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Princeville Ranch Adventures
Rating Details »
16 reviews for Princeville Ranch Adventures
5 stars, the zipping was awesome. It was quite a thrill quite similar to riding a roller coaster but on this i didn't feel as safe (extra excitement). Took a dip in a water hole
fed by a water fall! There is a ledge where you could further seek thrills by jumping off of it into the water. The guides were funny and full of knowledge about the land.
We tried some pineapple guava and a red berry off of some of the plants while one the tour.
After the dip portion we conquered the towering king kong zip line. I was nervous upon climbing to the top of this one.
My sister and I did the zip express tour. It's only 3 hours and you zipline and do nothing else, which is what I wanted.
I thought the experience was fun and was glad that I did it. However, it was not amazing and didn't blow my mind or anything. It's fun to do it at least once in your lifetime, but nothing to go back to. What I think it did help me with is increase my desire to try stuff like that. For example, I am now actually considering trying sky diving, which off limits for me before.
The company was nice enough. No complaints. The guides are nice. They give you the typical cheerleading treatment with rehearsed jokes. But overall good :)
Boy, what a fun experience!!
My group signed up for the hike, kayak, and zip lining package. I didn't think i would enjoy this that much because I don't really like to hike, I never kayak before, and I am afraid of heights.
The hike wasn't too bad, we walk around a bit and made our way to the stream. FYI: DO NOT WEAR NICE CLOTHES!! BE PREPARE TO GET DIRTY AND WET!! We ended up walking thru streams, that are about knee high.
Our guides were extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The kayak was horrible for me. Everyone else had no problem but me. I was holding up the line because i didn't know how to paddle. I also managed to hit everything. All of the rocks, branches, sidelines, I was able to hit it. lol, that was so frustrating. I even hit my guide when he tried to get us over the small dam!
By the time we got to the zip line, I had butterflies in my stomach. I was not looking forward to this at all. I didn't like the thought of me hanging on a line and being so high up from the ground. No one else was worrying, and it took about 10 seconds each turn. By the time it was my turn, I just said F - it, let's get this over with. By the time I got on the other side, I was amazed on how much i liked it! It was FUN!! lol. We zipped one more time back to the other side, and I did not hesitate at all!
Overall, we had a GREAT time!! Friendly staff, overcame my fear of trying the Zip line, i probably will never Kayak again but that's okay! The worst part of all of this is having to walk around in wet socks and sneakers...not the best feeling in the world...but it was still lots of FUN!!
Ziplining at Princeville Ranch is like sex -- hardcore, dirty, sweaty, I-can't-think-during-the-act sex.
First you have to gear up. At PRA base camp you'll strap on some uncomfortable threads that have nothing to do with comfort but are all about keeping you safe. A tip - check your outfit. You're going to be in the sun for hours so wear something that doesn't give gnarly tan lines.
Then, the pillow talk before the deed. At the base camp your guides will walk you through exactly what you're going to be doing at every step so that unlike your first time you won't be scared about what to do, frantically scrambling about where your hands go, or thinking "Am I doing this right?"
Chemistry is key to a good experience. If you're lucky you'll have an adventurous, funny group like we did who are willing to try new things. Even the older couples in our group were freaking hilarious and damn, those cougars they can move! Our ziplining guides were straight comedy too; 4.5 hours can be a killer with strangers but with Ben and Jake to break the ice it was so easy, it was just like hanging out with my boys. These guys are the reason I'm giving PRA 5 stars.
Of course, an experienced partner is even better. With deft, skillful hands - mmm what's not to like about a man with good hands- Ben and Jake were there to assist us every time. They even helped rescue other guides who had gotten stuck (don't worry it doesn't happen often). Jake educated us through the hike on the local flora and fauna, picking guavas and fiddleheads for us to sample, and Ben well lets just say he's had some very interesting games and questions along the way which made for great inside jokes.
Then the main event - the zipline. Your heart's beating fast, your palms get sweaty, and you're scared that you're just not ready. All that hype, fear, and hoopla for what? If you're lucky, 60 seconds of ziplining. The actual ziplining part, YES YES YES its thrilling, its exhilarating, its ORGASMIC. You're flying over the canopy of trees, not thinking of anything but this moment, and there's no net below you, no one to catch you - you're free.
But afterwards, letdown. It's over so soon and you want to go again. And again. And again. Which, eventually with 8 ziplines you know it'll be your turn but who wants sloppy seconds? I want to go again NOW dammit.
