Secret Island Beach Activities from Kualoa Ranch

Very disappointing Secret Island experience – definitely not worth $60 per person

Unfortunately, our Half-Day Secret Island Beach Activity at Kualoa Ranch was extremely disappointing and, in our opinion, absolutely not worth the price charged. We paid $60 per person before taxes, meaning $420 before taxes for our group of 7 adults, mainly to spend several hours enjoying Secret Island, the beach and the advertised water activities. Unfortunately, the sea and weather conditions today were extremely poor. The water was murky and unpleasant, and the overall conditions made it very difficult to enjoy even a normal swim, let alone the kind of beach and ocean experience we reasonably expected when booking this activity. I have several photographs taken during the excursion that clearly show the actual conditions we encountered. Of course, we fully understand that Kualoa Ranch cannot control the weather or the ocean. The issue, however, is that when conditions are bad enough to significantly compromise the main purpose of an activity specifically marketed as a “Secret Island Beach Activity,” customers should be informed and offered an alternative, such as rescheduling, cancelling, or receiving appropriate compensation. Instead, the excursion proceeded at the normal full price, despite the fact that a major part of the experience could not be properly enjoyed. At $60 per person plus taxes, simply being transported to a beach and spending several hours there under these conditions does not represent reasonable value for money. There was a substantial difference between the experience we paid for and the experience that was actually delivered. For a group of seven people, paying more than $420 once taxes are included makes this even more disappointing. I also want to make clear that this is not a general criticism of Kualoa Ranch. During the same visit, we also took the 2-Hour Ride Along UTV Tour, and fortunately that experience was completely different: it was genuinely enjoyable, well organized and, in our opinion, absolutely worth the price paid. This makes the contrast with the Secret Island activity even more evident. Unfortunately, the transportation experience related to the beach activity also negatively affected our overall impression. The bus driver drove at what we perceived to be an excessively high speed during several parts of the journey. Considering that the bus was carrying approximately 50 passengers, we found this driving style inappropriate, uncomfortable and unnecessarily concerning. Overall, while we enjoyed the UTV tour very much, the Secret Island Beach Activity was one of the most disappointing experiences of our trip. The service and experience received simply did not match the price charged. Given the circumstances, I believe that at least a partial refund for the Secret Island activity for our group is entirely reasonable. We are not asking Kualoa Ranch to take responsibility for the weather; we are asking them to acknowledge that the product delivered under these conditions was significantly inferior to the experience for which seven customers paid full price. I hope Kualoa Ranch will take this complaint seriously and offer appropriate compensation.

Response from the operator: Aloha Fabio, Mahalo for sharing such detailed feedback. We’re glad to hear that your 2-Hour Ride Along UTV Tour was a positive experience, but we’re truly sorry that your Secret Island activity fell short of expectations. We understand your concerns regarding the weather and ocean conditions and appreciate that you recognize these are beyond our control. At the same time, we understand your perspective that the conditions significantly affected the experience you and your group had planned and paid for. We also apologize for the concerns you experienced during transportation, as guest safety and comfort are very important to us. Your feedback regarding the Secret Island experience, weather conditions, transportation, and your request for partial compensation will be shared with the appropriate management team for review. We would appreciate the opportunity to look into your visit and reservation further. Please contact our Guest Relations team at guestrelations@kualoa.com with your booking details and any photos you would like us to review. Mahalo again for bringing this to our attention and for recognizing the positive aspects of your visit as well. With aloha, Kualoa Ranch Guest Relations

via Tripadvisor

Best of everything

Everything is included out there. Boat ride over, standup paddle board to borrow, chairs for the beach and loungers also, volleyball and other games, empty beach, catamaran in the ocean to see turtles (1 or 2). shade if you prefer, tables. All AWESOME

via Tripadvisor

Secret Osland get-away

Great place to get away if you want to escape the crowds. Very low-key way to spend the afternoon or the day.

via Viator

Don’t waste your money

Not as described at all, there was about 60 people and not 15. You wait an hour to board a bus that drives 1/4 mile Down the road to get on a glorified kayak that scoots over nasty smelly pond water to a beach that is sub par. I’m local and did this with family that was visiting. You are literally paying 60 dollars per person to sit on a beach that is ranked 2k out of 10 at best. Save your time and money and go elsewhere without the wait or cost. As for the activities, they are limited to the beach area, so within a sectioned off rectangle. Lastly we all waited on the dock about 10 min for the staff to close out for the day before we left, which they could have done on their time, not ours.

via Viator

Love this place relaxing

My wife and I love this experience. It was very laid-back and the shade under the tree is wonderful with the beach lounge chairs. The staff was amazing. We love taking the double canoe ride and getting the chance to paddle and also loved the tour of the fishing pond with all of the Hollywood movie scenes. I saw a bunch of bad reviews on this and almost didn’t go and we love being on the beach, seeing the beautiful mountains and enjoying seeing Chinamans hat. This was definitely an awesome time.

via Viator