Holo Holo Blog

Redefining meaningful tourism, this programming for teens is broadening horizons in more ways than one. We recently had the pleasure of hosting a group from Travel for Teens for their third private tour with us at Holo Holo, and we couldn’t wait to share their program with you. With “authentic travel” as their motto, the…

Sunlight spills unto the steep, rugged crevices of the Nāpali Coast, casting bright, rainbow beams of light unto the dark green peaks and deep blue caverns. The clear, aqua waters shimmer like sparkling diamonds, cradling the soft sand that shifts into deeply-carved rocky cliffs. Illumination moves and dances, spreading light across the dramatic coastal landscape,…

On Kauaʻi the inhabitants of the ocean are our neighbors, and at Holo Holo Charters, they are also our coworkers! We are dedicated to keeping the ocean as healthy and safe on our watch as our tour guests. So, what makes a sunscreen reef-safe and why is that so important? Balancing the complexity of the…

The Discovery of Kauaʻi and the Culture of Wayfinding As sea explorers ourselves, we love to share the connection between our beloved Kauaʻi and the night sky, as founded by Polynesian voyagers thousands of years ago. Before James Cook deemed Hawaiʻi the “Sandwich Islands” after laying claim to discovery in 1778, the islands were inhabited…

You’ve finally booked your dream vacation to Kauaʻi, secured your lodging, and confirmed your car rental reservation. You now daydream of all the exciting fun you’ll have exploring the island, indulging in the fresh, local cuisine, and relaxing beachside on the warm, golden sand. You can almost feel the warmth of the sun on your…

Aside from a Pacific-sprayed cruise alongside spinner dolphins with views of the incredible Nāpali Coast, another often overlooked but must-try experience while on Kauaʻi is the food scene. The eclectic mix of local fare includes so many sects of Polynesian influence as well as the melting pot of cultures that make up the Garden Island…

Voluntourism is gaining popularity on Kauaʻi as visitors seek out opportunities to combine their passion for exploring the island (tourism) with a drive to give back to the local community (volunteering). With a vested interest in marine sustainability, we strive to be an ecologically conscious boat tour company by providing a positive impact on our…

With the official start of summer right around the corner, people are gearing up for more beach-side barbeques, hang time with friends and family, and long days of fun in the sun! On Kauaʻi, summer signals the end of the rainy season, and the hot sun shines longer and brighter island-wide. The south shore swells…

We are excited to announce the launch of our newly redesigned Holo Holo Charters Headquarters! Holo Holo Charters has been located on the garden island of Kauaʻi since our inception in 1997. Twenty years ago we opened our headquarters at 4353 Waialo Road, Suite 5A in ʻEleʻele. We were one of the first tenants to…

The Garden Isle offers miles of breathtaking views for seasoned hikers, new trailblazers, and everyone in between. But, before you set off on “the beaten path,” there are a few important things to keep in mind. First, be prepared. Water, sunscreen, bug spray, a first aid kit, a light jacket, and snacks are essential. Next,…

If you’ve ever been lucky to catch one of Kauaʻi’s magical sunsets, you know what all the hype is about. Exploding colors of deep red, bright orange, electric purple, and pastel pink fill the sky with fire, spanning outward from the west. Kauaʻi is blanketed in awe-inspiring hues as the sun sets on the Pacific…

Aloha friends and ʻohana, Last year Holo Holo Charters won the #1 Best Boat Tour in America by the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards contest!!! We are nominated again this year for the Best Boat Tour in America. It would be an honor to follow last year’s win with this amazing award, which is…

Are you creative and do you love the ocean? If so, then please enter our very first T-shirt Art Contest! The artwork themes are: Kaua’i marine life (whales, turtles, fish, dolphins, manta rays), seabirds, and our touring locations such as Napali Coast, Niihau, and Lehua Crater. Submit your art by June 15th, 2023. One creative…

Sincere mahalos to everyone that took the time to vote for Holo Holo Charters in the recent 2023 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest for Best Tour Company in Hawaii! We were honored to be nominated and we nearly clinched the title—coming in second place. Notably, the tour companies that came in “top…

When it comes to giving back to our Kauai community, Holo Holo Charters isn’t here just to talk the talk, we’re here to walk the walk, and we mean that literally! Holo Holo Charters is a proud sponsor of the Visitor Industry Charity Walk happening this year on May 6, 2023. The Hawaii Lodging &…

Holo Holo Charters hosts several student groups annually during whale season for an incredible two-hour journey on a Keiki Marine Life Excursion. This outdoor educational experience offers students a deeper understanding and appreciation for our humpback whales and other marine life, it’s an opportunity to learn about the island and ocean ecosystems, plus it’s a…

