All Reviews for Top Places to Visit in Hawaii

The tour was fully booked, but I was really satisfied with the attention to detail. We had several opportunities to get off the vehicle for photo stops (everywhere was a stunning view), and it was fun to hear various anecdotes about the Big Island. Above all, the sunset from the summit of Mauna Kea and the starry sky without a single cloud were breathtaking!! Although my own camera didn't capture it well, I was pleased to receive beautiful photos taken with a great camera through the download service! I had always been curious about the observatory with the Subaru Telescope after seeing it on TV, so I was happy to get some photos even though we couldn't go inside. It was a truly well-organized tour, and I was very satisfied. I highly recommend it to anyone who is considering joining!

ツアーは満員でしたが、細かいところまで気配りいただいてすごく満足です。
ところどころで車をおりての写真撮影の時間をとってくださり（どこも絶景です）、ハワイ島についてのいろんな小話を聞けたり楽しかったです。
何よりマウナケア山頂からの夕陽と、雲ひとつない星空は絶景でした！！
写真も自分のカメラでは全然でしたが、とっても良いカメラで撮影したのをDLサービスがあったのできれいな写真がいただけて満足です！
すばる望遠鏡のある天文台をテレビでみてずっと気になっていたので（中には入れませんが）写真がとれて嬉しかったです。
至れり尽くせりのツアーで本当に満足でした。迷っている方には是非とも参加をお勧めします！

In April, we participated in a honeymoon trip. While searching for tours online, I stumbled upon the "Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour." It seemed to have good reviews, so I signed up for it to create some memorable experiences. We usually don't have the opportunity to gaze at the night sky and don't have much knowledge about astronomy, but as the tour date approached, our excitement grew about what kind of scenery we would see at one of the world's top stargazing spots.

When we arrived at the hotel lobby at the designated time, we were greeted by an incredibly high-energy guide! At first, we were a bit taken aback by his enthusiasm, but as we listened to the non-stop chatter from our tour guide, Macchan, on the bus, we gradually got swept up in his pace.

Mauna Kea is over 4,000 meters high, but we learned that we could take a bus all the way to the summit. At the Onizuka Center, where we stopped for a break, there were many other groups visiting for the sunset tour as well. While resting at the Onizuka Center, we enjoyed a delicious bento box and warm miso soup, and after a quick break, we were lent some warm clothing and set off again towards the summit.

Much of the road along the way was unpaved, making it a bit daunting for individuals to come on their own, but thanks to our experienced tour guide, we reached the summit without feeling anxious.

When we arrived at the summit, the sun was just beginning to set, and we spent some time taking photos with the sunset sinking into the sea of clouds as our backdrop. After taking a few commemorative pictures, we descended to the stargazing spot.

As we watched the night sky gradually darken, an unprecedented number of stars began to appear, creating a truly natural planetarium! We looked at Jupiter and its four moons through a telescope, and as we admired the vividly visible constellations in all directions, time flew by. Our tour guide, Macchan, pointed out the stars with a laser pointer and explained the origins of the constellations in a clear and engaging manner.

After stargazing, we took a restroom break at the Onizuka Center and listened to songs related to stars chosen by Macchan as we descended. It became a wonderful memory of our honeymoon. This is a tour I would definitely want to participate in again if I visit the Big Island!

４月に新婚旅行で参加しました。ネットでツアーを検索している時になんとなく見つけた゛マウナケア山頂　サンセット＆星空観測ツアー”。評判がよさそうだったとで、旅の思い出作りにとなんとなく申し込みました。普段は夜空をじっくりみる機会もなく、天体の知識もない私たちですが、ツアーの日が近づくにつれ、世界有数の天体観測スポットでどんな景色がみられるのかと期待に胸が膨らんでいきました。
宿泊していたホテルのロビーに指定された時間に行くと、最初から超ハイテンションのガイドさんが！最初はそのハイテンションさに引き気味であった私たちも、バスの中で途切れることのないツアーガイドのまっちゃんのトークを聴いているうちに、徐々にまっちゃんのペースに巻き込まれていきました。

4000ｍを超えるマウナケアですが、なんとバスで山頂まで行けるとのこと。途中で休憩のために立ち寄ったオニヅカセンターでは、他にもたくさんのグループがサンセットツアーに訪れていました。オニヅカセンターで休憩中においしいお弁当と温かいお味噌汁をいただき、一服した後に防寒具を貸してもらって、再び山頂に向けて出発しました。
途中の路は舗装されていないところも多く、個人で来るには躊躇されるような道でしたが、経験豊富なツアーガイドの方のおかげで、不安な気持ちになることもなくあっという間に山頂につきました。

山頂に到着したときは丁度日が沈みかけており、雲海に沈んでいく夕日をバックに写真を撮って時間をすごしました。ひととおり記念写真を撮った後に、下山し星空観測スポットまで下山しました。

徐々に暗くなっていく夜空を眺めていると、いままで見たことがない数の星が次々と現れてきて、まさに天然のプラネタリウム！でした。天体望遠鏡で木星と４つの衛星をみたり、鮮やかに360°全方向にみられる星座達を眺めているうちにあっという間に時間は過ぎていきました。ツアーガイドのまっちゃんは星空をレーザーポインターで指し示しながら、丁寧にわかりやすく星座の由来などについて説明してくれました。

星空観測の後はオニヅカセンターでのトイレ休憩を挟みながら、まっちゃんチョイスの星に関わる歌謡曲を聴きながら下山しました。新婚旅行の良い思い出になりました。ハワイ島にきたら是非また参加したいツアーです。

The tour was incredibly fun and I had a wonderful experience, so I am very satisfied.

Good points...
- The tour guide quickly went to get and show us rare plants. I was happy because I wouldn't have noticed them myself.
- They constantly checked if we were okay.
- The bento, tea, miso soup, and snacks were all delicious.
- The cold weather gear was sufficient.
- They took photos and offered free downloads. The camera was high-quality and captured the starry sky beautifully, so I thought it was a great service to keep as a memento.

Not-so-good points...
- I think this is unavoidable due to the timing (because it's during Golden Week), but it was a bit tough to ride in a fully packed van. The tour I participated in the day before had a larger and taller van, where a person who is 183 cm could stand comfortably, and it wasn't full, so I was surprised by the crampedness of this one. Since we spent a long time in the car, being fully booked was a bit much... I thought they should add another van.

