Big Island
We really enjoyed the glass bottom boat cruise. We had a frustrating experience earlier with snorkeling and we were happy to have an opportunity to see the reefs and the fish from the comfort of a boat. We even got to see some sea turtles under the boat! We also thought that the price for the cruise was more reasonable than many of the attractions in Hawaii. After the cruise we went hiking on the beautiful Ala Kahakai Trail which extends north from A-Bay. The glass bottom boat cruise is a can't miss experience on the Big Island!
Aloha,
Thanks for taking the time to provide feedback about your Glass Bottom Boat Cruise and for including those wonderful photos! We're so happy to read that you njoyed the trip and got to see so much marine life.
We know there are a lot of activities to choose from when you're on the island and we're honored you chose to spend part of your morning with us and that we've earned your recommendation.
Mahalo and A Hui Hou
Great experience getting to see the whales up and close. The crew was outstanding and very informative. I highly recommend this excursion if you are ever in the area during the whale’s migratory season. The boat size was perfect. Not too big and crowded and not too small to avoid motion sickness.
Kids loved it! Highly recommend. Can't wait to come back :)
Magnificent performance from all involved dealing with the history of the hawaiin islands and the Polynesian empire. The buffet was way too much to take in!!
The entertainment was first rate and the food was surprisingly good. You don’t expect food served to hundreds of people at once to be hot and tasty but they have the logistics well organized and the buffet line moves fast.
The fire stick dancers were excellent, and the whole evening had a very authentic feel.
This was our first luau and it was exceptional! The staff was courteous, professional, welcoming, and overall delightful! The food was very well prepared and there was a wide variety of selections. The show was both entertaining as well as informative and all of the performers ( host, dancers, and musicians) were great!!
I would love to do this again some time!
We saw lots of Mantas. I can't wait to come back and do it again.
Aloha Jim,
We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed the company of the manta's. We hope to see you in the near future!
Sea Paradise did a great job. We saw six mantas. I thought the boat trip would be a bit longer. Just a short ride out from shore. So it's not about sailing. But the mantas make up for it.
Aloha Jim,
Mahalo for taking the time to leave us a review. We do offer a shorter boat ride for those who are prone to getting sea sick/don't want to be on the boat for too long. We are happy to hear you enjoyed your manta tour.
We had such a fun time snorkeling with the mantas. We didn't realize how close they come to you in the water. One of them belly-bumped me by accident. Such graceful sea creatures.
Aloha,
The mantas are truly amazing. Mahalo for choosing Sea Paradise for your manta adventures. We hope to see you soon!
This was a very beautiful night! The luau experience was everything we were looking for. It felt like a true traditional experience
I was a little nervous about snorkeling at night but I'm so glad I went. It's less of a snorkel and more of a snorkel float where you hold onto a floating mat with LED lights underneath. The mantas were swooping underneath us eating the plankton. It was so calm and magical. Highly recommend.
Aloha Jim,
We appreciate your recommendation! It is more of a uniform snorkel and typically not to strenuous. We agree, they are truly magical! We hope to see you in the near future!
Saw lots of whales. We loved the combination of sailing on a catamaran and seeing whales breaching off in the distance. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Hawaii during whale season.
This trip is great for families and couples alike. I really enjoyed the fact that the crew helped us locate the whales and went in search of the best viewing spots. Highly recommended for Waikaloa Bay Beach area.
Perfect family friendly glass bottom boat tour. At ~35 min, perfect length for our four-year old.
Staff very friendly, marine expert was great at pointing out the different species and interesting traits.
Tour also launches from a very nice, calm protected beach which would be worth visiting again, as the calm waters would allow even the youngest children the chance to walk and splash in the water with maybe a few small fish swimming by.
We had a wonderful experience with Tiana as our helicopter pilot. She was extremely skilled at flying and was a wealth of information regarding the areas we were flying over.
I enjoyed a traditional luau and music show in a lovely atmosphere. The fire dance was wonderful.
The seating was communal, which can feel a bit uncomfortable when it's crowded.
The buffet was decent in taste.
素敵な雰囲気の会場で伝統的なルアウやミュージックショーを楽しめました。ファイヤーダンス含め素晴らしかったです。
席は相席のようになっており、混んでいると少し落ち着かないです。
またビュッフェも味はまぁまぁでした。
We had a great experience on board! The guides were educational and friendly! Our children (3y & 14m) had a lot of fun and enjoyed being able to see all the creatures! We saw turtles, an eel, and so many fish!
Tianna was our pilot and was a phenomenal one. She handled that very tiny helicopter without a problem. I have a tendency to be motion-sick and I had zero problems with her at the stick.
We were disappointed that there wasn't any lava flowing but we got great views of Kilauea's craters and the changes since we were last on the Big Island. She made sure everyone got a good view of what we were seeing and was quite knowledgeable about the area.
They give you advice about what to wear and I fully advise everyone to pay attention to it. Temp in the chopper was ~50°F with buffeting winds from the rotors. Because we listened, we were comfortable. The only complaint was the wind was strong enough to make my eyes water and it was hard to see at times. That said, it was a fun experience and I highly recommend it.
My family loved this tour. Great for kids. We loved not having to get in the water to see coral and fish.
