Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge
Overall Rating
4.96
Best thing I did in Hawaii
Reviewed by: Stephanie , 2017/02/10Best guided tour by far. Very professional-able to anticipate your needs and provided things you didn't even know you needed. Chris- the owner, and our guide for the night- was fantastic. His enthusiasm was contagious. Great company, great tour. Do it!
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2017/02/07 |
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Great time for the whole family!!
Reviewed by: H family, 2017/01/09Our guide was very knowledgeable and attentive to detail. Viewing the volcano in the light and then at night was awesome. The restaurant was so cozy and had great food. Afterwards we hiked thru a fern forest to a lava tube. Amazing!
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such a great day and enjoyed being able to see Halema'uma'u Crater both day and night. Mahalo for your recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2016/12/14 |
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Fabulous tour!
Reviewed by: Cronin family, 2016/12/30Although a little long in length, this tour was my favorite activity of our entire trip. We got to see a good portion of the island and its amazing landscape and learned a lot along the way. Our tour guide, Nick, was top notch. Even our two surly teens rated this one of their favorite activities, which says a lot!
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are delighted to hear that your 'ohana had such a fabulous day with Nick! He truly is a top-notch guide with so much knowledge to share and genuinely loves doing so. To hear that our activity was your favorite excursion, while on vacation, is so humbling and a beautiful reminder of why we love touring! Mahalo for your wonderful recommendation and we hope to see you folks on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2016/12/26 |
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Michigan Visits Hawaii
Reviewed by: Carolyn K., 2016/12/05The day we six (6) friends took this tour was fantastic. Our guide, Nick, was super. He was attentive, interesting, and very funny. We covered a lot of ground and learned a lot about the big island. Had a great lunch and a fantastic dinner. Recommend this tour for sure.
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience! We are delighted to hear that you had such a fantastic day with Nick and enjoyed all of the sights and treats throughout the day. He is an amazing guide, with top notch hospitality, who genuinely loves sharing some of our favorite spots on tour. Mahalo for your recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2016/11/13 |
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Awesome
Reviewed by: Debra, 2016/11/28The experience was awesome. I would recommend it to everyone. The tour operator was great and showed amazing forethought by providing water, wipes, jackets, and flashlights. Dinne at the lodge was delicious. In addition, our tour guide,Nick, was knowledgeable about the culture.
Aloha and Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience! We are delighted to hear that you had such a great day with Nick and enjoyed all of the sights, treats, and little extras throughout the day. Mahalo for your recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2016/11/01 |
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A must tour while in Hawaii
Reviewed by: Carrie H, 2016/10/13This was by far the best tour we had done in Hawaii. Marcus the tour guide was top notch. Marcus knew so much about the area, the culture, plants, animals and was just a funny great person to be around. You ride in style in the plush Mercedes van. He took you to many different area's and we even got to see lava flowing, served lunch and to end the night a 5 star restaurant. Everything was included in your price of your tour. By far a MUST do while in Hawaii. You will not be disappointed in this tour or Marcus.
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are delighted to hear that you had such a great day with Marcus! We agree, he truly is a top notch guide with so much knowledge about Hawai'i, and he knows how to keep the day fun for everyone. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed all of the sights and treats throughout the day and even got to see that majestic lava. Mahalo for your recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2016/10/09 |
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Volcano night tour
Reviewed by: Steve, 2016/10/01Great tour with Jim Cary as guild very funny and knows his history of the town and events.
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such a great day with Jim. He is a wonderfully knowledgeable guide with so much aloha, making sure our guests have the best time possible! Mahalo for your recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2016/09/28 |
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Spectacular experience
Reviewed by: Marie 'n' Tom, 2016/09/13This tour was absolutely awesome. Chris and Nick, our guides, were very knowledgeable and fun. They clearly pride themselves on what they do, which makes them stand out from the average. The meals were good, especially the beautiful dinner. We had the steak which was fantastic, and the service was perfect and so friendly. We saw beautiful sights all day, ending at the volcano which gave us a good show. Would do again in a heartbeat. Thanks guys!
