Travelers who love the outdoors and immersing themselves in tropical surrounding should visit Kualoa Ranch Private Nature Reserve in Oahu. This 4,000-acre Nature Reserve and working cattle ranch has belonged to the Dr. Gerritt P. Judd Family for eight generations and is the perfect place for sustainable outdoor recreation in the middle of paradise.
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Kualoa Ranch’s lands are undeveloped to preserve the natural beauty and culture within the thousands of acres just outside of Waikiki on the eastern coast. The Ranch seeks to educate visitors on traditional Hawaiian culture, conservation, and the history of Kualoa. Visitors also get to explore many types of environments from dense rainforest to wide open valleys through guided tours on horseback, ATVs, Mountain Bikes, Trolleys, Jeeps, Catamarans, and various watercraft.
Kualoa Ranch is also a prime filming location and has been seen in blockbuster movies such as Jumanji, Jurassic Park Movies, Pearl Harbor, Kong Skull Island, 50 First Dates, and more than 60 others, as well as TV series LOST, Magnum P.I., and Hawaii Five-O.
In addition to the filming sites at Kualoa Ranch Private Nature Reserve, there are many cultural sites, some of which are listed on the US National Register of Historic Places such as the 800-year old fishpond in the Hakipu’u Valley rainforest. Kualoa Ranch was once one of the most important places on the island and is considered one of the most historically significant places in the Hawaiian Islands.
Kualoa Ranch Tours
There are many tours available at Kualoa Ranch Private Nature Reserve that offers guests a variety of options for exploration of the reserve, beaches, and farmlands. Most of these tours are family friendly and require reservations to be made a few weeks in advance to guarantee availability. Tours are all guided and no free exploration of the islands is allowed. Tours also include pick up and drop off from your hotel in Waikiki for an extra fee.
Taste of Kualoa
The Taste of Kualoa Farm Tour is a trolley tour that showcases the ancient Hawaiian fishponds which are between 800 and 1,000 years old. Guests will also be transported through the tropical fruit groves and flower gardens that border Secret Island.
Ocean Voyage Adventure
This 90 -minute Catamaran tour can accommodate up to 49 passengers and takes visitors from Moli’I dock to secret island, Mokoli’I Island and Hokule’a Beach. Participants on the Ocean Voyage Adventure Tour often see turtles feeding.
Secret Island Beach Activities
Secret Island Beach is a great spot for peaceful water recreation and includes water sports equipment that visitors are free to use. The Secret Beach tour is available in the morning or afternoon, or for a full day which includes a boxed lunch. Guests on this tour will enjoy kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, beach volleyball, horseshoes, or can relax in the hammocks, swim, or sunbathe on the beach. Showers and changing rooms are also available.
Hollywood Movie Sites Tour
Known as the Hawaii Backlot for Hollywood, this tour includes several filming locations where more than fifty movies were filmed including favorites such as Jurassic Park Movies, some of Elvis Presley’s movies from the 50’s, Godzilla, 50 First Dates, and the TV series LOST. Stops also include a WWII bunker which has been turned into a mini museum.
Jungle Jeep Expedition
The best way to adventure through the jungle is on a Jeep. The Jungle Jeep Expedition Tour takes visitors deep into the tropical valley to see filming locations from blockbuster movies. The 90-minute tour accommodates up to 16 passengers on the custom-built Jeeps and has stops that overlook the ancient fishpond, and other beautiful views of the hills and valleys. Participants in this tour must be at least three years old. The tour is not recommended for pregnant women or guests with back problems due to the bumpy roads.