recently, when we had a chance to go back to Kauai with Dustin’s dad and uncle, we knew we had to take them there. This experience is a mix of beautiful scenery, flowing water through flumes and tunnels, exciting little waterfall drops, and a relaxing lazy river near the end. You also get a fun little history lesson as well as local tips from knowledgeable guides. And the best part, bananas. They have these delicious strawberry bananas at the home base. I swear that is the main reason Vy did the tour.


STATS:

Where:
Kauai Backcountry Adventures3-4131 Kuhio Hwy, Lihue, HI 96766

Contact Info:
Phone: (808) 245-2506
Website: www.kauaibackcountry.com

Parking: 
There is a large parking lot with plenty of parking.
Coords for parking lot: 21°59’43.1″N 159°21’17.2″W

Cost:
At the time of this article, the Mountain Tubing Adventure costs $126 per person. Please refer to their website for more up-to-date pricing.

Restrooms: 
There are restrooms at the home base as well as some before and after the float. However, make sure you use the restroom before you go. The ones near the float area are somewhat primitive.

Hours: 
7 am – 6 pm

Distance: 
The tube ride is about 2.5 miles long

Level: 
Easy. It is kid-friendly. This tubing adventure is perfect for people ages 5 and over and in generally good physical condition.

Estimated Completion Time:
Right around 3 hours

Ideal Weather: 
Cooler days are better since you’ll be out in the sun most of the time, but this is Hawaii, its almost always perfect here.

Ideal Time: 
The morning start time (before 10 am) is the best since it gets hot in the afternoon. Evenings are nice but there will be more bugs.

Dog-friendly: 
Sorry, no pups are allowed on this one.

Restrictions:
Riders must be over 43 inches tall, be over 5 years old, and weigh no more than 300 pounds.

Weather:


VIDEO OF THE ADVENTURE:



THE ADVENTURE:


Getting There:

Kauai Backcountry Adventures is easy to find. It’s only about 3 miles from Lihue airport. As you make your way along Highway 56, the big yellow building (with their logo painted on it) is kind of tucked away behind the trees. Your GPS should be able to take you there with no problem. The parking lot is right across from this yellow building. It is a big gravel/dirt lot with plenty of parking.

Our tour was scheduled for 9:30 am, but they asked for us to arrive 30 minutes early for check-in and gear up. After parking, we headed toward the building. There were a few monstrous trucks park right out front, ready to take adventurers on their journeys. Besides Tubing, Kauai Backcountry also offers a zipline tour. If that is something up your alley, you can get a discount booking both tours together. We only did the tubing since we were going with Dustin’s dad and uncle.


Checking In:


Once inside, we headed up the ramp to the front desk to check in. It was all extremely easy. All we have to do was provide our names for check-in, fill out a short waiver, and then we headed over to a different counter to pick up our gloves and helmets. The only piece of protective gear that you are responsible for providing is water shoes. Make sure to bring a pair that fit well. You will be using your feet to push off of rocks that can be a little jagged at times.

Remember the strawberry bananas that Vy obsesses about? Well, they were on top of every table there. Trust me, try the bananas. For some reason, Hawaiian fruit is the tastiest fruit we have ever had. As we snacked away on these yummy bananas, we also got to meet Kiana, one of our guides, for the first time. She handed out all of the gear and showed us how to fit our helmets and use the headlamps. She was fun and bubbly. If you get her as a guide, you are in for a good time for sure.


With gear in hand, we headed back down the ramp to the lower floor, near the front door. There is a cute photo booth set up there with an inner tube in the middle of a tunnel wallpaper. If you don’t have a waterproof camera, this is probably your best chance to get a picture. Kauai Backcountry Adventures also had a photographer that will take photos of you on your tube ride that you can purchase when you get back.

After some silly pictures, Kiana came down the ramp, calling for our time slot. A decent-sized group began to form around the big truck. This was where we met our other guides, Kyle and Jordan. Kyle circled around the side of the truck, dropped the ladder down so we could all get in. Once we were all seated and buckled up, the large truck started up and hit the road.


