Latest 5-Star Reviews

Can't believe how many Manta Rays & how close they were.
Crew & woman in the store we're all fantastic.

I went to Hanauma Bay with my family and we had a wonderful experience! In the morning, we went to the pickup spot where the shuttle came to pick us up on time and everything went smoothly. The shuttle was very clean and the seats were nice and comfortable. Our shuttle driver was very kind and funny. I liked that she told us more about the island and the streets we were driving on while we were on the way to the bay. While on the bus, we also watched a mandatory and informative video about safety and preserving the bay. When we got to Hanauma Bay, we were greeted by someone from Roberts Hawaii who walked us all the way to where the tram was that took us down to the bay which was very helpful because we didn't have to find it on our own and we didn't have to walk all the way down. We enjoyed our day at the bay swimming and snorkeling and saw so many colorful fish! Then when it was time for pickup, our shuttle came on time and we were on our way back to Waikiki. Everything about the day went smoothly and it was so fun and relaxing. I really appreciated that everyone who helped us was so kind and helpful. Overall, it was an amazing experience and I would gladly go on this shuttle again!

If you're like me, you're doing a deep dive into every luau on the island and reading every review so you can decide what to spend your hard earned money on. Look no further. Kaula Luau in Ko Olina truly delivered an unforgettable experience and I will highlight some of the best parts.

First off, it's a new luau (opened February 2026) and differs greatly from traditional luaus. Will get more into it later.

We got the hotel shuttle transfer and even though it ran a little late, we made it to the luau with a lot of time to spare. The bus was luxurious and very comfortable. We were a small group of 8 but our guide Kanoa (Zeek) was very welcoming, funny and attentive.

The gift shop featured only items sourced and made from locals on the island, nothing imported. A lot of cute bags!

The preshow/dinner activities were fun and we learned a lot. Our favorite was the fire baton twirling, dancing with traditional instruments, and throwing a fishing net. The teachers were very friendly and guided us throughout.

There's no buffet, but small huts that serve dishes. You can get seconds... Thirds... Or more. The poke taro chips, grilled chicken and the Hawaiian roll were delightful. Bottled Jason Mamoa water was provided. The wait staff was quick to remove finished plates too! As with any outdoor luaus, there will be bugs. Use bug spray and maybe bring a hand fan to shoo them away.

The preshow featured live singing and hula dancing. It was a good workout for the food we were gonna eat!

You got plenty of time in between the preshow and main show to take pictures with the gorgeous sunset.

The main show was the highlight. The story telling was immersive, engaging, easy to follow and enjoyable for all ages. Felt like watching a theatre show! The production was top notch. A lot of dancing, live singing and high energy. Ended with a bang: fiery fire dancers, including the first female fire dancer!

Book it. There's a lot of love put into the production and it shows 💖

We had a great time on our cruise. Great sights and wonderful staff!

The ride down the river was so peaceful and beautiful. The walk through the fern grotto was also very pleasant.. beautiful things to see.

The crew of the Manu Kai, Noa, John, Mark, and Brandon, were clearly experienced with this sensitive and emotional ceremony of leaving our father’s ashes in the waters that he loved. Our family has sailed on this boat many times over the past 4 decades, and the fact that they offer this morning sail was beyond perfect.
They gave us all the time that we needed to watch as our leis and pua surrounded the spot where we left him,gently circling the boat around the area.
The boat was so comfortable and pristine. Launching from Kewalo made it so easy. We plan to go back regularly to honor our dad and spend time on Manu Kai. Mahalo nūnui.

After researching several options, we chose the Ultimate Hawaii Circle Island Sightseeing tour from Veltra for our mid-April 2026 trip, and it did not disappoint. Our guide, Marcus, was total pro, wWith 15 years of experience, his knowledge and storytelling made the 10-hour journey fly by.

The Highlights:

1) Coffee Farm: Stunning views and a great tasting session in the gift shop.

2) Punaluu Black Sand Beach: We were lucky enough to see sea turtles basking on the sand!

3) Volcanoes National Park: Seeing the steam vents and the scale of the active volcano was easily the highlight of the day.

