(All Reviews) Page 2) Black Sand Beach (Top Big Island Attractions), Big Island tours & activities, fun things to do in Big Island | HawaiiActivities.com

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All Reviews for Black Sand Beach in Big Island

Overall Rating

4.90 4.90 / 5

Reviews

190 reviews

Twilight Volcano Tour with Stargazing, Black Sand Beach & Coffee Farm

Amazingly jaw dropping views of the volcanic eruption with a very knowledgeable and patient guide

Reviewed by: Gitika, 2023/01/07

Todd was great, he went out of his way to make it a great experience for us. He set up his own telescope for the group to get a good look at the stars and moon. He was very knowledgeable and extremely patient. We were also lucky enough to catch the eruption making the trip really great

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2023/01/06
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

Must Do Tour! Best Part of Our Trip to Hawaii!

Reviewed by: Erika & Nate, 2022/12/06

Wow! This tour was absolutely amazing from start to finish. Our tour guide, Bryce, was one of the most knowledgeable persons I have ever met. He knew so much of the history and culture of Hawaii and told us so many in depth stories with a lot of detail. He also has extensive knowledge in almost every topic known to man and can easily talk about any topic for hours—literally! This tour was super long but so worth it. Bryce kept us entertained the whole time while driving from place to place. The volcano was spectacular to see in both the day and the night! In the day, you get to enjoy the vastness of the volcano and see all the steam vents. In the night—wow nothing will ever beat that experience—the most stars you will ever see in the night sky and the lava flow was unreal! So unbelievably cool. This really was the best tour we have ever been on—amazing sights, fun times, and extremely informative! Highly recommend!

Comments from activity operators

Aloha Erika and Nate,

Thanks for your review, we're so glad you enjoyed it! Bryce is a wealth of information for sure, and we're lucky to have him as a guide. You're timing was great for the eruption, we're so glad you were able to see it live! We hope your time on the island was amazing!

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

The best tour we had in Hawaii!

Reviewed by: RnJ, 2022/12/05

We had a great time! The whole tour was packed with well thought out stops.
Our guide Chris was a wealth of information on the history and culture of the island. We could not have asked for a better guide. He was engaging, attentive and professional. He never tired of the countless questions we had.
The coffee farm was the perfect setting for a quick lunch. The views were absolutely beautiful!
The dinner was nice and cozy and gave us a chance to get to know our fellow riders.
The night sky was incredible! Living in a city, we forget what the night sky really looks like beyond the skyscrapers and light pollution. Thank you for a great and for us, a very memorable tour!

  • Hiking Trail

  • Coffee Farm

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/11/13
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Big Island Highlights Tour - Volcano, Waterfall, Black Sand Beach, Coffee & Wine

Amazing Event

Reviewed by: Kara, 2022/11/21

You see everything on this tour!!! Delicious coffee!!

Comments from activity operators

Thank you Kara! We hope you had a wonderful experience and that your time on the island was amazing!

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/11/13
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

Well-rounded tour

Reviewed by: Cathy Barbieri , 2022/11/05

I must admit I almost didn’t book this tour because of the duration. I’m so glad we did though!! This tour was a fantastic blend experiences. Our guide was super knowledgeable and kept us engaged in conversation just enough. When we had stops to explore the coffee farm, black sand beach, lava tube, nighttime lava flow. None of the stops felt rushed or lingered too long. I would highly recommend this. It was one of the best experiences we had on our trip.

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/10/10
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

Awesome experience

Reviewed by: Anish, 2022/11/02

Dylan was a fantastic guide! He put an interesting spin on the whole tour, and he taught us a lot about the geology of the island as a whole. Every part of the tour was great. The coffee farm had a wonderful view, the bakery was great, the beach was very unique, and the volcano + hike were really cool. The fact that they'd brought a telescope made it even easier to see the laval.

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/10/14
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

Very good - great guide!

Reviewed by: Laura , 2022/10/16

The tour was a lot of fun! Kona Joe's has a great view and good coffee, stopped here for lunch included in tour. Then went on to the bakery at South Point for a Malasada. I don't recommend waiting in the line for purchasing anything else. The malasadas are called in so you don't have to wait, but the line for other items was super long and you can buy their bread in grocery stores. Then to the black sand beach - very cool to see and we saw a sea turtle in the beach! Then on to Volcano Park for a quick tour and to see the caldera and steam vents. On to the lodge for dinner, which was pretty good. I don't recommend the broccoli Cheddar soup and they only had ranch dressing for salads. The blackened catch of the day was great! Then to the lava glow - where our tour guide PJ brought a scope for a better look. It was very cool, but not as close as I thought we'd be so it's not a bright red like in the picture.
But the tour guide was the best part - full of information, fun to talk with and really looked out for his guests! I'd recommend!

