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Forest was a superb guide to this stunningly beautiful and magical valley -he was fun and so knowledgeable. The whole family loved the experience, with our girls wanting to return again the next day. We highly recommend!
Forrest was an excellent guide, full of personal insight into the region as well as its history. He shared with us his experience in the valley, told us about the things and places we were viewing, and explained the challenges the region has and still does face. We loved the views, the animals, and the friendly greetings from the locals.
We had a great morning kayak trip and Olivia was wonderful!! We loved her stories about the history of the area and learning more about Hawaii in general. Thanks especially for your breakfast tip on the Coffee Shack, what an awesome spot! It all made for a perfect morning, thank you Olivia!!
We’ve been with family. Children 12 and 10 years old. All of us were so excited and totally happy with this experience!
We had an amazing time on the water kayaking, exploring caves, and snorkeling! Our guide Ryan was super helpful, patient, and very knowledgeable.
This cruise was outstanding! The crew was polite and attentive. The dinner was excellent! There was live music as well as someone giving us a little history of the island in between songs. I would definitely recommend this to anyone. We also were lucky enough to see the spinner dolphins put on a little chauffeur for us. We saw flying fish. Overall, it was an excellent experience!
This was by far the most memorable thing our family did on the Big Island, it’s got to be one of the most amazing things we’ve ever done together. Stop reading this review and go book your trip now. You won’t regret it.
We are a family of 4 with 2 teenagers, we had a great time with our guide at the stargazing tour. Our highlights were the lava caves, watching the sunset as well as stargazing. The sky was unbelievable and we learned a ton with our very knowledgeable guide.
Highly recommend.
I would skip the boiling pots when water level is low as there is nothing to see.
Captain and crew of Ocean Encounters 1 dove in ahead of guests, made a plan, and navigated us there. Honestly, we had a great viewing spot and several other boats' guests were eager to move into our spot upon our exiting. Boats are staggered and have a neighborly way of communicating where/when/how each group will be staggered but I would have been disappointed to be in one of the peripheral groups. These are wild animals, so no telling what each evening will look like, but was glad to have a captain who led the charge.
Tips: It is a bit of a rough ride for 20 mins out and approx 20 minutes back. If you are someone who suffers from carsickness or seasickness, highly recommend treating for that before you leave. We had 2 of 30 guests puking over the sides. I gave my carsick kiddo dramamine about an hour before-- no issues.
Do have inexperienced family members practice snorkeling ahead of tour so that they can spend the entire 45 minutes head down in the water enjoying the fish and rays and the learning is done in a pool or bay ahead of time. There were zero swimming skills necessary on this trip but knowing how to calmly enjoy breathing through a snorkel for an extended period was the difference between guests who really enjoyed and guests who didn't. There was a surfboard with handles that the group held on to, which was pulled into position by the guides.
Do warn your kiddos that these rays are HUGE. My youngest expected small 3-4 foot rays like we have in our aquarium and was initially very surprised (terrified) by the 12-15 wingspan on some of these beautiful creatures. They got right up in our personal bubble/faces/immediately underneath bellies and legs so do be ready for up-close amazing experience.
Do not bring a bunch of stuff/items as they end up dripped on and/or in the way. If the weather is warm all you need is shoes that are okay getting wet/dripped on, and a towel. They provided water and light packaged snacks on the return trip.
Take more pictures and consider taking and sharing photos with fellow tour guests.
I loved this experience so much! We stopped at different locations to hear about different historical stories of the land and native Hawaiians. You also got to see different scenery during the ATV ride!
Sam was fantastic - really gave us all an exceptional tour of the night sky and was very knowledgable and great with the kids too!
Watching these huge sized manta rays glide beneath us was surreal! Best experience hands down.
They were in plain sight with a fun and warm greeting. Everyone enjoyed the great surprise.
They were right at baggage claim in plain sight. Happy warm full greeting. Great Leis were beautiful.
Zip line over 250 foot waterfall. Great fun. Mirabell & Calista were fantastic guides, made our day.
Riding the UTV was an unforgettable adrenaline rush through stunning landscapes—pure adventure from start to finish. The guides were fantastic and made the whole experience safe, fun, and absolutely thrilling!
Highlights included walking through Volcanoes National Park, seeing steam vents and lava fields up close, the stunning black sand beach at Punaluʻu, and panoramic views over Waipiʻo Valley.
It’s a long day, but absolutely packed with jaw-dropping sights and well-paced stops.
We usually skip tours and try to experience places through the locals, soaking in real culture over curated stops. But this tour into Waipio Valley with Forrest changed everything.
From the start, it was clear this wasn’t a typical tour. Forrest’s love for the valley, his deep knowledge of its history and sacredness, and his powerful storytelling made us feel connected to every inch of this land. He didn’t just drive us through—he invited us in.
The peace we felt in Waipio was unreal. Waterfalls, wild horses, taro fields… all of it wrapped in a stillness that felt spiritual. We walked away with more than photos—we walked away with perspective and gratitude.
If you get the chance, go. And hope Forrest is your guide. It’s an experience we’ll never forget.
The whole family was on this excursion. We saw beautiful sights, wild pigs and a water fall. The trail was a fun challenge. Definitely worth it.
We’ve done a few ziplines in other states and I can say this was one of the best. David and BoBo were fun, friendly and professional. They made our experience a memorable one.
