All Reviews for Top Places to Visit in Hawaii

In this time of yen depreciation, I hesitated to join the activity tour, but I’m really glad I experienced it! It felt almost unbelievable, like I was in a dream… it was a graceful, powerful, and majestic time with the manta rays.

However, my whole family tried to take photos with our smartphones, but we were so focused on observing and getting into position that we ended up not capturing a single image, which I truly regret. It was the highlight of the trip, but the impact of that experience is something that words alone cannot convey.

For those considering participation, having good physical stamina will enhance your enjoyment, so I recommend not postponing and experiencing it as soon as possible. Also, be sure to prepare your health to avoid lack of sleep and to be ready for potential seasickness!

この円安のご時世、アクティビティツアー参加はとても迷ったのですが、本当に体験して良かったです！
なんだか信じられない、夢の中にいたような…優雅で、パワフルで、雄大なマンタとの時間でした。
　
ただ、家族全員スマホで撮影を試みたのですが、体勢を整えて観察するので精一杯になり、画像が一枚も撮れなかったのが本当に本当に心残りです。
この旅行のハイライトとなったのですが、あの迫力はみんなに言葉だけでは伝えきれないです。

参加を考えている方は、体力があった方がより楽しめるので、また今度にと先延ばしせず体験されることをお勧めします。
あと船酔いに備え、睡眠不足にならないよう体調整えての参加を！

Great trip with Tyler being our pilot. Not only was he a great pilot he was very knowledgable about the Big Island and about things a vacationer would not know. Saw many whales and spinner dolphins.. Circle Island tour was a great experience! Support staff was great and gave us all the information needed to make the trip great, but also safe!

This boat was by far the best option for whale watching. We took my 3 year old son for his birthday, so glad we chose this one. Our captain was determined to have everyone witness all of the amazing sights of whales in their natural habitat including, breaching, Mom and baby, whale tail waves, even the smell of anchovy whale breath! Will definitely be doing this one again! This was the highlight of our trip, an unforgettable experience! Mahalo Hawaii Nautical!

The sunset, starry sky, and observatory were all deeply moving and satisfying. In addition to that, the efficient sightseeing on the Big Island was excellent, and during the nearly 8-hour tour, they promptly answered individual questions in both English and Japanese (the languages available depend on the guide). Their witty responses matched the atmosphere perfectly, and I felt they had a wide breadth of knowledge and had studied extensively. My stay on the Big Island was very short, but it turned out to be a great experience. Regardless of changes in weather, season, or circumstances, I believe they can adapt to satisfy guests based on the situation at that time.

サンセット、星空、天体展望台は全て感慨深く満足のいく内容でした。それに加えて、ハワイ島の効率的な観光などはもちろんのこと、８時間弱に及ぶツアーの間は個々の質問などにも英語日本語ですぐにお答えいただいたり（可能言語は担当者によるとの事）、場の雰囲気に合わせたウィットに富んだ切り返しが絶妙で、知識の幅が広くものすごく勉強されているんだなと感じました。自分はとても短いハワイ島の滞在でしたが、大変良い経験となりました。天候や季節や状況が変わっても、その時の状況に合わせて満足させてもらえるのでないでしょうか。

On the day, it rained, and it was cold, making the conditions terrible. The woman in charge explained everything clearly and patiently, providing instructions on handling the bike and setting up the navigation for us, who do not understand English. I would like to try again on a nice day.

当日は雨が降り、寒くなりコンデションは最悪でした。
担当した女性の方は分かりやすく、英語のわからない私達にバイクの取り扱いの説明、ナビの設定など丁寧に説明してくれました。
天気の良い日に再度チャレンジしたい。

We had a private experience for just the two of us, and although we didn't get to see any dolphins, we had a great time learning about the Big Island. Thank you, Noni!

夫婦2人貸し切りで、ハワイ島の説明していただきなから、イルカには会えなかったけど、良い体験が出来ました。ノニさんありがとうございました。

Booked this with a group of six, and to our surprise, we got a last-minute upgrade apparently due to the cruise being overbooked: Our own private yacht with cocktails, beer, and dinner. We were greeted and wonderfully taken care of by two very friendly guys -- unfortunately, I cannot remember their names as this was a few weeks ago, though someone in my group did snag their card, so we will definitely hit them up when we return -- who indulged our desires to see some whales in addition to the sunset. The atmosphere was excellent, the mood was chill, and we indeed saw lots of whales and an amazing view of the sunset. Loved the experience!

Such an enjoyable experience!! Nearly all the food items were gluten free ( I have Celiac disease). The only suggestion I would make is to not put the gluten free dessert on the same plate as the glutinous items as there is chance of cross contamination. The wait staff were phenomenal. Our waiter Geno was on top of all our needs. The performers were out do this world and the musicians with equal talent. Loved the experience and encourage others to attend.

fun!fun!fun!fun!fun!fun!fun!fun!fun!fun!fun!fun!fun!fun!

The Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour is amazing. The tour provides warm clothing for rent, so you can participate with peace of mind. There was plenty of time to enjoy the experience, and it was truly moving. The summit sunset and stargazing are wonderful. The tour includes dinner, and the sandwiches served for dinner are delicious and highly recommended.

マウナケア山頂サンセット&星空観測ツアー、最高です。防寒着の貸し出しありのツアーで安心して参加できます。
滞在時間も充分あり感動の時間を過ごせました。
山頂サンセット、星空観測素敵です。
夕食付きのツアーで夕食のサンドイッチも美味しくておすすめです。

I felt like I got to see all the best spots of Big Island on this 1 day tour!

Fabulous day, getting to get into the sea caves was the best!

Four years ago, I visited Waipi'o Valley and took photos from the observation deck. I joined this tour because it allows you to drive down to places that ordinary people can't access! The slope was steeper than I expected, and the driving was very slow and cautious. The guide spoke entirely in English, so I didn't understand anything, but the other foreign guests in the car were laughing and asking questions, so I think it was a good guide. It was fun to drive into the river and cross it; it felt like an attraction!

４年前に来た時は展望台から眺めて写真を撮ったワイピオ渓谷。こちらのツアーでは普通の人が行けない場所まで車で下って行けるとの事で参加しました！
思ってた以上に急斜面で、かなりゆっくり慎重に運転されてました。ガイドは完全に英語でしたので、私は全くわからずでしたが、車内の他の外国人の方は笑ったり質問したりしていたので、良いガイドさんだったと思います^_^河に車で入って横切ったりと、アトラクション的な感じもあったので、楽しかったです！

We’ve been to Waipio Valley several times but have never taken a guide-led tour, and it made a huge difference. The guide was charming, knowledgeable and experienced. We saw parts of the valley that we wouldn’t have been able to in the past, and certainly now that the valley is closed to non-residents. Highly recommend!

A most enjoyable experience! Once we spotted a spout in the distance, we motored to it for a wonderful mother-baby whale show! Only recommendation would be to improve the directions to get to the check-in location on the beach.

We arrived early to check in, secured our seats, and waited for the show while enjoying Mai Tais. The atmosphere at our table was very friendly and lively. We had a great time celebrating honeymoon couples and birthdays, and even got to go on stage for a dance lesson. The buffet was well-managed by the staff, making the flow smooth, and the food was delicious. The Hawaiian dance was elegant and wonderful, and it seemed like the host's talk was well-received. The ocean beyond the stage and the sunset were spectacular.

早めに受付をして、席を確保し、マイタイを飲みながら、開演を待ちました。同じテーブルの人たちと和気藹々。とても楽しかったです。ハネムーンカップルや、お誕生日の人などをお祝いしたり、ステージに上がってダンスをレクチャーされたり、とても楽しい時間を過ごしました。ブッフェスタイルでしたが、取りに行く流れをちゃんとスタッフの方がコントロールしていて、スムーズでしたし、とても美味しかったです。ハワイアンダンスは優雅で素晴らしく、司会のトークも受けていたようです。ステージの向こうの海、そして夕陽が素晴らしかったです。

wonderful and first experience of my life. i 'll want to there again soon, this is my dream.

The meeting place was "Island Gourmet Market," but there was a sign for "Island Grill" nearby, and I mistakenly thought that was the place. The similar names were confusing... I was a bit late for the meeting time, and I sincerely apologize for that, but they called me and waited.

It was much colder than I had imagined, and I really wondered if this was Hawaii. I brought my winter gear for climbing, and as I got closer to the summit, I kept putting on more layers, but at the top, it was below freezing. It was really cold. Still, I was moved to witness the beautiful, perfect sunset. Honestly, it was so cold that after the sunset, I wanted to go home (laughs). However, we then enjoyed stargazing. I was looking forward to the guide taking pictures with the stars, but even though they used a good camera, the photo quality was disappointing.

There were many other tour guests, so there were lights around, and with the strong wind, it was a challenging environment to properly capture the stars.

The BLT sandwich for the meal was really delicious, but I wished for a warm drink. (I was really envious of the other tour guests who were given warm drinks.) It was so cold that I caught a bit of a cold.