ツアーはとっても楽しくて素晴らしい経験ができたので大満足です。

良かったこと・・・

・ツアー担当者が、珍しい植物をささっと取りに行って見せてくれたりした。自分ではなかなか気づかないのでうれしい。
・大丈夫ですかー？と常に気遣ってくれる
・お弁当、お茶、お味噌汁、お菓子どれもおいしかった。
・防寒具も十分だった。
・写真を撮ってくれて無料ダウンロードできる。カメラが高機能で星空もきれいに写してくれていたので記念にとっておけてとてもいいサービスだと思った。

良くなかったこと・・・
・これは時期的に仕方ないのだと思うけれど、（ゴールデンウィーク中のため）バンに満員で乗るのはちょっとキツイ。前日に参加したツアーは、ここのバンより大きくて背丈も高く、183cmの人が立てるくらいで人数も満員でなく快適だったのでこの窮屈さに驚きました。
車に乗っている時間も長いので満席はちょっと・・・。もう一台バンを増やしたらいいのに、と思いました。

This tour was one of the highlights of our trip to Kona! Our guide Nate gave us lots of great information on the history of the island, the places we were visiting, and general Hawaiin activities. We kayaked in the ocean for about 1.5 hours total, so this tour is definitely for active people. We explored some sea caves, did some cliff diving, and snorkeled in a cove, and met the local eel as well.

Nice boat, great crew. This was my third time on the Fair Wind, & has been just as enjoyable as the previous times. This time they caught a nice size Ono. Fun times

Crew were great, really entertaining! Pointed out interesting points, and we even saw a black tip reef shark, was amazing!! Mahalo

We had a great time on this excursion. The ride on the raft to the snorkeling sites was exhilarating and relaxing as we took in the beauty of the Kona landscape. We chose this excursion because we were able to snorkel at two different bays ( including Captain Cook's monument). The only disappointment was not seeing more different types of fishes (saw about 5-7 different types per area) and more fishes overall. Our captain and shipmate took good care of our group of 9. The Captain gave us a history of the many caves and cliffs that we visited. They also provided us with fresh fruit, soda, chips, and cookies during the rides. Bonus was seeing a couple of dolphins and mountain goats. A fun afternoon snorkeling made this trip memorable.

I'm going out to observe the stars at Mauna Kea. Actually, I had already done some stargazing along Saddle Road with another tour two days ago, but I also wanted to see the telescopes at Mauna Kea and booked this tour as a backup in case the weather was bad.

When I arrived at the meeting point 10 minutes before the pickup time, the car just pulled up. Today's guide is nicknamed "Macchan." He was very energetic from the start, which was a bit overwhelming, but I gradually got caught up in his pace.

The car took Saddle Road and made a restroom stop near a military training area. After that, we entered the Mauna Kea Access Road and headed to the Onizuka Center.

First, we had an early dinner at the Onizuka Center. There are several tours for stargazing at Mauna Kea, but I chose Masashi Nature School because their bento looked the best. It actually looked better than the bento from other tours. The warm miso soup was also delicious.

After eating the bento, we took a break to acclimatize. During that time, we observed the silversword plants. We were able to see them just before blooming, while they were blooming, and after they had bloomed.

After the break, we climbed the mountain road. From here, it was a joint tour with two cars. The road ahead was rough and required a 4WD, but as we got closer to the summit, it became paved again and we could see the telescopes.

When we reached the summit, the sun gradually set, and we enjoyed the sunset sinking into the sea of clouds. While we were busy taking photos and having our pictures taken, it got completely dark, and we began our descent.

We stopped the car just past where the paved road ended, and the stargazing began. The moment we got out of the car, a sky full of stars spread out before us. There was still a bit of brightness left, but the number of stars was incredible.

Right in front of us was Orion, and we could clearly see the Milky Way and the Southern Cross. We could also faintly see the red glow from the Kilauea crater. First, we looked at Jupiter through the telescope. The stripes on Jupiter and the Galilean moons were clearly visible. I could also tell that the alignment of the moons had changed since I saw them two days ago. Next, we used a laser pointer to explain the constellations. It was truly like a natural planetarium! After that, we took commemorative photos with long exposure to capture the stars and people together. My camera is a mirrorless one, and I quickly changed the settings to take photos. The red glow of Kilauea in the lower left corner is something unique to this location.

I felt like I could watch the stars forever, but it was time to descend.

On the way back, we had a restroom break at the Onizuka Center, and I felt that the constellations were easier to find there. Near the summit, it was so dark that you could see even the faintest stars, making it difficult to locate constellations because there were so many stars. However, even with that haziness, the quantity of visible stars was greater near the summit, which I found appealing. Additionally, during the stargazing along Saddle Road, we were often disturbed by car lights, but on this tour, there was hardly any traffic, and it remained dark the whole time, which I thought was great.

I heard that the photos from this day can be viewed later by requesting them via email, so I'm looking forward to that as well.

Lastly, thank you, Macchan, for being such a high-energy guide throughout the tour!

マウナケアでの星の観測に出かけます。
実は2日前にも別のツアーでサドルロード脇で星の観測は行っていたのですが、マウナケアの望遠鏡を見たいのと、天候が悪かった場合の保険の意味でこちらのツアーも予約していました。

ピックアップ時間の10分前に集合場所へ行くとちょうど車が到着。
今日のガイドは通称「マッチャン」。最初からテンションが高く、ちょっと引き気味でしたが、次第にこのペースに引きずりこまれていきます。

車はサドルロードを通り、軍隊の練習場の近くでトイレ休憩。その後、マウナケアアクセスロードへ入り、オニヅカセンターへ向かいます。

まずは、オニヅカセンターで早めの夕食です。
マウナケアで星を見るツアーはいくつかありますが、マサシネイチャースクールに決めたのは弁当が一番良さそういうのがありました。
実際に見ても他のツアーの弁当より良く見えました。暖かいみそ汁もおいしかったです。

弁当を食べた後は、しばらく休憩を兼ねた体慣らしです。
その間に、銀剣草を見学します。ちょうど花が咲く前、咲いているところ、咲いた後を見ることができました。

休憩後、山道を登ります。ここからは車2台での合同ツアーです。
ここから先は道が悪く4WDが必要ですが、頂上に近づくと再び舗装路になり望遠鏡が見えてきます。

頂上に着くと、徐々に日も暗くなり雲海に沈む夕日を堪能します。
写真を撮ったり、撮ってもらったりで忙しくしているうちにすっかり暗くなり、下山開始です。

舗装道が切れた先で車を止めいよいよ星空観察開始です。
車から降りた瞬間、満点の星が広がります。まだ少し明るさが残っていますが、星の数がすごいです。

目の前にはオリオン座、天の川や南十字もはっきりと見えます。うっすらと赤くキラウエアの火口の明かりも見えます。
まずは、望遠鏡で木星を見ます。木星の縞模様とガリレオ衛星がはっきりと見えます。2日前に見た時と衛星の並びが変わっているのもわかりました。
次はレーザーポインタで星座の説明。まさに、天然のプラネタリウム！？
その後は、記念撮影ということで長時間露光で星と人物を移し込みます。
私のカメラはミラーレス一眼ですが、設定を素早く変更して写真を撮っていただきました。
左下に赤くキラウエアの赤が見えるのは、この場所ならではと思います。