If you're going with the Zip n Dip, you'll experience afterglow down at the swimming hole before the last zip. Verdant and secluded in the heart of the ravine, the swimming hole is a refreshing getaway from the midday sun. There's a great shady spot where you eat lunch and down at the swimming hole itself there's an awesome small waterfall and jumping off point. It was so much fun, they had to tear my friend and me away from jumping off of the cliffs. Cliff jumping not your thing? They've got inner tubes to lazily float the day away too.
If you've never done it before, you must try ziplining and even better if you can do it here. Ziplining at Princeville was undeniably the most memorable part of our trip, but a word of warning just like sex it is what you make of it.
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Did the zip n dip tour - 8 ziplines and a dip in a pool and lunch.
It was lots of fun, way less scary than what I was expecting. The last zip line was the best - over 1000 feet!
Guides were pretty chilled out but still knowledgeable.
I wasn't really up for the swimming in a pond thing so I just hung out while others swam....not really sure about swimming in a freshwater pond on Kauai. Lunch was just okay.
What a great time with great guides! I have done the zip lining which was out of this world! Didn't want it to end! Got me hooked!
Went on the Ocean Bluff Trail Rides via horseback which was fun and Amber was a great guide. I rode K2 which the name made me feel a little uncomfortable but he was the sweetest horse. He was easy to lead and followed my commands.
wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
The hubby and I had an awesome time doing the zipline (Zip N Dip) at Princeville Ranch. Beautiful surroundings to look at while you fly in the sky like a bird.
Our guides...blessed their hearts...tried hard to entertain us. For some reason, all the people on this run (including us) were not talkative (it may be because Kauai coffee is not nearly as good as Kona coffee).
For $145 per person, you get to do 8 different ziplines, walk across a suspension bridge ala Indian Jones, have lunch, take a little hike and swim in their river.
I do have to warn you that the lunch was AWFUL!!! soggy ciabatta bread for their prepackaged sandwich. Although I guess it's really not their fault since they buy it from a cafe somewhere. But it was ok because we went to get some yummy poke afterwards in Hanalei.
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Had to give them 5 stars!!!
Our guides- musician David and paniolo Stephanie were FANTASTIC for our 4 hour ziplining adventure. They were safety minded, pleasant, funny and enthusiastic. Lots of flora & fauna education too. Would highly recommend them and the Princeville ranch zipline tour. The views were really great and the number of ziplines (eight, including the trial run) is the best in Kauai. It was my first experience ziplining and I am looking forward to going again!!
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We did the nature hike to the falls with Tom and it was great!! He was really knowledgeable about the island's flora, fauna, and history. We got to walk through rivers, check out some hidden waterfalls, rappel down a little cliff, and swim in a river after lunch.
Wow - it sounds like we were doing a super strenuous hike, but the trail is approachable for persons of many ages. Make sure you and your party are healthy enough to walk up and down hills in uneven earth. They also provide water walking shoes with felt bottoms for part of the hike through the rivers, so bring a backpack to store your shoes for part of the trail.
Lunch was an amazingly good turkey sandwich, cookie, and chips and not too heavy for the rest of the hike.
Total time was about 4 hours from check-in to check-out for a group of 4. I'm totally going to do the zip-line tour on my next visit to Kauai - they looked really fun!
We did the Zip n' Dip with Kanoe and Tiffany and had a BLAST!! They made us feel totally safe so all we could do was have fun, fun, fun. Sure it rained ten times in five hours. Sure, I was caked in mud. Sure, we wore unflattering orange helmets. But I had a really great time. I have video of me zipping and I swear I was smiling so big I'm lucky I didn't catch bugs that way. Seriously, this was GREAT.
It works like this: you show up at your reserved time. They talk you through getting harnessed up. You get on this weird-but-cool M*A*S*H 4077-type truck and bounce your way about 10 minutes down the road to the ranch. Then they teach you two rules: don't use two hands to hold on (or you get the "pencil position"), and don't touch the line. Then you do one sizable"bunny zip" to get the hang of it, and then you're off to the other seven really big zips.
Tiffany and Kanoe were really fun but also very together. They hook you up at one end of each zip and unhook you at the other. You should see their hands move...it's fast....and super, super-secure. There was no fear at all. I've been rappelling, and that was scary. This? With all the harnesses and the big clippy thing and the backup clippy thing? Please. I could have zipped the Grand Canyon. No really...if Priceville opens a satellite location there, I'm so in. I'll bet Tiffany's laugh would echo for miles.
We did lunch between the seventh and last zip. Lunch was a small, but appropriate pita sandwich buffet. Some people swam, but the water was extremely (and from what I hear unusually) muddy-orange that day, so I didn't go in. (Actually sort regretting that call...maybe you should push yourself to give it a shot.) One tip: there's no bathroom, not even a porta-potty for the entire time you're on the ranch. So be prepared to be "one" with Mother Nature.