4) Rainbow Falls: The best panoramic view is actually from the side of the park; the hike to the top isn't strictly necessary for the best photos.

5) Waipio Valley Lookout: Absolutely breathtaking photo opportunities.

The logistics were seamless with a prompt pickup at 7:20 am from the Fairmont Orchid. While it is a long day covering 2/3 of the island, Marcus kept us entertained throughout. Lunch, dinner, snacks, and water were all provided, making for a stress-free experience. Highly recommended!

Hanauma Bay was really beautiful and probably one of my favorite places on the trip. The view was amazing, and I took a lot of nice photos just by lying on the grass and looking at the ocean. It felt super relaxing and peaceful. I also saw some really cool fish, which made it exciting and different from just a normal beach.

There were a few things I didn’t like though. The rocks in the water made it kind of hard to walk, and sometimes it hurt my feet. I also didn’t enjoy snorkeling that much, but that was mostly because I felt sick. I think it would actually be really fun if you feel okay.

Be careful when putting on sunscreen and don’t get it too close to your eyes because it really hurts. Also, watch out for mongoose because they might steal your food. I saw it happen to people sitting near us. Overall, Hanauma Bay is an awesome place and I would recommend going.

I went to Pearl Harbor and it was a really interesting place to visit, but there were some parts I liked more than others.

My favorite part was the airplane area. We went to the Top of the Tower (paid extra $10.00 ) and saw 360 degree view of Pearl Harbor. There was one section in the back (kind of like a shed) which I found the coolest planes. I also really liked the submarine. It wasn’t very big, but it was cool because you could see how people actually lived inside. The beds were super small, and it made me imagine how hard life must have been there.

The USS Missouri wasn’t that exciting to me because I didn’t really find anything very interesting there. Also, the bus rides to go back and forth was a little boring and it felt like a waste of time.

Dan was amazing, we had a marvelous time, Dan was patient, knowledgeable, friendly, and fun!

Loved the experience! Once in a lifetime so far. Hope to have a repeat someday!!

The captain, guides and entertainment was outstanding

I booked this Luau with our Ko Olina Kaula Kai Sunset Sail and Luau Combo.
https://www.veltra.com/en/hawaii/oahu/a/201093

After checking in around 5:00–5:15pm, we were instructed to board the catamaran while musicians played and welcomed guests. For safety reasons, women wearing sandals or heels were asked to remove their shoes and board barefoot.

There were cookies and chips available for everyone on board, and once most guests had boarded, the bar opened. It was an open bar with options such as lilikoi mai tai, Waianae sunset, piña colada, turtletini, catatonic, and local beers from Kona Brewing. The boat was quite packed, and with only one bartender, the line became very long—so unless you were willing to wait, you could likely only get one or two drinks. They also ran out of chips, so not everyone was able to have some, until the very end when they refilled the table again.

We departed around 5:30pm. Since this was after the days of the storm, the ocean conditions hadn’t fully settled, and the ride was still a bit bumpy. Fortunately, I found a spot at the back of the boat, leaning against the railing and facing forward, which helped with the motion. We were able to spot a few​ whales, though they appeared only briefly, making them difficult to capture on camera. We returned to the harbor around 6:30pm, so the sailing portion lasted about an hour.

[Reviewed by HawaiiActivities.com Staff]

I booked this Luau with our Ko Olina Kaula Kai Sunset Sail and Luau Combo.
https://www.veltra.com/en/hawaii/oahu/a/201093

Upon arriving from the boat around 6:30 PM, we headed straight to the luau, just in time for dinner.

Their Luau dinner setup is different​ from a typical Luau. Guests ​g​o to multiple food stations and ​food trucks​ to select individual menu items. At each station, guests​ are served a plate of that item. One highlight for me was that the catering is provided by Moani. Moani Island Bistro in Kapolei is one of our favorite weekend spots, so I was especially excited​, and the food did not disappoint. Everything served at the luau was delicious.

Regarding seating, since this was an Industry FAM night,​ I'm not sure if this was normal but there were no assigned seats. Instead, a designated area was reserved for FAM attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. We were seated on the left side of the stage at the last table in the back, but still had a great view.