いつまでもずっと見ていたい気分でしたが、時間が来たので下山です。

途中、オニヅカセンターでトイレ休憩だったので、ここでも星空を見ましたがこちらのほうが星座は探し易いと感じました。
山頂近くは本当に暗い星まで見えるので、星が多すぎて星座を探しにくいようにも感じます。
ただ、そのもやっとした部分も含めて星の見える量では山頂に近い方が多いし、そちらに魅力を感じます。
また、サドルロード脇での星空観察では車のライトで邪魔されることも多かったですが、このツアーでは車の通行がほとんど無く、ずっと暗いままなのが良いと思います。

この日の写真は後でメールで申請すれば見られるそうなので、そちらも楽しみにしています。

最後に、マッチャンさん。終始ハイテンションでのガイド、ありがとうございました。

You will take a shuttle from Blue Hawaiian Helicopters and arrive at the office in about 10 minutes. Upon entering the office, you will check in, but it seems there are no staff members who speak Japanese. You will leave your bag and hat there. After completing the check-in process, you will watch a flight safety video, and then it's finally time to board the helicopter.

The tour departs from Waikoloa and covers Mauna Loa, Kilauea, and Waipi'o. The aircraft is called ECO-STAR, which seats two people in the front and four in the back. We sat in the two seats on the right in the back.

As we ascend, you can clearly see the flow of lava. The Waikoloa side is barren, either covered in lava or grassland.

During the flight, you will wear headphones to hear the pilot's voice. The crew speaks into a microphone, and everyone can hear them. Other passengers are conversing in English; while I can generally understand what they are saying, my English skills aren't strong enough to actively participate in the conversation, so I mostly remained quiet.

The helicopter heads towards Mauna Loa. If there were no clouds, we might have been able to see the summit of Mauna Kea, but it was obscured by clouds. The slopes of Mauna Loa are gentle, and you can see the different colors of the ground following the flow of lava. As we flew over Mauna Loa, the greenery gradually increased. After flying past Mauna Loa for a while, we saw smoke rising through the clouds. As we descended closer to the crater, we could see red lava coming from it. This is a view that can only be seen from the helicopter, and it is truly breathtaking. The pilot circles around the crater, changing direction so that both sides can see, allowing us to take plenty of photos and videos.

After that, the helicopter heads to another location. Here, white smoke or steam is billowing from the ground, and as we get closer, we can see some red lava within it. I think the lava appeared closer here than at the Kilauea crater. This is a place that cannot be seen except from the helicopter.

Next, we pass over the town of Hilo, and shortly after, we see Waipi'o Valley. The helicopter briefly flies past Waipi'o Valley and along the coastline. The coastline features steep cliffs with several waterfalls cascading down. After viewing these waterfalls, the helicopter makes a U-turn and heads back to Waipi'o Valley. As we enter the valley, we can see a large waterfall in the distance. Continuing further into the valley, we discover several waterfalls on the mountainside. I never imagined there would be so many waterfalls until we entered the valley. The helicopter flies along the mountainside, circling and maneuvering. The turns here are quite thrilling, combining turns with altitude changes, creating a bit of an attraction-like experience. This is arguably the highlight of the flight.

After exiting Waipi'o Valley, we ascend and head to the other side of the mountain. The lush green scenery of the valley suddenly gives way to a dry landscape with no trees. I was surprised at how distinctly the climate changed in such a short distance.

After that, we head south along the coastline of the Kohala Coast. After a while, we can see the helicopter pad where we started. This aerial journey comes to an end here.

Although it was a bit pricey, this experience is something you can't do anywhere else, and the satisfaction level is incredibly high. If given the chance, I would love to do it again, and I think it would be a shame not to see this scenery after coming all the way to the Big Island. If the pilot had been Japanese, I might have understood more details, but even without understanding English, I think just seeing the scenery is enough to grasp the experience. I highly recommend it to everyone.

ブルー・ハワイアン・ヘリコプターの送迎車に乗り、10分程度でオフィスに到着します。
オフィスに入って受付をしますが、日本語の話せるスタッフはいない模様。バッグと帽子を預けます。
チェックインを済ませて、フライトの説明ビデオを見て、いよいよヘリに乗り込みます。

ツアーはワイコロアを出発しマウナロア、キラウエア、ワイピオを回るものです。
機体はECO-STARと呼ばれるもので、前に2人、後ろに4人座れます。私たち2人は後ろの右2席へ座りました。

上昇するにつれて、溶岩が流れた様子がよく分かります。ワイコロア側は溶岩か牧草地で何もないです。

飛行中はヘッドフォンをしていて、パイロットの声が聞こえるようになっています。乗員はマイクで喋るとその声がみんなに聞こえます。他の乗客は英語で普通に喋っていますが、こちらは相手の言っていることはだいたいわかりますが積極的に会話に加われるほどの英語力はないため、ほとんどしゃべることはありませんでした。

ヘリはマウナロアに向けて進行していきます。雲が無ければマウナケアの山頂も見えたかもしれませんが、そちら方向は雲に隠れて見えません。
マウナロアの山は緩やかな傾斜で、溶岩の流れに従って地面の色が分かれているのがよく分かります。
マウナロアの山を越えるに従って、少しずつ緑も増えていきます。
マウナロアを過ぎて暫く飛ぶと、雲の間から煙が見えたきました。高度を下げて火口に近付くと火口から赤い溶岩が見えます。
まさにヘリからしか見えない景色、感動の景色です。
両側の席のそれぞれが見えるようにパイロットは旋回する向きを変えながら火口の上を旋回してくれます。おかげてたっぷり写真とビデオを撮ることができました。

ヘリはそのあと、別の場所へ向かいます。そこでは地面からいくつもの煙とも水蒸気とも入れない白いものが吹き出ており、近ずくとその中に赤い溶岩が幾つか見えます。キラウエアの火口よりも溶岩が近くに見えたと思います。この場所はヘリ以外では絶対見えない場所です。

