Reviewed by: Renee H.
We had an amazing time! There is no way we could have seen or learned as much as we did without this private tour! Our guide Lee was fantastic. He was a wealth of knowledge from history to current events and even local legends. Our group consisted of 4 adults who wanted to go and see it all and we did. I highly recommend this tour.
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| Packages: | 12-Hour Private SUV (Up to 7 passengers) |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/10/27 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/10/24 |
Reviewed by: Silas
Thank you to Jork our pilot for an amazing flight. After breakfast, me and my friends hit up the Volcanoes Winery for some wine tasting and then whipped through the Volcanoes National Park to get an idea of what we'd see from the sky before heading to the airport for our helicopter flight. The check-in was easy (I gained a few pounds from all the Hawaiian food I ate, but it was okay) and the ground crew was super friendly. Make sure you get a phone strap if you want to take pics with doors off, or you can't take your phone with you. I really didn't expect a lot but as soon as we were hovering over small lava ponds I cried a little bit. It was so epic - it looked like we were on another planet. The black lava landscape stretched to the horizon. It was cold up there but whenever we got over the bright orange lava spots you could actually feel the waves of warmth, so soothing! We finished with a fly over bubbling pots waterfalls and some of the towns. All the buildings and cars were so tiny and perfect like a miniature model city. Thanks again to Paradise Helicopters and HawaiiActivities.com. Definitely an unforgettable moment on the Big Island. Ah man!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2015/10/14 |
Reviewed by: Samantha
Amanda was our tour guide and she was full of information about the island. She told us stories such as, Captain Cook's story and many facts about the land that we would have never learned on our own. Before we entered the park, we had lunch at the Punalu'u bakery. They have the BEST bread we have ever had!! My husband exclaimed that it was the best tuna sandwich he's ever had and it takes a lot for him to say something like that. We also tried the malasadas (we purchased..fairly cheap around ~3 for 2) and they were very good. When we entered the park, Amanda talked about the different kinds of lava flow and gave us many other facts. She was extremely knowledgeable which is what makes it worth booking this trip. Yes, we could have driven to the park on our own. But, I am thankful we had a guide that was so knowledgeable in such a small group (group of 8 total). She also talked about different trees and plants that we may have never even noticed! The only thing that was a pain was everyone in our group got picked up and dropped off individually, which made for a late night especially when the different driver taking us back did not seem to know the area at all. Our dinner was a buffet but there were not a lot of choices. However, they did have ice cream!
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| Packages: | From Kona & Waikoloa |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/10/04 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/10/02 |
Reviewed by: toni turnham
A enjoyable flight, if they can they take you up to the vent, to try and see lava, which may not always be flowing, the staff are very friendly, organised.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Posted on: | 2015/09/28 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/09/09 |
Reviewed by: KJGS
Go for the Eco star! The viewing windows and space provide an excellent ride. Brandt was a great pilot who gave us an informative tour with funny antidotes. It's the closest feeling you can get to literally flying since it such a smooth ride, felt like we floated over billowing volcanoes and gushing waterfalls. Footage from video at the end had great clips inside and outside the helicopter but was too pixeled and fuzzy to want to purchase, hopefully as technology improves so will DVD. Pics and videos we took ourselves turned out good, even with an IPhone 6 and point and low end point and shoot camera. Take the ride, it's worth it!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/09/23 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/09/18 |
Reviewed by: GeeBee
Now being honest the weather was not good at Hilo, very wet and cloudy. But in spite of the weather the flight did go ahead. I do have to say doors off is definitely the way to go! We flew over several areas of coastline and lava flows and then headed up to the Puʻu ʻŌʻō, again the weather wasn't great but you could see the ground pretty well. Heading up the mountain we saw a small area of fresh lava but it was over in a flash and then we were heading back to Hilo.
Now I fully understand that when weather and visibility are not good you might not see everything but at no point did the pilot state what we would or would not see. Obviously the vent or flowing lava is the main part of the "show" and you keep waiting for that to appear. But it wasn't until a guest asked that we were told that we went as far as we could.
Feel the heat? No we certainly did not.
A word of warning for passengers with longer hair wear a beany or make sure your hair is tied back tight, due to the wind it ended up with my wife's hair being badly knotted around the headset.
