5/29/2010

Karen Tilley was a wonderful guide to the hidden treasures of Kauai.  We took scenic hikes that led us to remote beaches that were great for snorkeling.  Karen shared awesome look out points and the floral and fauna of Kauai that we hadn't experienced in the 8 days we had already been there!  She offered tips on shopping and restaurants along with a copy of her latest guide book.  A couple of weeks after we returned home we received in the mail a fabulous CD of photographs from Karen.  What a wonderful  remembrance and gift from her!   This personal tour was well worth the money...our only regret is that we didn't take the tour the first couple of days that we arrived! Check out her website...take a tour...you won't regret it! 
Andrea C. Elgin IL

from : http://www.yelp.com/biz/kauai-eden-tours-kealia?rpp=40&sort_by=rating_desc

From an Eden Group Hike which was hosted by the Dolphin 
Touch Wellness Center 

Wow, Karen...
what a hike...it was so beautiful and so are you...
your sweet and playful energy created
a wonderful gathering for us in nature...we were all able to 
open up and be ourselves...a group of strangers...
amazing...thank you for that and also for your kindness 
and helping hand... down those slippery
slopes.   

You reminded me of the Greek Goddess Artemis...
being so comfortable in the forest...and so knowledgeable..
 it was great to learn about the plant life and the trees and 
the fruit...

Just wanted to let you know that I was floating around
 very high yesterday from that experience...
I honor and praise you for this pathway you have chosen...
guiding people in nature...passing along your
wisdom and smiles...
I will see you again...living loving learning laughing 
with aloha and puamana... Iris 
 Iris at the sacred waterfall

Dear Karen, 
We are so much appreciate your service. We had your Eden tour on our first full day here, and 
we had so much fun. The beautiful and special places we would never have known about if we 
had not been show them.  For example you brought us to a hidden resort that we would 
never have gone to that is only three minutes away from our condo. 
The resort offers breakfast overlooking one of the most breathtaking views on Earth, and the 
breakfast is only $4.25. You have opened an incredible world for us here on Kauai, with many 
of the places so close to our condo!  
We have done at least eight of your recommended suggestions, and you have not steered us
wrong yet. Your personal recommendations have helped us have an incredible vacation.  
 
P.S. It was an interesting note to the end of our trip, that a visiting (panicking) woman 
approached all of us and borrowed your cell phone to try to call someone with a metal detector.  
Her husband had lost his wedding ring at the beach when it flung off his slippery finger when he 
was dusting the sand off his legs. If they had read your Safety Tips page 
like we had, they would have known not to wear their wedding rings to the beach.  
With much appreciation, 
R and P 

"Aloha Karen,
It was a marvelous day today...Mahalo!   We enjoyed your company, information and guidance. Thank you again for a wonderful day ! "

Johnathon Green 

"Thanks for a great tour. We saw so many places that we will be able to fill at least a week."
-Darrell and Hannah Howard, Seattle, Washington

There are so much to say about the personal guide/tour service Karen Tilley provides, it could fill several pages.
She is friendly, knowledgeable, prepared, and excited to share the sights and stories of Kauai.
In addition to the one on one time you will spend with her, she will also give you materials she has personally prepared that will make your time on Kauai all the more rewarding.
It's like spending the day with a good friend, hiking, beaching, eating.

This is a service that can be very useful when you first arrive on Kauai.
Karen will help you get your bearings while you adventure together, share with you the various way you can economize (shopping and eating), and give you ideas and a comfort level to go off on you own.
If you are returning to Kauai, Karen can take you places that are off the beaten path, or indulge your specific interests in greater depth.
Just when you think your vacation is over and a mere fading memory, a CD will arrive in the mail with all the digital pictures she snapped on your adventure. A great way to re-visit those fond memories of an enjoyable day spent with Karen on Kauai.

