In the fall of 2020, I told Dan that I wanted each of us to plan three “fall dates.” They didn’t have to be extravagant, but they should be fall-related. Above all, I wanted to spend intentional time together while doing some seasonal activities. I don’t spend my whole year obsessed about Halloween or Christmas, but when the time comes around, I want to celebrate. In my view, if you’re not celebrating something, you’re living a boring life.

So, somewhat begrudgingly, Dan started thinking about what he wanted to do. One of the dates he selected was horseback riding in Virginia as he was living in DC at the time (and I visited for a good chunk of the fall). However, due to work schedules and availability, Dan’s horseback riding date never came to fruition.

Was I upset? No, at that point, I had gone on five other fall dates. I told him that he could take me horseback riding at some other point in another location, and we’d call it even.

Fast forward to the following summer when I was living on the North Shore of Oahu. I had already made my Hawaii bucket list, and one of the items on there was horseback riding at Kualoa Ranch. Perfect! I knew I’d get to cash in on that date.

Originally, we wanted to book a date in the summertime, but the ranch books a few weeks out, and it didn’t work for either of the trips that Dan had planned at that time. So, we decided to book September 12, which they had available. Dan said he’d just plan to be in Hawaii at that time because it was less than a week after my birthday.

Kualoa Ranch Tours

If you head to the website, there are 12 different tours you can choose from.

• Jurassic Adventure Tour
• 2-Hour Raptor Tour
• Hollywood Movie Sites Tour
• Jurassic Valley Zipline
• 2-Hour E-Mountain Bike Tour
• Ocean Voyage Adventure
• Secret Island Beach Activities
• Jungle Jeep Expedition
• 2-Hour Horseback Ride Tour
• Best of Kualoa Experience package
• Aloha Aina Tour
• Malama Experience

As noted above, I had already decided on the horseback walking tour. I’m not a big horse girl or anything, but if I’m going to pay for a tour (or make Dan pay for it), then I want it to be something out of the ordinary that I can’t do on my own. Plus, we had already established going horseback riding as a date we’d both want to do.

A picture of Dan as we rode by the water

Our Experience at Kualoa Ranch

Our tour started at 9:30, and they asked us to be there about half an hour early. As Kualoa Ranch is located about an hour away from my apartment on the North Shore, we ended up needing to leave fairly early. We both wore long pants and closed-toe shoes as is recommended when riding horses. Although I brought a small backpack to wear on the horse, this wasn’t permitted, and I ended up having to put it back in the car. Fortunately, there were small saddle bags we were able to use for phones and keys.

The tour group consisted of six people plus the tour guide. Each of us was assigned a horse with a name that became our name during the tour. My horse’s name was Waimea and Dan’s was Duracell (like the battery).

To Dan’s delight, he was assigned to be the leader of the group and I followed him. The horse that followed Waimea was pretty old and slow, so we spent a lot of the tour walking on our own or waiting for others to catch up. Neither of us minded. As a result, I have some beautiful photos of Dan with Kualoa Ranch in the background.

Altogether, the tour lasted about 2 hours. We took a trail that wove us through woods, along the ocean, and then through a valley of gorgeous mountains. In the valley, our guide pointed out various movie sets.

Some movies and TV shows you may recognize include…

• Lost
• Jurassic Park
• Jurassic World
• 50 First Dates
• You, Me, and Dupree
• Hawaii Five-O
• Pearl Harbor
• Godzilla
• Kong: Skull Island
• Jumanji
• Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
• The Amazing Race

A picture of Dan as we rode into the valley where a lot of the movie sets were

Would I Recommend Kualoa Ranch?

Compared to countless other free activities on the island, Kualoa Ranch is pricey (averaging around $150/person for most tours). So, you may wonder, “Is it really worth it?”

Personally, I would say yes (for a one-time visit). I loved our experience there, and I look back on it fondly, but I’m not sure I would make a habit of going time and time again. If you’re going to pay for a tour, I’d look for the 2-hour tours that allow you to do something else that you wouldn’t get to do on the island. Some of the tours that Kualoa Ranch offers just aren’t necessary as you can find the experiences elsewhere.

Likewise, their property isn’t always “private.” For example, the Secret Island Beach Activities package ($50) is somewhere you can go for free as Hawaii has public shoreline access. This was where I took Dan for his birthday. You can see pictures of us there in A Visit to Secret Island. Booking that $50/person package will give you access to additional amenities and activities, but if you’re trying to do Oahu on a budget, I’d recommend you go for free and put that $50 toward something else.

Now, keep in mind, this mentality almost exclusively applies to Secret Island, and if you choose to go on your own (without access through Kualoa), then you won’t technically be allowed to leave the shoreline or visit the dock. I’ve personally been told to stay on the beach by an employee after attempting to walk to the 50 yards between the two. Just know that you run the risk of this happening — I personally think it’s worth saving $50. If you’re hoping to go for the dock alone, go after 3 PM when Kualoa tours are over for the day. You’re less likely to run into an employee. But again…it’s at your own risk.

A photo our tour guide took of us in the valley (if you look closely, you can see my eyes are closed)