Comments from activity operators

Aloha Laura,
Thank you so much for your review! We're glad you enjoyed PJ, he's a wonderful guide. We appreciate your recommendation!

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/10/13
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Big Island Highlights Tour - Volcano, Waterfall, Black Sand Beach, Coffee & Wine

Fun!

Reviewed by: Kara, 2022/10/12

Jumped over to Bg Island for the day and this tour hit it all! Great experience

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/09/23
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

All day volcano.

Reviewed by: David/Ofelia , 2022/10/09

I have to say, the the experience from the beginning was very impressive. Bruce, the tour guide reached out to everyone, he was very intelligent and very knowledgeable of all things we were doing. Bruce made sure everyone in the tour was taken care of, feed, and having a great time. At the volcano Brice made sure everyone in the group was safe and having a good time . We have been on many tours in the past and this by far was the most enjoyable tour we have ever taken. Thank you Brice for all you did.

David and Ofelia
Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Comments from activity operators

Aloha David and Ofelia,

Thank you for posting your review! We appreciate you taking the time to do so. Bryce is a special guide and we're lucky to have him on Team Kailani! We hope you enjoyed your time on the island!

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/10/02
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Evening Volcano Tour from Hilo - Kalapana Village, Black Sand Beach & Dinner

Big island Tour

Reviewed by: Georgie, 2022/10/09

We had a great time on the tour. The description about black sand beacb was misleading we did t go there since it’s not anywhere near hilo but We got to see lava rocks, lava tubes and learned a lot about the National park and plants located on the island! Definitely recommend the tour

There is some hiking (up to 2 miles round trip) involved so definitely wear comfortable shoes and bring a jacket

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/10/06
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Twilight Volcano Tour with Stargazing, Black Sand Beach & Coffee Farm

Jammed Packed with Goodness

Reviewed by: Saunders 2022, 2022/09/30

This tour was jammed packed with fantastic activities and good information. Todd was our guide, and he was filled with lots of good information on the area and language. He is definitely the one you want around for star gazing as he has a formal education in astronomy. One word of caution--bring warm clothes and jacket! You are going to a higher elevation with trade winds, and it gets cold!! (even on the van)

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/09/28
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

Expert guide and attention to detail

Reviewed by: Bruce, 2022/09/27

We were going to see a volcano, and our guide went to the University of Hawaii with a degree in geology and volcanology. I didn't even know the latter existed!

Grant's knowledge was only exceeded by his enthusiasm. The tour provides everything you could think of - two types of jackets if you come unprepared, flashlights to make the short hike (really a walk) safe at night, glow lights to wear so we don't lose each other.

The meals were well prepared at our two stops for them. The van we rode in was luxurious.

Thanks to the sighting scope Grant set up, we had close-up views of the labs lake and spewing lava

A great tour, not to be missed!

Comments from activity operators

Thank you for your review, Bruce. Grant is a wealth of information for sure! We're so happy you enjoyed your time on the Deluxe Volcano Experience. We hope you enjoyed the rest of your time on the island as well!

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/09/25
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Big Island Highlights Tour - Volcano, Waterfall, Black Sand Beach, Coffee & Wine

Best tour ever!

Reviewed by: KellyB, 2022/09/19

Our driver was mike and he was awesome! The bus was a luxury bus with limited passengers. Mike was funny and personable and treated us like royalty. Set us up for breakfast and lunch, provided snacks and drinks, cold cloths and hot cloths when needed. Made sure we all got our Portuguese donuts without having to wait in line. Just all around awesome! The back sand beach and the crater on the volcanoes were amazing as well as walking through the lava tube. I 100 percent recommend this tour to anyone

Comments from activity operators

Aloha Kelly,
Thanks for posting a review, and we're thrilled you enjoyed your Big Island Circle Tour experience! Mike's awesome, so happy you thought so too. We hope you enjoyed the rest of your time on the island as well!

