All Reviews for Top Big Island Sights & Attractions

Went on the tour with our pilot Carl, who was very knowledgeable and friendly and fun. Showed us many interesting sites and found glowing lava on one of the flows. It was really a great experience!

When we arrived at Sheraton's Point, we saw the shadow of a manta ray and immediately jumped into the water, but it never showed up. We held onto a flat rope while waiting, but it swayed with the waves and moved below, so it wasn't much support. Eventually, I grabbed onto the board directly. I was only breathing through my mouth, swaying up and down and side to side, and after half of the people got seasick and gave up to return to the boat, a few manta rays finally passed by, and that was the end of it. I chose a company that allows you to participate again if you don't encounter manta rays, but since I did see a few, I consider it a graduation of sorts. People who participated with two other companies on the same day said, "As soon as we got in the water, a manta did a flip right in front of us," and "We saw so many," which made it even more disappointing that we didn't have a day with manta rays. There were clouds on the horizon, and we were unlucky enough not to see the sunset, which was highly rated in the reviews.

シェラトン沖のポイントに着くとマンタの影が見え、すぐ海に入りましたが、その後一向に現れませんでした。
平たい紐に掴まって待ちますが、波にユラユラ漂うし下にも動くので支えにならず、途中からボードに直接掴まりました。
口呼吸のみで上下左右に揺られ続け、半数の人が気分が悪くなりギブアップして船に戻った後、ようやく数枚のマンタが通過して行き終了。
マンタに遭遇出来なかったら再度参加出来る会社を選びましたが、一応見られたので卒業。
同じ日に別の2社で参加した人達は「海に入るや否やマンタが鼻先で宙返りした」「いっぱい見られました」と言っており、マンタがいなかった日ではない所がさらに残念です。
水平線に雲が懸かっていて、クチコミで評判の夕日さえ見られないという運の悪さでした。

I arrived at the port an hour early and while I was walking in the beautiful park by the coast, I was able to see two sea turtles basking in the sun. I highly recommend it. There was apparently only one manta ray, but it was amazing how it flipped and came right in front of me multiple times.

1時間早く港に着いて海岸にあるきれいな公園を散歩してたら甲羅干ししてるウミガメ2匹を見ることができました。おすすめです。マンタは1匹だったらしいですが、宙返りして何回も目の前にやって来るのがすごかったです。

It was mostly cloudy, and unfortunately, we could hardly see the sunset or the starry sky. The tour guide was bright and cheerful, which was satisfying. However, we couldn't win against nature...

ほとんどが曇っていて、夕陽をはじめ星空はほとんど観測できず、残念。添乗員の方は、明るく元気で満足。ただ、自然には勝てず・・・。

Very beautiful. Did the self guided and enjoyed itverymuch

If you have the opportunity to visit Hawaii and the big island is on your agenda, the tour to the top of Mauna Kea is a must do !! The journey up and down the mountain is exhilarating, the views on the way up, stunning and the views from the top at sunset - unforgettable!!!!
Of course the weather gods can have their say and you could be unlucky.
Very impressed by the capability of our driver Joe who also made our star gazing even more memorable with his explanations and knowledge. You will leave with an impression of how “special” it is to visit the top of Mauna Kea and with an understanding of why the Hawaiian people see it as a place to be treated with respect

It takes a long time to get on the horse. We went down the valley in a four-wheel drive vehicle, and it was quite an old car! The engine warning light was on, which was a bit scary.
The horses are well-trained, so it's safe. Even beginners will be fine.
Also, you can't go to the bathroom for about three hours. Just a heads up. Plus, the bathroom you can use before that is really dirty!

馬に乗るまでが長い。渓谷を四駆で下っていきます。しかも結構年季の入った車！エンジンの警告灯がついていたし、ちょっと怖かったです。
馬は調教されていて安心です。初心者でも大丈夫です。
それから3時間くらいトイレに行けません。注意です。しかも、その前に行けるトイレめっちゃ汚い！

This was my second time at Mauna Kea. I barely managed to see the sunset, but unfortunately, I couldn't enjoy the starry sky. During my first visit to Mauna Kea, I was blessed with good weather and was able to fully enjoy the sea of clouds, the sunset, and the starry sky, which I realize now was very lucky.