Aloha! Are you makaukau (ready) for a week-long celebration of fun? If you are visiting Kauai during the week of February 18th through the 25th, come to the westside and experience an 8-day festival of concerts, competitions, and cultural events beginning President’s Day weekend. This year marks the 46th annual Waimea Town Celebration! Photo Courtesy…

January 30- February 17, 2023 Holo Holo Charters will not be operating any of our fabulous Napali Coast or Niihau boat tours. Please bear with us through this time as we remodel our check-in office and haul-out our catamarans for regular maintenance. In the summer of 2022, the Holo Holo Charters maintenance department moved out…

Well friends, it’s time to mark another notch on the Holo Holo Charters timeline! January 2023 is officially going down as the month and year we sold our Hanalei operations and brought all the chips back home to Port Allen to reinvest in our home-base operations—woo hoo! Yep, we sold our two Hanalei Bay permits, our two badass RHIB boats, and pretty much all the related supporting assets, all in one convenient package. It’s a big deal, but we’re passing everything along to a really solid guy, and for that reason, we’re feeling great about it.

Aloha friends, remember last April when Holo Holo Charters was named the #1 Best Boat Tour in America by the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Award contest??? Earning that national recognition was HUGE! To any old landlubber on the street, it might sound like just another online poll but keep in mind that USA Today…

From the Garden Island to the Big Apple—look out New York City! For the seventh year, Holo Holo Charters will be representing Kauai at America’s Favorite Travel Show, the NYC Travel & Adventure Show. Soon, our Creative Manager Kit Furderer and Sales & Private Charters Manager Cindy Kauanui will be digging out their “winter on…

Happy New Year friends and ocean lovers! Holo Holo Charters is excited to announce that we are now live and rolling with a new carbon offset project that will eventually offset 100% of our carbon emissions via a Hawaii-based program called Carbon Buddy. If you’re familiar with our company’s values, you know that we are…

It started with a boatbuilder and a niche idea for a new ocean adventure—a Kauai boat tour that went all the way around Kauai and to our neighbor island of Niihau and back, all in one day. Our company’s founder, boatbuilder Kevin Millett, secured the permits and got the loans. He drew the plans, ordered…

Kauai, it’s time to put on the comfy pants and take a spin out west to the historic Waimea Theatre, to watch The Wind and the Reckoning—the world’s very first Hawaiian language film with international distribution! The Wind & the Reckoning had its world premiere at the Boston Film Festival on September 24, 2022, where it…

HUMPBACK WHALE CONSERVATION AND THE HYDROPHONE It’s the end of fall which means we’re right around the corner from humpback whale season here in Hawaii! Soon our Holo Holo Charters Captains, crew, and guests will be oohing and ahhhing daily during our Kauai, Napali Coast, and Niihau boat tours– as massive, intelligent, sentient, and curious…

Here at Holo Holo Charters, we’re always looking for ways to support and give back to our community. Also, we love food. So, when the Rice Street Business Association called to ask if we’d be interested in sponsoring their recent event, the Battle of the Food Trucks, we just had to say yes. It was…

We’ve all heard the phrase “talk the talk, walk the walk” a million times. It basically means that a person (or in our case, a company) should support what they say, not just with words, but also through action. In this blog post, we want to touch on the sometimes-underappreciated importance of “talking the talk” and then list some ways…

Approximately 1,500 years ago, braving the open ocean in their double-hulled voyaging canoes and navigating by the stars, the first humans migrated to Hawaii from the Marquesas Islands, Tahiti, and other island groups. The migration happened in waves, over centuries, and the settlers brought with them more than two dozen plant species essential to their…

photography by: Jo Evans, Da Kine Images One of our core values here at Holo Holo Charters is to have a positive impact on our island community, and that’s why we’re happy to be sponsors of the upcoming 2022 Kauai Marathon on Sunday, September 4th. The marathon is back after a 3 year hiatus, so…

We are seeking a diverse range of healthy, happy, fashionable individuals, couples, and families to join us for a photoshoot aboard our 50’ sailing catamaran Leila. Let us wine and dine you while we adventure along Kauai’s iconic Napali Coast, capturing beautiful videos and photos to show off our award-winning Napali Sunset and Sailing Tour….

Regenerative Tourism Volunteer Opportunities on Kauai 2022 There’s a new buzzword in the tourism industry, “Regenerative Tourism.” Prior to 2021, the term was always “sustainable tourism”—the idea that tourism should leave a place in the same condition as it was before. But then things got turned up a notch! “Regenerative tourism” is the hot new…

Photo © copyright by aFeinberg You’re going to love driving on Kauai—the roads are clean, and the views are stunning! Whether you’re looking makai (to the ocean side of the road) or mauka (to the mountain side of the road) your eyes will be absolutely delighted with Kauai’s vibrant palette and diverse range of climate zones,…

