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All Reviews for Mauna Kea Summit Adventures & Stars in Big Island
Overall Rating
Reviews
Mauna Kea Summit Adventures Sunset & Stargazing Guided Tour with Transportation
Absolutely THE best land excursion!
Reviewed by: Analiese Kennedy
I know, I know, everyone likes to use the words “best” “amazing” “trip of a lifetime” THIS excursion IS absolutely THE best trip you will book! It may seem a little pricey, but the time, care, and knowledge that our tour guide Travis invested in our group was top of the line!
First of all, do not underestimate the “cold” warnings. It was frigid, cold to the bone so, dress appropriately! If you have a beanie, bring it for this trip.
Secondly, be prepared for the potential that the actual road up to the summit may be closed. Our group (along with 15 others) was told the road was closed and we would not be able to drive to the summit. Travis was able to talk with another tour operator (friends are good) and together they got the rangers to open the road for us last minute!! Yay!
Okay, so let’s talk dinner for a second. They served a vegetarian lasagna that was to die for most of my family are hard core meat eaters, so i was surprised at how quickly they snarfed it all down and EVERYONE commented on how “great” it was Make sure to bring your own water bottle (there is fresh water at the first stop) or whatever you want to drink.
Once we hit the road to climb the summit, the road was definitely an “off road” experience. Lots of major bumps but totally fun . The drive up was spectacular, so have your camera ready. The view from the top will blow your mind. Take a lot of pics and enjoy!
Then on to stargazing. Totally over the top and way exceeded my expectations! Travis had his own telescope that was a high end piece of equipment to say the least! He has so much knowledge that he was eager to share. We even got to see the once in a lifetime “green” comet he spent at least an extra hour with us up there when all the other tour operators were leaving. It was truly the most memorable experiences of my life! Mahalo to the entire team that i know has to work hard behind the scenes for this…my entire family is so grateful for the experience
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2023/02/09 |
| Activity Date: | 2023/02/07 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Unforgettable Experience
Reviewed by: Jason
Bundle up and enjoy one of the most unique experiences in Hawaii. The tour ran in a very timely fashion starting with the pickup time and getting to all the sites on site. Our guide was very informative but didn't overwhelm us with information either. The view of the sunset and stargazing just speak for themselves. Nothing short of spectacular and definitely a worthwhile experience.
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2023/01/07 |
| Activity Date: | 2023/01/04 |
Mauna Kea Summit Adventures Sunset & Stargazing Guided Tour with Transportation
Outstanding Star Hazing!
Reviewed by: Jen & Dion
Travis was phenomenal. Knew so much about the island as well as space facts. Definitely worth the price and time.
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/12/25 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/12/23 |
Mauna Kea Summit Adventures Sunset & Stargazing Guided Tour with Transportation
Outstanding experience!
Reviewed by: GapC
Arthur gave us an incredible experience. With his knowledge of geology and astrology plus history of island we learned more than we expected. We felt we could not have asked for more in the planetarium and stargazing. The telescope was an exception experience. I will be recommending your company.
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2022/11/29 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/11/25 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Nice trip but operational mistakes
Reviewed by: TravelCouple
It was nice and cold at the summit, but the provided clothes helped a lot. Guide was informative although not nice. The bus to the top is very old and has a poor seating arrangement of mostly rows of three, so couples will be separated. Additionally, if you are separated on the way up, the guide will specifically force you to be separated on the way down in order to preserve your initial seats.
I have an egg allergy and specifically requested egg free food, yet the sandwich I was provided had mayonnaise and I was left with no other options.
The summit was a nice tour but I would recommend a different company. The other buses we saw were much nicer.
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/11/24 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/11/21 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Worth it!
Reviewed by: Kara
Gorgeous stars holy goodness!!!! It is cold but they have some bundling clothes
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2022/11/22 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/11/10 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Thanfkul for this experience
Reviewed by: Kara
Awesome evening all guided, pick up and drop off back near the hotel, very awesome tour
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/11/21 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/11/12 |
Mauna Kea Summit Adventures Sunset & Stargazing Guided Tour with Transportation
Easily the best tour guided experience we've ever done!
Reviewed by: Samantha Creamer
This tour was AMAZING from start to end. Yes this is a pricer tour to book; however, you truly get a ton for your money. This is a long event; we got picked up at 2pm and back around 10pm. The pickup location was very convenient right in Kona Town. You are provided a solid dinner, dessert, and hot beverages while stargazing. You get to sit back and relax during the drive and enjoy the wealth of knowledge from the tour guide. Speaking of, our tour guide Art was absolutely outstanding! He was knowledgeable, approachable, and entertaining. Also the star-gazing area is private to tours and had a high level telescope for easy viewing. We were fortunate enough to see a really big shooting star during our viewing. We were also provided super warm parkas which was great because it is quite chilly at the summit. I could go on and on about this tour but I would 100% book this again and personally recommend this specific tour to family and friends.
P.S. Did we say how amazing Art was?!
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| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/11/21 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/11/12 |
Mauna Kea Summit Adventures Sunset & Stargazing Guided Tour with Transportation
My wife and I summit in Hawaii
Reviewed by: Greg
The tour was everything we hoped for. Fernando was a fantastic guide, knowledgeable about Hawaiian history, religious significance of Mauna Kea and stargazing.