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are delighted to hear that you had such an awesome day with Nick and Chris. They're both so knowledgeable, offering top notch hospitality which allows our guests to just sit back, relax, and enjoy! We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed all of the sights and treats throughout the day, especially that incredible lava lake inside of Halema'uma'u Crater. Mahalo for your recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/09/11 |
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Excellent
Reviewed by: Ian S, 2016/09/01Jim Cary was our tour guide and he did a great job. He was extremely knowledgable of the Hawaiian and Polanisian culture which made the day that much better. The vehicle was not as comfortable as I expected a Mercedes to be, definitely the only downfall of the whole trip. All in all, a high 9/10
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are delighted to hear that you had such a great day with Jim! He is a wonderful guide who loves to share his songs and stories of the islands. Mahalo for your recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/08/29 |
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Best tour ever! Best guide ever (Jim Carey)!!!
Reviewed by: Karine and Pierre, 2016/07/24It was a great tour with a great guide. He loves his job, he know a lot of things on Hawaiian culture. It's a deluxe tour with a lot of attention! We will never forget that tour!
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are delighted to hear that you had such a great day with Jim. He is a wonderfully knowledgeable guide who loves to share his songs and stories of Hawaii. His top notch hospitality allows for our guests to sit back, relax, and enjoy the day. It is our goal to ensure our guests have a day to remember forever and we are so happy to hear that we were able to do so with you folks. Mahalo for your recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2016/07/21 |
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Volcano night lava and star gazing tour
Reviewed by: Nadine, 2016/06/30Jim Carey was a fantastic tour guide. His stories and knowledge of the volcano, stars and planets was excellent.
Aloha Nadine,
Thank you so much for your kind words. We take pride in fielding guides like Jim, who are constantly trying to increase their knowledge and understanding of Hawaii. Jim really enjoys what he does, and it shows!! Thanks again, and please join us in the future on one of our other Big Island tours.
Mahalo
Kailani
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/06/22 |
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Awesome overall tour of Hawai'i
Reviewed by: The Nunes Girls, 2016/06/19Mike Nelson was the best guide! He knew everything about the island - and catered to our needs. He gave us options based on our interests and prior experience on the island. He did his best to give us a good understanding of the people, history, culture, and economy of the island. Knew local legends, astronomical information, plant and animal facts, as well as best "tips" on everything from restaurants and beaches, to coffee and desserts.
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are delighted to hear that you had such an awesome day with Mike. He is such a wonderfully knowledgeable guide who really helps our guests connect with Hawaii while on tour, and with the great tips for the rest of your stay, you're sure to experience all of Big Island's best! Mahalo for your recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2016/06/14 |
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So much Fun!! An Absolute must of first time visitors as well as returning visitors. Jim Carrey is the best guide on Big Island!!
Reviewed by: Laura & Djani Drocic, 2016/05/30I must start this review with big Mahalo to our tour guide Jim Carrey, you made this tour great and memorable for my wife Laura and myself. My suggestion would be for anyone interested in a great tour on the Big Island that is focused on cultural, geological, flora and fauna ecosystems of the island to book this tour for the beginning part of their stay, since it will open a number of the other visits and adventure that one can do on their own. Bring a camera and warm clothing, but if you forget your jacket don't worry your tour guide Jim is prepared with a number of coats to lend to those that had forgotten theirs. This whole day tour is packed with interesting place to visit, local folklore and legends. Jim is such a great narrator that makes the whole Hawaiian culture alive during the tour. You will be introduced to multiple Hawaiian chants, songs and legends during the entire day. Food is exquisite and plentiful, tastefully prepared to satisfied everyones need and desire. The crown jewl of this tour is night visit to Volcanic National Park for night lava viewing and star gazing. Jim is so knowledgeable in field of celestial observations and he comes prepared with a strong pair of binoculars that are powerful enough to give you glance of lava inside crater and to offer great view on planets and constellations visible from the craters edge.
Once again Mahalo to Jim Carrey and his company for offering us a unique view on Hawaiian culture and beautiful eco-system that is so different then anywhere on the planet.
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are delighted to hear that you had such a fun day with Jim! He is a wonderfully knowledgeable guide who loves sharing his songs and stories of Hawaii, helping our guests to connect with the Big Island while on tour. Looking into Halema'uma'u Crater is so mesmerizing and we are so excited to hear that you folks actually got to see some lava with those amazing binoculars! Mahalo for your recommendation and we truly hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island for some more fun times!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/05/26 |
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Awesome experience !
