Their comedic timing makes us think they were trained aboard Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise boats.)Īs we near the takeout point, the waters slow to a gentle flow, much to the dismay of the octogenarian in the next tube, who was hoping for increased, not decreased thrills. Normally, the very idea of a low-ceilinged tunnel would give me the heebie-jeebies, but I’m having far too much fun for claustrophobia. (The guides say they’ll take you out after the first short tunnel, if it’s a problem - and they promise to tease you mercilessly about it, too. To a drought-weary Californian, it is green beyond imagination. And the 17,000 acres of land we’re tubing through is verdant and lush. Eternally swathed in mists, it’s the island’s second tallest peak and one of the world’s wettest spots. The brisk (and refreshing!) water comes down from Mount Waialeale.

We’re in the middle of the old Lihue Plantation, where these tunnels and flumes were excavated by hand in the 1870s to irrigate the sugar crops. Today they carry happy tourists. (Kauai Backcountry Adventures) The irrigation canals and tunnels of Lihue Plantation were carved by hand in the 1870s. But this inner-tubing adventure is a whole other thing. There are so many ways to get wet in Kauai. We’ve been all over this beautiful island this week, kayaked in Hanalei, hiked in Waimea and reposed in Poipu. “It’s brisk and refreshing!”Īs we drop off the dock, plopping fanny first into the tubes, shrieks go up with each splash of water. “The water’s not cold!” our Kauai Backcountry Adventures guide admonished us on the van ride up the mountain. We’re about to take a plunge, inner-tubing down miles of irrigation canals through the Kauai jungle.

Fortunately, we’re not here to walk a runway in our outrageous garb. KAUAI – We’re poised on a riverbank, wearing swimsuits, life jackets and hard hats.

Kauai flume tour