All Reviews for Kailua-Kona

I participated in the sunset and stargazing tour at the summit of Mauna Kea. The view of the observatory and the sunset from the snow-covered summit was truly magnificent, and I couldn't help but gasp in awe. The sky conditions were excellent, allowing us to see not only the winter constellations but also the winter Milky Way clearly, and I was genuinely amazed by the sheer number of stars filling the sky.

The guide communicated diligently while incorporating some Japanese, and I appreciated their warm attitude. They provided regular announcements for restroom breaks and checked on our well-being, showing great attention to detail, which made the overall hospitality outstanding.

It gets quite cold at the summit, so I was glad I brought disposable hand warmers. The flow of the tour and the items to bring were as explained in the pre-tour information, which made me feel secure about participating. I highly recommend this tour.

マウナケア山頂の夕陽＆星空観測ツアーに参加しました。
雪が残る山頂から眺める天文台と夕日の景色が本当に素晴らしく、思わず息をのみました。空の状態も良く冬の星座はもちろん、冬の天の川までくっきりと見え、空一面の星の数に心から驚かされました。
ガイドさんは日本語をまじえながら一生懸命コミュニケーションを取ってくれ、その姿勢がとても温かく嬉しかったです。定期的なトイレ休憩の案内や体調確認など、細やかな気遣いが行き届いており、全体を通してホスピタリティは抜群だと感じました。
山頂はかなり冷え込むので、使い捨てカイロを持参して良かったです。ツアーの流れや持ち物などは事前案内の説明どおりで、安心して参加できました。このツアーはおすすめします。

This time, I took my family on a stargazing tour. The weather was bad with strong winds predicted, but we were able to have the tour safely, which was a relief. You can see a night sky here that you absolutely cannot experience in Japan. There are so many stars that it's hard to identify the constellations. I highly recommend this experience.

The meals were also tastier than before.

Points of concern:
It seemed like the duration of the stargazing experience was shorter than last time. I wish we had a bit more time. Did the location for the experience change to a slightly lower spot?

今回は家族を連れての星空ツアーでした。下の天気が悪く、強風の予測でしたが無事ツアーができホットしています。日本では絶対に体験できない星空を見ることができます。星が多すぎて星座が確認できません。ぜひ体験してください。
食事も以前よりおいしくなっていました。
気になった点
前回の星空体験より時間が短くなったように思えます。もう少し時間が有ったら良かったとおもいます。体験する場所も少し低くなったのですか？

Although there were concerns about the weather, the summit was clear, and both the sunset and starry sky were incredibly beautiful and amazing. The guide's explanations were also thorough and easy to understand.

天気が心配されましたが、山頂は晴れていて夕日も星空も大変綺麗で最高でした。
ガイドさんの説明も丁寧でわかりやすかったです

I participated in the sunset and stargazing tour at the summit of Mauna Kea, and it was truly a satisfying experience. The weather was perfect that day, and the sunset from the summit was breathtakingly beautiful. Furthermore, at night, we were able to see a sky full of stars, making it an unforgettable time.

Above all, our guide, James, was absolutely wonderful. His talk was very enjoyable, and he kept the atmosphere light and cheerful throughout the tour. The summit was quite cold, but I was really grateful for the coat rental and the provision of warm cocoa.

Additionally, he was always considerate of the participants' well-being during the drive, frequently checking in on bathroom breaks, which was a thoughtful touch. His driving was very careful, and even though it was a mountain road, I felt safe and didn't experience any motion sickness.

Thank you for the amazing experience. I'm really glad I chose this tour!

マウナケア山頂の夕陽＆星空観測ツアーに参加しましたが、本当に大満足の体験でした。
当日は天気にも恵まれ、山頂からの夕陽は息をのむ美しさ。さらに夜は満天の星空を見ることができ、忘れられない時間になりました。

そして何より、ガイドのJamesさんが本当に素晴らしかったです。
トークもとても楽しく、終始場を和ませてくれました。山頂はとても寒いですが、コートの貸し出しや温かいココアの用意までしてくださり、本当にありがたかったです。

また、運転中も常に参加者の体調を気遣い、こまめにトイレ休憩の確認をしてくれるなど細やかな配慮が印象的でした。運転もとても丁寧で、山道でしたが車酔いすることなく安心して過ごせました。

素晴らしい体験をありがとうございました。
このツアーを選んで本当によかったです！

You need to do something about large groups that get very drunk, are disrespectful towards the event and its participants. Loved the show but it was a distraction and didn’t allow us to enjoy the whole show experience.

The sunset at the summit and the stargazing at the halfway point were both breathtaking, and I had a wonderful experience. I appreciated the flexibility in changing both the pickup and drop-off locations. I'm glad I participated!