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/11/19 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/10/30 |
Mauna Kea Summit Adventures Sunset & Stargazing Guided Tour with Transportation
Well worth it
Reviewed by: Paul
Well worth the money since getting up to the site is nearly impossible logistically for a rental car. More importantly, our guide, Gage, was so exceptionally knowledgeable on everything from astronomy to Hawaii geography.
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2022/11/15 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/11/13 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Stefan Was Amazing
Reviewed by: Kara
Stefan waited after others had left, and got us the most amazing photos and memories. Thank you to Stefan for caring for the guests.
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/11/10 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/10/31 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Highly recommended!
Reviewed by: Laura Simmons
It was a fantastic tour! From the ease of meeting the guide at a local pick up point, the his knowledge of the islands, the geography, and of course the telescopes and sky, to the use of parkas, pants and gloves... it was a wonderful experience! We went on an almost full moon night so only the brightest of stars were visible, but we were still able to see Saturn and Jupiter through their telescopes. Dress warm... and have a great time!
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| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/11/08 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/11/06 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Great experience, highly recommend.
Reviewed by: Jocelyn
Stefan was a great guide and we loved how he made a concerted effort to make sure that we got some amazing photos with the sunset and stars.
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| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/11/07 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/10/31 |
Mauna Kea Summit Adventures Sunset & Stargazing Guided Tour with Transportation
Book with other tour group
Reviewed by: Hilohannah
Have done this tour 5 years ago with a different vendor. Was much better with other tour group but did not recall who it was when I booked this trip. Things I did not like about this tour:
1. Was not notified I could have been picked up in Kona. So we drove over an hour when we did not have to. Another couple drove all the way to the visitor center for the same reason 2. Dinner was marginal at best. 3. Star viewing from the visitor center parking lot?? Are you kidding me? Why? Light pollution, less clear skies..what a joke. I lay that blame on the tour guide, Maka. 4. Guide is not passionate about astronomy but he can be a good guide at times. Sadly, as the night wore on so did his personality. 5. Gloves were only proffered when a man complained. Hand them out with the coats.
Bottom line: do the tour but with a different group.
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/11/03 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/11/01 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
beautiful clear night for magnificent sunset and breathtaking star gazing
Reviewed by: Sharon
Had a wonderful experience at the top of Mauna Kea watching the sunset, followed by star gazing at a private location.
Very accommodating, lots of pics taken for us and very informative about the dormant volcano as well as Hawaii and the observatories. Coats and mitts were available when the temp dropped with the sunset.
The choice was ours to make as to pics we wanted taken, where and when to have our dinner snack and what we wanted to see in the night sky.
A few improvements would be to have a more comfortable van. This van was not comfortable to ride in for the trip to the top and back. Additionally, the photography equipment and additional telescope equipment should be added and improved.
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/10/25 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/10/14 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
A stunning moment - a must have lifetime experience
Reviewed by: Faye
The guide is friendly and informative. He can speak fluent English and Japanese. He provided the needed equipment for the trip and took nice photos for us. We’ve had unique and amazing lifetime experience by standing on the top of the world (count elevation from the seabed) and watching the stunning sunset and moonrise. Unfortunately, the full moon was so bright and we couldn’t clearly see the Milky Way. Overall a must have one and I will recommend do it with a guide as first time as some unexpected situations could happen if you are not fully prepared.
Warning: some people might feel faint and uncomfortable or fall asleep due to elevation
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/10/01 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/09/09 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Would recommend this tour!
Reviewed by: Dan Ohio
Awesome tour! Stephan was amazing. Very knowledgeable about the island, Mauna Kea and the stars. We would definitely recommend. Everything was as advertised and even more!
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| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/09/22 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/09/20 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Amazing
Reviewed by: Ashley
Absolutely amazing, a once in a lifetime experience made easy through this tour group. Easy to accommodate our special pickup needs, kind and knowledgeable guide. It was a guided tour, but plenty of time to wander and explore on our own. The stars and cocoa were amazing and the photos were first class that we received!! Highly recommend!!!! This was my sister's favorite activity during our week long Hawaii stay!!
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| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2022/08/31 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/08/26 |
Mauna Kea Summit Adventures Sunset & Stargazing Guided Tour with Transportation
Amazing Experience
Reviewed by: Merritt Hillman
My wife and I did this tour on our honeymoon. We come from the Midwest US and have not ever really been able to see many stars hence our booking this trip. The pickup location was convenient, the tour guide friendly and informative, and the experience overall was enjoyable. Would recommend to anyone going to try and book this tour as it was fun and definitely worth it.
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| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/08/27 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/08/05 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Amazing. : very well organized, Nice spot, Nice pictures, stars gazzing was incredible. Thé guide was so awesome!
Reviewed by: Catherine
Super condition. Great guide very helpful to get thé good pictures spot and take also excellent pictures with vis dedicated caméra.
Tour well organized with amazing star gazzing.