-Ed Bolton,  East Coast

                               

"Karen is spirited, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and engaging.
All around fun. I highly recommend h  -William Gardner, North Point, New York

"Dear Karen,
I am writing to thank you for sending us that disk with all of  photos you took of us on our day with you. It is such a pleasure to have us both in the photos. The day was superb and we fondly remember our time on Kauai, through our experience with you. Our time spent with you was wonderful and enlightening. I am heartened to hear from you that there are many people on Kauai working to preserve this paradise on earth. A true Eden it is. We'll be in touch the next time we come."
              -Kathy Thomas, Maryland

" We really enjoyed the 6 hour Tour. You showed us so many special trail heads, and beach paths, that I can say that Kauai is outstandingly beautiful.
Now we know were the great places are, so we are not wondering lost. We compared prices of the different grocery stores and were aghast at the difference in prices just like you said. Being with you that day, and learning where to grocery shop, may have paid for your Tour in just grocery savings alone.We also enjoyed every restaurant you mentioned in your guide as your favorites. We will recommend you to others."
                                    -Kevin & Joanne Anderson, Portland, Oregon

"Super time. Learned so much. Great tips. Now know where I really want to go during my vacation."  -Micheal Sanders, Buffalo, New York

" I always seek out local guide services when I go on vacation. Yours was excellent."
       -Maryanne Newman and Kids, Providence, Rhode Island

"Wonderful day, and so much fun, we hired you twice in the week we were there.
We can't believe the beauty of this island. You took us to such incredibly wonderful natural places. Having you as a guide was a wonderful experience and we deeply enjoyed our time that day."
         -Dennis and Kelly McMaster, New York City

 

    
from TripAdvisor about Personal Tours of Kauai with Karen Tilley Kauai Eden Tours and Adventures
http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/ShowTopic-g29218-i304-k4075571-Trip_Report_Day_1-Kauai_Hawaii.html

John writes:

Started today with a trip to the farmers market in Hanalei and then took a private Kauai tour with Karen Tilley (kauaiedentours.com). We had been communicating with Karen for over month about what we wanted to see and do. She started us out right in our backyard winding around Princeville and finding beach accesses and taking us to some of the resorts etc. Then we headed on down to Hanalei stopping at scenic stops and learning about the history and the flora and fauna of the island. Found all the good access points to all the beaches to the end of the road. We then headed back to the East and did the same thing all the way back to Kapaa.

During the course of almost 8 hours Karen gave us more information than we ever imagined we could get. We found short cuts and great walking trails and great tips on stores and restaurants and entertainment. We are now prepared to go out tomorrow and explore on our own confident of where we are going and what we will encounter when we get there.

If you are like we are and you prefer not traveling with large groups and waiting for everyone to finish before you move on you will not be disappointed with booking Karen.

bigjac1952 Harlington Texas

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29218-i304-k4104063-Kauai_Eden_Tours_Trip_Revisited-Kauai_Hawaii.html

 Kauai Eden Tours "Trip Revisited" 

Been home two weeks and the glow of our wonderful time in Kauai was just about to fade away, when in the mail arrives a wonderful DVD of our tour with Karen Tilley and Kauaiedentours.

I know that in my trip report I said how happy we were that we decided to do the private tour with Karen. I know we got to places and saw things that we would have never found on a first trip by ourselves. But now to have such a wonderful rememberance delivered to us of special walks up narrow trails to scenic vantage points and amazing out of the way beaches, we can now stare at the big screen TV and count the days until we return. Yes we took hundreds of pictures.......many of which we aren't sure now where they were taken but Karens wonderful DVD has brought it all back to life. So if it is your first trip to Kauai, you might want to contact her at www.kauaiedentours.com. You won't be disappointed. 

bigjac1952 Harlington Texas

 
  "Our only regret is we didn't take your tour earlier on our trip."     The Martins

"We wish we would have had more time for a longer tour."    The Vickers  

"Your tour is what I am most looking forward to on my trip."  A. K.
- from phone call          

Travis and Travis of Butterflywing Earrings on a Kauai private personal tour. He was looking for the beaches to find sunrise shells.