Two stars - to be honest only for the fun aspect of the doors off.
It would have been so much better if we were kept informed of the visibility and weather (now on Hawai'i this might not be a normal issue) and what we would be able to see as opposed to not being told anything and not experiencing what the flight was all about and coming away with the slightly cheated feeling.
Would I go again - yes - but I would certainly be asking a lot of questions about the weather conditions, visibility and expected viewing. It is a lot of money to pay, and especially if you are not local to not "Feel the Heat" because why else would you fly "doors off"
In additional I have to say the staff at Paradise were very understanding when we raised our points.
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| Packages: | Popular! Shared Doors-Off Flight [40 mins] |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/09/22 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/09/18 |
Reviewed by: DWAungst
The flight was amazing, but we did not fly from Hilo. When our scheduled time (from Hilo) arrived, the weather was below minimum at the volcano. This was very disappointing since Hilo weather was nice. But, Hawaii weather is very volatile.
We rescheduled for the next day as a "reserve flight" (needed more people to "confirm" the flight). Before the scheduled time, Paradise Helicopters called to say the flight was still only "reserved", but they had an opening in a different, circle the whole island, flight from Kona. They would upgrade me for no additional cost to take that one. We jumped at it.
The flight was amazing. We got to see the whole island, in addition to the volcano and real, live, flowing lava. Our pilot was Koji and he was awesome. The weather over the volcano was mixed, but he was able to navigate through the clouds enough to maintain the FAA rules for height and get us over the actual volcano caldera. Then, we headed for the current eruption points on the southern slopes and saw even more lava in the second vent. Moving further to the new lava fields, he located some live, flow lava. "WOW!!!" is all I can say.
The rest of the flight was great, too. Flying low up the valley on the north shore was wild. Seeing all the waterfalls was also terrific.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/09/21 |
Reviewed by: 匿名さん
Riding a helicopter for the first time and being able to see the faint red lava was a rare and interesting experience. The price was a bit high, but I'm glad I decided to participate.
I had heard that some people get motion sickness on helicopters, but my wife, who is prone to motion sickness, was fine, so that might not be something to worry about.
The footage from the ride can be purchased about 20 minutes after returning, so I bought it as a keepsake (though I haven't watched it yet).
However, I found it difficult to see outside from the middle seat in the back, so I wish they would differentiate the prices based on seating.
初めてヘリに乗ったっていうのと、うっすらながら赤い溶岩も見れたっていうのは、貴重で面白い経験だった。
ちょっと値段は高めだけど、思い切って参加してよかったです。
ヘリに酔うって話も聞いていたけど、乗り物酔いしやすい嫁さんでも大丈夫だったので、そのあたりは心配しなくてもいいのかもしれない。
乗った時の映像が、帰還して20分くらいで購入できるので、記念に買ったみた(まだ見てないけど)。
ただ、後ろの真ん中席だと外が見づらいので、座席で値段を分けてほしいと思いました。
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/09/20 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/06/28 |
Reviewed by: Miked
First helo ride ever and we had the doors off. It was fantastic! Our pilot Rob was great! Would definitely recommend this if you want a close up view of a volcano!
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| Packages: | Popular! Shared Doors-Off Flight [40 mins] |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/09/17 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/09/14 |
Reviewed by: DWAungst
Weather cancelled booked flight. They upgraded me to a whole island tour for second flight next day. Bucket list item checked off - I saw real, flowing lava! Amazing flight. I wanna do it again.
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| Packages: | Popular! Shared Doors-Off Flight [40 mins] |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/09/13 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/09/10 |
Reviewed by: Sheryl
This tour was excellent! I was picked up from the hotel promptly at the time given. The guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. We visited a coffee farm, then went to a black beach to view turtles before heading to Volcano National Park. Lunch and dinner was included and both were good. I had wondered whether doing a tour to the Volcano Park would allow adequate time there, and it was just the right amount of time, staying until after dark to view the lava.
Aloha Sheryl,
Thank you for your kind review! I had a great day with you and appreciate having you on the tour. You also had some great information that you shared with me so thank you! If you get tired of visiting new places and come back to the island please see us again.