The stage itself was beautifully designed​, very unique and inviting. The storytelling was engaging. It felt li​ke a full production, almost like an outdoor ​broadway​ show, with impressive lighting, sound effects, and screen animations, ​oh and we were surprised to see an acrobatic​ too!​  It actually reminded me of “Auana” in Waikiki​,​ almost like a Westside version in Ko Olina. The performance featured a wide range of Polynesian dances, which was fun to watch.

Highly recommended especially for those staying at Ko Olina Resorts or on the West side.

My kids ages 11 and 13 had a great time learning to surf! Both instructors were friendly and supportive and their personalities put my kids at ease. I appreciated their attentiveness and both girls are excited to return for more lessons.

Was a nice and fun experience never. Weather was really nice in the afternoon. There so much to do and see not enough time for everything lol . We also had a really good tour guid his name was Sam .

The Pearl Harbor Tour was everything I hoped it would be. Patrick was our very helpful and courteous bus driver and guide, and he was an excellent stand-in for Bob Hope who couldn’t be there. Patrick regaled us with jokes and historical anecdotes about Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. Though his Elvis Presley and Don Ho imitations need a little work, Patrick made the trip quite enjoyable. I did not previously know about Elvis Presley’s contribution to the Arizona Memorial, nor did I know that the Walmart in Oahu had to keep its Spam under lock and key because it is a highly pilfered item in Hawaii. Mahalo, Patrick.

Wow just wow, Shane was our pilot and boy he had a lot of knowledge of the island and for him to give a good answer to everyone's questions was exceptional. The ride was smooth, we felt safe and it was longer than I expected. The views are amazing and beautiful. My grandkids and I truly loved this experience. Shane even let Liam shut the helicopter down once we landed.

This was our 1st time to the big island and this was our 1st time snorkeling. The captain and the crew were all exceptional and pretty funny at times. The vessel was clean and the cruise was smooth. We had 2 areas we stopped to snorkel and get a little history lesson. Breakfast and lunch was very tasty and well timed. Thank you for making this such a wonderful experience for my family.

Mahalo for a fun, informative, and beautiful trip to Fern Grotto. Our family especially loved learning hula from the Smith Ohana!

We had a fantastic tour. The doors off was a cool experience. Our pilot was excellent and highlighted everything we were seeing. Highly recommended.

I can say enough good things about this experience! Everything about it!

A lovely night of cocktails and beautiful weather. Drinks were plentiful and the chicken and rice meal was delicious

Great your! An added surprise and probably the highlight of the tour for me, we saw so many dolphins and they got up close and personal with us! We also managed to spot a few whales and a baby! Wren and Ryder were both fantastic also. Definitely worth the price!

Great trip on the river! The captain was very informative on the local culture. The crew performed a dance at the grotto and also performed several dances on the way back on the boat. A good value.

Bailey and Larry were fantastic! We did well bottom fishing, and then caught this 25 pound ono on the trip home! Great experience, great time would recommend to anyone

10/10 recommend. Great staff. Friendly. Great music.

We had such a fun visit to the Manoa Chocolate Factory on Oahu with my toddler daughter. She loved it, and so did I.

The tour starts with a really interesting intro about how they source cacao locally, which gives the chocolates unique flavors from different islands. The chocolate fountain tasting was definitely a highlight for us. Everything was so rich and delicious.

We ended up picking up a few chocolates to take home. Highly recommend stopping by and supporting a local business like this.

The staff was amazing ! The dolphins are angelic. We had an awesome experience. Thank you so much .

I had to share the experience to my sister and her family that my kids and I had the first time we went here back in June 2025. For my nephew's bday March of 2026, I suggested to go to the Kaneohe sand bar again. The consistency of their best service is just really incredible. From the warm welcome of the staff, the island vibe voices of the singers, the lifeguards who constantly keeping an eye to the kids, the captain who made the banana boat super exciting and safe. The place, the view and the people gave us all an unforgettable experience. Looking forward for the next visit, hopefully with the rest of our extended family. Mahalo/ Salamat!