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Maui Eco Tours
Categories: Hotels & Travel Tours Active Life Rafting/Kayaking Tours, Rafting/Kayaking [Edit]
125 Kio LoopKihei, HI 96753
(808) 891-2223
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 6 am - 6 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
Damon T. said: "EDIT: I just received a call from the owner of Skyline. He wanted to make sure that we were ultimately satisfied with our experience, and to apologize for the less-than-stellar customer service I received the day of our original…" read more »
20 reviews for Maui Eco Tours
20 reviews in English
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Review from Jaime S.
1/11/2011
Had such a lovely time w/our guide John. He told great stories, led us around to calm waters w/great snorkeling. The lunch spread post kayak was delish and I'd recommend everyone do the 4 hr tour.
You get a mesh bag for stuff to carry that can get wet, and they offer a dry bag if you want to put your valuables in there.
Be forewarned, kayaking the ocean is tough work so if you are not an active person(out of shape), I'd take a boat cruise to snorkel. -
Review from Sara B.
Columbia Falls, MT
11/17/2011
5 HR sea cliffs tour.
Decent kayaks. Informative guide.
Enjoyable kayaking but not intermediate like advertised.
Ok snorkeling. Saw a few neat fish and a couple of turtles. Hope to find better snorkeling on Maui.
Really lame lunch! Deli sandwiches, chips and bagged cookies. The website advertises vegetarian or vegan lunches provided on request... I ordered vegan lunch when booking but the guide didn't seem to know anything about my request.
I had a good time but was hoping for a more advanced experience and better snorkeling. -
Review from Aly M.
10/16/2011
I wanted to like this tour, and there were parts that were good.
Good: Not bad for price compared to other tours, small size of group (about 12 people when we went), nice kayaks for balance, and a good place for starting and ending (easy to find and close to our hotel).
Not so good: I found out that day that I am not comfortable with much of what snorkeling requires. The guide did not provide a very good explanation of how to snorkel--about 5+ minutes on using a paddle, but waited until we were on the water to explain anything about snorkeling. When I was upset, he took a while to come over and assist and then proceeded to speak in a worried tone. He did not like that I was upset and felt scared by it. I find it hard to believe that they don't get other people who are uncomfortable with snorkeling when they are beginners. He did not try to make me feel better, so as a result, I remained sitting on the kayak for the remainder of the time. It was a poor experience on my end. But, even if you ignore that . . . he also wasn't good as a guide. He would say a few things about what we saw, but if you weren't right next to him, you couldn't hear what he had to say and he didn't repeat things when everyone else would join him.
At the end of the trip, the "snacks" was just taking snack bags of fritos and other junk food off of the back of the truck. He did offer drinks during the kayaking.
Overall, I would say that you should try to snorkel ahead of time and see how it goes and do not rely on them to help you, even if the tour is for beginners, like ours was supposed to be. If you are fine with snorkeling, and don't care about an informative tour, you might enjoy it. -
Review from Erin W.
Lahaina, HI
9/8/2011
Great company, great way to see a side of Maui you wouldn't other wise see, a little overpriced (although that shouldn't be a shocker). We did the Seacliffs tour and I must say that Kayaking by the cliffs was amazing. If my arms would hold up, I would do that all day. It was a beautiful route. There was lots of beautiful coral, cool fish, and a few sea turtles. Our guide was Steve, and he was great. Not overbearing, but attentive and he let us hold some wildlife. I docked 2 stars for the following:
1) At one point, I'm pretty sure we were swimming in poop. Brown, stringy, floaty stuff. I decided to stop thinking about it and swim away to clearer waters.
2) I think everyone in our group was stung by a group of little box jelly fish. They are clear and hard to see. It really didn't hurt, it was just itchy. But I wish Steve would have said a bit more about them, like "don't worry, they are mostly harmless, just try to avoid them if you can." You hear so many horror stories, you just never know...
3) The lunch was mediocre. I thought I remembered reading they would provide a traditional Hawaiian lunch. It was a chicken or roast beef sub sandwich from Safeway, I'm sure. Choice of chips and drink and then Famous Amos cookies. -
Review from Will S.
Washington, DC
11/27/2011
We took the kayak tour to / from Honolua Bay. It was fun, but the kayaks were not the greatest. And for the price, it was a relatively short trip.
To be fair, we had previously done the 17-mile kayak tour around the Na Pali coast of Kauai, so after that any kayak trip might seem like a little bit of a let-down. -
Review from Lisa D.
4/12/2011
Maui Eco tours was an excellent company to go with.
We went with the discovery tour off olowalu at 7am. Our guide was waiting for us and got us all situated. The other people in the booking decided to no show so it was me, my boyfriend and our guide.
We went to the turtle cleaning station and had about 20 peaceful minutes to swim with them before another company and it's THIRTY FIVE people showed up.