Reviewed by: Donna Kappers, 2016/05/28Had a wonderful day & night on this Volcano experience. Our guide Jim Cary lived up to the reviews I had read about. We had a party of five and all of us had a great time. Jim was a wealth of knowledge about the whole area. The food for both lunch and Dinner was delicious ! Would highly recommend to anyone this tour!
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience! We are so happy to hear that you had such a wonderful day with Jim. He truly is a wealth of knowledge who genuinely loves sharing his songs and stories of Hawaii! We are delighted to hear that you also enjoyed both lunch and dinner. Kilauea Lodge is such a welcoming treat after touring all over Volcanoes National Park! Mahalo for your recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2016/05/24 |
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Fantastic!
Reviewed by: Eve Hamilton , 2016/05/27Not only was everything beautiful and fascinating, Jim Carey's knowledge and presentation made it over the top. I've lived on Oahu since 1980, and have visited the Big Island many times. This was the most special tour I have ever taken, and that's thanks to our tour guide Jim. It's obvious that he loves what he's doing. What a delight! I will be recommending this tour to all my friends.
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are delighted to hear that you had such a fantastic day with Jim! His love for Hawaii is simply captivating as he shares the songs and stories of the islands. We truly appreciate you letting all your friends know how much fun you had on tour and look forward to showing them all a great time! Mahalo for the recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2016/05/24 |
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The most wonderful day in Hawaii
Reviewed by: NORMA BARAJAS, 2016/05/06This tour was astonishing, we had our best time in Hawaii. Starting, our host Jim Carey a gentleman, expert story teller of Hawaiian culture. On the road we could see lava tubes, alien landscapes, the marvelous Mauna Kea where is an astronomical observatory and we had a windy delicious pic nic lunch. Near the city of Hilo, we had our second stop for seeing the Rainbow Falls, a fantastic view of the beauty and force of nature. Not far, Hilo, a rainy city, where is the University of Hawaii and the unforgettable chocolate factory where one can find all kind of delicious chocolates, candies, cookies, macadamia nuts. No one can leave that place without a full bag while Jim Carey is calling you with the sound of ukelele. Also you can take pictures of the statue of king Kamehameha in a park. Then, we took our way to Volcanoes National Park, which welcomed us with a warm fumarole that wet us in a strange but nice sensation. Then, the first wonderful breathtaking view of the Kilauea volcano, a vision like we were in Mars. The museum shows what the nude eye can’t see in a volcano, like Pele´s hair and lava forest. After, an outstanding landscape, the lava river, an unbelievable wonder full of mystery. We took a path through the rainy forest, where the flowers and the tree of Pele’s legend grow in the middle of volcanic rocks. Then Jim took us to a cozy restaurant, with a chimney attended by his owner. Dinner was awesome, very tasty, as the special passion fruit tea. At night we had the vision of fire in the middle of the night, the Kilauea's dancing lava took our breath away, an unforgettable moment, almost mystical. Pictures can’t catch that beauty, but the telescope that Jim takes with him did.
Back in the van a great surprise waited for us. Like a love detail, a hot coco and cookies appeared to warm us. On our road back more than one fell asleep dreaming of the most wonderful day of their lives. Mahalo from Colombia.
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such a wonderful day with Jim. He truly loves sharing his songs and stories of Hawaii with our guests, helping them to connect with our island while on tour. We are delighted that you enjoyed all the stops and treats throughout the day. Dinner at the Kilauea Lodge is so special and always helps our guests warm back up on those cold Volcano nights! Mahalo for your recommendation and we hope to see you next time you visit the Big Island.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2016/04/27 |
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Wonderful experience. Must Go!
Reviewed by: Yuki, 2016/05/06We started the morning with very warm welcome with big smile of the guide in front of our hotel lobby. His name was Jim Carey. Since we were Japanese visiting from Japan, he was concerned about the tour being conducted in English. We said we were Okay, try to keep up. He kindly told us that he would try to speak.
As we started the actual tour and as we picking up the more new guests, he explain the schedule of the day again and again. so everybody know how that day is gonna be.
As we were on the move, he had full of stories of scenic locations, Hawaiian history and cultures.
At the lunch, we had Pick-nick lunch at the base of Mauna Kea, we had the Chicken Caesar wrap at very fine environment. When it was time to go, Jim was not calling out the guest but he was playing songs with the Ukulele to let people know that it is time to go, what a kind way to notify!!
After that we went to Hiro, there we did not have much time to stop so Jim was explaining lots of stuff as he drove by. Then after that we went to the Rainbow Fall, although we could not see the rainbow, it was beautiful fall.
