Maybe your grandmother goes off-roading in Hummers, snorkeling with sharks, hiking to the edge of active lava flows, and horseback riding on cattle ranches, but mine doesn’t. At least she didn’t before she went on some amazing Hawaii tours with me. Touring in Hawaii today is not the tours of yesterday. Gone are the days spent riding a bus to Hilo Hatties and weaving baskets out of Hala leaves. Not that these activities don’t have some merit and fun involved. But today’s Hawaii tours are all about extreme adventure, extreme excitement, and extreme fun.
Today on the island of Oahu you can get picked up from your hotel in a Hummer and travel about an hour north of Honolulu to Kualoa Ranch. The 4000 acres of Kualoa were once the domicile of kings, and this land is considered to be some of the most hallowed and sacred acreage in Oahu.
The scenery looks like something out of a movie set, and in fact many movies and television shows were shot on this location. Jurassic Park and Lost were both filmed here and indeed some of the land is so rugged and remote that you half expect to see a T-Rex appear in the rear view mirror of your off-road vehicle. Kualoa Ranch can also be toured in all terrain vehicles and horseback
If water excitement is more your thing, then swimming and snorkeling with sharks might be just the thrill you’re looking for. Be prepared to travel by boat three miles out from the famous North Shore in Oahu and get ready to step into a cage made of steel bars and insulated glass.
In this cage you will be eyeball to eyeball with Sandbar or Galapagos sharks that stretch three times the length of your average grandmother. It is extreme excitement without the real danger. Swimming, snorkeling and diving next to these awesome creatures is without parallel.