Secret Island Beach Activities from Kualoa Ranch

Our day at Kualoa Ranch & Secret Island was honestly one of the highlights of our entire Hawaii trip. We did the half-day experience, including the sandbar activity, turtle-watching boat tour, and the Moliʻi Fishpond tour, and every part of the day gave us memories we’ll be talking about for a long time. But what really made the experience special was our tour guide, Fallon. She didn’t just guide us through the activities — she made us feel welcomed, included, and excited throughout the entire day. Her personality, knowledge, and genuine enthusiasm made such a difference. You could tell she truly cared about making sure everyone had a great experience, and she absolutely succeeded. The Moliʻi Fishpond tour was such a cool experience. We learned about the history and importance of the fishpond while also getting to see some of the beautiful movie locations around the ranch. As a huge 50 First Dates fan, getting to see the booth from the movie and actually take pictures inside it was such a fun and unexpected highlight! Between the beautiful scenery, the activities, seeing turtles, learning the history, and all the little moments in between, this was so much more than just a tour. It became one of those experiences that you know you’ll look back on and smile. Fallon, thank you for making our day so special! You truly made the whole experience unforgettable, and we are so grateful we got to have you as our guide. If you’re visiting Oahu, I highly recommend Kualoa Ranch & Secret Island — and if you get Fallon as your guide, you’re in for an amazing day! ❤️🌺

+1

This tour truly felt like a glimpse of paradise—stunning in every single way. We opted for the half-day trip, but we easily could have stayed for the full day. Every single minute was worth it!

I was a little hesitant about taking my husband and toddler girl (2.5), turns out we had a blast and my only regret was not booking the entire day. The beach was perfect for my baby girl. Her first time in beach water where she felt safe, she truly enjoyed it. We did the sandbar and even ventured and kayaked. Definitely recommend it. Also, the staff was great. For parents who like adventure, this was the most we got to do in our toddler era.

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.

+2

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

+2

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

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.

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.

We did this as part of a tour. I personally wouldn't have done this on my own. They have plenty of water activities available which is nice. Too small of a beach for amount of people. Feels too crowded. Nothing special about beach. Food is mediocre. Be careful with Portuguese man'o war. No signs are posted when they are around. My kid got stung and the lifeguards nor any staff were ready to help or had anything on hand to help with pain. They will tell you they are rare but apparently not because of locals who told me they are in the area.

We had a wonderful time with all the activities. The staff are so kind and helpful. The food was good. Beautiful weather and place. We look forward to the next time.