Then here comes the main event, the volcano. We visited the steam vent and couple of other scenic points and a little hiking it was very interesting and felt really good to hike in unusual volcanic environment. Only thing was that rain came and went repeatedly. Then we moved to the location of Lava tube. It was awesome!! Here also, Jim had a wonderful stories to tell. We learned a lot of stuff from him.
Then we moved to the lodge/Restaurant for the dinner. Surprisingly the dinner was much better quality than we expected. After the dinner, when we got out of the restaurant, it was dark but very clear sky, we went back to volcano and saw lava splash and million stars with Jim's stories. Totally different face the volcano showed us from earlier that day.
All activities were finished and on the way back to the hotel, we are so tired and fell asleep. Best tour ever!!
Aloha and Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience! We are delighted to hear that you had such a wonderful day with Jim. His love for Hawaii shines through his songs and stories of the islands. It sounds like you folks had no problem keeping up and really enjoyed your day! Excellent! Mahalo for your wonderful recommendation and we hope to see you next time you visit the Big Island.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2016/04/27 |
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The Best day of our honeymoon!
Reviewed by: Guilherme Marinho, 2016/05/04First of all, I would like to thanks hawaiian activies for appear on my google search!! As me and my wife didn't know about this activie, we search on google and find the website. We were very excited from the begening because of what the people were saying about eh tour. And we were right to be. The Tour is more than amazing, from the day before, I received a call in my hotel room to confirm the pick up time and he was there in the next day about 11:30h. He was Jim Carrey (no, not the famous one haha, but was so brilliant as the other!). Our tour guide was more than fantastic, a lot of histories about legends and culture from Hawaii than you could imagine. We had lunch in the way to Hilo, in a such nice beautiful place close to the Manua Lea. After that we took our way to Hilo, but before we went to the beautiful rainbow fall, not so beautiful, but very nature, in the midle of a forest, we loved. Hilo was a nice surprised, we went to a Candie Shop from Big Islands, huge store and my wife fall in love, she loves chocolates haha. After that we went to the volcano site at day, before dinner, was such a nice surprise, first time close to a active volcano. And every time with the histories from our brilliant guide. The dinner was one of the best parts of the tour, the best soup ever, and a very friendly restaurant, we loved every moment. After sunset, we return to the volcano to see the magic at night and we were really surprised and satisfied. I want thank Jim and everyone envolved, was one of the best days of our lives, and the best day of our honeymoon!! Guilherme Marinho and Aline Amaral.
Aloha and Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience! We are so glad you chose to let us show you some of our favorite spots on the Big Island. Jim is truly a fantastic guide who genuinely loves sharing his songs and stories of Hawaii. We are so happy to hear that you and your wife enjoyed all of the stops along the way. Big Island Candies is a chocolate lover's dream with all the amazing goodies and samples they offer! Dinner at the world famous Kilauea Lodge is always so scrumptious and a great way to warm back up on those cold Volcano nights, before heading back into Volcanoes National Park. The majestic lava lake inside of Halema'uma'u Crater leaves such a lasting impression on everyone who gets the opportunity to witness the night time glow. Mahalo for your wonderful recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/04/25 |
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Fabulous Tour
Reviewed by: Kathy, 2016/04/24My sister and I went on this tour with Jim Carey as our guide. We were picked up right from our hotel and then were gone all day. Jim was extremely knowledgeable about the Island of Hawaii as well as the folklore of the Hawaiian culture. It was fun to hear about all of the history of Hawaii and learn about the sites we were seeing, with such depth of knowledge that Jim brought. We stopped at Rainbow Falls (no rainbow, but the falls were wonderful). One aspect we both enjoyed a lot was going through one of the lava tubes near the volcano!
The lunch and dinner provided was excellent, we both enjoyed it. The whole tour was long - and by the end of the day we were tired, however we would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn about Hawaii and see many different sites along the way. Before heading back to the hotel we saw the lava glow located near the Jagger Museum, which was amazing to view at night. We had a great day!
