Exploring the Waipiʻo Valley
One of our favorite ways to explore the valley is on horseback. We highly recommend the Waipiʻo Valley Horseback Adventure with Naʻalapa Stables (808-775-0419) as one of the best way to see the Waipiʻo Valley.
Another excellent choice is the Waipiʻo Valley Wagon Tours (88-775-9518) which features a trip through the valley in a mule drawn wagon.
Waipiʻo Valley Horseback Adventure
Waipiʻo Valley Horseback Adventure begins in the parking lot of the Waipiʻo Valley Artworks in Kukuihale. This is truly wonderful gallery where you can purchase hand-crafted items, including exquisite woodwork by over 150 local artisans.
The tour groups are kept quite small and you really feel that you are getting a personal tour of the valley. An average group has nine people and two local guides. You are driven to the valley floor in a four wheel drive vehicle. It takes about 30 minutes. When you arrive at the stable area in the valley, you are greeted by your trail guide. What follows is a 2.5 hour ride through the Waipiʻo Valley.
As you travel on horseback through the valley you see taro fields, lush tropical vegetation, and breadfruit, orange and lime trees.
Pink and white impatiens climb the cliff walls. If you are lucky you might even see wild horses. You ride across streams and the shallow Waipiʻo River.
The trail horses are wonderfully tame. Some of these were actually the horses that you may have seen at the conclusion of the motion picture Waterworld, the ending of which was filmed on the beautiful black sand beach of Waipiʻo.
Waipiʻo Valley Treehouse and Waterfall Retreat
If you wish to spend more than a few hours in the valley, you might consider a stay at the The Waipiʻo Valley Treehouse and Waterfall Retreat. The Treehouse is built in a Monkey Pod Tree. The massive root systems enable the tree to stand firm in tidal waves and floods.
