Reviews for Makana Charters

This was amazing! The crew was so friendly and went out of their way to find dolphins and whales. Comfortable seats, decent lunch and great views!

Product: Makana Charters

This was such a great experience! Definitely the highlight of the trip. The views are breathtaking and the crew were all awesome. You get to view and experience so much, from dolphins, waterfalls, fish 🐟 and the beautiful NaPali coastline. Would do it again!

Product: Makana Charters

These guys absolutely rule. Cpt. Mike along with Lilliana and Tony were amazing guides on this cruise along the Na Pali Coast. We saw tons of whales and the views of the coast were incredible. I especially loved the Hawaiian blessing under the waterfall! They provide food and drinks as part of the admission and their boat handles the waters like a hot knife through butter. If we are every back in Kauai we will definitely do it again!

Product: Makana Charters

Makana is native owned and an amazing tour. With a smaller boat we did extra cool things like go into sea caves, lots of local history, & skilled captain and crew. Highly recommend!

Product: Makana Charters

Fantastic trip! Don’t leave Kauai without this boat tour of not only beautiful scenery but marine life as well.

Product: Makana Charters

Product: Makana Charters

Product: Makana Charters

I normally don’t write reviews, but after this experience I felt it was important to share it so that other travelers are aware before booking. I had booked this Na Pali Coast tour in advance and was really looking forward to it, as it was one of the main things I wanted to do during my trip to Kauai. On the way to the harbor that morning, however, I was unexpectedly stopped by the police and received a ticket for an unrelated issue. Because of this, I was delayed about 20–25 minutes. As soon as it happened, I called the tour company to explain the situation and let them know I would likely arrive right around the start time, around 8:00 or maybe 8:05 at the latest. I was told that someone from the boat would call me back shortly with an update. That call never came. As the minutes passed and the tour time approached, I kept calling the company trying to get a clear answer about whether I should still come to the harbor or if there was any possible solution. I called many times — probably around eight times. Sometimes they answered, sometimes they didn’t, and when they did respond, they simply told me the person on the boat was busy helping guests board and would call me back “in a moment.” No one ever did. At around 8:05, when I was already entering the harbor, I called again asking where I should go. That’s when they casually told me the boat had already left. After all the calls and after repeatedly telling me someone would contact me, the only answer I received was essentially that the tour was gone and maybe someone would call later to “see if anything could be done.” This was extremely frustrating and upsetting. I had been communicating with them the entire time and trying to handle the situation responsibly. Instead, I was left without clear answers, without communication, and without any effort to help. I continued trying to contact them to see if there was any possibility to reschedule for another tour that day, join a tour the next day, or receive at least a partial refund. I received no real help over the phone. Eventually I drove to their office, about 15 minutes away from the harbor, hoping to resolve the situation in person. Two employees came out and spoke to me from the stairs while I remained on the street, telling me I could not enter the office. The entire interaction felt dismissive and uncomfortable. The way they looked at me and treated me made me feel extremely unwelcome and honestly somewhat discriminated against, which was very upsetting. When I asked if there was any possible solution — another tour, a reschedule, or a refund — the answer was simply no. No options, no empathy, no attempt to help. I was told, very bluntly, that there was nothing they could do and that I had simply lost the tour. Considering this is a company that works in guest services and tourism, the lack of communication, professionalism, and basic empathy was shocking. In the end, I booked a Na Pali Coast tour with another company because it was something I really wanted to experience during my time in Kauai. The Na Pali Coast itself is absolutely incredible and I’m very glad I was able to see it — just unfortunately not with this company. My experience with this company was extremely disappointing, stressful, and honestly one of the worst customer service experiences I’ve had while traveling. For that reason, I cannot recommend booking with them.