Warmest Aloha,
Katie
Hawaii Outdoor Guides
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Posted on: | 2015/08/29 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/08/05 |
Reviewed by: りゅうのすけ
I couldn't fly on the reserved day due to the weather, so I rebooked for two days later, but again the weather was not good. It's sunny in Waikoloa, but the Hilo side was not. On both days, I had watched all the emergency evacuation and safety confirmation videos during the flight, but in the end, a staff member came out from the office and said, "I'm sorry."
Since it's nature, these things can happen. In the end, a Japanese pilot named TOSHI came out and said, "I'm really sorry this time. Please come again next time! We're waiting for you," and he handed me his business card with a refreshing greeting. I was very happy with this kind consideration. I hope to ride in TOSHI's helicopter next year for sure.
予約した日にお天気の関係で飛べず、再チャレンジで2日後に予約しましたが、またまたお天気がNGでダメでした。ワイコロアは晴天なんですけどね、ヒロ側がダメで。両日ともフライト中の緊急避難や安全確認のビデオも全部見終わっていたんですが、最後に事務所からスタッフの方が出てこられて「ごめんなさいね」と。
自然相手ですからこういうこともありますね。
最後に日本人パイロットのTOSHIさんが出てこられて「今回は本当に残念です。次の機会に是非来てくださいね!お待ちしています」と名刺を渡してくださって爽やかにご挨拶してくださいました。こういう心遣い、とても嬉しかったです。来年こそTOSHIさんのヘリに乗せていただきたいです。
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2015/08/27 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/08/01 |
Reviewed by: vcb
Amazing tour and very informative. A great way to see the whole island.
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| Packages: | Grand Circle Island & Volcanoes National Park |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/08/25 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/08/22 |
Reviewed by: Travis
Our guide, Katie was incredible! We had a ton of fun and made the most of our Hawaii Island stay. The entire tour had us learning lots, laughing tons, and in very capable hands. Couldn't recommend enough, sincerely!
Thank you so much! I had a wonderful time with you too! I hope you enjoy many more adventures around the world.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2015/08/15 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/08/12 |
Reviewed by: Kimberley
We went on this tour in July 2015 and absolutely loved it. We were picked up in Hilo by the first of our two tour guides, Neho, who was absolutely brilliant and gave us a detailed, fascinating view on everything we asked about. The black sand beach was gorgeous and inspiring, the history behind the volcanic eruptions was interesting, and the wild chickens were hilarious. Neho was warm, funny, and full of great anecdotes. Then we went to Volcano Park and met the second guide, Amanda, who was calm and knowledgeable. Pele's hair, lava tubes, the different colour of the lava - she had a story for everything.
The tour was small enough that everyone in the van got to know each other and didn't feel like we were on an assembly line. The scenery was gorgeous, and when we finally saw the lit up volcano is was utterly worth it We'd travelled to the Big Island to undertake this tour and weren't disappointed. One point - we were given jackets when we viewed the volcano at night and needed them as it was quite chilly by then, so anyone wearing shorts might want to rethink them after dinner. There were quite a few other tours at the viewing spot and we saw a lot of people wrapped in towels to keep warm. The post-volcano snack was also very welcome.
Overall, we loved it and would recommend it. The volcano needs to be seen at night in order to appreciate the colour - it was fabulous.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a lovely review! We are so happy that you enjoyed your day!! Mahalo!
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| Packages: | From Hilo |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2015/08/02 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/07/08 |
Reviewed by: The Labbe Family
We had the most amazing day ever! Lee (our tour guide) was so informative and engaging with all of us. My 16 and 18 year old loved our day! He asked us what we wanted to do and we did it! For us it was a complete day of learning about the volcanos, lava flow and national forest! Mahalo! We will be back!
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| Packages: | 6-Hour Private SUV (Up to 7 passengers) |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2015/07/29 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/07/13 |
Reviewed by: MaryKL
What a great day on the Big Island. If you travel to Kona make sure to put this tour on your itinerary.
Our guide was Nickels and he was the most knowledgeable young man and very patient and pleasant too. He took us to all of the places you should see on the island and even managed an unscheduled stop to the southern most bakery in the US. Even our teenagers we're attentive and even asked questions. It's a long day(@ 12hours)but I didn't want it to end. We truly enjoyed this tour.