We left there and went to another stop where we got to see more turtles.
The best part of this tour was that since it was just us and a guide, he let us decide where we wanted to be and how long we stayed there. He was super knowledgeable about the area, the marine life and VERY Eco conscious. We will definitely book again! -
Review from Rich H.
San Francisco, CA
8/4/2010
I'd give them 6, heck, 11 stars if I could.
Here's the skinny. We did two tours during our 2 week stint in Maui. We loved it.
Richard was very helpful throughout the booking process. My mother, sister and I set up for a cliff tour in West Maui. Due to windy conditions, they called us the day before and told us that we were going to meet at Makena Landing instead. They gave us the option to cancel with a full refund if we wanted. We didn't want. But, I thought that was a FANTASTIC business call to give us that option.
For our second tour we went south of Lahaina, where we saw more turtles in one area than I've ever seen. We got caught in some rough waves and my kayak was capsized. Before I could get my head out of the water and ensure my partner was okay, Chris was by our side, getting everything righted for a remount. Well played, Chris! On this tour, they accommodated a full group of 11 of us with a private tour. They even knocked a substantial amount off the bill. There were some less experienced paddlers on this trip and they handled the group's diversity with grace and professionalism.
We brought our own snorkel gear (which I'd highly suggest, if you want to ensure that the mask doesn't leak).
Chris did a great job of getting us in the water and going over the entire process, which they have DIALED.
However, the true gem of the tour (besides the water creatures themselves) is Deja, the tour guide.
Deja is knowledgeable, fun, excited to be there with you and a great 'fish pointer-outer". I finally realized that if you stay with her, you'll see more and learn more than you expected. She was the reason we came back for a second tour, in all honesty.
Hint Hint: Richard - give this girl a raise! She's a great asset to your company! (you can thank me later, Deja)
All in all, 2 of the best days on the island.
If you want (or need) a single kayak, call in advanced. They focus on doubles and have a limited number of singles. Talk to Richard and set that up in advanced so that you're not disappointed.
Mahalo to this fantastic group!!! -
Review from Cindy N.
San Jose, CA
1/11/2009
On another recommendation from my friend, we booked a kayak/snorkeling trip with Maui Eco Tours. We got a great deal online so be sure to check their website before your trip.
The week we went, the weather was a little bit unpredictable, so they called to reschedule our tour a few days before our trip. Since we were only in Maui a few days, we ended up having to reschedule to another tour, but it turned out to be fantastic because while we were snorkeling we ended up seeing about 12 sea turtles which was the most the guide said he'd ever seen. Be warned that the kayaking is not easy especially for people like me who don't have incredible upper body strength. You can kayak tandem on solo, but if you're like me I definitely recommend tandem. The kayaking was beautiful, but if you get seasick remember to take proper precautions before leaving. Since the conditions on the island were pretty bad the snorkeling spots on the tour were more crowded than usual, but we were able to get there a little bit earlier than the other groups so we had some time to ourselves.
The lunch we had afterward was light and refreshing though one of our friends needed an extra snack once we got back to our condo. Overall a great experience and a fun activity on Maui.Listed in: My Musts in Hawaii
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Review from Bryan L.
Benicia, CA
5/30/2011
I had a wonderful time on a 3 hour trip with our tour guide Griff. He was very attentive during the whole trip and made sure we were as safe as possible. He also offered up a pair of prescription goggles to me which was a nice bonus for the day. It was quite a nice day out and after some paddling we jumped into the water and got to swim around. Griff was very knowledgeable of the area and local wildlife. I would definitely use this tour group again and request Griff.
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Review from Emily A.
Seattle, WA
3/10/2009
I can't recommend Maui Eco Tours enough. This was the definite highlight of an excellent trip to Maui. We took the "Whales" tour, which is (quite reasonably) only available when the whales are in season. It included kayaking around to watch the whales followed by snorkeling.
The whale watching was amusing, though we never really got very close to any of the whales we saw. We seemed to be paddling around between two or three groups, who I like to think were deeply amused to take turns coming to the surface and watching our group of kayaks frantically change course each time to head in the direction of the most recent group to surface. There were definitely a number of good views of whale backs and flukes, including a number of pairs that surfaced together that were probably moms with babies. And, paddling around was an excellent workout.
While the whales were nice, the best part was the snorkeling. On the website you'll see they have a turtle tour, and I'd seen pictures there of people snorkeling with the turtles. I sort of expected that was a rare thing. But when we got in the water to snorkel (don't worry, they give you a little tutorial on how to do it without flipping your kayak), we almost immediately encountered two turtles swimming our way! I was so glad we brought our underwater camera; I will watch that video of us swimming with the turtles over and over and over. There were also a bunch of beautiful and interesting fish, interesting coral formations, and fun stuff like sea urchins and eels. Our guide was quite knowledgeable about all the things we were seeing as well, which was a good bonus (pretty + information = extra awesome).
