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You dirty, dirty man . . . this Hawaii shore excursion is for you!

A stop during the ATV Kauai tour. © Randall Shirley

My close friends might be surprised to know that I did this excursion, which is doable during a port stop at Lihue, Kauai. But it was recommended by the local tourism agency, Poipu Beach Association, so my partner and I decided to try a few hours in a “mud bug,” basically a two-person dune buggy.

If your ship will be docked in Kauai for a fairly long day, you’ll have plenty of time to swing over to Poipu and try this excursion. Be sure to book ahead, and let them know you’re on a cruise. Tthey may have suggestions about ground transport, although a rental car will give you ultimate flexibility..

On the road in Kauai by ATV. © Randall Shirley

Explore a historic sugar cane plantation by ATV. We gave it a shot–and we are so glad we did! The ATV was basically a 2-person dune buggy. We took turns driving, and had a blast. During the tour, it wasn’t the gays who ran off the road and got stuck in the mud–it was a straight couple. There was a LOT of mud, and we got very, very dirty–luckily the tour

Waterfall stop, ATV Kauai Tour. © Randall Shirley

company, ATV Kauai*, provides clothes and goggles, but you should wear shoes that can be washed. The tour took us from near the beach and into privately owned land which their company has access rights for–the land is owned by Steve Case of AOL fame, who is leaving it alone and choosing not to develop for now. The tour included a lot of information on Kauai’s history, how sugar cane played into things, how and why it ended. Along the way we drove through a very cool tunnel, once used to transport cane between parts of the island, and saw scenery used in such films as Jurassic Park (many movies have been filmed on Kauai: check this list) We also stopped at a waterfall and pool for a picnic lunch. Very fun.**

*Note: when we did this excursion, we were not in Hawaii on a cruise, but as land-travelers.  For my thoughts on cruising to/from Hawaii, click here.

**Part of this blog posting originally appeared on Randall’s personal blog, 5faves.com.

Travel on Kauai was partially courtesy Poipu Beach Assocation. The ATV adventure was courtesy ATV Kauai for the purposes of review. The opinions expressed are my own. To read our full ethics/disclosure statement, click here.