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such a great day with Jim. He is a wonderful guide whose Hawaiiana stories have quickly become a guest favorite! We're glad that you enjoyed all of the stops and treats along the way. That majestic glow from the lava lake after dinner is truly an amazing sight that leaves a lasting impression! Mahalo for the kind words and we hope to see you next time you visit the Big Island.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2016/04/18 |
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"A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN PARIDISE"
Reviewed by: Michele , 2016/04/18We stared the day with a happy welcome from our guide and driver Jim. He had been a truck driver for most of his life so I felt very comfortable with his driving. From the very start to the end of the day Jim regaled us with his knowledge of the history, biology, geology, stories, songs and politics of this beautiful island. Our first stop was lunch at a pretty park. Lunch was delicious and healthy. We saw waterfalls, volcanos, steam vents and many different types of wild animals. We took an afternoon coffee break at the Big Island Candies shop where we enjoyed a free cup of Kona coffee and tasted many samples of the best cookies. Of course I had to buy at least one box. That evening we ate dinner and had drinks at a nice old lodge by the volcano. We enjoyed the company of the other guests. We all agreed dinner was great. The clouds had cleared and we were able to see the errie red glow of the lava and did some star gazing with Jim's high powered binoculars. The air was chilly up on the mountain and Jim made us hot chocolate and coffee to warm us up. On the way back to our hotels we watched a very interesting video of the history of the volcano with many amazing close up shots of inside and lava flows. It turned out to be a wonderful day and my husband and I agreed we were glad we went and it was worth every penny.
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such a wonderful day with Jim. He is a wonderfully knowledgeable guide whose love for Hawaii shines through his songs and stories of the island. So glad to hear you enjoyed all of the sights and meals along the way. It's pretty hard to walk out of Big Island Candies without buying something with all of the amazing goodies they have there! Even with some cloud coverage, the lava lake is such a majestic sight to see, but when those clouds move, WOW! Mahalo for your kind words and we hope to see you next time you visit the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/04/14 |
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Amazing Experience
Reviewed by: Daniel Ruymann, 2016/04/12We just returned from Kona, Hawaii and had the opportunity to participate in 3 excursions from different operators. Our tour, specifically our tour guide, Jim Carey, was life changing. His knowledge, passion and enthusiasm made for a once in a lifetime experience that we will never forget. From Jim's storytelling, songs, narratives of the Hawaiian culture and history, throughout our 12 hour adventure that included stops at Rainbow Falls, Big Island Candies, Mauna Loa, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (with afternoon and evening viewings), hikes through lava tunnels, a fine dining experience, topped by an amazing stargazing experience, I was inspired by Jim Carey, which serves as a testament to the caliber of talent that Kailani Tour employees. I would highly recommend this tour and in particular, any tour with Jim Carey. I am blessed to have gone on this journey with him as our tour guide. Bravo to Jim and Kailani Tours.
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such an amazing day with Jim Carey! He is a wonderful guide whose Aloha shines through his stories, songs, and genuine love for Hawai'i. Jim's top-notch hospitality allows our guests to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the day! We are glad that you enjoyed all of our stops along the way and were able to get in some incredible stargazing! Mahalo for the amazing recommendation and we hope to see you next time you visit the Big Island.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/04/02 |
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THIS TOUR COVERS IT ALL!!!! SUPERB!!!!
Reviewed by: nwc, 2016/04/06The booking process so easy – one simple phone call. The tour provides lunch, dinner, snacks, EVERYTHING you’ll need.
Jim Carey was our guide, and was EXCELLENT in EVERY WAY. “Uncle Jim” was very accommodating and went out of his way to ensure guests were comfortable. We were amazed at Jim’s knowledge of island history & Hawaiian culture. As we traveled, Jim educated us on island facts, myths, and legend. He recounted many great tales of Hawaiian lore,with enthusiasm and energy. Jim loves his job and entertaining his guests.
The tour began with a trip to Mauna Kea and picnic lunch. After, we headed to Hilo and stopped at a lava field. Next stops were Rainbow Falls, Kamehameha Statue and Big Island Candies for a snack. After Hilo, we went to Volcanoes National Park while Jim told us history of the island’s volcanoes. Jim is as much a geologist as tour guide. We pulled over to see “steam vents”, and then to the viewing area and the Volcano Museum and gift shop.
On the way to dinner, we stopped at the Thurston Lava Tube. The tube was well lit, but Jim made sure we were armed with flashlights. We exited through a “skylight” and made our way back.
We ate at the Kilauea Lodge, a quaint restaurant. Meal was top-notch. Back to Volcanoes Park at dark. Jim had high-powered binoculars and we viewed spewing lava. The temp dropped, and Jim was ready w/hot chocolate.