Some vacations are for walking around bustling cities taking in all the history and cultural arts. Some vacations are about having an all-inclusive, no-brainer, treat yo’self experience. Kauai vacations are about getting out there— in the sun, in the rain, and underneath the rainbows! Kauai is for the adventurous. It’s a fact– Kauai tends to…

Grand opening festivities included a traditional Hawaiian pi kai ceremony and a family-friendly 1950s-themed “Shop Hop.” June 27, 2022. Kauai, Hawaii. Construction is complete for Kauai tour boat company Holo Holo Charters’ new boat shop and maintenance facility. In 2019, the company purchased a one-acre plot of land in Port Allen from Alexander & Baldwin…

Gosh friends, we have to say– 2022 has been a very exciting year for our company Holo Holo Charters. First, we became the first tour boat company in the state of Hawaii to invest in cutting-edge, energy-saving diesel outboard motor technology. Then, we were named the #1 Best Boat Tour in America by USA Today…

Tying the Naut: Nautical Ideas for a Kauai Destination Wedding-Kauai sunset cruise Aloha friends, Kauai’s destination wedding industry is booming! Couples from all over the world are recruiting their friends and family to Hawaii’s most romantic island to tie the knot and spend quality time together. Here at Holo Holo Charters, we’ve seen a significant…

Aloha friends, and please join us in a round of applause and a big ho’omaika’i ‘ana (congratulations!) to Chandra Bertsch, Holo Holo Charters’ co-owner and general manager, who recently graduated the Leadership Kauai program, Class of 2022. In this blog post, we’re going to cover two things: the Leadership Kauai program and Chandra’s Awesomeness. First:…

So, you booked a trip to Kauai—yay! Happy dance!! Each of Hawaii’s main islands without a doubt has its own unique flavor and appeals but obviously, we’re partial to Kauai.  Kauai is the oldest of the islands, and has thus had the most time to erode, and thus has the biggest bestest sandy beaches. It’s…

The national recognition affirms that the company is realizing the ideals set in its Mission Statement and provides motivation to keep raising the bar higher. Kauai, Hawaii, May 20, 2022. – Kauai boat tour company Holo Holo Charters has been voted the Number One Best Boat Tour in America by the USA Today 10Best Readers’…

Aloha friends, did you hear the exciting news??? Holo Holo Charters has been named the #1 Best Boat Tour in the U.S. by the USA Today 10Best Readers Choice Awards contest! Once again for those in the back: Holo Holo Charters has been named the #1 BEST BOAT TOUR IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!…

The 2022 summer north shore season has officially commenced, and boy are we ready for a good one! We’ve been running our Napali Coast raft boat snorkeling tours out of Hanalei since 2012, and each season presents its own difficulties but, to be honest—the last four years have been exceptionally challenging. And it’s not just us; they’ve been exceptionally challenging on all of Hanalei’s businesses. Let us explain what’s been going on…

The Kauai boat tour company is one of twenty unique American boat tour operators competing for this year’s title. Kauai, Hawaii, April 11, 2022. –Kauai boat tour company Holo Holo Charters was recently nominated as a candidate in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Award contest for Best Boat Tour in the U.S. and is…

Aloha friends, and thank you in advance for taking the time to read this! Here’s the deal: we need your help. We need your online vote so that we can be named the Best Boat Tour in the U.S. Hear us out! Like most people, we kind of roll our eyes when, for example, a…

Extra! Extra! Really exciting news here! We just became the first tour boat operator in the state of Hawaii to invest in diesel outboard motors. This is a big deal; a huge upgrade! For most people out there, who aren’t marine motorheads, let us break this down. Diesel motors have a lot of advantages over…

Kauai Boat Tour Company Becomes First in State to Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Diesel Outboard Motors “Employing this cutting-edge marine technology gives Holo Holo Charters environmental bragging rights.” Port Allen, Kauai, Hawaii. March 24, 2022. Holo Holo Charters, a Kauai company that prides itself on its four Kauai-built tour boats has earned itself another distinction by…

Can you believe that the very first movie ever filmed on Kauai was released in 1934? Nineteen thirty-four!! The one-hour-and-two-minute movie, White Heat, was directed by an influential female director Lois Weber, and examines the angst caused by mixed-race relationships on a sugar plantation. It was filmed on location in Waimea! Since White Heat (almost…

Sometime during this past decade, the Turkish beach towel arrived on the American scene. At first, it wasn’t clear if these Middle Eastern materials were just having a “moment” among trendy, wanderlust-types, or if the fad would stick. But now it’s 2022 and they’re sold at Costco; it’s safe to say the product has “made…

Great news friends! After a two-year Covid-hiatus, the Kauai Brewers Festival—arguably the hippest and certainly the hoppiest community event on the island—is back this spring! Come see and be seen at the Poipu Beach Athletic Club on Saturday, April 9, from 2-6pm. Craft breweries from Hawaii and the mainland will be pouring dozens of brews,…