Our Drive:


As soon as we started driving, Kiana was quick to jump in with some jokes and serenade us with a couple of Disney songs. Kyle chimed in with many interesting facts about the ill-fated sugar plantation, which are the reasons why the tube ride exists today. We also had a chance of getting to know the other riders on our truck.

After about 8 minutes into the drive, we turned off the main road and onto a gated dirt road. This is where the fun begins. The drive up the mountain is gorgeous. You wind your way through the lush forests and expansive meadow. This ride can get bumpy at times, but the trucks are quite sturdy and it’s all part of the adventure.


Kyle continued on with the facts about the plantation and the tough working condition its workers faced. For instance, the 5 tunnels that your tube ride will go through were primarily dug by hand through lava rock in 1870.

About 3/4 of the way to the start point, the truck came to a halt. There is a beautiful scenic overlook that perched over possibly one of the greenest landscapes that exist. This valley is one of the wettest places on earth with an average of 384 inches of rain per year. To put that in perspective, San Diego only gets about 10 inches per year.


After some quick photos and a chance to admire the gorgeous landscape, we continued on. A short distance later, we were finally at our destination. If you have items that you don’t want to get wet, there are dry boxes that you can store them in. The guides will take them to where you exit the river for you. There is a port-a-potty here if you need to use it. After putting our clothes and electronics away in the dry boxes, we headed across a small bridge to meet up with the group.


Our Adventure:

Here, Kiana went over our safety instructions and what to expect as we ride our tubes. After everyone was clear on the instructions, we lined up and headed down the stairs toward a small ramp to the river’s edge. Jordan and Kyle were waiting there to make sure everyone got into their tubes safely. Since Vy is tiny, Kyle found her a smaller, orange tube that he called the “Honda Civic of tubes”. I’ll admit, it was kind of jealous because orange is my favorite color.


I was right behind Vy when I got on top of my tube and tried to paddle toward Vy. However, the current had other plans. I slowly drifted toward the other side of the group. Keep in mind, you might not be able to be next to your group until you get to the lazy river. It is important to not try to hold on to other members of your group during the exciting part of the float. You can get stuck, slow down your group, or possibly flip over. The last 15-20 minutes are similar to a lazy river. This is where you can join back up with your party.

Once everyone got on their tubes safely, Kyle gave us the green light to push off under the dividing rope. It was a bit of fun chaos at first. With everyone being all bunched up, someone would bounce off the wall and push the other person around. It was like a gentle bumper cart. Sometimes, you would get sucked into an area that had no current. You can either push yourself off or wait for Jordan or Kyle to come along and push you back into the current.


I could see why Kyle called Vy’s tube the “Honda Civic.” Once the rope lifted up, she took off like a rocket. She would spend the most of float in the front of the pack, while I was bouncing around in the back.

The tubes we were in sure know how to take a beating. They were very sturdy. Everyone was bouncing off the rocky walls at one time or another. Every time you hit the wall, it sent you spinning around like you were riding the teacups ride at Disneyland.

After floating downstream for a bit, we approached our first tunnel. This one has a narrow entrance. The first tunnel is one of the shorter ones it is about 1/4 mile long and almost completely straight. The tunnel’s walls are a little jagged so make sure to tuck in and you will be fine. This is one of the main reasons you have to wear your helmet. All helmets are equipped with headlamps. Our front guide, Kiana made sure to call out for everyone to turn on their headlamps before we plunged into the dark tunnel.

​
We popped out of the first tunnel into a lush landscape that was almost surreal. That’s one of the perks about tubing in Kauai. Both sides of the channel had towering red dirt walls that were almost completely covered in vines and vegetation. It was a while before we plunged into the darkness of the second tunnel. After the second tunnel, you have the option of exiting the float through a ladder alongside the river. Otherwise, you’re in until the rest of the float. Trust me, you don’t want to get out.