2度目のマウナケアでした。サンセットはかろうじて見れたという感じでしたが、星空は残念ながら拝むことができません。はじめてのマウナケアは、天候に恵まれ、雲海も、サンセットも、星空も満喫できたのは、とてもラッキーだったのだと…

I didn't expect manta rays to come so close. I was told not to touch them, but it felt like the manta rays were bumping into me!

こんなに近くまでマンタが寄ってくるとは、思いませんでした。触らないように言われましたが、マンタの方からわたしに体当たりしてくるような感じでした！

I was very moved to encounter the whales swimming majestically! I thought the size of the boat and the number of people were just right, not too many and not too few. I definitely want to participate again.

雄大に泳ぐクジラに出会えて、とても感動しました！船の大きさも、人数も多すぎず、少なすぎず、ちょうど良いと思いました。ぜひまた参加したいと思います。

Mr. Matsuzaki greeted us with high energy in the welcoming car. He kept us entertained during the ride, making it a fun tour. We were blessed with great weather and enjoyed the wonderful views, and he explained the stars clearly using a laser pointer. He also shared various information about Hawaii, which made it truly enjoyable. Thank you very much.

お迎えの車でいきなりのハイテンションの松崎さん。
車内でも楽しませてくれて楽しいツアーでした。
天気にも恵まれて素晴らしい眺望を堪能して、星の説明もレーザーポインターでわかりやすく説明して下さいました。
ハワイの情報も色々と教えて下さり本当に楽しかったです。
ありがとうございました。

You can only have this kind of experience in Hawaii. It's just so close! In fact, we encountered them several times. As soon as we turned on the LED lights on the SUP boards for everyone to catch, the mantas came right over.

It was like a scene from an aquarium. They are just so big. They swim by really close with their mouths open, eating the plankton attracted by the light. They are about the size of two people, which is a bit scary.

By the way, before reaching the mantas, we also got to see a very beautiful sunset.

It was a thoroughly satisfying tour!!

こんな体験はハワイしかできない。とにかく近い！というか何度か当たりました。。
そしてマンタと遭遇するタイミングが早い早い。みんなで捕まる用のSUPボードのLEDライトを点けるとすぐにマンタが寄ってきました。
水族館で見るような光景。とにかく大きい。光で集まったプランクトンを食べているので、口を空けたままめちゃ近くをすれ違います。人間二人分くらいの大きさかな。ちょっとこわいくらい。
ちなみにマンタの場所に到達する前にとても美しい夕日も見られます。
色々大満足なツアーです！！

I encountered a large number of dolphins—countless, really. On this day, I was lucky to spot dolphins right after getting on the boat. We swam with them for about an hour without moving. The dolphins jumped and were very playful.

In the water, some were sleeping while others were active; the active ones would come up to the surface and then swim close to us repeatedly. The sleeping ones floated in deeper waters. The sound of the dolphins chirping could be heard all around, making it a truly precious experience.

This tour might be canceled soon, but I’m really glad I was able to participate. By the way, even if you can't swim, they provide flotation devices, so you can still join. If you go to Hawaii, you definitely should do this! Lastly, thank you so much to the captain who took us back and shared various things about Kona.

大量のイルカちゃんと遭遇。数え切れないくらい。。
この日はラッキーで船で移動してすぐにイルカと遭遇しました。そしてそのまま移動することなく１時間程泳いでました。
イルカもジャンプしてくれたり、サービス精神旺盛です。
水中は寝てる子と活動してる子がいて、活動してる子は気ままに水面に上がっては近づいての繰り返し。寝てる子は深いところでプカプカ。
イルカのキュイキュイという声があちらこちらで聞こえていて、とても貴重な体験となりました。
もしかしたらもうすぐ中止になってしまうかもしれないツアーですが、参加できて本当に良かった。
ちなみに泳げなくても浮具を貸してくれるので参加できます。ハワイにいったら絶対やったほうがいいです！
最後に、帰り送っていただいた船長さん、コナのことも色々教えて頂いて、本当にありがとうございました(*^^*)

We arrived early with the rental car, applied sunscreen, and were fully prepared! However, despite that, my calves and the back of my thighs got really sunburned from snorkeling. Among the dozen participants, we were the only Japanese couple. We traveled by speedboat and arrived at the snorkeling spot, where the water was clear and there were plenty of fish. We had sandwiches for lunch and moved a little, but during the second snorkeling session, there wasn't much change since we only moved a few hundred meters, which was disappointing. On the way back, we stopped at several places eroded by waves, and the captain explained everything in English, but we were completely lost. We also encountered a pod of dolphins, and the dolphin jumps were heart-melting.

