July 5 – July 18, 2024 Available
July 21 – Aug 3, 2024 Available
Honolulu, HI
13 – 16
Over the course of our 14-day Hawaii teen tours, you will get SCUBA certified, learn how to surf, night snorkel with manta rays, hike the Na Pali Coast, and volunteer on a service project with a local non profit. You’ll also camp on Hawaii’s best beaches, swim at Hanakapiai falls, explore ancient Hawaiian temples, eat a lot of Hawaiian shave ice, and so much more! No experience required.
Get PADI open water SCUBA certified! This 4-day course starts with the basic principles of SCUBA diving and takes you step-by-step from the classroom to the dive pool to the ocean. Taking your first breaths underwater is an incredible experience and opens up a whole new world with manta rays, sea turtles, frogfish, and so much MORE! PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is the world’s largest diver training organization. This certification is valid all over the world. Once certified, you’re certified for life! Already certified? Awesome! You will get to explore even more of this amazing island with 2 days of boat dives. Everyone will dive together in the ocean for the 3rd and 4th day.
A late afternoon boat ride along the Kona coast takes you to the Manta Ray viewing site. Slip into the water with your snorkel guide and float above majestic manta rays as they somersault, glide, and pivot in the beam of your underwater light. Manta Rays are filter feeders and feed on plankton attracted to light. They have very large mouths, but no sharp teeth. Manta Rays do not have tail stingers. This truly is an unforgettable experience.
Snorkel our favorite spot in all of Hawaii; Kealakekua Bay. This area was settled over a thousand years ago and the surrounding area contains many archeological and historical sites including religious temples. The bay is a marine life conservation district teeming with colorful fish and beautiful coral. We'll swim, snorkel, take awesome pictures, and learn about the history of this fascinating place!
Hawaii is the birthplace of surfing, so there’s no better place to take some surf lessons and try your hand at the “sport of kings.” Our professional surf instructors teach ocean safety, technique, and surf communication. After 2 days of surfing YOU WILL be riding waves.
Rated one of the top 15 hikes in the world. We will hike along the world renowned NaPali coast. This area is known for its dramatic landscape, with cliffs up to 3,000-feet tall, lush green valleys, cascading waterfalls, and sea caves below. We hike out to Hanakapiai beach for a rest stop and then up to Hanakapiai falls for lunch and an invigorating dip in its refreshing waters.
As part of our commitment to responsible travel, Wild Traveler leaders and teens volunteer with a local non-profit, where we harvest taro in the lo’i (taro ponds) and learn how to prepare the traditional Hawaiian staple, poi. Participants also help with a watershed restoration project that The Wild Traveler has supported since 2010. We plant native trees, such as the endangered Koa, and remove invasive plant species throughout the watershed. During our service project we learn about Hawaiian culture and the history of the area. By the end of your teen tour you will have accumulated 8 hours of satisfying community service!
Our Hawaii teen trip begins at Honolulu International Airport, where you'll be greeted by your Wild Traveler trip leaders. Once our group is together, we will then take a quick 30-minute flight to The Big Island where your summer adventure officially begins. We pack the van, head to a nearby beachside campground, and enjoy our first dinner together as a group. We spend the rest of the evening going over trip rules, playing “get-to-know-you“ games, and becoming familiar with the group gear and camping equipment before setting up our tents and getting some well deserved rest.
After breakfast, we load the van and drive to Pololū Valley. Along the way we stop at The Wild Traveler’s favorite Big Island beach park for lunch and a swim in Hawaii’s crystal clear waters. We’ll pack a lunch and hike into the picturesque Pololū Valley on the Big Island’s Northern coast. As we hike down the valley trail we’ll be treated to some of the best views of sheer cliffs and lush rolling valley hills. Once at the bottom we’ll cross the valley floor and passing by black sand beaches, waterfalls and wild tropical fruit trees.
We spend the first two days of SCUBA instruction split between the classroom and the dive pool. Our SCUBA instructors are among the best on the islands and work with you until you are comfortable with the necessary skills. We spend our next two days in the ocean, logging two shore dives (entering the ocean from the shore) and two boat dives (entering the ocean from a boat). While earning SCUBA certification you’ll experience all of Hawaii’s underwater creatures, including sea turtles, frogfish, sea cucumbers, moray eels, and octopi. On the last day of the certification course we get to check out Kona Town and celebrate our accomplishments with an authentic Hawaiian feast.