We made one last stop to do some stargazing. For someone who had never viewed the stars in the blackened sky of Hawaii, I was astounded. The sky was FULL of stars – thousands of them that I’ve never seen before. It was like visiting a planetarium, in real life.
In conclusion, we highly recommend this excursion for anyone interested in a comprehensive tour that covers everything you would want to see on the Big Island, in one feature-packed day. If Jim is available, as for him by name. He was the best tour guide we’ve ever had – on any tour, on any island, country or continent.
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such an excellent day with Jim. He is a wonderfully knowledgeable guide whose Hawaiiana stories have quickly become a favorite among our guests. His top-notch hospitality allows everyone to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the day! We are so glad that you enjoyed all of the stops along the way and were able to get some stargazing in, as well. It truly is breathtaking to see such an abundance of stars and we totally agree that it's like standing in a real-life planetarium! Mahalo for the amazing recommendation and we hope to see you next time you visit the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/04/02 |
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Thumbs up! Magnificent sceneries & Wildlife!
Reviewed by: Rach, 2016/04/04I just took a Kailani Tours Hawaii trip to Kilauea Volcano recently. It was a very enjoyable and breathtaking experience with Chris, who is very knowledgeable and passionate about the tour!
From the beginning to the end of the tour, it was on schedule and pleasant to be part of. Chris was very informative and well prepared for everything (water, hot chocolate, umbrellas, heavy jackets, hot towels, etc).
From driving along Saddle Road to picture taking at Rainbow Falls to walking through the Thurston Lava Tube, and much more, It was one of the best tours I have ever taken.
I would definitely recommend the tour to anyone who wants a rewarding trip with magnificent sceneries and wildlife!
WOW!
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such a magnificent day with Chris. He is a wonderfully knowledgeable guide who genuinely loves what he does! Mahalo for your thumbs up recommendation! We hope to see you next time you visit the Big Island for some more fun with the Kailani Tours 'Ohana!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/27 |
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Fantastic trip to the Wet Side!
Reviewed by: JenNMikeY, 2016/04/02My husband and I enjoyed this trip immensely! Since we were staying on the opposite side of the island from the Volcanoes National Park and Hilo, this was a great way to see it all without having to spend half the day driving. The hotel pick-up was a nice added convenience. Taking the tour allowed us to just sit back in comfort and enjoy the sights and the company of some really nice people who took the tour with us.
The van was comfy and spacious, and the group is limited to 14 guests, so we were never lost in a crowd. Our tour guide, Chris, was a joy to spend time with. He knew the island quite well, from the top of the mountain to the waterfalls, the lava tube and all of the interesting sights that were covered on the tour. He showed a genuine interest ad knowledge of all of the places we visited, and delivered commentary with a great sense of humor thrown in - he was never boring! He was familiar enough with the tour and our expectations that he was able to adapt the schedule just enough to accommodate the changes in island weather - namely rain - on the wet side of the island. He even provided umbrellas and flashlights for exploring after the sun went down.
The trip included a Fantastic dinner at a lodge near the Park. This alone was almost worth the time and cost of the tour! We were lucky enough to be seated with Chris during dinner and found him to be very personable. I could have spent hours just enjoying our conversations. Chris is perfectly suited to run this type of tourism business, and has created a tour that is just different enough from other tours to make it stand out!
I would absolutely recommend this tour to others. Thanks for a great time on the Big Island!
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such a fantastic day with Chris. He is an amazing guide, whose love for the Big Island really shines though his stories and fun facts along the way. His witty personality and attention to detail really allow our guests to just sit back, relax, and enjoy! The dinner at Kilauea Lodge is always a very welcomed treat to help refuel and warm up before checking out that majestic glow from the lava lake inside of Halema'uma'u Crater and we are so glad to hear that you enjoyed it so much! Mahalo for the wonderful review and we hope to see you next time you visit the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/22 |
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Volcano Tour
Reviewed by: James Harmon, 2016/03/28The tour was great. We started by being picked up a local shopping center and then driving north. On our way, our tour guild spotted whales jumping off the coast and pulled over so we could watch. An extra bonus. We then picked up the rest of the guest and went over the mountain. Chris, our tour guild was a wealth of information and gave a great discussion of Hawaii and the different things that we saw. After stopping for lunch, which was basic but good, we went to Hilo for a tour and then on to the National park. Chris took us to a couple of sites not normally seen by tourist which was great. He also took us to the volcano tubes which was really interesting. He timed the tour so we had the whole tube to ourselves, which was really neat. We then went to dinner at a very nice place. The food was great, especially the fish. After dinner we went to the volcano and since it was night we got to see the lava light up the back ground. Chris helped us take pictures which are already posted on Facebook. After that we headed back. I would recommend this tour, especially Chris, for anyone who wanted to see the volcanoes and learn about the Island of Hawaii.