その後、ヒロの街を通り過ぎ、暫くするとワイピオ渓谷が見えてきます。
ヘリは一旦ワイピオ渓谷を過ぎて海岸に沿って進みます。海岸線は絶壁になっていて、幾つもの滝が流れ落ちています。それらの滝を見たあとヘリはUターンしてワイピオ渓谷へ引き返します。渓谷の中へ進むと奥に大きな滝が見えます。その滝からさらに奥へ進むと山肌に幾つもの滝が現れます。これほど多くの滝があるとは渓谷に入るまでは想像できませんでした。ヘリは山肌に沿って飛行したり、旋回したりしながら進んで行きます。ここでの旋回はかなりスリリングで旋回と上下が組み合わさり、ちょっとしたアトラクション気分です。この飛行の最大の見せ場と言えます。

その後、ワイピオ渓谷を抜け上昇して山の反対側へ行きます。今まで緑一杯だった渓谷の風景から一気に木がなくなり、乾燥した大地が現れます。これだけ、ちょっとの間にはっきりと気候が分かれるのにびっくりしました。

その後は、コハラコーストの海岸線を見ながら南下していきます。暫くすると、出発したヘリポートも見えてきました。この空の旅もここで終わりです。

ちょっと値段は高かったですが、この体験は他ではできないものですし、満足感はすごく高いです。
機会があれば、また乗ってみたいとも思いますし、せっかくハワイ島まで来てこの景色を見ないのはもったいないと思います。
パイロットが日本人ならもっと詳しく理解できたでしょうが、英語が分からなくても景色を見るだけで十分理解できると思います。
みなさんに、おすすめできます。

The voucher stated to meet at Kamehameha Court, but the map indicated the main entrance. Initially, I waited at the entrance, but something felt off, so I went directly to the luau venue, which turned out to be Kamehameha Court. I should have ignored the map.

When I checked in, the staff member put a lei around my neck and took a photo. I later purchased this photo at the hotel's photo corner.

The venue opened at 5:30 PM, and we were guided to our seats. We were seated in the middle row, and since there were two people in the front row, we took the next row. Looking around, there were only a few people who seemed to be Japanese, while most of the surrounding guests appeared to be American.

Since we had premium seats, we were given priority to go get food first, and if we wanted drinks, we could just tell the butler, and they would bring them to us. The meal included Hawaiian dishes, which I prioritized trying, and they were decent in taste. The kalua pig was delicious, and the ahi poke tasted as I expected, but the ube didn’t quite suit my palate. There was a bit of heavy rain during the meal, but by the time we finished eating, the rain had stopped.

After we settled down with our meals, the show began. It combined hula and fire dancing, and the emcee guided the proceedings. Being close to the stage made it quite thrilling. At one point, I was chosen by a dancer to go up on stage and dance hula with them. I could only move my body somewhat awkwardly, but I managed to get through it by mimicking what I saw.

Personally, I think it would have been better if the show started a bit earlier during the meal to shorten the overall time, but I believe it was an enjoyable show. By the end, I found myself humming the phrase, "There's no place like Hawaii."

バウチャーにはカメハメハコート集合と書いていますが、地図の場所はメインエントランスになっていました。
最初エントランスで待っていましたが、何か様子が違うので直接ルアウの会場へ行きましたがそこがカメハメハコートとのこと。地図、見ない方が良かったです。
受付をすると、係りの人がレイを付けてくれて写真撮影です。この写真はその後、ホテルの写真コーナーで購入しました。

17:30から開場となり、席に案内されます。席は真ん中の列で最前列に2人いたのでその次の列となります。
周りを見ると日本人らしき人も何人かいた程度で、席の周りはアメリカ人のようです。
プレミアム席なので、食事を取りに行くのは最初に優先的に行けますし、ドリンクも飲みたいものをバトラーへ伝えれば持ってきてもらえます。
食事にはハワイの料理などもあり、そちらを優先的に食べてみましたが、そこそこの味でした。
カイルアピッグは美味しかったし、アヒポキも予想していた味でしたが、ウベはちょっと口に合いませんでした。
食事中に少し雨が強くなることもありましたが、食事が終わるころには雨は止みました。

食事も一段落したころ、ショーが始まりました。
ショーはフラとファイアーダンスを組み合わせたもので、司会の進行で進められていきます。ステージに近いので、迫力があります。
途中、ダンサーに指名されてステージに上がり、一緒にフラを踊ることになりました。適当に体を動かすしかできなかったですが、見よう見真似でなんとか乗り切りました。

個人的には、食事の途中からショーが始まるようにしてもう少し全体を時間を短くしてもらったほうが良かったとは思いますが、楽しめるショーではないかと思います。終わるころには、「There's no place like Hawaii」のフレーズを口ずさんでいました。

Natasha was a friendly knowledgeable guide. This a fabulous area to snorkel and see awesome fish and dolphins!

I participated in this tour for my honeymoon. Since I don't usually do stargazing, I wasn't very interested while looking at the travel guide, but after hearing the travel agent passionately say, "Mauna Kea is a special place where observatories from various countries are located, and you can see an incredible night sky," I decided to go.

On the day of the tour, they picked us up by van at our hotel. We stopped at about three hotels to pick up other guests before heading out. During the ride, I met a couple from the same prefecture, and we had a great time chatting, so I was never bored. The guide's commentary was not the usual scripted bus guide style; it was friendly and enjoyable, making the trip comfortable. Along the way, we learned about a plant called the silver sword, which only exists in two or three places in the world. It’s an endangered species, and true to its name, it was silver and rare, so I was glad to see it.

To prevent altitude sickness, we took a break for about an hour at the Onizuka Business Center on the mountainside. We also learned some breathing techniques to avoid altitude sickness. Although we were still a bit away from the summit, it was already cold. It was hard to believe this was Hawaii. I was glad to see a different side of Hawaii.

We had a makunouchi bento, warm miso soup, and hot coffee. Everything was delicious, but given the cold, the miso soup was the best. They lent us quite warm windbreakers, hats, and gloves, and we could also get hand warmers, but since there’s a limited number, I think it’s better to bring your own. The summit is quite cold, so it’s advisable to prepare thermal wear like Heattech. We also brought some based on other people's reviews.

At the top, we watched the sunset. There were many observatories from various countries at the summit, including a large one from Japan. Although there were a few clouds that day, they cleared up just in time for the sunset, which was magical, as it felt like we were looking at the boundary between the universe and Earth from a place higher than Mount Fuji. We took a lot of photos ourselves, but I recommend having the guide take some as well. The guide knows the best angles and ideas (like jumping or holding the sun in your hands). Looking back, we got some great shots, making for wonderful memories. When we were taking photos on our own, the guide kindly offered to help, which was a nice touch.