Definitely check out the Zip n Dip. =)
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Skip the helicopter tour and go for the zip-line ride; or do both. It's a blast! Typical groups have around 15, but we only had six which made things go much quicker which is especially good on a hot day.
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Awesome
Not as thrilling or scary as I had expected it to be... but I had a great time!
My 65 year old mother did too, so its good for people of all ages!
The swimming hole was kinda cold and muddy, but diving off the cliffs was fun.
a BLAST!
for someone who is afraid of heights, the guides did a good job of putting my mind and gut at ease. our guides- sean, john, and laura- have a great blend of experience and humor to carry you through any doubts you might have about ziplining.
we started out at their base, which is conveniently located right off the kuhio highway. there we checked in, weighed in (just to make sure no one's too light and might get stuck in the middle of the zip), and harnessed up. the helmet was kinda smelly, but it was expected. we were given a quick run-down of what to expect for the day: 8 zips, a suspension bridge, a watering hole with a cliff from which to jump off, and lunch.
then we were on our way to the princeville ranch, just a short drive south on the highway. we passed some cute cows and these birds that just love to hang out with them. the first zip was very close to the ground, so it seemed really secure and safe. laura also cracked a joke about how the most unsafe thing that we were gonna do that day was, she illustrated, walking down the stairs to launch off.
after zipping that first line, the second was even easier, and then it was just plain fun. the best line, imho, was the wiki-wiki, hawaiian for very quick. i don't recall how fast we went, but it was pretty damn fast. they lied about the stairs being the scariest thing though, because the suspension bridge was the scariest. i think it happened after the 2nd zip.
also, being scared of heights, it took some convincing to jump off the cliff into the watering hole. it's not that far up- maybe 15 to 20 feet... but the thing you jump off of is kinda muddy and slippery, so i was afraid i was gonna slip and break my neck on the way down. no worries... i jumped and was safe, and everyone else was safe too.
the lunch after the swim was pretty good- a turkey sandwich, chips, and a chocolate chip cookie. you need to bring probably 1 liter of water with you for the lunch and for along the way on the zipline tour.
if i were to do anything different, i would have taken footage of the zip from launch to end... oh, and i would try to be a little more adventurous and not hold with both hands, lean back more, and tuck in my legs so as to gain speed...
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A great, fun thing to do while you're on the Island!
Our guides Chris and Victory were lots of fun, while being completely professional. They knew what they were doing, did a great job keeping people safe, and helped lighten things up when needed.
The Mrs and I did the 8 line zip trip. While it wasn't quite what I was expecting, it was a fun adventure and a great way to see part of the island that we otherwise wouldn't have seen. What was I expecting? I thought perhaps we'd get deeper into the island's interior. But the Princeville Ranch was great, and zipping back and forth across a ravine turned out to be a lot of fun.
We didn't do the dip part of the adventure, and it turned out to be just fine. There are plenty of beaches up near Hanalei if you're looking to take a dip, and the zip lines were enough fun for the journey.
***As of July 2008, one of the zip lines went past a big beehive. While you're well enough away to not be in direct danger of getting stung, the guides do ask if anyone's allergic. If you are, I'm sure you'll be prepared with the necessary medications. Just so you know.
Derek and Preston were our guides and they were a lot of fun. Pretty sarcastic (be prepared for them to shout out the stupidity of other tourists) but a lot of fun. We did the Zip n' Dip tour. As others mentioned, this was a great time. Karen Z. describes everything perfectly.
I felt very safe. I have a small fear of heights - just enough for my palms to sweat and to get a nice dose of adrenaline every time I stepped of the platform. But after the 3rd or 4th line, I felt pretty comfortable. I even videotaped myself! There are 11 lines total, including two practice lines.
Why I liked the tour and company:
1. Equipment is clean. Helmets can get nasty but nothing smelled or looked funky.
2. Guides no what they're doing. I felt very safe and in capable hands.
3. The ranch, excluding the cow pies, is really pretty. And it was very easy to walk from one line to another.
4. I know the swimming hole is questionable for some people. A hotel pool it is not. But it really is gorgeous. And for a swimming hole, it's the cleanest I've ever seen! No regrets getting into it - it was nice!
I highly recommend this company to anyone interest in zip-lining. Oh, and just like someone mentioned, note that there are no bathrooms after you leave the meeting place so I would stay away from the free coffee if I were you!!
We did the 8 zip lines, and it was fun, but not that fun. It's probably good that I never felt I was in any danger, but boo, I never felt like I was in any danger zipping across the canyons. I should jump out of a plane or something.
With that said, it was fun and even suitable for my own mother who was scared at first but got over it.
