Consider this a public service announcement.
The much-vaunted Fern Grotto is not worth the cost of the excursion from the boat or the admission fee if you drive yourself. Once upon a time it was lush and beautiful and you could walk up into it. Now you take the pleasant trek two miles up the river on a nice boat ride, a long walk up to the grotto, only to be told what it looked like before two hurricanes devastated it by destroying almost all the ferns, and heavy rains made it unsafe to actually, you know, walk up close to and see.
Then, after a bit of Hawaiian music, you hike back down to the boat and return two miles to where you started.
I’ll admit the boat ride itself was fun, especially with the live Hawaiian music and hula dancers. If they’d just taken you on a longer boat ride and provided music the whole way, it would have been pretty cool. As it was, the ride back (with music) saved the entire experience from being dreadful.
Consider yourself warned.