Product: Makana Charters

Product: Makana Charters

Great experience and awesome crew and captain

Product: Makana Charters

This is the tour you need to book! The crew were so kind and fun to have this experience with. They took care of everyone and were the highlight of my trip. They taught us about the island and Hawaiian culture which added so much to the experience. Again, such a cool and lovely crew

Product: Makana Charters

Amazing time. Captain Mike was fabulous. Lots of history that I will probably not remember but I feel good hearing it none the less. Ride hime was windy and bouncy. Would recommend the morning trip not afternoon.

Product: Makana Charters

Great staff. Great atmosphere. Beautiful views.

Product: Makana Charters

We had the most unforgettable experience with Captain Mike, Liliana, and Tony for our tour of the Na Pali Coast. I wish we could’ve spent all day on their boat! This was without a doubt the highlight of our trip to Kauai. 3 days later and we’re still reminiscing!! The sun, the water, the history, the crew - I could go on and on about how amazing our day with this crew was - and I will if you keep reading. Along the way, the crew took their time to educate guests on the history of the coast, their ties to the land, and made sure every single guest felt engaged with. We stopped for waterfalls, saw the inside of sea caves, and snorkeled in the most beautiful location. There is NOTHING like a sandwich after a swim, so after snorkeling, we got to enjoy some great sandwiches and snacks as we headed towards “whale highway” where we kept an eye out for whales. We felt safe the entire way. Captain Mike is an incredibly skilled captain - was so impressed with how he safely maneuvered the sea caves. The boat itself was comfortable with plenty of space for your belongings. On most boat tours, you battle other passengers for the best seats on the ship - but every single seat provided the same view. Also loved that there was dry storage under the seats for your belongings. If you’re nervous about sea sickness, don’t be! The crew shared that the boat was custom made to give the smoothest ride, even on choppy waters. And if you’re still nervous, take a Dramamine before bed the night before and the morning of. I have vestibular migraines, so I’m very prone to motion sickness - but with the Dramamine, Captain Mike’s skills, and the layout of the boat, it was smooth sailing for all 5 hours. Cannot recommend this tour enough. There are lots of options, but Makana Charters is #1.

Product: Makana Charters

We had a fabulous tour today - saw whales, spinner dolphins, stunning scenery, waterfalls, caves and so much more! Captain Sean and Kai were wonderful! So informative and funny, we would recommend them to anyone wanting to see the Na Pali Coast.

Product: Makana Charters

GREAT! We had a fantastic day with Captain Sean and Kai as First Mate. They were both knowledgeable, fun, professional and personable. We will use them every time we come from now on.

Product: Makana Charters

A great charter with superb service from the Captain and two crew members. Absolutely a must for anyone visiting Kauai. Our second trip in 2 years1

Product: Makana Charters

Captain Mike, Lionel, and Jay were the very best! We were taking the Napali water tour, which was great ! As an added bonus. We saw whales (momma and her calf) , we saw dolphins, turtles, and a manta ray! Best day we these guys! They are so informative about everything around us!

Product: Makana Charters

Shawn, Jay and Elijah were great! The trip met all our expectations. We saw the beautiful Nepali coastline complete with caves and waterfalls plus got the bonus of eating lunch with a pod of spinner dolphins. We also saw some whales. Thank you, Makena charter team for a fantastic trip! The instructions for pre-trip sea sickness were spot on. Usually, my friend gets sick on boat rides and she didn't have one bit of nausea!

Product: Makana Charters

Our favorite excursion of the whole 11 day land & sea tour (NCL Pride of America) was the catamaran tour we took along the Napali Coast! We booked with Makana tours and went on the Amelia K. The captain and crew were SO attentive to every detail. They provided a good lunch of sandwiches & chips and unlimited water & sodas so we would stay hydrated. We saw many whales, a pod of 400 dolphins (per the captain…I didn’t count them, lol) turtles, waterfalls, the side of the Grand Canyon, lava tube caves. They even pulled the boat into the lava tubes and took photos of us on our phones. But most of all the shoreline was stunning! They anchored along the coast and almost everyone on the boat snorkeled. We just got home yesterday, so our excursion with Makana was this past Friday. Highly recommended. Great captain and crew! Fabulous memories!

Product: Makana Charters