Stargazing was done a little below the summit. After sunset, the observatories take priority at the top, so it seems there’s a rule to observe from a bit lower down. Even from this spot, we could see an incredible number of stars that I had never seen before. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The guide’s explanations using a laser pointer were very clear and enjoyable, with a light and engaging style that made it fun. We could also take photos here. They used special equipment to capture both the starry sky and people at the same time. I got to take a commemorative photo with the Southern Cross, which is something you rarely see in Japan.

On the way back, we enjoyed relaxing music related to the night sky as we were driven back to the hotel. I couldn’t help but laugh when a song by Kenichi Mikawa played along the way. The ride was bumpy on unpaved roads, with the vehicle shaking quite a bit. The road was rough, with rocks and sand affecting the tires, but the guide's driving felt safe. For someone inexperienced, it would be the kind of off-road that might make you want to give up and go home. I think it’s a good idea to take motion sickness medicine just in case.

It was a long review, but it was a thoroughly satisfying tour! Next time, I want to join the sunrise tour!

新婚旅行でこのツアーに参加しました。
普段天体観測をする事もないので、旅行ガイドを見ている段階ではあまり興味はありませんでしたが旅行代理店の方が「マウナケアは各国の天文台が設置してあるくらい特別な星空が見える場所ですよ」と熱く語っているのを聞いて行く事にしました。

当日は、宿泊するホテルまでバンで迎えに来て頂きました。
他のお客さんを乗せるために３件ほどホテルを経由してから出発します。
車中では同県に住んでいるご夫婦ともお会いでき、楽しく話をしながらでしたのでまったく退屈しなかったです。
そして、ガイドの方の案内はバスガイドのように決まりきった事を話している訳ではなく、フレンドリーな感じで楽しく快適でした。
途中で銀剣草という世界でも２～３箇所にしか生息していない植物を教えてもらいました。
絶滅危惧種との事で、名前の通り銀色で珍しく、見れて良かったです。
高山病予防の為に、山腹にあるオニヅカビジネスセンターで１時間ほど休憩します。
あと高山病にならないための、呼吸法など教わりました。
ここは山頂まではもう少しありますが既に寒いです。ここがハワイとは思えません。
ハワイの別の顔を見れて良かったです。
幕の内弁当と暖かいお味噌汁とホットコーヒーを頂きました。
どれも美味しかったですが寒い中なのもあり、お味噌汁が一番美味しかったです。
かなり暖かい繋ぎのウインドブレーカーと帽子手袋を貸して頂きました、
カイロをもらうこともできましたが、個数に限りがあるので持参するほうが良いと思います。
山頂はかなり寒いので、インナーはヒートテックなど防寒着を別に準備していくほうが良いです。私たちも他の方のクチコミを見て、用意していきました。
頂上で日の入りを見ます。頂上には各国の天体観測所が沢山ありました。
日本の大きな天体観測所もありました。
当日は少し雲がある状態でしたが、日の入りの時間は雲がなくなっていて、日の入りが見れました。
富士山より高い場所での日の入りは宇宙と地球の境目を見ているようで幻想的でした。
自分たちで写真もたくさん撮りましたが、ガイドさんに撮っていただくのがオススメです。
ガイドさんはベストアングルやアイデア（ジャンプしているところや、太陽を手に持っている所）を知っていますので。
後から見ても良いショットが撮れていたので、良い記念になりました。
自分たちだけで、撮っていたときにガイドさんのほうから声を掛けてくれました。
心遣いがうれしかったです。

星空観測は、頂上から少し下ったところで行いました。日が沈んだ後は頂上は各国の天体観測が優先される為に、頂上から少し下ったところで観測する決まりがあるようです。
この場所からの星空でも、見た事がない程の多くの星が見えます。息を呑む美しさでした。
ガイドの方のレーザーポインタを使った説明がとても分かりやすくて良かったです。小難しい事無く喋りが軽快な感じで楽しかったです。
ここでも写真撮影をしてもらえます。星空と人物を同時に撮影する特殊な機材で撮影してもらえました。日本ではなかなか見ることが出来ない南十字星と一緒に撮影してもらい、記念になりました。
帰りの車内は、星空に関連した音楽が流れてのんびり帰る感じで、ホテルまで送って頂きました。途中、美川憲一の曲が流れたときは笑ってしまいました。
未舗装道路を通ります際に車内は揺れます。かなり荒れた道で岩や砂にタイヤが取られていましたが、ガイドさんの運転は安心できる感じでした。
慣れていない素人なら、諦めて帰るぐらいのオフロードです。念のため酔い止めの薬は飲んでおいた方が良いかと思います。
長くなりましたが、大満足のツアーでした！次回はサンライズツアーに参加したいです！

This tour was astonishing, we had our best time in Hawaii. Starting, our host Jim Carey a gentleman, expert story teller of Hawaiian culture. On the road we could see lava tubes, alien landscapes, the marvelous Mauna Kea where is an astronomical observatory and we had a windy delicious pic nic lunch. Near the city of Hilo, we had our second stop for seeing the Rainbow Falls, a fantastic view of the beauty and force of nature. Not far, Hilo, a rainy city, where is the University of Hawaii and the unforgettable chocolate factory where one can find all kind of delicious chocolates, candies, cookies, macadamia nuts. No one can leave that place without a full bag while Jim Carey is calling you with the sound of ukelele. Also you can take pictures of the statue of king Kamehameha in a park. Then, we took our way to Volcanoes National Park, which welcomed us with a warm fumarole that wet us in a strange but nice sensation. Then, the first wonderful breathtaking view of the Kilauea volcano, a vision like we were in Mars. The museum shows what the nude eye can’t see in a volcano, like Pele´s hair and lava forest. After, an outstanding landscape, the lava river, an unbelievable wonder full of mystery. We took a path through the rainy forest, where the flowers and the tree of Pele’s legend grow in the middle of volcanic rocks. Then Jim took us to a cozy restaurant, with a chimney attended by his owner. Dinner was awesome, very tasty, as the special passion fruit tea. At night we had the vision of fire in the middle of the night, the Kilauea's dancing lava took our breath away, an unforgettable moment, almost mystical. Pictures can’t catch that beauty, but the telescope that Jim takes with him did.
Back in the van a great surprise waited for us. Like a love detail, a hot coco and cookies appeared to warm us. On our road back more than one fell asleep dreaming of the most wonderful day of their lives. Mahalo from Colombia.