レンタカーで早めに到着、日焼け止めを塗って準備万端！
それでも、シュノーケルの体制から、ふくらはぎから太もも
の裏がメチャ焼けました。
十数人の参加者の中で、日本人は私たち夫婦のみ
スピードゴムボートで移動し、シュノーケルスポットに到着
透明度も良くお魚もたくさんいました。
お昼にサンドイッチを頂き少し移動、二度目のシュノーケルでしたが、
数百メートル移動しただけなのであまり変化無しでそこは残念でした。
帰りは、数か所波で浸食された場所で止まりキャプテンが説明
もちろん英語で、私たちはチンプンカンプン((+_+))
イルカの群れにも会えドルフィンジャンプに胸キュンでした。

I waited for several minutes at Manta Spot, holding onto a surfboard with a light and grip. I spotted a manta ray on the ocean floor! It was far and dark, but then, just once, the manta ray approached quickly while showing its belly! That was the only time I saw it. I was surprised by the number of divers on the ocean floor compared to the manta rays.

ライト付きサーフボードにグリップが付いた物につかまりマンタスポットでひたすら待つ事
数十分、海底にマンタ発見！遠いし暗いし・・・と思っていたら一度だけお腹を見せながら
マンタが急接近！！それっきりでした。
マンタより海底にいるダイバーの数にビックリでした。

I can't give a feedback regarding Doors-on because we changed it at the last minute. Of course we paid the difference, but it worth it. Actually, after flying without doors, I could said that I wouldn't take the Doors-on option: the whole perspective is incredible and with doors that view wouldn't have been possible...ok, maybe warmer than withoug doors, but that's it.
However, it would habe been nice to be informed that the middle seat it's only for people who are not so tall: my girlfriend really REALLY wanted to be at the window seat, and I gladly would have given it to her, but it was not possible due to my height. We were told about this the moment before boarding. She was really dissapointed.

Its was a great tour as advertised, Pick up was on time. and Gordon is a good driver, friendly, take good cares of everyone. He and his buddy provided a great service for the entire tour. This is a great tour to take if you are just visiting big island for vacation. We were traveling light, dont want to prepare winter cloth. the tour provides what we need on the mountain. It was one of the best tour we took in big island. definitely will do again~~

The day before and the day before that, I heard that no dolphins were seen at all. However, contrary to my worries, many dolphins appeared! The baby dolphins were tiny and adorable! There were many honeymooners, including us. Since the sun is strong while moving on the boat, it's better to have a rash guard or something similar.

前日、前々日はまったくイルカが見られなかったと
お話に聞きながらのスタートでしたが。
不安をよそに沢山のイルカか現れてくれました！
赤ちゃんイルカはちっちゃくて可愛かった！
私達ふくめ、ハネムーナーが多かったです。
ボートでの移動は日差しが強いので、
ラッシュガード等あったほうがいいです。

This was my several visits to the Big Island, but I had never been to Mauna Kea before. One reason was my concern about altitude sickness, but after participating for the first time, I felt that worry was unnecessary. Certainly, some caution is needed, but the staff provided thorough explanations, and as long as you follow their instructions, you can enjoy a wonderful sunset and beautiful stars without any worries.

Climbing to over 4,000 meters for the first time gave me the illusion of being on another planet rather than Earth. I believe this is a sensation you can't experience anywhere else.

