See Hawaii with Shaka Guide Audio Driving Tours
By Dana Rebmann 
When you’re exploring a new-to-you city, it can be tough to make good use of your vacation time when you’re trying to learn your way around. If you’re headed to Hawaii (and beyond) Shaka Guide audio tours can help.
Stories Behind Every Turn With Shaka Guide
I found Shaka Guide when researching a trip to Kauai. It had been many years since my last visit, so I felt like I was starting from scratch. There are four tours to choose from, including the North Shore Kauai Driving Tour , the Waimea And Na Pali Driving Tour , Wailua Valley And Waterfalls Tour , and the Poipu And Koloa Driving Tour . The Kauai Tour Bundle offers all four tours for a significantly reduced cost.
How to Use Shaka Guide Tours
Installing the app on my phone was easy and free. If you don’t like being part of a tour group but enjoy the information a guide can provide, this app is worth a look. I used all four tours during my time on Kauai. Hands down, my favorite of the bunch was the Waimea Canyon and Na Pali Driving Tour, but they all brought value to my time roaming around on Kauai.
The app uses GPS to trigger audio narration that plays as you drive. Think turn-by-turn directions, stories, music, and assorted travel tips. (The app will even get you directions to the start of the tours.) I was able to play the tour from my rental car stereo. You can use USB or Bluetooth; Shaka Guide also supports Apple CarPlay . There a video on how to connect the tour to your car’s stereo on the Shaka Guide website .
It works offline and makes it easy to see Kauai’s highlights. But it isn’t perfect. There were some moments where I couldn’t get the tour to sync with our location, but overall the app’s ability and efficiency was impressive.
The Waimea Canyon tour was great at highlighting stops with little or no signage that I feel like I might have driven right by, such as the Red Dirt Waterfall.
While driving around the island, I learned about the folklore surrounding Menehune, small, well-skilled craftspeople who, according to Hawaiian legend, only came out at night. There was also background on Hawaiian Pidgin English, known as Pidgin, including some good to know lingo.
Good to Know
Stories were colorful and at times, what I would describe as very, very corny. Ultimately, you’re in control. If there’s a stop you’re not interested in, you can just keep going. If a story or musical selection isn’t doing it for you, you can turn down the volume for a spell. You can also turn off the tour when making a stop.
While Shaka Guide provided a wealth of information, travelers should still do their homework before arriving on Kauai. Some of the recommended tour stops require reservations. Guides have a “Read this before you go” section that can jumpstart your research.
The four tours range in cost from $19.99 to $22.99. The Kauai Tour Bundle offers all four for just $34.99, less than the cost of two tours alone. Purchase the guides on the website at shakaguide.com .
Shaka Guide launched a decade ago; the first tour was Oahu’s Grand Circle Island . After adding 21 tours across the Hawaiian Islands, Shaka Guides hit the mainland. There are now 100 tours covering national parks , scenic drives , and a bit more than a dozen walking tours .