The Manta Ray night snorkel is rated as one of the top 10 snorkels in the world. We take a sunset boat ride along the Kona coast to the viewing site. Slip into the water with your snorkel guide and float above majestic manta rays as they somersault, glide, and pivot in the beam of your underwater light. Manta rays are filter feeders and feed on plankton attracted to light. They have very large mouths, but no sharp teeth. Manta rays do not have tail stingers. It is a safe and truly unforgettable experience.
CLICK THE MAP AND START YOUR ADVENTURE NOW
Getting your gear together as you get ready for your trip can be exciting. All of the items listed in the PDF are important and will be used during our trip, so please pack everything on the list. With that in mind, please resist bringing additional items, because space is limited. You can find examples of items on our Gear Recommendations page.
Below are some of the more commonly asked questions regarding our Hawaii . Kauai teen adventure. Have additional questions? Give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.
01.WHERE DO WE SLEEP?
You sleep in a tent each night on our teen tours. The group stays in national parks, county parks, and private beachside campgrounds. You will be with one or two other participants in a 3-person tent, with the option each night to sleep out on a tarp beneath the stars. Most of our sites are within a 30 second run (or a 1 minute walk) into the ocean. We camp in amazingly beautiful places – definitely a highlight of each trip. All campgrounds have full bathrooms with flush toilets, showers, sinks, running water, etc.
02.WHEN WILL I SHOWER?
You have access to showers on all but one full day of our teen tours. All of our beachside campgrounds have running water, full bathrooms and showers available. Will you want to shower every day? Probably not, but you can if you want to! You’ll be in the ocean and freshwater pools often throughout your trip.
03.WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?
You have access to showers on all but one full day of our teen tours. All of our beachside campgrounds have running water, full bathrooms and showers available. Will you want to shower every day? Probably not, but you can if you want to! You’ll be in the ocean and freshwater pools often throughout your trip.
04.WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?
The Wild Traveler provides all of your gear for our teen trips except for a backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad and mask and snorkel. Check out your gear and clothing list specific to your trip. Please pack only the items on the list. Everything must be able to fit into your backpack and daypack. Space is limited.
05.WILL WE DO LAUNDRY DURING THE TRIP?
Yes. We will have access to washing machines during our trip.
06.WILL I BE ABLE TO CALL FAMILY DURING THE TEEN TOURS?
Yes. You have a chance to call your family as soon as you meet your Wild Traveler teen tour trip leaders at the arrival airport, again midway through your trip, and finally on departure day. You can also send and receive mail through the United States Postal Service throughout your trip. Your family can follow your adventure as it happens on our online travel log, updated every 2 to 3 days!
07.HOW IS THE FOOD?
Our food is great! Under the guidance of your leaders, cook groups made up of 3 or 4 participants choose meals from the Wild Traveler Cookbook or cook up a favorite recipe from home. You and your cook group shop at grocery stores and farmers markets. Our meals are nutritionally balanced, plentiful, tasty, and offer plenty of options. We will have snacks available throughout each day. We have no problem accommodating vegetarian diets. Any other dietary restrictions need to be approved by our office staff prior to your trip.
08.HOW DO WE TRAVEL?
During the teen tour you will ride in mini vans with luggage racks. We consider driving the most dangerous activity, and therefore keep road time to a minimum. The Wild Traveler leaders have clean driving records and experience driving passenger vans. We also take three Hawaiian Airlines inter-island flights (ranging from 30 to 45 minutes each) together as a group. Traveling together is often a big highlight!
09.WILL I MAKE FRIENDS?
Teens leave our teen tours with some of the strongest friendships ever. Living in close quarters with fun, like minded individuals, while sharing the experience of a lifetime – Not only will you make new friends – these friends will last.
10.WHAT WILL GROUPS BE LIKE?
Our teen tours bring together 8-12 enthusiastic, positive, fun individuals (like yourself) ready for the experience of a lifetime. They come from all over the country, and other parts of the world as well. Our groups are created with attention to age and gender balance, in order to ensure the best possible individual and group experience. Your group is led by two or three experienced and knowledgeable Wild Travelers. (Learn more about us under the tab “our leaders“)
11.WHAT WILL OUR DAYS BE LIKE?
Each day of our teen tours are fully scheduled with a variety of fun and adventurous activities, including kayaking, hiking, SCUBA diving, community service projects, surfing, AND MORE. Check out the Hawaii trip page for trip highlights and a day-to-day itinerary.