If I was going to recommend only one thing to do on Maui, this would be it! -
Review from Danielle C.
West Los Angeles, CA
10/8/2008
There are different tours depending on what you want to do. Ours was the "easier" hike to a waterfall tour. Mark picked us and a few other small groups up and we got a nice tour of the entire north west of the island (wait, is that right? Geography is not my specialty) He also gave us free coffee and a continental breakfast.
Even though it was wet and often rainy, we had a great hike down to the falls. Even our four year old could do it, and those paths were narrow, rocky and slippery! We jumped off a short cliff into some 65 degree water for a refreshing dip. We hiked back up again learning more about flora and fauna and ending with some huge cookies. Mark also drove us to a small banana bread stand (DELICIOUS!) where I bought some macadamia nuts and coconut candy.
I definitely recommend doing some kind of hiking tour. Just wear industrial strength bug-off. (We all did spritz down before the trip but I guess it wasn't good enough for me) I had to deal with 49, yes FORTY-NINE bug bites for the duration of the trip. Not cool being all pale legs and red welts on the beaches after that. -
Review from Christine S.
Irvine, CA
7/23/2009
I AM NOT athletic/active and I had a GREAT time! Kayaking was a little tiring but so much fun! I actually got more tired swimming while snorkeling so I kept my life vest on so I could be lazy and just float =)
Our tour guide "Lake" was knowledgeable about our surroundings and marine life which made the tour more interesting. He was very helpful and funny which made the tour more enjoyable.
I will DEFINITELY be using Maui Eco Tours my next trip back!! -
Review from Geo D.
Daly City, CA
10/29/2010
The visibility in the Makena landing area is so clear and pristine. I also love how the sand on the beach is so fine and soft. The bright beautiful corals makes this an ideal location to kayak an snorkel. Dude, and these turtles are in heat...I've never seen more that two turtle sightings on a snorkeling trip. I actually would give this 3.5 stars. I think what would make this trip better if the guide could have waited for us when we were kayaking. He was like off in his own world at times. I liked the meal because it was very light and flavorful...kinda like spa food. But overall, it was a great experience!
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Review from Diana L.
San Francisco, CA
4/17/2008
a little bit of paddle, a little bit of swimming, and a LOT of wonderful ocean friends and fauna await you with maui eco tours!
some useful basic info for you:
- the tour starts off at makena landing, a public and well-maintained launching beach (it's less than a mile wide). there are public restrooms and a proper parking lot - yay!
- the guide sits in front of a white van with a small label for maui eco tours - there are a number of other vans holding kayaks around, so make sure you go to the right one!
- minimize your valuables - because even though you can bring them on the kayak with you in a water tight bag, you just never know if your kayak is going to flip (our guide taught us well, so we didn't flip!)
- if you can wave your hands in the air like you just don't care, you can paddle a kayak! :)
chris, our guide, was unpretentious and very surfer-dude. i think the one thing that stood out was that he was really keen on protecting the ocean wildlife - he even told off another tour's snorkeler for trying to pet our friend, the sea turtle! =O good on ya for your integrity chris! he explained things well and very loudly while we were swimming around, and was patient as our small group jumped in and out of our kayaks very ungracefully.
highlights of the tour:
- swimming with the sea turtles! we found a cave and there were so many of them bobbing up and swimming *with* us! weeee!
- pufferfish all over and beautiful colorful fish swimming in two-zies! i like how fishes always swim in groups and are not loners -- much like me! keke!
- floating freely in the deep blue ocean and soaking up some sun and great scenery of the kihei coast.
- paddle at your own pace, munchie snacks passed out half way for energy
- the warm glow of sunshine on your skin after a fulfilling 3 hour tour!
with three snorkel stops along the way, we definitely were fulfilled snorkelers! the trip is well spent, as it's unlikely you'd be able to see all of the goodies by just launching off the nearest beach. you gotta paddle to peruse the posh coral! :D i am still giddy with delight at meeting my new ocean friends.
thanks maui eco tours!Listed in: Maui goodies
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Review from Thomas I.
Harrisburg, PA
9/29/2010 1 photo
Our tour was fantastic! Our guide, Deja, was fantastic! We took the discovery tour since most of our group had never kayaked before. It was GREAT! We saw a ton of turtles and really enjoyed it.
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Review from Erica C.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2010
I had the best time with Maui Eco Tours yesterday. I'm only in Maui for few days and I wanted to do something I've never done before. I emailed Richard a few times with questions and got speedy replies with the answers. I booked the tour that kayaks out to see whales and snorkels. The morning I was headed to meet the group, I got totally lost and I didn't think I would make it. Richard was calm, cool and got me there. Although I was a tad late (and some one else), they were very kind to wait for me. We had a wonderful detailed instruction from Chris the guide. You could tell he lived to be on the water and all the information that followed showed that. He educated our group about the whales, the islands, and anything we wanted to know - he had an answer. I was so impressed!
