All Reviews for Top Big Island Sights & Attractions

During this season, they appear in various places, so we were able to see them from all directions on the boat. Along the way, they submerged a microphone in the water, allowing us to hear the whales' calls.

Baby whales frequently jump, so if you can identify the area where they seem to be, you can stand by and catch a glimpse of them jumping. However, for safety reasons, they maintain a certain distance, so you can only see them from relatively far away. It would be good to have binoculars; I brought a 10x pair and was able to see quite well.

To board the boat, you take a small boat from the sandy beach and transfer to a larger boat a little offshore. Flip-flops or going barefoot is recommended. On the boat, you can get drinks (canned juice or Mai Tai) and snacks (chips). There is no shade on the boat, so make sure to take precautions against sunburn. The interior of the boat isn't very spacious, so it's best to keep your luggage to a minimum. Most people were nearly empty-handed except for their smartphones.

時期的にあちこちで出現しますので、船の全方向で見ることが出来ました。
途中、マイクを海中に沈め、クジラの鳴き声も聞かせてくれます。

子鯨が頻繁にジャンプしますので、大体あの辺にいそう、というのを見極めてスタンバイしてるとジャンプなど見れます
ただ、安全のため一定の距離は取っているので比較的遠くでしか見ることはできません
望遠鏡などあると良いと思います。私は10倍のものですが、持参してよく見ることが出来ました。

船の乗船は砂浜から小さなボートにのり、少し沖にある船に乗り換えます。
ビーサン、裸足がオススメです。
船ではドリンク（缶ジュースか、マイタイ）、スナック（チップス）がもらえます。
船上は日除無いので日焼け対策はしっかりしましょう。
船内もそんなに広く無いので荷物は最小限にした方がいいです。
みなさんスマホ以外ほぼ手ぶらでした。

Alisha and Chloe were great. This was a lot of fun despite the rain. Be prepared to get muddy though.

After getting accustomed to the body, we enjoyed watching the sunset at the summit. The sea of clouds stretched as far as the eye could see, changing from white to orange as the sun set. It was a calm and peaceful scene with no wind.

Then, we descended a bit to enjoy stargazing. There were explanations about the Southern Cross and various constellations, but what surprised me the most was seeing artificial satellites with the naked eye. We also spotted a few shooting stars.

The guide took photos with their own camera and sent them to us, and when they captured us, a shooting star happened to be in the frame, which was moving. The guide was fluent in Japanese and showed great attention to detail, making us feel very well taken care of. Thank you very much!

身体を慣らしてから、山頂でのサンセット見学。見渡す限りの雲海が白からオレンジ色に染まって行き、太陽は沈んでいきました。
風もなく、静かで穏やかな景色でした。
それから少し山を降りて、星空鑑賞。南十字星やいろいろな星座の説明もありましたが、1番驚いたのは、人工衛星が肉眼で見えたことです。流れ星も何個か見れました。
ガイドさんがご自身のカメラで写真を撮影し、送ってくださったのですが、私達を撮影した時、偶然、流れ星も写っていて感動でした。
ガイドさんは日本語堪能で日本人という感じの細かな心配りをしてくださいました。本当にありがとうございました。

First, we watched the sunset sinking into the sea from the boat before entering the water. That alone is worth seeing.
Then, when I actually jumped into the sea and held onto the float, I saw a manta ray swimming gracefully. With its mouth wide open... it was truly moving!
I was initially warned not to touch them, but there were moments when they passed so close that I was scared I might accidentally touch one. Although manta rays are not always visible, I was healed by watching them swim slowly with their bodies larger than mine.

まず、海に入る前に船上から海に沈む夕日を見学しました。それだけでも見る価値があります。
そして実際に海に飛び込み、フロートを握りしめていると‥マンタが悠々と泳いでいます。口を大きく開けて‥それは感動物です！！
触らないように、と最初に注意事項を説明されたのですが、本当に目の前ギリギリを通ることもあり触ってしまいそうで怖かったです。常にマンタが見える訳ではありませんが、自分より大きな身体をゆっくり動かし泳ぐマンタに癒されました。

Our captain was awesome so was our server Faith… captain Michael!

