Holo Holo Blog

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,…

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…

It would be convenient if every one of our Napali Coast boat tours worked out exactly as described here on our web page, but that will never happen. We can control our staff, we can control our boats, but we’ll never be able to control Mother Nature, and the fact is that some days, the…

Part of our big-picture mission here at Holo Holo Charters is to attract healthy, happy humans that make the world a better place, and to foster a stable, fulfilling work environment that makes them stay. Our Assistant Operations Manager, Jess Rickard, really embodies that ideal, and we’d like to take this blog post to recognize…

It’s humpback whale season in Hawaii and it’s like the nature channel out on the Napali Coast. Last week, one of our Napali Coast Tours was extra-blessed to witness a humpback whale birth! It was the afternoon of Wednesday, February 2nd and the tour was on Leila, our sailing catamaran. Holo Holo crew member Cinzia…

“One bite of a Kauai Coffee Coconut Caramel Crunch Brownie & you’ll instantly be transported to paradise!” Have you ever asked yourself can food make me happy? Hmmm… I suppose combining two of our favorite things, coffee, and chocolate into a bite-size brownie could possibly do just that and put a huge smile on your…