既に数度目のハワイ島でしたが、これまでマウナケアには行ったことがありませんでした。ひとつには高山病への心配もあったからですが、初めて参加してみて、その心配は不要だったと思いました。確かにある程度の注意は必要ですが、スタッフの方が丁寧に説明してくださり、その指示にさえ従っておれば、基本的には何の心配も無く、素晴らしい夕日と、きれいな星を堪能できます。
初めて4000メートルを超える高地に登り、地球ではなく、他の惑星に居るような錯覚を覚えました。これは他では体験できない感覚だと思います。

The natural beauty and relaxed atmosphere of the Big Island of Hawaii were wonderful. I enjoyed the tropical island's eternal summer. The sunset from the summit of Mauna Kea felt like the orange sun sinking into the sea of clouds happened very quickly. In the dark night sky, the mysteries of the universe were illuminated by countless stars and the Milky Way, making me realize that Earth is just a small speck in this infinite universe. I am grateful to the Big Island of Hawaii for all the emotions it has given me.

ハワイ島の大自然と落ちつきあるゆったりした街。南国の常夏の島を楽しみました。
マウナケア山頂からの夕日は、雲海に沈むオレンジ色の太陽がとても早く感じられました。
また暗闇の夜空には、宇宙の神秘たくさんの星・天の川が天空に輝いており、地球もこの無限の星の仲間であり、改めて宇宙の大きさ、広さ、地球が宇宙では小さな一粒であると感じました。
たくさんの感動を与えてくれる島・ハワイ島に感謝します。

My husband and I did this for the first time and we had a truly wonderful experience! Kevin was a great guide! He was helpful, kind, informative and thoughtful by taking photos and suggesting what to do and what not to do to get the best experience. We loved the snorkeling and the sea cave experience! I did get nauseas so I suggest you bring an antinausea medication, also unfortunately we didn't see the dolphins. But other than that we loved it!!

I participated in the local gathering plan at Manta University. We met at Honokohau Harbor, located between Kona Airport and Kailua-Kona. That night, the highlight was Keauhou.

There were handles attached around a surfboard with blue LED lights underneath, and as I held on and floated, mantas repeatedly approached and circled to feed on the plankton attracted by the lights. It was incredibly impressive.

I was told not to touch them, but the mantas came so close that it felt like I could reach out and touch them. They approached so many times during the 30 minutes that I lost count, so I was very satisfied. I heard that on some days they might not show up at all, so I must have been lucky.

マンタ大学の現地集合プランに参加。
コナ空港とカイルア・コナの間にあるホノコハウ港集合。
その夜のポイントはケアウホウ。
下にLEDの青いライトのついたサーフボードの周囲に取っ手がつけられていて、それを握って浮かんでいると、ライトに集まるプランクトンを食べにマンタが何度も近づいてきては旋回。
すごい迫力です。
触ってはいけないと言われていましたが、マンタの方から触れそうなほど近くまで来きます。
30分間に数えられない回数マンタが近寄ってきたので大満足です。
日によっては全くいない時もあるそうなので、運が良かったようです。

This tour allows you to spend most of the itinerary in a car while heading to see the sunset sinking into the sea of clouds at your feet, so even if you have some concerns about your physical fitness, you can participate with peace of mind. I was captivated by the guide's careful and interesting stories, making the time to the destination fly by. It seems that the tour can be affected by the weather, but fortunately, we were blessed with good weather on the day of participation, and despite it being a half-moon, we were able to enjoy a sky full of stars, which was fantastic.

ほとんどの行程を車で過ごして、足元に広がる雲海に沈んでいく夕陽を観に行けるツアーなので、多少体力に不安があっても安心して参加できます。ガイドさんの丁寧で面白い話に聞き入ってしまい、目的地までの時間もあっという間に感じました。天候に影響されるツアーではあるようですが、幸い参加日は天気に恵まれ、半月にも関わらず満天の星空を眺めることもできて最高でした。

We had a great time, and really enjoyed the entire experience. We we lucky and had manta rays barrel rolling right up to us for most of the time we were in the water. The captain and staff were friendly and knowledgeable. And the snacks were a nice treat after getting out of the water. Hope to do it again!

This was an amazing trip. We had a smooth ride out to the Sheraton and saw a beautiful sunset.
Then we got our snorkels and masks and got in the water. We all grabbed the handrail on the kick board and gotntowed out to abgood spot. We ended up joining up with other groups to form a "buffet line". Th manta rays came through eating plankton doing barrel rolls so close I thought they were going to brush our faces with their wing tips!
I highly recommend this tour group. They're super friendly and are very good at what they do.