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/09/16
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Big Island Highlights Tour - Volcano, Waterfall, Black Sand Beach, Coffee & Wine

Awesome Day

Reviewed by: Kara, 2022/09/15

Filled with amazing views and places along the way. It really hits so many must dos on Big Island- worth every penny!

Comments from activity operators

Aloha Kara,
Thank you for your review! We appreciate your feedback and hope you had a wonderful time on the island!

Rating:
Attended as: Friends
Activity Date: 2022/09/08
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Big Island Highlights Tour - Volcano, Waterfall, Black Sand Beach, Coffee & Wine

Well Worth Experience

Reviewed by: Kara, 2022/09/05

Really gives you the full island experience you would wish for while on Big Island!

Comments from activity operators

Thank you so much for your review Kara! The aim is to show guests a bit of each district, since it's so diverse from region to region.We're thrilled you enjoyed the tour!

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/08/30
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

Good guide

Reviewed by: Koko, 2022/08/20

What a guide!!
He was so kind and his talking was amazing

Comments from activity operators

Thank you for touring with us and we are so happy you liked your guide! We hope you enjoyed the island!

Rating:
Attended as: Families
Activity Date: 2022/08/17
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

Fantastic tour with great tour guide!

Reviewed by: Michelle Matheson, 2022/08/15

Derek was awesome! This was a great way to see a lot in one day. Started out with amazing views at a coffee farm. Derek set up a nice picnic lunch there (turkey sandwich, bag of chips, and a delicious cookie). After that we went to the southernmost bakery in the United States. Malasadas were provided (either passion fruit or original) and you had the option to purchase any additional if you wanted. Then we headed to the black sand beach where we saw a turtle. It was beautiful there. After that we head to volcano National park where we saw some steam vents and some awesome views and then volcano house where they have an incredible views of the crater. We had dinner after that at Kilauea Lodge. The food was good and the service was excellent. Surprisingly we had live entertainment too (although we were told that was rare). Then we went on a mile walk in the dark to see the lava. Really flat and easy walk for the most part. The end is mostly rocks but not bad at all. Derek provided jackets, flashlights and had a telescope set up to enhance the views and we were lucky enough to have a very active night. Highlight of the trip!! Then we walked back and headed back home. Throughout the day there's a lot of driving but derek keeps everyone entertained with lots of stories about Hawaiian history and the geology of the islands. I found it all fascinating. The ride home is a bit longer ( 2 1/2ish hours but Derek put on a movie which made the time go by fast). We also stopped on the way home and were able to do some Star gazing. Throughout the day Derek provided water and drinks and snacks so we had everything we needed at all times. Overall it was the best tour we've ever been on. Highly recommend and well worth the price! Derek was the best!

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/08/13
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Twilight Volcano Tour with Stargazing, Black Sand Beach & Coffee Farm

Amazing and so much fun!

Reviewed by: BRob, 2022/08/15

This tour was truly an amazing experience. We had the best guides, Mesha? and Todd. They are very knowledgeable and made the tour so much fun. We enjoyed all of the activities that were included in the tour and the food was delicious. If you are considering adding this to your to-do-list, you will not be disappointed. I highly recommend this particular tour and company. I hope that you have as much fun as we did.....enjoy!

Rating:
Attended as: Friends
Activity Date: 2022/08/10
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

A dream come true

Reviewed by: Marchelle, 2022/08/07

Grant was amazing. I enjoyed his jokes, enthusiasm, love, and care for the island. I hope he continues to stay blessed on this island and continues to do what he loves happily. Thanks, Grant and Deluxe volcano tour for giving me my money's worth. Everything you needed was provided and you don’t need to spend any more money because they feed you well. I could brag all day about this tour because everything about it was amazing!! If you're going to Kona book this tour with Grant!! He is knowledgeable and will make it worth it!! Mahalo

Comments from activity operators

Aloha Marchelle,

Thank you for your kind words about our Deluxe Volcano Experience Tour and Grant, our senior guide. We're glad you enjoyed the tour and the way in which Grant conducts the tours. He is enthusiastic about his work and it shows! Thank you again for posting a review, we hope you had a wonderful time on the island!

Rating:
Attended as: Families
Activity Date: 2022/08/05
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

Awesome experience!