Aloha and Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience! We are so happy to hear that you had such a great day with Chris. He is a wonderful guide with an abundance of knowledge, helping our guests to really connect with our island while on tour. Whale season usually runs October-March and we are so excited to hear that you folks had an opportunity to see some humpback whales on your way up the coast. Very cool treat! Mahalo for your recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/02 |
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Worth Every Cent Spent! A Definite MUST DO!
Reviewed by: Alan L, 2016/03/23Our tour guide Mike was fantastic. After a bit of confusion on picking up passengers, we started heading east across the Big Island on Saddle Road in a very comfortable Mercedes van. Mike has a wealth of knowledge, both cultural and local, so he made the tour feel almost personalized for everyone. We stopped at the Mauna Kea Recreation Area for a tasty, fresh lunch. Weather was perfect to see both volcanoes. We stopped along the highway to walk on the lava and see and he explained the different types. We continued to Hilo and watched a video about the volcanes, and then we stopped at Rainbow Falls. Mike knew the best places for nice pictures. After taking the scenic route and getting downtown Hilo, we learned more history about various buildings and the Kamehameha statues around the islands and stopped at Big Island Candies for some tasty samples and quick shopping. Time for the main event!
We went into the Volcanoes National Park. We stopped by some active steam vents and then the Jaggar Museum to see the active crater. Mike tooks us to see other craters and lava flows and stopped to let us walk around and see various formations created by the flow. We went deeper and deeper into the park, making our way almost to the ocean, and then stopped at the Thurston lava tube. Very unique!
From there, we headed for dinner at the Kilauea Lodge. Great atmosphere, great food, great service! Definitely try the soups! After dinner and after dark, Mike took us back to the Jaggar Museum to view the lava glow. Mike must have called on Pele to part the fog, because we were able to see and take pictures of the glow. He provide binoculars and jackets to those who needed it.
Now, heading back to the Kona side at night, we finished the volcano video and watched an "update" video that showed all the eruptions since 1983. We stopped across from the Mauna Kea Rec Area for stargazing. Mike point out constellations, planets, galaxies, stars. BEAUTIFUL!
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear you had such a fantastic day with Mike! Dinner at the Kilauea Lodge is such a special treat, and we agree that their soups are a must try to help warm up on those cold Volcano nights. We love when the fog parts and our guests get to enjoy that magnificent glow so clearly. Those clear skies also make for some amazing stargazing as well and we're glad to hear you enjoyed it! Mahalo for the wonderful recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/20 |
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What an adventure!
Reviewed by: Chris, 2016/03/22As someone who grew up in new york and then relocated to seattle, I'm used to big city living and never learned how to drive. This was my first trip out to ANY Hawaiian Island so you can imagine my dismay when I realized how limited I was in terms of car service so this tour was a god send when it came to actually being able to see a lot of the big island which I never would have managed on my own. The coach itself was spacious and comfortable and even thought the tour itself was carefully constructed to have a lot of walking breaks I don't think I would have gotten stir crazy even once if we'd done just a complete driving circuit of the island.
Our driver, Jim, was just a fountain of knowledge of not just the sites we visited but also the history/mythos behind a lot of them them and their importance to the indigenous peoples, but also of local attractions that I've totally added to my "to do" list whenever I make it back to the island. Jim was warm and accommodating and the embodiment of 'aloha' . The more in depth stargazing portion of our tour ended up getting rained out which was a disappointment (it was the part I was looking forward to most!) but I did manage to get in a little constellation viewing with Jim while waiting for the rest of the tour group to complete their night viewing of Halemaumau.
It's definitely a tour I would recommend to all of my family and friends, mahalo!
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such a wonderful day with Jim. He truly is a wealth of knowledge, helping our guests to really connect with our island while on tour. It's always nice to just sit back, relax, and let our guides show you some of our favorite spots. Our Mercedes Sprinter Vans are the best way to do just that! We can also customize private tours for guests who would like to see more of our beautiful island with our amazing guides! Mahalo for your wonderful recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/21 |
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Awesome volcano tour on the Big Island!