We started the morning with very warm welcome with big smile of the guide in front of our hotel lobby. His name was Jim Carey. Since we were Japanese visiting from Japan, he was concerned about the tour being conducted in English. We said we were Okay, try to keep up. He kindly told us that he would try to speak.
As we started the actual tour and as we picking up the more new guests, he explain the schedule of the day again and again. so everybody know how that day is gonna be.
As we were on the move, he had full of stories of scenic locations, Hawaiian history and cultures.
At the lunch, we had Pick-nick lunch at the base of Mauna Kea, we had the Chicken Caesar wrap at very fine environment. When it was time to go, Jim was not calling out the guest but he was playing songs with the Ukulele to let people know that it is time to go, what a kind way to notify!!

After that we went to Hiro, there we did not have much time to stop so Jim was explaining lots of stuff as he drove by. Then after that we went to the Rainbow Fall, although we could not see the rainbow, it was beautiful fall.
Then here comes the main event, the volcano. We visited the steam vent and couple of other scenic points and a little hiking it was very interesting and felt really good to hike in unusual volcanic environment. Only thing was that rain came and went repeatedly. Then we moved to the location of Lava tube. It was awesome!! Here also, Jim had a wonderful stories to tell. We learned a lot of stuff from him.
Then we moved to the lodge/Restaurant for the dinner. Surprisingly the dinner was much better quality than we expected. After the dinner, when we got out of the restaurant, it was dark but very clear sky, we went back to volcano and saw lava splash and million stars with Jim's stories. Totally different face the volcano showed us from earlier that day.
All activities were finished and on the way back to the hotel, we are so tired and fell asleep. Best tour ever!!

I was very moved because I wanted to see the dinner and Hawaiian show. Since I stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, it was convenient to move around the property. I received a lei, and there was all-you-can-drink and all-you-can-eat. The luau and hula were impressive and wonderful!

ディナー＆ハワイアンショーを観たかったのでとても感動しました。宿泊場所のヒルトンワイコロアヴィレッジだったので移動も敷地内。レイを掛けてもらい飲み放題食べ放題。ルアウもフラも迫力満点で素敵でした！

First of all, I would like to thanks hawaiian activies for appear on my google search!! As me and my wife didn't know about this activie, we search on google and find the website. We were very excited from the begening because of what the people were saying about eh tour. And we were right to be. The Tour is more than amazing, from the day before, I received a call in my hotel room to confirm the pick up time and he was there in the next day about 11:30h. He was Jim Carrey (no, not the famous one haha, but was so brilliant as the other!). Our tour guide was more than fantastic, a lot of histories about legends and culture from Hawaii than you could imagine. We had lunch in the way to Hilo, in a such nice beautiful place close to the Manua Lea. After that we took our way to Hilo, but before we went to the beautiful rainbow fall, not so beautiful, but very nature, in the midle of a forest, we loved. Hilo was a nice surprised, we went to a Candie Shop from Big Islands, huge store and my wife fall in love, she loves chocolates haha. After that we went to the volcano site at day, before dinner, was such a nice surprise, first time close to a active volcano. And every time with the histories from our brilliant guide. The dinner was one of the best parts of the tour, the best soup ever, and a very friendly restaurant, we loved every moment. After sunset, we return to the volcano to see the magic at night and we were really surprised and satisfied. I want thank Jim and everyone envolved, was one of the best days of our lives, and the best day of our honeymoon!! Guilherme Marinho and Aline Amaral.

The sunset observation point is at an altitude of 4,200 meters, where the oxygen concentration is only about 60% of that at ground level. To acclimate, we took a break at around 2,000 meters to move our bodies and had dinner at the Onizuka Visitor Center (2,800 meters) before taking a walk to see the silversword plant. After that, we climbed for a while on a bumpy off-road path. We then returned to a paved road and took a break near the Subaru Telescope (4,139 meters). The shadows of people were impressively long. Finally, we climbed up to 4,200 meters to witness the setting sun. Not only the sunset, but also the shadow of Mauna Kea and the Earth's shadow after sunset were beautiful. There is a rule that you must descend from the summit within 30 minutes after sunset, so we did stargazing at a point a bit lower down. The starry sky was magnificent, and our guide made it very easy to understand by pointing out constellations with a green laser.

During the tour, the guide took many photos for us, which we could later download from the web. There were many good photos, but since the logo of Masashi Nature School is in the bottom right corner, I think it would be a good idea for those who are concerned to bring their own good camera. Also, the fee does not include a tip, so it can be a bit of a hassle to think about how much to give.

夕日の観測点は4200mの高さ。酸素濃度も地上の60%しかないそうです。体を慣らすため、2000mくらいのところで休憩して体を動かしたり、オニズカ・ビジターセンター（2800m）で夕食弁当をいただいてギンケンソウを見に散歩したりする時間を作ってくれました。そこからしばらくオフロードのガタガタ道を登ります。その後舗装された道に戻り、すばる望遠鏡（4139m）付近で休憩。人影がものすごく長いのが印象的でした。そしていよいよ4200mまで登り、沈む夕日を拝みます。夕日だけでなく、マウナケア山の影や、日没後の地球の影もきれいでした。日没後30分以内に山頂を降りないという規則があるそうで、星空観測はまたしばらく下ったポイントでします。満天の星空が広がりすごいですが、さらにガイドさんが緑色のレーザーで指し示しながら説明をしてくれたのでとてもわかりやすかったです。
ツアー中はガイドさんにたくさん写真を撮ってもらえ、あとでWebからダウンロードできました。よい写真が多かったですが、右下にマサシネイチャースクールのロゴが入っているので、気になる人は自分でもよいカメラを持っていって撮るとよいと思います。あと料金にチップが含まれていないので、お渡し額を考えるのが少し面倒です。

I was able to see a manta ray up close, and I was truly satisfied. There was a manta ray just about 10 centimeters in front of me!!!! A very beautiful lady who spoke Japanese guided us, which made me feel safe participating. She was also a great swimmer, like a mermaid. The participants were not only Japanese but also from various countries.

There were quite a few people who felt unwell, but I took motion sickness medication beforehand, so I was totally fine (*^◯^*). I'm not good with thrill rides, so the boat ride to see the manta rays was quite scary, but I got used to it after a while and was able to enjoy it.

The sunset and the starry sky viewed from the boat were truly wonderful and became a lifelong memory. I highly recommend it!