The helicopter ride was amazing! We took the Circle Island tour. Colin was our pilot and he was really informative and made it a really fun experience.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this activity to anyone.

As a family who loves snorkeling, we brought our own gear from Japan to join the tour!

The other passengers were of various ages and nationalities, including quite an elderly gentleman. For beginners, they provided thorough instructions on how to wear the mask, which was reassuring. However, all the explanations were in the captain's fast-paced English. (laughs)

We snorkeled at two spots, depending on the sea conditions. The first location was near the Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park. There were many large coral reefs and a variety of colorful tropical fish! It was such a beautiful spot that we lost track of time.

The second spot was about a 20-minute boat ride away, where lava from Kilauea flowed into the sea decades ago. There were large, round rocks that had cooled and solidified, making it a fun place to explore the terrain. There, we spotted sea turtles! We watched them from a distance so as not to disturb them. Seeing the turtles swim was like watching them soar through the sky, which was incredibly soothing.

When the captain called out that it was lunchtime, we got back on the boat to find smoke rising from it. We enjoyed a buffet-style hamburger lunch with beef patties and chicken grilled by the crew, along with fresh vegetables! It was surprisingly delicious, far exceeding our expectations! The homemade taro chips on the side were also very tasty.

As everyone reluctantly left the sea, the boat headed back to the dock. Along the way, we spotted a pod of dolphins and took some time for dolphin watching, and we made a quick stop at the Captain Cook monument before returning.

The tour lasted about five hours, but time flew by so quickly that we even discussed going again during our stay! (laughs) It was an incredibly satisfying tour! I will definitely participate again when I visit the Big Island!

シュノーケル好きの私たち親子は日本からマイ器材を持って参加！

ほかの乗船客は年齢も国籍も様々。
かなり年配のおじいちゃんもいました。
シュノーケル初心者の方にはマスクの付け方などのレクチャーもしっかりしてくださり安心。
ただし説明はすべて船長の早口な英語です。（笑）

シュノーケルポイントは海況を見て2箇所。
1箇所目はホナウナウ国立歴史公園の近く。
大きなサンゴの棚がたくさんあり、色とりどりの熱帯魚もたくさん！
時間を忘れてしまうほど美しいポイントでした。

2箇所目はさらに20分ほどボートを走らせ、先ほどとは一転
何十年か前にキラウエアからの溶岩が海に流れ込んだと言う場所。
冷えて固まった大きな丸い岩がゴロゴロと落ちており、地形を楽しむようなポイントです。
そこではウミガメたちを発見！彼らの邪魔にならないよう、遠くから見つめていました。
ウミガメが泳ぐ姿はまるで空を羽ばたいているようで、とても癒されました。

船長からランチタイムだぞー！と声をかけられ海から上がると、船からもくもくと煙が。
船員さんが焼いてくれたビーフパティやチキンと一緒にフレッシュな野菜を挟む
バイキング形式のハンバーガーランチ！
これが予想をはるかに超える美味しさでビックリ！
サイドの自家製タロイモチップスもとても美味しかったです。

皆が海を名残惜しんでいるところでボートは桟橋に向けて出発。
途中イルカの群れを見つけてしばしイルカウォッチングしたり、
キャプテンクックのモニュメントに寄り道したりしながら戻りました。

5時間ほどのツアーでしたが本当にあっっと言う間に時間が過ぎ、
滞在中もう一回行っちゃう？と話題が出たほど（笑）大満足のツアーでした！
またハワイ島に行った際は絶対に参加します！

First time going on a snorkeling tour and it was a blast! Beautiful boat and weather! The crew kirk and Kyle were amazing hosts. Could not ask for a better experience!

.......only spoilt by the lack of DVD afterwards. Apparently the inflight DVD recording didn't work - totally gutted, as this was an absolute one off for us from Down Under.

We headed to Manta Point by boat, and there were many boats that seemed to be on similar tours. I was moved to see large mantas several times.

マンタポイントまで船で向かいますが
同様のツアーらしき船が沢山います。
大きなマンタが何度か見れ感動
しました。