集合場所が「アイランドグルメマーケット」だったのですが近くに「アイランドグリル」という看板があってここかな？と勘違いしてしまいました。名前が似ていてややこしい…。集合時間に少し遅れてしまい本当に申し訳なかったですが電話連絡があり待っていてくれました。

想像していた何倍も寒くて本当にここはハワイなのかと思うぐらい寒かったです。登山用の防寒着を持参し、山頂に近づくにつれてどんどん着込んでいきましたが山頂は氷点下。本当に寒かった。それでも美しい完璧なサンセットを拝むことができて感動しました。
正直寒すぎてサンセット終わりでもう帰りたいとなりました(笑)　が、その後星空観測をして星空も満喫。ガイドさんが星空との写真を撮ってくれるということで期待していたけどいいカメラ使っているのに撮影レベルが低くて残念でした。
ツアー客が他にもたくさんいるので光などもあり、風邪も強くしっかり星空撮影しようと思ったら難しい環境でした。

食事のBLTサンドはすごく美味しかったけど、あたたかい飲み物が欲しかった。（他のツアーの人が温かい飲み物を支給されていて本当に羨ましかった）
寒すぎたため少し風邪を引きました。

Unfortunately, it rained. The rain got heavier and raincoats were distributed. The temperature dropped, and the food got soaked and was almost inedible, with only two drinks consumed. While I was concerned about the weak yen prices, I made the reservation to boost my Hawaiian spirit, but it turned out to be a poor value. I hadn't considered the bad weather. Those making reservations should not forget to check the weather. The fire show was impressive.

あいにくの雨でした。どんどん雨脚が強くなりレインコートが配られ、気温も下がり、食事もずぶ濡れでほとんど食べられず、飲み物も2杯飲んだ程度。円安料金が気になりつつもハワイ気分を盛り上げようと予約しましたがコスパの悪い結果となりました。悪天候については気が回っていなかった。予約される方は天気のチェックをお忘れなく。ファイアーショーは見応えありました。

We took our 3 year old. The experience was tailored to be age appropriate and gentle with the animals for my child. I highly encourage this experience.

This is the very first kayaking ocean tour my husband and I have ever been on. It definitely helps if you have experience in rowing a kayak. My husband had plenty experience in rowing a kayak in Canada even if it was only on rivers and lakes. We totally appreciated the kokua and patience from our lead guides, Winfield & Olivia. We were late joining our kayak tour. We appreciated Winfield's follow up call as we were running late due to tire pressure issues on our car rental and needed to check it out before we got to the keauhou Bay. When we showed up, we were pleasantly greeted right away by Olivia who stayed behind to ensure we had life jackets and that all our valuables were safely locked up in their truck. Olivia led us by kayak to the group and we were able to take a personal guided history and tour of the dragon's throat cave Winfield because the waters were starting to get a bit choppy. We later were anchored to our guides along with other kayakers to enjoy some snorkeling along the reef which was truly amazing. Somehow when our kayaks were anchored, I must've lost my balance getting back into our kayak because shortly after that, our kayak ended up tipping into the ocean along with my phone. Winfield was very kind to fish it out of the ocean and Olivia quickly poured regular bottled water on my my phone but u/f my phone is still dying a slow salt
corrosion death. The good news is that we were still able to obtain the data of the beautiful photos and videos of our adventure. We loved learning the history and sharing great camraderie with Winfield and Olivia who are expert kayakers and tour guides. They made us feel very safe and at ease the whole time. Wilfield also helped calm me down after we tipped and made sure I was ok after rescuing my phone. We also enjoyed snacks and drinks and when we got back to shore, Winfield cut us fresh pineapple and we enjoyed eating that. Thank you Winfield and Olivia for a fantastic adventure!

My whole family enjoyed this experience! There were plenty of whales breaching and splashing all around us, they gave us a great show. The entire crew was friendly and knowledgeable about the whales and the catamaran too. I would recommend this trip to anyone during the whale season! We will do it again on our next trip. Thank you for such a wonderful experience.

We drove up to an elevation of 4,200 meters, and thanks to our guide's safe driving, we were able to enjoy the scenery from the car windows, including some gravel roads. The mountaintop, where the astronomical observation facilities are located, was a bit chilly, but the changing colors of the sky until sunset were beautiful.

標高4,200ｍにクルマで登りますが、一部ある砂利道も含めてガイドさんの安全運転で車窓からの風景を安心して楽しめました。天体観測施設が並ぶ山頂は少し寒かったですが、日没までの空色の変化がきれいでした。

I participated with my 4-year-old grandchild in a three-generation trip. Even though it was the end of November in Hawaii, and I was worried about the cold sea since my grandchild is still young, thanks to the thoughtful support from the Japanese staff, we were able to see manta rays and had a great time. Thank you to the staff. Next time, I will visit during a warmer season.

4歳の孫と三世代で参加しました。
11月末でハワイと言っても海は冷たく　まだ孫が低年齢なので心配していたのですが、日本人スタッフの方の気の利いた対応で、無事マンタも見れて
楽しく過ごせました。
スタッフの方、ありがとうございました。
次回は暖かい季節に行きますね。

This is one of the best tour I had, the driver always take care of you even if you Re late lol.
But it was an amazing experience you can meet new people and have a great time, I would do it again when I come back to kona!