I participated in a night snorkeling tour with manta rays at Manta University, with transportation provided from Hilton and Kingsland. There was no Japanese interpreter, so I had to rely on observation to navigate the night sea. At first, the water was murky and I couldn't see anything, and it was cold, but I was thrilled when the manta rays appeared, illuminated by the lights. I managed to check in for the tour, snorkel in the night sea, and handle video streaming after disembarking, all through gestures, and I had a great experience even at over 60 years old.

ヒルトン、キンクスランドから送迎付きで、マンタ大学夜学部、野生野マンタナイトシュノーケリングツァーに参加。日本語通訳おらず、見よう見まねで夜の海へ。最初は水が濁って何も見えず、寒かったが、ライトに照らされたマンタの出現で感激。ツアーのチェックイン、夜の海でのシュノーケリング、下船後の動画配信等身振り手振りでなんとかこなし60過ぎていい体験をしました。

Everyone is posting only positive things, so I would like to share a negative experience. My wife and I, a couple in our 60s, participated in this trip. Both of us enjoy mountain climbing back home and climb mountains close to 3,000 meters every year, so we thought we would be fine at Mauna Kea, which is 4,205 meters high. However, after staying at the summit, my wife's condition quickly worsened; she began to experience numbness in her hands and feet and her complexion became poor. Fortunately, with oxygen provided by the staff, she improved, but she still felt the effects until the following morning.

Since we are climbing a significantly high mountain, I recommend considering the risk of altitude sickness before participating.

皆さん、良い事ばかりを投稿していますのであえてネガティブな投稿をさせていただきます。
家内と二人で参加した60代の夫婦です。二人とも本国では登山が趣味なため3,000メートル近い山に毎年登っており、今回のマウナケア4,205メートルでも大丈夫だと思っていました。ところが、頂上に滞在後家内の体調がみるみる悪くなり手足に痺れが出始め顔色も悪くなりました。幸いスタッフの方による酸素投与で良くなりましたが翌日の午前まではダメージがありました。
　かなり高度な山に登りますので高山病のリスクが必ずある事を考えて参加する事をお勧めします。

They arrived on time to pick us up. All the tour participants were Japanese, and they provided guidance in Japanese. The explanations were very easy to understand.

After acclimatizing at the Onizuka Center, we headed to the summit of Mauna Kea. It was quite cold at the summit, and although we brought our own cold weather gear, we borrowed some as well. There were a few clouds, but we were able to see a beautiful sunset. After watching the sunset, we did some stargazing at an altitude of about 3,500 meters. It was a bit cloudy, which made it hard to see, and that was a bit disappointing.

時間通りお迎えにきてくれました。ツアー参加者全員が日本人であり、日本語でのガイドをしてくれました。非常にわかりやすい説明でした。
オニズカセンターで、高地順応をした後、マウナケア山頂に向かいました。山頂はかなり寒く、防寒具を持っていってましたが、防寒具をおかりしました。少し雲がありましたが、きれいな夕日を見ることができました。夕日をみたあと、標高3500mくらいのところで、星空観測を行いました。若干、雲があり、見にくかったのが、残念でした。

My mother wanted to participate, and I hoped we could see at least a manta ray... but we were able to enjoy it to the fullest. Thank you to all the staff who were attentive to my elderly mother. Special thanks to Captain Trevor, Diego, Scott, and Tamae!

母が希望し、参加しました。少しでもマンタが見られたらいいな‥と思っていましたが、存分に楽しむことができました。高齢の母に細やかな気配りをしてくださった、スタッフの皆さん。Trevor船長はじめ、Diegoさん、Scottさん、Tamae さん、本当にありがとうございました！

Cousin Dave from Roberts Hawaii our tour guide was great, has an awesome sense of humour.
Visiting a Kona Coffee house, trying the different types of Kona coffee was educational. Also the macadamia fruit cake samples yummy .
The sacred refuge of Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park so peaceful. Standing on the black sand beachfront beautiful.
Next stop was St Benedict’s Painted Church dating back to 1899, still standing and used for mass. Stunning.