Reviewed by: Stephanie, 2022/08/03

This tour was awesome! We would certainly book this excursion again. It was so nice to stop at the Coffee farm and learn about the interesting way they grow the coffee beans- beautiful scenery as well. Black Sands beach was amazing, so unique and picturesque. The nightcap was the best of all, seeing the volcano and its red glow..... truly amazing and something we will never forget. I definitely have to commend our tour guide, Derek, who was spectacular. He was very knowledgeable and I could tell he really enjoyed teaching us about the island and things we experiences and saw along our tour. Definitely a must do when you come to the island.

Rating:
Attended as: Families
Activity Date: 2022/08/01
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

Wonderful trip

Reviewed by: Maiya, 2022/07/26

We had a great time with the deluxe volcano tour. Gary was professional, knowledgeable, nice and took a very good care of us and everyone in the trip. We had a yummy lunchbox and tasty three courses dinner with the nice ambiance. Lava flow at night was amazing. Thank you so much. Recommended!!

Comments from activity operators

Aloha Maiye,

Thank you for recommending our Deluxe Volcano Experience tour, we really appreciate it. Your timing was impeccable to be able to see the eruption at Kilauea at night. It's a once in a lifetime experience for most folks and we're glad you experienced it! Gary is an awesome guide and thanks for giving him a shout out! We hope you enjoyed your stay on the Big Island.

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/07/24
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Big Island Highlights Tour - Volcano, Waterfall, Black Sand Beach, Coffee & Wine

Great tour and awesome energy!

Reviewed by: Alyssa, 2022/07/14

If you are looking for a tour to give you a quick peak at some really fun spots with a ton of information this is the tour to take. Thia is phenomenal and gives you a ton of extra information like her favorite food spots, Beach spots, or any kind of recommendation you could be thinking of. She was so knowledgeable, engaging, and took extremely great care of our group. Couldn’t recommend it more!

Comments from activity operators

Aloha Alyssa,

Thank you for your review, we greatly appreciate it! We are proud of our tours and the guides who take care of our guests on tour. Thank you for your recommendation!

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/07/12
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

Fantastic Tour!!!

Reviewed by: Cortney, 2022/07/05

Overall this tour was the highlight of my trip to the big island (night swimming with mantas came in a close 2nd). It was super interesting and well paced. Our guide, Derek, really made the trip: he was informative, jovial, and generally lovely without being too jokey or overly pedantic, which really hit the tour guide sweet spot! I was solo, but this trip could work for anyone, families, couples, whomever. There is very little walking (a mile or 2), I might’ve actually preferred a bit more, but it made the trip very accessible to people of all ages and abilities

The sights:

Seeing a bubbling pool of lava was naturally the highlight. Most tours come in the day time, when we would’ve seen essentially nothing but steam. Our guide brought a telescope, so even though the activity in the volcano was pretty low key we could see spluttering and bubbling! The coffee plantation (orchard?) was a nice buzzy start to a long day. The black sand beach was ok

A well thought out experience:

The van was large and comfortable. Bathrooms were placed often enough that I didn’t have to avoid hydrating despite my tiny bladder. Enough food and snacks to keep everyone happy. Flashlights and jackets were provided, which was crucial!

Bring:
Long pants/sweatshirt - microclimates mean that it can be super hot in Kona and misty and cool at the park.
Binoculars - though the telescope was awesome, it would have been even better to have my own so I would t have to share.
A real camera - my iPhone 13pro was fine, but with such beauty, it’d be nice to have something with a little more control!

  • LAVA

  • Steam & Sulfur vents

  • Chameleon at the coffee farm

  • Black sand beach

  • GIANT fern!

Comments from activity operators

Aloha Cortney,
Thank you so much for posting your review, we really appreciate it! Your timing was impeccable, being here when the volcano was erupting. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for visitors, we are thrilled you were able to witness it! Derek is awesome too, you're right, he's such an amiable guide. Again, thank you!

Rating:
Attended as: Solo Travelers
Activity Date: 2022/07/03
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Big Island Highlights Tour - Volcano, Waterfall, Black Sand Beach, Coffee & Wine

MUST do for Big Island Hawaii!

Reviewed by: J Slayton, 2022/06/29

This is a MUST do if you're going to the Big Island Hawaii. It was really a great way to see a lot of the islands best highlights. Even my husband loved it, who really doesn't like doing "tours" with groups / crowds and doing one ALL day long at that (likes his relaxation time on vacation). Our guide was fantastic, he gave us so much good information about the island, it's history, places, and everything in between. He was super attentive and made things fun as well. We would highly recommend this tour and specifically this company for a wonderful trip on the Big Island.