Flexibility for thé pick up localisation
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| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2022/08/22 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/08/17 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Incredible tour
Reviewed by: Rainer
We have been extremely lucky with the weather and our guide Stephan. He made a fantastic job and created a memorable event for us. THANK YOU!!!!
The stargazing was unbelievable. We have never seen so many stars in the sky and Stephan explained all of them - ok, most of them .
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2022/08/13 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/07/21 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Enchanting Evening!!
Reviewed by: Neena Samant
What an evening!
The whole experience from booking to drop off at was seamless. The guide was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic to share his knowledge. He also gave an idea of the Big Island’s topography.
The main attraction is worth the money and the time you will spend. We went in a clear day and the sunset was spectacular. The guide gave a fantastic guided tour of the telescopes, the sky, the stars and the constellations.
He patiently took pictures of all the tourists and I’m immediately airdropped them.
In all a must do trip. Big shout out to the guide.
Helpful
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/08/13 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/07/19 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Awe Inspiring
Reviewed by: Adam
This was a great trip, seeing the views from 13,000 feet, watching the sunset above the clouds, and the star gazing with a knowledgeable guide, all made for an awesome trip.
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| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/08/11 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/08/09 |
Mauna Kea Summit Adventures Sunset & Stargazing Guided Tour with Transportation
Memorable and breathtaking!
Reviewed by: A.Packard
My husband and I absolutely LOVED this excursion. Our tour guide was so incredibly kind and knowledgable. We loved learning about the history and culture surrounding the mountain during our ascent. The dinner provided was delicious. The sunset on the summit and the stargazing was other worldly. We will never forget it!
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| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/08/08 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/07/07 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Manua Kea and star gazing
Reviewed by: Chris Fischer
Wes and his partner did an awesome job. Wes was very professional and gave alot of information about the tour and the history of Hawaii. His partner is an amazing photographer. I would highly recommend this tour company
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| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2022/07/26 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/07/24 |
Mauna Kea Summit Adventures Sunset & Stargazing Guided Tour with Transportation
Really great experience
Reviewed by: Steph
Great knowledgeable guide, Fernando made the long drive up to the summit with a bunch of volcano facts and stories about the Hawaiian history. Absolutely breathtaking views at sunset in the summit. Followed by stargazing, we were told about and shown all the constellations, saw some shooting stars, the Milky Way and Saturn
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| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/07/24 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/07/22 |
Mauna Kea Summit Adventures Sunset & Stargazing Guided Tour with Transportation
Gazing at Stars
Reviewed by: Moma Jen
We really enjoyed our adventure with Mauna Kea Stargazing Tour. Our guide, Maka, was excellent: entertaining, polite, knowledgeable, etc. He was extremely quick and calm when responding to a high altitude emergency when we reached our high altitudes. I was impressed with the Veltra company with their constant updates, emails reminders, and phone call reminder. I gave "Good" review because it was very cloudy and the star gazing was limited. I would book through this company again and I would do this tour again too.
Helpful
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/06/06 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/05/10 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner - Hawaii Forest & Trail
More than just beautiful!
Reviewed by: Ryan R
This was our first trip to the Big Island, so of course we wanted to see the summit at Mauna Kea. Our tour guide was Justin- and he was tremendous. He met at pickup location a couple minutes early. He provided a clear outline of what the day would include- and he held to it very closely. On the way to our first stop, He provided a great narration of the volcanic and mythological history of the island. After dinner (and acclimating to elevation for a while) we headed further up the mountain- the safety discussion was very calming, but helpful. The view from the summit was SPECTACULAR. About 10-15 minutes before the actual sunset, sneak to the back side of the area up there, and the SHADOW of Mauna Kea on the clouds looks like another mountain. I am fairly well-travelled, and this was a first for me! After that, we went down to the Start gazing station, and got to see some really cool stuff. Justin's knowledge was superb, enough to engage with a couple college students in our group that studied Astronomy at school. Very impressive. Truly, a great way to see a unique and beautiful piece of the Big Island! Many thanks!
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| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Summit Sunset & Stargazing Adventure |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/06/04 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/06/02 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Go see the telescopes
Reviewed by: Polly
Stefan is a cool guide and got us safely up and down Mauna Kea. It was very cold so I appreciated the ski pants as I came with my own gear and it wasn't enough. The night we ascended was very cloudy so unfortunately no stargazing for us but I mainly wanted to see the telescopes and that was otherworldly. Stefan gave some interesting facts about the telescopes that was appreciated and we got lucky to speak with one of the NASA scientists while up there. There was no rush and we were allotted plenty of time to take pictures and take breaks as the altitude will creep up on you. We were told we'd be refunded $100 for the cloudy skies and I received the refund a couple days later. The sandwich wasn't the best but it was appreciated while up there.
Helpful
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Posted on: | 2022/05/29 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/05/18 |
Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide
Wonderful experience
Reviewed by: LJLW
This was a fantastic tour to the Summit. Stephan, tour guide, was very knowledgeable and accommodating. He even took pics for us on his own camera to share with us. This is not to be missed when you are on the Big Island. Highly recommend!
Helpful
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2022/05/08 |
| Activity Date: | 2022/04/28 |
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