My wife and I took this tour with our three young kids. We had a very knowledgeable guide for our tour—Ray. He is a native of Waipo Valley and he had a lot of good information to tell us both about Waipo Valley and Hawaiian history in general. Beyond this, the valley itself is breathtakingly beautiful! All of us thoroughly enjoyed this tour.

Overall, this was an excellent tour!

Seeing manta rays is an incredible experience, but you need to be prepared for some cold and have a good level of stamina. While you're in the water, it's fine, but returning to the shore afterward can be chilly. There are some techniques to snorkeling while in the water. If you grip the buoy line too tightly, it can take a lot of energy. My wife had a tough time because she ended up drinking seawater.

マンタを見た時は感動ですが、ある程度の寒さと体力は必要です。水に浸かっている時はいいですが、上がってからの帰港は寒いです。水に浸かりながらのシュノーケリングにはコツがいります。浮きのロープに掴まるのに変な力が入ると体力が要ります。私の妻は海水は飲むはで大変でした。

During my fourth visit to the Big Island, I participated in the long-awaited "Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour."

Since I was staying in Hilo, I started by inquiring whether it was possible to meet at the Onizuka Visitor Center when making my reservation. They kindly responded to my inquiry in Japanese, and I successfully completed my booking.

On the day of the tour, I arrived at the center (elevation 2800m) two hours before the meeting time by rental car and acclimatized by exploring the surrounding area.

From the center, I switched to the tour vehicle and joined others who had come from various hotels in Kona. I was fortunate to sit in the front seat, and we set off for the summit. I was surprised by the off-road conditions, but the tour guide and driver provided explanations in both English and Japanese, and before I knew it, we reached the summit (4200m) with its observation points. There were already many tourists there, but we were able to enjoy the sunset in a spacious area, and the guide took commemorative photos for us. The wind and remaining snow made the perceived temperature around -5 degrees, but I managed to cope with my down jacket and gloves.

After the sunset, we descended to the parking lot at 3600m for stargazing. As it got darker, the number of visible stars increased dramatically, creating a series of breathtaking moments. Here too, we received detailed explanations about constellations in Japanese, and the time flew by.

Additionally, the guide shared the photos taken at the summit and during stargazing via LINE, creating memorable keepsakes.

I highly recommend this tour, which allows you to experience a height 500 meters higher than Mount Fuji and enjoy the dual excitement of sunset and stargazing!

4回目のハワイ島訪問で、念願の「マウナケア山頂 サンセット＆星空観測ツアー」に参加しました。

ヒロ宿泊でしたので、申込時に、「オニヅカビジターセンター待ち合わせ」が可能かどうかの問い合わせからスタートしましたが、日本語のメールでの問い合わせにも親切にご対応いただき、無事に、申込完了。

当日も、待ち合わせ時間の2時間前には、センター（標高2800ｍ）にレンタカーで到着し、周辺の散策などで、高度順応。

センターからは、ツアーの車に乗り換えて、コナの各ホテルから来られた方々と同行。助手席という特等席に乗せていただき、山頂へ出発。
予想以上のオフロードに驚きながらも、ツアーガイド 兼 ドライバーの方が運転しながら英語と日本語で説明をしただき、あっという間に展望台群のある山頂(4200m)に。
既に、多くの観光客がいましたが、広いスペースでサンセットを楽しむことができ、ガイドの方が記念の写真も撮っていただきました。
残雪と強風で体感気温は「-５度」くらいでしたが、持参していたダウンや手袋で何とか凌げました。

サンセット後は、3600mの駐車場まで下りてからの星空観測。
暗くなるに従い、刻々と観える星の数が倍増していき、感動の連続。
ここでも、日本語で星座などの詳しい説明をしていただき、あっという間の時間でした。

さらに、山頂と星空観測で撮っていただいた写真をその場で、LINEで共有していただき、思い出深い写真になりました。

是非、富士山より500ｍも高いところを体験でき、サンセットと星空観測の２つの感動を得られるツアーをお勧めいたします！

The explanation in English only: The whales' spouts and dorsal fins were only visible a few times from a distance, and contrary to expectations, the satisfaction level was somewhat lacking. However, the view from the boat was excellent.

英語のみの解説、鯨は潮吹きと背びれが数回遥か彼方にしか見えず、期待に反して満足度はもう一つでした。船上からの眺めは最高でした。　

The summit of Mauna Kea at 4205m, the sunset from there, the Subaru Telescope, and stargazing were all amazing. The guide spoke English in the car, but the explanations for the astronomical observations were in Japanese, which deepened my understanding. I highly recommend it if you have the chance. Thank you.

4205mのマウナケア山頂、そこからのサンセット、スバル望遠鏡、星空観測、すべて最高でした。
ガイドは車中は英語ですが、天体観測は日本語で説明されていて理解が深まりました。
チャンスがあるなら是非おすすめします、ありがとう。