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| Packages: | Grand Circle Island & Volcanoes National Park |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2015/07/20 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/06/24 |
Reviewed by: Chris Golden
Lee was an absolutely amazing tour guide. I would recommend him to anyone going to the Big Island. His insightful and knowledgeable commentary in addition to the beautiful sights are a must see for any visitor. Thank you Lee!!
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| Packages: | 6-Hour Private SUV (Up to 7 passengers) |
| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2015/07/12 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/07/07 |
Reviewed by: Chun-chieh Wang
I enjoy the tour very much. In addition to National Volcano Park, we also visit other interesting places, such as Black Sand Beach and Rainbow Falls. Our tour guide, Walter, helps us a lot and shares much information and living experience and makes this tour so knowledgeable. But there is one thing to remind. If you don't want to have lunch at Volcano House, you should buy your lunch earlier.
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| Packages: | Standard Package |
| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Posted on: | 2015/07/06 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/06/30 |
Reviewed by: moo
It's no surprise that the Big Island is called Hawaii Island! Seeing Kilauea Volcano and Waipi'o Valley from the sky, I was overwhelmed by the greatness of nature and the majesty of the land. While the roads weave through the volcanic terrain and renting a car for sightseeing is a good option, I highly recommend taking an aerial tour, even though it may be a bit costly.
Kilauea Volcano, where you can witness the Earth's breath (smoke) up close, along with the green valleys and various waterfalls created by nature, is truly breathtaking.
You too will surely develop a sense of awe for nature and find yourself immersed in the beauty of Hawaii Island.
Unfortunately, I couldn't understand much of the guide's commentary due to the foreign pilot, but just watching the scenery from above made the 40 minutes fly by, and I had a wonderful time.
ハワイ島が、ビッグアイランドと云われるのは当たり前です!!
空からのキラウエア火山とワイピオ渓谷を見て、自然の偉大さ、
大地の雄大さに圧倒されて、大変感激しました。
縦横に道路が火山大地の間を縫ってつなっがていて、レンタカー
で観光するのも良いかと思いますが、多少費用は掛かりますがぜ
ひとも、空からの遊覧観光をお勧めします。
地球の息使い(噴煙)が目の当たりに観えるキラウエア火山、自
然が作った緑の渓谷や流れ落ちる様々な滝とその滝壺。
あなたもキット自然に対する畏敬の念を持ち、ここハワイ島に溶
け込むことになってしまうことでしょう。
惜しくも外人パイロットのため、ガイドの内容はあまり理解出来
ませんでしたが、空からの景色を見ているだけで、40分あまり
がアッと過ぎてしまい、大変楽しみました。
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/06/28 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/05/30 |
Reviewed by: Andrea
Very knowledgable about the history and local culture. Fabulous time!
Aloha folks! Mahalo for such a wonderful time together discovering the beauty of Nature and the wonderful Hawai'i Is;and.......
Blessings, Lee
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| Packages: | 6-Hour Private Van (8 to 14 passengers) |
| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2015/06/27 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/06/23 |
Reviewed by: Leung
Excellent experience, learned a lot about Hawaii culture, especially pleased to taylor making to cope my cruise departure time. In addition, the guide was flexible to bring us to the local fruit market to buy papaya and see the turtles.
Thank you so much for your comments! We always thrive to make our guest's Hawaii vacation the most memorable. Our itinerary can be flexible to meet your interest and comfort.
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| Packages: | 6-Hour Private Van (8 to 14 passengers) |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2015/06/21 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/06/09 |
Reviewed by: Jo Kozlovski
We had the best time on the tour. Great places, foods and experiences - first time snorkelling! Katie was super cool and knowledgeable - she felt like a friend not a tour guide. Thankyou :)
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/06/09 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/06/03 |
Reviewed by: J. Ford
It was worth every penny to get to fly over the lava fields. Grant, our pilot, has over 30 years experience piloting. He knows the area well. "Luxury" flight only allowed for 4 passengers so there was plenty of room and we all had a great view. We were also given the opportunity to ask the pilot all kinds of questions regarding the lava fields and surrounding area. I highly recommend this activity. Very much a highlight of our trip.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2015/06/02 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/05/25 |
Reviewed by: ykt
I participated alone. It was about a one-hour aerial walk in a small four-seater helicopter. It was a very valuable experience since it was in a place that you absolutely cannot see from the ground. However, it was a bit disappointing for me since all the explanations were in English and I couldn't understand them. You can take unlimited photos, and they also do a commemorative photo at the end, so it became a great memory.