ものすごく近くでマンタを見ることができて、本当に大満足です。
目の前10センチくらいのところにマンタがいました！！！！
日本語を話せるとても綺麗なお姉さんが案内をしてくださり、安心して参加できました。泳ぎも上手で、マーメイドのようでした。参加者は日本人ばかりではなく、いろんな国の方がいました。
気分が悪くなっている方も結構いらっしゃいましたが、私は酔い止めを飲んで行ったので、全然平気でした(*^◯^*)
絶叫マシンなどが苦手なので、マンタに会いに行くまでの船がとても怖かったですが、しばらくすると慣れて、楽しむことができました。
船から見る夕日も、星空も、本当に素晴らしく、一生の思い出になりました。
本当にオススメです！

It was amazing. Absolutely wonderful!!!
I plan to apply again this year!!
I want to participate every year!!!!

最高でした。素晴らしすぎる！！！
また今年も申し込もうと思います！！
毎年参加したいです！！！！

The sunset and starry sky were beautiful and moving! The photo download service, warm clothing, and bento boxes were all excellent and made for a great experience!

サンセットも星空も綺麗で感動でした！
写真のダウンロードサービスや、防寒具、お弁当などサービスが充実していてとってもよかったです！

I wasn't very satisfied with the show itself since I do hula dancing, but the location was outstanding, and I enjoyed the atmosphere at the venue with the beautiful sunset. I recommend arriving early as there is quite a line before the doors open.

フラを自身がやっているため、ショー自体にはそれほど満足していませんが、ロケーションは抜群に良く夕日の綺麗な会場で、雰囲気を楽しめました。開場までに結構並ぶので早めに行かれることをお勧めします

During my personal trip to the Big Island, I participated in this tour. I usually don't join tours, but after researching, I realized that going to the summit of Mauna Kea, which is over 4,000 meters high, is quite challenging on your own, so I decided to take this tour.

As a result, my concerns about being rushed, which is common with tours, were completely unfounded. I was able to enjoy the sunset and stargazing in a relaxed atmosphere, creating wonderful memories.

They picked me up by van at my hotel, and while enjoying the lively talk from the guide and the magnificent nature views from the window, we headed towards Mauna Kea.

First, we stopped at the Onizuka Business Center on the slopes of Mauna Kea, where we had a bento box and warm miso soup. After acclimatizing to the altitude for about an hour, we set off for the summit of Mauna Kea. There were unpaved gravel roads along the way, which would be quite difficult to drive on your own. Considering the various risks, I thought it was wise to join a tour like this.

When we reached the summit area, we borrowed cold-weather gear and enjoyed the sunset. After the sunset, we did some stargazing a little further down the mountain. The air was incredibly clear, and looking up at the night sky, I saw a sky full of twinkling stars. It was very moving. The guide's explanations of the stars using a laser pointer were very easy to understand, so even if you're not knowledgeable about stars, it’s no problem at all. We also took commemorative photos with the stars and Kilauea Volcano in the background, and the entire tour was satisfying from start to finish.

I definitely want to participate again when I visit the Big Island.

個人旅行でハワイ島を訪れた際に、こちらのツアーに参加しました。普段、ツアーに参加することはほとんどないのですが、色々調べたところ、4000メートル級のマウナケアの山頂に個人で行くのは結構大変だということがわかり、こちらのツアーにお世話になりました。

結果、懸念していた、ツアーにありがちな時間に追われるといったことも全くなく、ゆったりとした時間のなかで、サンセット、星空観測を楽しむことができ、最高の思い出をつくることができました。

宿泊するホテルまでバンで迎えに来て頂き、車内でガイドさんの方の軽快なトークと車窓から眺める雄大な自然を楽しみながら、マウナケアを目指しました。

まずマウナケア山腹のオニヅカビジネスセンターというポイントで、幕の内弁当と暖かいお味噌汁を頂き、小一時間、高地に体を慣らした後、マウナケアの山頂に向けて出発です。途中、未舗装の砂利道もあり、もし個人で運転するとなれば相当大変です。様々なリスクを考えると、このようなツアーに参加して行くのが賢明と思いました。

頂上付近に着くと防寒具を借り、サンセットを鑑賞しました。サンセットの後は、少し山を下ったところで、星空観測をしました。空気はとても澄みきっており、夜空を見上げると満点の星が瞬いていました。とても感動しました。ガイドさんのレーザーポインタを使った星の説明が大変わかりやすく、星に疎くても全く問題ありませんでした。キラウエア火山をバックにいれた、星空との記念写真も撮って頂き、最初から最後まで満足のいくツアー内容でした。

またハワイ島を訪れた際には、ぜひ参加したいと思います。

At the end of 2015, I participated in a tour during my last trip to the US. I returned to Japan safely at the end of March, and now that I've finally settled down, I'm posting this.
The land of lava! Tropical creatures! The scenery! Everything was moving!
It was my first time at an altitude of over 4,000 meters, and I got there easily by car.
First, I was amazed by the sunset there.
After that, when darkness enveloped us, I finally understood that the Milky Way I learned about in textbooks was a galaxy of overlapping stars. I was deeply moved! You really can't convey that experience without seeing it with your own eyes.
And above all, I was impressed by our guide! Despite being in a very dangerous place (the car was severely damaged on the way back!), we were able to enjoy it safely and truly.
I will definitely go again. Thank you!

2015年末にUS赴任最後の旅行でツアー参加しました。3月末無事に日本に戻れ、ようやく落ち着いたので投稿です。
溶岩の大地！トロピカルな生物！景色！すべてが感動！
生まれて初めて標高4000m超、しかも車に乗って軽々と。
まずはそこでサンセットに感動。
その後闇に包まれてから見える天の川は教科書で習った銀河の星が折り重なったものであることをやっと教えてくれました。心の底から大感動！あればっかりは生の目で見ないとどうにもこうにも伝えようがないです。
そして何よりガイドさんに感動！かなり危険な場所(帰り道で車が大破してた！)であるにもかかわらず本当に本当に安全に楽しめました。
また必ず行きます。よろしく！

I first visited the Big Island of Hawaii 10 years ago, and since then, I've always wanted to join this tour to the summit of Mauna Kea for stargazing. However, my trips to the Big Island have always been decided at the last minute, so I couldn't participate in this popular tour. This time, I signed up as soon as my trip was confirmed, and I finally got to join.

The sunset viewed from 4,000 meters above sea level and the starlit sky from around 2,700 meters are breathtaking! You can only see this in the Big Island. Since it was the 27th day of the lunar month, there was no moonlight, and the stars were especially brilliant. It was cold, but I definitely want to participate again.