We had hoped the weather would clear, but, unfortunately, despite our tour guide’s best efforts to find some clearing, we were beaten by the weather. Our guide, Hunter, was extremely knowledgeable and tried really hard to wait for some sign of being able to observe anything, but had to cancel with no luck. I can imagine it would have been spectacular to see and hear the wealth of information he would have been able to provide if we could have seen it.
Food was great especially the pork and salmon. Show was nice, small if you’ve been to some on the other islands. But overall a nice evening.
I was lucky to be in a small group for this tour so the guide was very flexible with the schedule and we had enough time to enjoy each place. Our guide was a very knowledgeable local man who knows a lot about Hawaiian history and how the different spots we visited have changed through time.
All the stops we made at the volcano's park were totally worth it but my favorite spot in this tour was the Akaka Falls, what a gorgeous place!!!
Mahalo for spending the day with us Laura! Glad you enjoyed your visit...and yes Akaka Falls is a magical place!
This was my second time, following my first visit in August 2019. There were concerns about high waves due to the remnants of a storm from the previous day, but our Japanese guide, Nino, was very kind and sent us many photos. My wife and I were the only participants, which allowed us to enjoy the experience at a leisurely pace. The only downside was that the snorkeling visibility was worse compared to my last visit due to the storm. However, this is an activity I would like to participate in again if I visit the Big Island.
2019/8 に続いて2回目でした。前日の嵐の残りで波の高く不安がありましたが日本語ガイドのニノさんの親切な対応と写真もたくさん送っていただき私と妻の2人のみ参加でゆっくりと楽しむことができました。ただシュノーケリングが前日の嵐で前回に比べ海の透明度が悪くそれだけが残念でした。また、ハワイ島に行けば参加したいアクティビティです。
We loved going on this tour! It was great to learn about the local traditions of Waipio Valley and to view it on the only tour available at the time. The group mentioned it as one of the highlights of our Big Island trip!
We had a group of 4 and knew we wanted to do a helicopter tour and this place knocked it out of the part the pilot (Wade) was amazing and all of the staff was great at communicating! They make it convenient by being able to call or text and ensure that you will be comfortable before going up in the air! Would definitely do this again if we ever return to the area! Mahalo!
In August 2022, when travel was still strict due to COVID-19, I went to the Big Island and enjoyed a private charter. Since it was my first time in Hawaii, I don't have anything to compare it to, but I felt very safe and secure because it was private.
By the way, according to our guide, Mr. Nawata, we were the first Japanese guests after COVID.
The positives were:
- Since it was private,
1. The schedule was flexible.
2. I could keep a close eye on the children who are not strong swimmers, ensuring their safety.
3. Although they had solid COVID-19 measures in place, it felt even safer since there were no other families around.
- We saw dolphins jumping when we arrived at the bay.
- The children were satisfied seeing beautiful fish.
The trip from Honokohau Harbor to Kealakekua Bay took about an hour one way, and we spent about an hour in the water, but the kids seemed to enjoy it enough, and the breeze on the boat was pleasant.
While it is somewhat more expensive compared to shared boats, we were able to do things that wouldn't be possible without the private charter, and I believe it was a great experience for the children. For families or groups of four or more, especially those with relatively small children, I think it's definitely worth it to go for a private charter.
まだコロナで渡航が厳しい2022年8月にハワイ島にいってプライベートチャーターを楽しみました。初めてのハワイだったので比較対象がないのですが、プライベートだったので、安心安全でとてもよかったと思います。
ちなみに、ガイドの縄田さんによると、コロナ後初の日本人だったそうです。
良かった点としては、
・プライベートだったので、
①スケジュールの融通が利く。
②泳ぎが得意でない子供たちにもしっかり目が届いて安心安全。
③コロナ対策もしっかりしていますが、それ以上に他の家族がいないので安心。
・湾に着いた時にイルカがジャンプしているのが見れたこと。
・子どもたちもきれいな魚が見れて満足していたこと。
出発地のホノウコウ・ハーバーからケアラケクア湾までは片道1時間、往復2時間ほどで海に入れたのは1時間ほどでしたが、子どもたちは十分満喫したようでしたし、ボートの風は気持ち良かったです。
乗り合いのボートと比べると多少値段は張りますが、プライベートではないとできないことができ、子どもたちにもとてもいい体験になったと思います。
それなりの4人以上の家族・グループ、特に比較的小さな子供のいる方にとっては、プライベートチャーターにする価値は十分あると思います。
It was a nice experience. The service was outstanding as the whole crew was very polite and always ready to assist. The ride itself was a bit rough.. not sure off it was just on that day due to the wind and current being strong or the captain was driving too fast lol.. but I did get a bit dizzy. The food Wass tasty and the views, info and music were also on point.
Mahalo for joining us! We are glad that you enjoyed outstanding service! Thank you for the five star review and kind words! Best wishes to you and yours!
We had a great time on the boat. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable and it was the perfect activity for a group with kids and grandparents. Everyone got to see fish and turtles up close in a way that was easy and enjoyable for a group not up for snorkeling
This is a must do. It was fantastic. Our pilot was Wade and he was very
informative
Great day to see all parts of the Volcano Park! Nice they have Hilo side tours as we were nervous when staying on Hilo side.