一人で参加しました。
4人乗りの小さなヘリコプターで約1時間の空中散歩でした。地上からは絶対に見られない場所なので非常に貴重な体験でした。
ただ説明が全て英語なので聞き取れない私には少し残念でした。
写真も撮り放題だし最後に記念撮影もしてくれるので良い思い出になりました。
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | キラウエア火山と壮大な自然遊覧(2017年12月14日までのご参加) |
| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Posted on: | 2015/05/16 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/04/22 |
Reviewed by: K. Hayes
I would definitely recommend the doors off experience to the doors on. You are able to get much better pictures and video, in my opinion. There were only a few active spots for us to view, but our tour guide answered most of the questions we had and explained a lot about the landscape. The waterfalls were beautiful- I would recommend hiking to them if you are staying in Hilo for more than a day.
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| Packages: | Popular! Shared Doors-Off Flight [40 mins] |
| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Posted on: | 2015/05/11 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/04/14 |
Reviewed by: Justine Z
It was my first vacation to the Big Island of Hawaii and I booked a full day circle tour with Wasabi Tours with my boyfriend, in order to get acquainted with the island's landscape and popular destinations. Our tour guide, Kala, was absolutely phenomenal! Not only did he show us all of the beautiful sights and landscapes that the island has to offer but he was also an encyclopedia of information! You could ask Kala almost anything about the island and he would almost certainly have the answer. Kala was a historian, a geographer, a geologist, a horticulturalist and even a sociologist all in one! He was a great story teller! Kala was also extremely hospitable, professional, warm, and inviting--right from the start to the end of the tour!Somehow he managed to keep enthusiastic for the 10+ hour long day. Kala mentioned he used to work in the high end resorts in the North Shore and you can really tell that he did, as he provides extremely professional service. He really went out of his way to make sure the guests were all getting the most out of the experience. When we learned the lava was really high in the Volcanoes National Park, Kala made a few separate attempts to return to the site, as the grounds were extremely steamy that particular day. He REALLY wanted us to see the lava, but it is so sad to say the weather did not cooperate that particular day despite Kala's greatest efforts. Despite this bad luck, we were fortunate enough to see all the other beautiful sites that Wasabi tours promises to take you! Finally, to top the day off, Kala knew how much I wanted to see some of the Hawaiian Honu (sea turtles), and he found me some of those as well! Overall, Wasabi Tours does a really great job preparing a fun and informative day for guests. Ultimately, a big thank you to Kala for keeping us entertained and showing us around the tropical paradise of Hawaii!
Mahalo!
Justine & Sam.
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Grand Circle Island & Volcanoes National Park |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/05/03 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/04/26 |
Reviewed by: Marsha
We had a great time flying over the volcano and seeing how lava makes an island. A very good way to see the vast flows. As on Kauai, the staff at Blue Hawaiian was great. They know their island and their love of it shows.
| Rating: | |
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/05/01 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/04/26 |
Reviewed by: Tim and Jan
The helicopter ride and seeing the volcano steam pots was amazing! Wish we could have seen the waterfalls closer though.
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Popular! Shared Doors-Off Flight [40 mins] |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2015/04/28 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/04/20 |
Reviewed by: Harpers in Texas
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters & former Marine Pilot Greg are the best! Little nervous about 1st time in a helo but there was no need to worry! Ride was smooth , sights were amazing, pilot was very knowledgable & informative.
| Rating: | |
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2015/04/14 |
| Activity Date: | 2015/03/19 |
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We are so glad you enjoyed the day with us! Amanda is certainly a gem! We do apologize that our evening driver was not as familiar with the entire island as we would like her to be. She is a new member of our team and is doing her best to learn about the various drop offs on this Big Island of ours, but we trust her safe driving and courteous manner. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a lovely review.