Reviewed by: jdgriffin23, 2016/03/22This is one of the best tours to take while on the Big Island of Hawaii. We were picked up from our hotel in Waikoloa Beach in a very nice and comfortable van. The first stop was at Mauna Kea park where we had a delicious lunch. Our tour guide (Mike - awesome!) even brought placemats for us to use at the picnic tables! We then went along saddle road while he told us very interesting information about Hawaii and the volcanoes. We saw a beautiful waterfall at Rainbow Falls. We stopped at several locations to see the various types of lava produced by the volcanoes. We went to the Jagger museum and saw Kilauea crater, the Thurston lava tube, steam vents, and enjoyed samples of Kona coffee, cookies, and candy at the Big Island Candy factory. Delicious! We had a wonderful dinner at Kilauea Lodge and then went back to the Jagger museum to see the lava flow at night. It was amazing! Mike had binocular, warm coats, hot chocolate, tea, coffee and snack for us. After that, we went stargazing. It was cold at night, so having the coats was great. We had plenty of bathroom breaks throughout the tour and the 12 hours went by quickly. We also watched some incredible videos about the volcanoes on the trip on a large screen in the van. I would definitely recommend this tour! The tour guide was great, food was great, and we met some new friends along the way!
Aloha and Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience! We are so happy to hear that you had such an awesome day with Mike. It's incredible how fast 12 hours can go by when you're having so much fun! Most people don't realize how cold parts of our island can get, especially in the evening, and we are glad that our parkas helped keep you comfortable while watching the glow from the lava lake in Halema'uma'u and also while stargazing. Mahalo for your wonderful recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/20 |
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WOW! What a wonderful way to start your vacation!
Reviewed by: Randy C., 2016/03/22WOW! We totally enjoyed our 11 am to 11 pm volcano trip on the Big Island, learning about the island's history, Hawaiian stories and the beautiful and amazing sights! Our passionate, energetic tour guide Jim Carey was extremely knowledgeable and prepared for everything (umbrellas, warm jackets, water, hot chocolate and so much more). Jim prioritized in our safety, comfort and having great fun! He hit many of the items on our Hawaii "bucket list" from lava tubes, volcano sights both day and night stargazing, waterfalls, stream vents and so many more stops. I loved being able to sit back and enjoy the whole trip without worrying about directions or driving. As we drove home in the dark in the comfortable Mercedes van, Jim played a wonderful video with the history footage of volcanos eruptions on the island.
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such an amazing day with Jim. He is a wonderfully knowledgeable guide whose hospitality really helps our guests connect with our island while on tour. It's always great to hear that we are helping people check off items from their "bucket list"! That's why we love what we do. Mahalo for your glowing review and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/15 |
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This was a totally awesome tour! I would absolutely recommend it to anyone!
Reviewed by: L. Estrada, 2016/03/21From the pick-up to the drop off 11 hours later, this was an absolutely fantastic tour! Our guide and driver, Jim Carey was so considerate of everyone from kids to seniors, he was totally accommodating and made excellent use of every minute. The van was clean and comfortable and he had anticipated every scenario. He was prepared with umbrellas, binoculars, flashlights, warm coats, hot chocolate and cookies and warm towels to freshen up after a day of adventures and beautiful sights. Jim was so knowledgeable about all things Kona, plants, birds, stars and he even played the Ukuele for us. Volcano National Park was truly awesome and especially at night. I really can't say enough about this tour from reservation to follow up - I could not ask for more. The lunch and dinner were great! So much thought and effort has obviously gone into this tour and Jim's enthusiasm was the icing on the cake. The concierge at the hotel said she could not even touch this tour and highly recommended Kailani Tours. This is a 10 star for sure!
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such an awesome day with Jim. He is a wonderful, knowledgeable guide with so much Aloha to share! His Hawaiiana stories and ukulele playing have quickly become a favorite amongst our guests. We love hearing that you enjoyed all of our stops and treats along the way! Mahalo for the fantastic recommendation and we truly hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/15 |
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Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are delighted to hear that you had such a fantastic time with Chris. He truly is such a passionate guide who always seems to have everything ready at just the right times throughout the day. Mahalo for your wonderful recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!