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/06/20
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Twilight Volcano Tour with Stargazing, Black Sand Beach & Coffee Farm

Not What We Expected

Reviewed by: Travel Mama, 2022/06/27

Our tour guide Dreu started our 12 hours together by telling us to set our expectations low. It was scheduled to be a rainy day but this is not what anyone wants to hear at the start of a long day you’ve paid hundreds per person to enjoy. The tour made all the promised stops. The coffee farm was interesting and everyone in our group enjoyed the hot box lunch. The bakery stop was too short considering how busy it was but everyone did have time to purchase something. The time in Volcano National Park was mostly whiteout due to rain. You could not see much during the first 2 hours there but the lava tube was great. I would warn others it is a steep incline on slippery steps to view it. Dreu is full of information but he did not share in an organized way. Hid commentary was scattered and jumped around making it hard to follow. Dinner was at Lava Rock Cafe and was average. They seemed short staff so very slow to get served. Dreu did great job anticipating our needs for bathroom breaks and provided motion sickness chews, rain gear, snacks, and drinks. He was not mindful of those with back or neck problems when he drove fast over speed bumps on the park yelling “hold on in the back!” I feel bad for anyone in our group with these problems as the van bounced and jarred us around each time he did this. The best part of the trip was last hour in park when we were able to do the twilight volcano viewing to see the red lava glow. Due to clouds we did not get to do stargazing and tour ended an hour early. Overall everyone in group was disappointed with this tour because of how dependent it is on the weather. If you get a day with rain or clouds, you will feel cheated out of most of what you signed up to see.

Rating:
Attended as: Families
Activity Date: 2022/06/25
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

Amazing experience

Reviewed by: Richard J, 2022/06/16

The overall experience was amazing. With the long trip to volcanoes national park, they did a great job of breaking up the trek with stops for food, coffee, snacks, and dinner. The driver was great and had lots of interesting facts to share as we traveled, and gave us his unique perspective on the island and points of interest. The night portion was amazing and it was a perfect end to the trip to see the lava glow at night. Highly recommend the guided tour over DIY!

Comments from activity operators

Aloha Richard,
Thank you so much for commenting on your tour experience, we're glad you felt the experience was worthwhile! Having a guide is a real added value on a tour to the volcano. It's a long trip, but we appreciate you touring with us, and hope your stay on the island was amazing!

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/06/12
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Evening Volcano Tour from Hilo - Kalapana Village, Black Sand Beach & Dinner

Amazing volcano tour, totally worth the experience.

Reviewed by: Kshitiz, 2022/06/12

Loved the excursions, especially the evening lava glow. The tour guide was amazing, friendly, and experienced, and made sure we had a really great time

Rating:
Attended as: Families
Activity Date: 2022/05/20
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Big Island Highlights Tour - Volcano, Waterfall, Black Sand Beach, Coffee & Wine

Big Circle Island Tour

Reviewed by: LaShonda Denman, 2022/06/09

Mr Jim was a very knowledgeable and friendly tour guide! The tour was very organized at each stop and Mr. Jim was very accommodating to ensure we didn’t have to wait in long lines as well!! Mr Jim loves what he does and provided myself and everyone on the tour with an Amazing experience!!! I would definitely recommend this tour to all my family and friends. 5 Star Tour!!!

Comments from activity operators

Aloha, and thank you for posting this review! We're thrilled you had a good time on tour, and yes, Jim is extremely knowledgable and friendly, just a wonderful guide! Again, glad you had a great time, and we hope you enjoyed the island.

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/06/07
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Twilight Volcano Tour with Stargazing, Black Sand Beach & Coffee Farm

Aaron was the best!

Reviewed by: Chet and Marge, 2022/05/21

Could not have been a better tour! Star gazing was phenomenal! Thanks Aaron for a tour to remember! Chet and Marge Sarasota Florida

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/05/19
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Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge

Beautiful Volcano Scenes

Reviewed by: Kara, 2022/04/29

The Black Sands Beach was unreal, it is so cool to see the crystal shine! The whole tour was filled with breathtaking views, great experiences, and yummy treats :)

Rating:
Attended as: Couples
Activity Date: 2022/04/27
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