If you decide to continue on, you will almost immediately be awarded a ride down a small waterfall that heads straight into the third tunnel. It was actually pretty easy and really fun. As Kiana led on, Kyle and Jordan waited around to make sure everyone was safe and having a good time. Make sure to smile when you go over the edge because they have a photographer stationed there to take your photos.


As we rushed into the third tunnel, we realized this one is a bit more refined than the other two. The tunnel has smooth concrete walls and thick concrete pillars. It also has several turns that send you bouncing off the walls. However, the fourth tunnel was our favorite. It is the longest and the most exciting. It was completely pitch black once you’re inside. Once we got to the safest area inside the tunnel, our guides pulled us together and had everyone turn off their headlamps. It was such a unique experience, floating there in the complete darkness.

After a little bit, Kiana told us to turn our lights back on and we proceed toward the fifth and last tunnel. This one was decently long but almost completely straight with smooth walls. Because of this, we were able to float through it in the dark. Without eyesight, it was pretty surreal floating along the river as your other senses are heightened. You are now more tuned in to the cool air tunnel, the splashing of the water, the damp smell of the earth, and the sounds of rushing water mixed with laughter.


As we emerged from the last tunnel, the adventurous portion of the tour had come to an end. We now switched over to relaxation mode. The rushing river now turns into a gentle, lazy river. It offered a nice, peaceful float down to the end of our journey. At this point, I finally was able to catch up while Vy as someone threw a small football around. Apparently, Kyle found it floating along the river. We ended up having a little football fight as we cruise toward our finish line.

After we got out and dropped off our gear, we were driven to a lush green picnic area where lunch was ready for us. It was a nice finish after such a fun adventure. After lunch, our guides took us back to the home base and our cars. If you want to purchase your photos, you can do that there.


Obviously, we had a blast. Dustin’s dad and uncle couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear. I think they were ready to hop back on for another ride but we had to head on to other adventures. If you’re an adrenaline junkie like we are, check out the Zodiac ride with Na Pali Coast. For hiking, our favorite hike is the off-the-beaten-path Kalepa Ridge in the Waimea Canyon. You can also do the Waipo’o Falls when you’re in the area. If you love snorkeling, check out our blog of the best 3 snorkeling spots for beginners in Kauai.

If you do island hopping, you can check out some fun things to do on Oahu and the Big Island such as Top 10 off the beaten path things to do in Oahu, Top 10 things to do on the Big Island, exploring Kaumana Lava Caves, hike Kiholo – Queens Bath Hike, or taking scenic drives through Kapoho Kalapana Road Scenic Drive, Chain of Craters Road – Hawaii Volcanoes National Park or Onomea (Pepe’ekeo) Scenic Drive – Hilo.

Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and sign up for our newsletter!


RECOMMEND GEAR:
Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.

•  Water shoes
When tubing in Kauai with Backcountry Adventure, you need secured water-friendly shoes, NO FLIP FLOPS. We usually use ALEADER Women’s Mesh Slip-on Water Shoes for Vy’s shoes and ALEADER Men’s Quick Drying Aqua Water Shoes for Dustin’s shoes

•  Sunscreen: 
If you need sunscreen, we use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter – Zinc Oxide – Coral Reef Safe and All Good Sport Sunscreen Lotion – Coral Reef Safe (3 oz)(2-Pack) or Stream2Sea SPF 30 Reef Safe Sport Tinted Sunscreen.

•  Swimsuits or clothing that can get wet
You will be the water and you will get wet, so bring your swimsuits.

•  Towels and a dry change of clothes
So you can change out of your wet swimsuits.

•  Bug spray
You’re in a tropical rain forest. There are a lot of bugs and mosquitoes. We recommend using bug spray. We use REPEL Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent.

•  Water-proof phone sleeve
If you want to bring your phone with you, make sure to use one of these sleeves to help protect it. We use this sleeve here.

CAMERA GEAR:
•  Camera:

   Sony a7 III
   Gopro Hero 7 Black

•  Lenses:
   Sony 24 -70mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T Zoom Lens    

•  Accessories:
   Bobber – Floating Hand Grip for GoPro HERO Cameras    


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