Our guide for the tour was Grover. What a wonderful, knowledgeable kind man.
Volcano National Park is beautiful and lush with an abundance of plant life. Stunning scenery of the volcano and caldera.
Learnt so much about volcanoes, how they have formed, how they behave with earth tremors/quakes, eruptions and the that island continues to grow because of them.
Grover spoiled us by taking us to a couple unplanned locations such as the Lava Tubes, Rainbow Falls and Steam Vents
Highly recommend this tour and especially if you’re lucky enough to have Grover as your tour guide.

The atv was basically a track on a large piece of property- nice view but guess we had expected a ride to woods to a waterfall. The waterfall view is best from the gift shop but it was fun to swim in their river. Didn’t feel like we were really out in nature.
My husband wanted to go faster on the atv- but it was fine for me as a newbie and more cautious person. The guides were very nice. It was overall ok- but very pricey for the experience we thought.
********************

The trip into Waipio Valley was among the highlights of our trip to Big Island. Easy check in process with sweet and friendly receptionist.
Our driver and guide was informative, kind and truthfully, really fun to hang out with!
The cultural experience was terrific and the scenery was incredibly beautiful!
Thank you so much! I will recommend this adventure to anyone heading to the Big Island!
Mahalo nui loa!

Thanks to the Japanese guide, I was able to enjoy the experience without any difficulties! Although it was an 80% moon, the starry sky was beautiful, and at the summit, I witnessed the sunrise rising above the sea of clouds, which was a precious experience!

日本語ガイドのおかげで終始不自由なく過ごせました！80%の月でしたが、星空も綺麗に見え、頂上では雲海に登る太陽と朝焼けが見え、貴重な経験でした！

Our guide, who was born & raised in the valley and still lives there, was amazing. We learned a lot about the day-to-day lives and history of the people in the valley. He was so friendly, welcoming & willing to answer any and all questions. He pointed out local birds & stopped to grab & show us a chameleon from a tree & paused again when a group of wild horses joined on the road. Also, the parking & check-in process were super easy plus the shop had bathrooms, several cute gift options and snacks/coffee available for purchase.

It was nice. The staff enjoyed educating on your surroundings The staff were very friendly and attentive. If you're looking for a fun time.... I wouldn't call it fun... nice and relaxing is what it was. We realized on this trip that this was geared more for kids and elderly.

About 60 km from the hotel in Waikoloa, after passing Honokaa and driving for a while, we arrived at the ranch, which took about an hour. We hopped into a two-person buggy and started our adventure. First, we drove through the mountain course, encountering ducks, cows, and horses for an hour. After returning to the office, we took a break and enjoyed freshly picked pineapple to recharge, then spent the second hour on the coastal course. We could switch drivers at any time, which added to the thrill. On the way back, we were satisfied after eating the famous Malasada at Tex Drive In.

ワイコロアのホテルから約６０ｋｍ、ホノカア過ぎてしばらく行くと牧場に到着、約1時間のドライブでした。2人のりバギーに乗り込みスタート。まずは山岳コースでアヒル、牛、馬と出会い、1時間ドライブ。事務所に戻り休憩、取り立てパイナップルを食べて鋭気を養い、後半は海岸コースを1時間。ドライバーの交代は随時可能でスリル満点でした。帰りはテックス・ドライブインで名物のマラザダを食べて満足しました。

the waterfall swim after really sealed the deal, our family had a great time!

Wonderful island and volcano views from above, they make sure to take you up when sights will be great!

beautiful colorful hawaiian fish, and awesome sea cave day!

be prepared to get extra dirty, however this is the cost of extreme fun!!

Great little trip into the ocean to view coral reef and fish! Beautiful clear blue water. Staff very knowledgeable. Loved it!

Great show, standing in a buffet line. A little tiring, food was great

My wife and I were treated to a magnificent drive down the unusually steep road into Waipio Valley in the early afternoon of Thursday, 4/18/24. Our tour guide Kaleo is a great young man who has lived in this unique place for most of his life; he grew up here. Kaleo was friendly, very knowledgeable, and very hospitable. He led us to several spectacular sites including waterfalls, lush foliage, and flowing streams. One could readily sense the tremendous power and majesty of this valley. We will treasure the opportunity we had to visit here. Our tour was for 1.75 hours. We HIGHLY recommend taking time to experience this great tour!