We saw several whales and learned about the habits. We got to snorkel and saw sea turtles with lots of colorful fish. It was nice knowing that we had to do all the work to get out there and the reward was seeing the beautiful coral reefs. No carbon foot print here - no motor boats!
I've snorkeled from the Caribbean to Asia and this was the most fun. I got smashed w/ a big wave going out and flipped my kayak & my paddle partner on the way back. All in all, Chris made me feel safe and secure. He was rad!
I learned so much and I can't wait to tell everyone I see about my experience. Thanks guys - you rock! -
Review from A. S.
San Francisco, CA
10/5/2009
My boyfriend and I took the Discovery tour in Lahaina (actual spot was in Olowalu*) Overall it was a good experience--we snorkeled in two locations (one in deeper water, the other in shallower water/coral areas) and saw some fish and several turtles.
I took two stars off for the following:
- Shoddy equipment. I knew not to expect pristine, top-of-the-line gear by any means, but our masks leaked constantly, even though our guide had us test the seal on our masks before we got in the water. I would strongly suggest bringing your own equipment if possible.
- I was surprised (given the Yelp reviews about the fabulous guides) that our guide was a little detached and unengaged the whole time...he was on auto-pilot with everything he was obviously required to explain (basic instructions and safety rules). Once we got in the water, he went off on his own a few times to take photos with some fancy camera he packed in his kayak. As we were paddling back to shore, we also noticed that he never once stopped to turn around and see how everyone was doing (we were right behind him). We thought that was a little disconcerting, especially since we were all spread out and one couple was way behind. By the end of the tour this was all pretty annoying given the fact that right before we got in the water, he got up and made this big announcement about how he works for tips.
Overall...I could see this as a good tour for families and beginner-intermediates IF it came with better equipment and a guide who would at least pretend to have a little bit of fun.
*location error--corrected by owner. sorry!Comment from Richard L. of Maui Eco Tours 10/6/2009
Aloha. Just for accuracy sake, the Discovery tour takes… More » -
Review from Sara S.
Menlo Park, CA
12/3/2006
I can not recommend Maui Eco-Tours enough. We went on the Xplorer trip and it was the highlight of our vacation. This is mostly due to our guide, John. He took us via kayak to several coves that were packed with wildlife, all of which he was extremely knowlegeable. He got in the water with us, explained what we were seeing, and brought various creatures to the surface that were safe (for us and for them!) to touch. They keep you in a very small groups, I think there were about ten of us, so you don't feel like you're being taken on the tourist train. Only thing I would say is remember to reapply your sunscreen.. you're going to have so much fun and be so cool in the water that you're likely to forget and be one crisp cookie!
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Review from Jennifer S.
San Jose, CA
6/24/2009
I took the "Discovery" Introduction Kayak/Snorkel Tour in Maui during my stay there for my cousin's wedding. The majority of my family took this tour. It was very good for beginners. We kayaked out past several swimming turtles and finally set anchor to snorkel around. It was deep, but I was still able to spot swimming turtles and fish among all the coral. After some snorkeling, we kayaked back to shore and ate a lunch box of chicken skewers and juice. The guide was knowledgeable, and I had a great time.
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Review from s m.
Albany, CA
4/25/2011
Meh....maybe we were just unlucky but we did *NOT* have a good experience with these people. Have done trips with both small and larger more commercial groups in the past, but this one, I will not recommend. We showed up the 1st day before 7 after booking online a few days in advance and there was no one at Makena landing! We called, left a message and got a call back(thankfully soon) that they messed up and signed us up for a different trip. Ok, this I can accept as human error and in their defense, they did apologize. We got re-booked the next day but the trip was so not worth the 65$ we shelled out. 1stly though they claim it's a 3 hr paddle+snorkel from 7-10 am, it actually is a 2 hr trip. It seems other yelpers had a positive experience with Chris but we surely did not. We repeatedly mentioned (online, over the phone) that we were beginner snorkelers and one of us a beginner swimmer but got NO attention whatsoever (ok, Chris did help pull me back onto the kayak when I couldn't but that's it). He was really cold and distant, gave no information about the wildlife; he did talk, though, and very thoroughly about how to kayak and how to wear all the gear. But everything he said was very general; no personal attention to people who needed extra help. My spouse, who's the beginner swimmer, ended up not snorkeling at all; but the next day we took another snorkeling trip(See my other review) and within a minute, the guide was able to help him get started and he snorkeled for over an hour! Chris needs to be more accommodating about specific needs and sharpen his people's skills. Not the best 65$*2 we've spent. But the snorkeling/kayaking was good(though Molokini waters are way clearer), we saw many green turtles and one even swam over me!