初めてハワイ島に行ったのは10年前ですが、その時からマウナケア山頂と星空観測があるこのツアーに参加したいと常に思っていました。
でも、ハワイ島に行くのが決まるのがいつも直前なので、人気のこのツアーに参加することは出来ず、今回は3旅行が決まってから早々に申し込み、やっと参加できました。
地上4000メートルから見る夕陽、2700メートル辺りから見る星空は、絶景‼️
ハワイ島でしか見られません。
丁度月齢が27日だったので、月明かりも
なく、特に星の輝きが凄ご〜い。
寒いけれど、また是非参加したいです。

Daisuke, who is very friendly, will take you along. He loves dolphins and seems to really connect with them, and he knows all the best spots for dolphin watching. However, as we went by boat to the viewing area and floated around wearing life jackets, I started to feel a bit seasick and couldn't dive in completely. That was the only disappointment. I'll make sure to prepare better next time! 😊

とてもフレンドリーなだいすけさんが連れて行ってくれます。いるかのことが大好きで本当に通じ合っているかのようなだいすけさんはイルカポイントもばっちりです。ただ、見れるところまで船でいってぷかぷかライフジャケットを着て揺られているとだんだん船酔いしてしまい、全部もぐれることができませんでした。それだけが残念。また体調整えていくぞ＾＾

This was by far the best part of our vacation. I only wish we would have had more time so we could have taken the longer trip.

I was able to see several manta rays. Some of them came so close that I thought they might bump into me, which was very impressive. I also enjoyed the little fish, similar to horse mackerel, bumping into me. It was my first time snorkeling, but they taught me carefully, so I felt very secure. Although I saw the manta rays at night, the sunset in the evening was also a highlight. However, I think it's better for those who are prone to motion sickness to take some medication beforehand.

何枚ものマンタを見ることが出来ました。
なかにはぶつかるんじゃ無いかと思うくらい近づいてくるマンタもいて、とても迫力があります。アジの様な小魚がぶつかってきたりと、色々と楽しめました。
シュノーケリングは初めてでしたが、丁寧に教えてくれるのでとても安心です。
マンタを見るのは夜になってからですが、夕方のサンセットも見所です。
但し、酔いやすい人は酔い止めの薬を飲んでおいた方が良いと思います。

Since it was my first helicopter ride, I chose a slightly luxurious OP tour. The stability was more impressive than I expected. After an exciting takeoff, we headed towards the Kilauea volcano. However, we spent a long time just flying over black lava flows, and I was disappointed to see only a little orange magma from the crater. In the second half, as we headed towards Waipi'o Valley, the scenery changed dramatically, revealing beautiful coastlines reminiscent of a Jurassic Park movie, which made me very satisfied. In Waipi'o Valley, the pilot made wonderful turns, allowing us to enjoy a fantastic time. I couldn't understand what was being said in the English commentary, but I wish they had played a Japanese audio guide as well. Since it was quite a long flight, I think I would have been very satisfied if they had shortened the flight over Kilauea volcano to about a third and offered it at a lower price. According to the hotel staff, the pilots here are all former members of the Army helicopter unit and are exceptional pilots.

初めてのヘリコプターといううことで、ちょっと贅沢なＯＰツアーを選択しました。思っていたより素晴らしい安定感です。興奮気味での離陸後、キラウエア火山遊覧に向かいます。ところが延々と真っ黒な溶岩流の後ばかり、火口から見えたオレンジ色のマグマはほんの少しでがっかりな時間が続きます。後半はワイピオ渓谷へ向かうと景色は一変、きれいな海岸沿いにジュラシックパークの映画のような風景が現れ大満足です。ワイピオ渓谷ではパイロットが左右に旋回しながら素晴らしい時間を過ごさせていただきました。英語の案内で何を言っているのかわからなかったけど、、、日本語の案内テープでも流してくれればよかったかな。結構、長い時間のフライトなので、キラウエア火山での飛行を３分の1くらいに短縮して、もっとお安くしてくれれば大満足だったと思います。ホテルの人の話ではここのパイロットは陸軍のヘリコプター部隊のＯＢで抜群の操縦技術者ばかりというう事でした。

I knew from a TV show that you can drive to a place over 4200 meters high, which is even higher than Mount Fuji, but I really wanted to go there myself! The day I participated, the weather was great, and I could see both the sunset and the stars clearly.

At the center where we stopped for altitude acclimatization, I was able to see the silver swords, a silver plant that only exists in the Himalayas and Mauna Kea. Luckily, I also saw some silver swords blooming, which are said to bloom only once every four years, making them very rare. They looked similar to butterbur, so I didn't take a photo, but I wish I had. (The image shows them before blooming.)

On the way to the summit, you can also see some quite unique scenery, like the Subaru Telescope and the red soil mountains. Depending on the weather, you might even see the red flames of Kilauea during the final stargazing explanation if you take a photo. If you have experience climbing Mount Fuji, you can't help but feel that you have to go here since it's so easy to reach such a high place! It was amazing!

富士山よりも標高が高い4200ｍ越えの場所まで車で行けるのはテレビで以前見て
知っていましたが、実際に行ってみたい！と思い立ち参加させて頂きましが
本当に行くべきですね！
参加させていただいた日は天候もよく、夕陽も星もよく見えました。
高度順応のために立ち寄るセンターも、ヒマラヤ山脈とマウナケアでしか生息していない
silver swords(銀剣草）という銀色の植物を見ることができます。運よくこれいがいにお花が咲いている銀剣草も見られました。４年？に一度しか咲かないそうでとても珍しいそうです。
フキノトウに似ていたので写真を撮らなかったのですが、撮ればよかったです。
（画像は咲く前の状態です）
また頂上までには、すばる天文台や、赤土の山などなかなか珍しい景色や場所も見ることができます。天候によっては最後の星空解説の際に写真を撮るとキラウエアの赤い炎も見ることができます。　富士山登山経験があれば、こんなに楽に高い場所までこれるなんて行くしかない！って感じです。素晴らしかったです！

My sister and I went on this tour with Jim Carey as our guide. We were picked up right from our hotel and then were gone all day. Jim was extremely knowledgeable about the Island of Hawaii as well as the folklore of the Hawaiian culture. It was fun to hear about all of the history of Hawaii and learn about the sites we were seeing, with such depth of knowledge that Jim brought. We stopped at Rainbow Falls (no rainbow, but the falls were wonderful). One aspect we both enjoyed a lot was going through one of the lava tubes near the volcano!

The lunch and dinner provided was excellent, we both enjoyed it. The whole tour was long - and by the end of the day we were tired, however we would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn about Hawaii and see many different sites along the way. Before heading back to the hotel we saw the lava glow located near the Jagger Museum, which was amazing to view at night. We had a great day!