Fire performance was as the cool kids say these days....fire!

The buffet food was better than average. I go to Hawaii every year and we always do luau. This was the more memorable ones. Dessert buffet table was really good too.

It was my husband's birthday and we wanted to do something special for him!
This celebration and event was perfect and one we will never forget. The staff, atmosphere, entertainment and food were all spectacular! We loved it and recommend everyone goes for an unforgettable, lovely evening!
Thank you so much!

Brian, Colleen and Joel Ruggiero

I highly recommend this company and their tours for their service and convenience. Each member of the crew was attentive and full of advice, facts about the area, and all clearly loved their jobs. The dock was easy to get to, no walking for miles to find an out-of-the-way pickup location. Finally, the food was delicious and it was nice not to have to bring my own. Same with the snorkeling masks and the sunscreen.

[Reviewed by HawaiiActivities.com Staff]

My husband and I were looking for a romantic way to cap off our week in Hawaii, and this was the perfect cruise for us. We were looking for something “quintessentially” Hawaiian and what is more iconic than a sunset dinner cruise? We are also both big history buffs, so we booked this tour based on the descriptions about the knowledgeable captain and crew, and they did not disappoint! They were full of commentary and stories about their island, and very patient answering all of our stupid questions. Mahalo and aloha, wish we could stay there!

[Reviewed by HawaiiActivities.com Staff]

This tour is wonderful. Waipio Valley is an incredible place, and the tour guide (who grew up in the Valley and lives there still) was phenomenal.

Pickup at the parking lot behind IGM.
The tour was conducted with just seven Japanese participants. We then met up with a couple at the Onizuka Center. The lively conversation led by Stephan, who grew up at Yokota Air Base in Japan and is known as "Suu-san," included fun chats, preparations for the tour, and important points to note, and before we knew it, we arrived at Onizuka S. We took a break to acclimatize to the altitude. Although the weather forecast looked questionable, we were hopeful since it was reported that the sunset at the summit of Mauna Kea was visible yesterday despite the clouds.
As sunset approached, the weather turned ominous, and we waited in the car, but a snowstorm hit, leading to a recommendation from the ranger to descend. Along the way, we saw several broken-down vehicles, but with Stephan's never-give-up spirit (laughs), we stopped at a stargazing point to wait for a break in the clouds.
We observed Saturn and M87 through a telephoto lens, and with a DSLR, we captured images of Orion while enjoying sandwiches and cocoa.
We took photos of couples in the dark, and there was so much to enjoy. We headed back, hoping to see the sunset next time.
I felt lucky to enjoy the tour without language barriers since it was exclusively for Japanese participants.
I've already seen the sunrise, so next time I want to complete the sunset experience.
Thank you, Stephan!

IGMの裏手駐車場にてピックアップ。
日本人のみの7人で催行。さらにオニヅカセンターでカップル2人と合流。スーさんこと日本の横田基地育ちのステファンの軽快な日本語によるたのしいおしゃべり、ツアーに向けての心構え、注意点なども含めてのトークでオニヅカSまではアッという間に到着。高度順応も兼ねての休憩。天気予報は怪しかったが山頂に雲がかかっていた昨日もマウナケア山頂でのサンセットは見られたということで、期待して山頂へと向かう。
日没が近づくにつれ、雲行きが怪しくなり車内で待機したものの吹雪となり、レンジャーによる下山勧告。途中、何台かの故障車を観ながら移動、ステファンのネバギブ精神(笑）で途中の星空観測ポイントで晴れ間を待つ。
晴れ間からの土星、M87を望遠レンズで、オリオン座など目視、一眼レフでの撮影をしながらのサンドイッチとココアでの食事。
暗闇の中のカップルの撮影、、、いろいろ盛りだくさんあって、とてもたのしめました。今度は是非、夕日を見られたらと思いつつ帰路につきました。
日本人のみの催行で言葉に気兼ねなく楽しめてラッキーでした。
サンライズはクリア済なので次回はサンセットをコンプリートしたいです。
ステファン　ありがとう！