サミットでの夕日も途中地点の星空鑑賞も絶景で、とても素敵な体験をすることができました。ピックアップ場所とドロップオフの場所をそれぞれの変更も対応していただき、助かりました。参加してよかったです！

Our tour guide, Chris, was wonderful! Thanks to him, even those of us who don't understand much English had a great time. If we have the chance, we would definitely like to request him again next time. The sunset from the summit was absolutely amazing and became an unforgettable memory. Thank you very much!

ツアーガイドのクリスさん、とても素敵でした！お陰様で英語のあまりわからない我々も楽しく過ごせました
機会があれば次回もぜひお願いしたいです
山頂から見る日の入りはとても素晴らしく
忘れられない思い出になりました
ありがとうございました！

I participated in February. The weather was cloudy up to the summit, and for a while after departing from the visitor center, it was snowing, which was hard to believe for the weather on the Big Island of Hawaii. When I reached the summit, it was still snowing, but the guide told me, "I think you'll be able to see it today." Suddenly, the clouds cleared, and I was able to experience an incredible view like never before, with snow, a sea of clouds, and the sunset all coming together. The starry sky was even more impressive than a planetarium, with countless stars visible. The guide took many photos of both the sunset and the starry sky, capturing moments that I couldn't have taken with my own phone, which made me very happy. Additionally, they took great care to ensure that we wouldn't suffer from altitude sickness, allowing me to participate with peace of mind.

参加したのは2月でした。山頂の途中までは曇天、ビジターセンターを出発してしばらくは雪が降っていて、とてもハワイ島の天気とは思えなかったです。山頂に着いてすぐはまだ雪が降っていましたが、ガイドさんに今日は見れると思いますよ。と言われて、本当に雲が晴れて、雪と雲海とサンセットと全てが揃った今まで経験したことのない、最高の景色を見る事が出来ました。満天の星空はプラネタリウムよりも沢山の星を観ることが出来ました。ガイドさんにはサンセットも星空も沢山の写真を撮ってもらえて、自分の携帯では撮れないような写真を撮ってもらえた事も思い出になって、嬉しかったです。また、高山病にかからないように配慮もしっかりしていて安心して参加する事が出来ました。

The beautiful sunset and the lovely starry sky cleansed my soul.

With a smooth schedule and thorough explanations, it became a very enjoyable time.

美しいサンセットと綺麗な星空で
心が洗われました

スムーズなスケジュール進行と丁寧な説明で
大変楽しい時間になりました

I made a reservation targeting the timing of the high moon phase, and Waikoloa was sunny from the morning, raising my expectations, but there were somewhat thick clouds on the mountain.

While taking a break at the Onizuka Visitor Center, it started to rain, turning my hopes into anxiety. When I reached the summit, it was snowing, and a sense of resignation began to set in as I endured the cold while waiting.

Then, after about 15 minutes, the clouds began to thin out, and the sun started to shine through. In the end, I was able to witness a beautiful sunset beyond the sea of clouds, and then I moved on to stargazing.

There were moments when thin clouds passed by, but I was able to enjoy a sky full of stars.

月齢が高いタイミングで狙って予約、ワイコロアは朝から晴れて期待が高まるが、山にはやや厚い雲。
オニヅカビジターセンターでの途中休憩中に雨が降り始め、期待は不安に変わる。
山頂に着くと雪が降っており、諦めムードも漂う中で寒さに耐えて待つ。
すると15分ほどで雲が薄くなっていき、日が差すように。
結局雲海の先に綺麗なサンセットを拝むことができ、そのまま星空観察へ。
途中薄く雲がかかるタイミングもあったが、満天の星空を楽しむことができた。

One hour of sunset viewing at the summit of Mauna Kea.
I unexpectedly saw snow on the Big Island of Hawaii.
At 4,000 meters, the air is thin, and I could barely walk, but everyone on the tour seemed fine. They also helped with altitude acclimatization along the way, and the advice was provided in both English and Japanese, so I felt that most people would be okay.

The starry sky was breathtaking, and fortunately, there was no moon, making it the best stargazing experience of my life.

I definitely recommend it, although I think weather and luck play a role.

マウナケア山頂にて1時間サンセット鑑賞
ハワイ島でまさかの雪が見れました。
4000mの世界は酸素が薄く、私は歩くのがやっとでしたが、
ツアーの人は全員平気そうでした。高地順応も途中でしてくれたり、アドバイスも英語と日本語でしっかりされていたので
ほとんどの人は大丈夫だと感じました。

星空は満天で、タイミングよく月もなく
人生で最高の星空でした。

ぜひ
天候や運もあるとおもいますが
オススメです。

Initially, the day I had reserved was canceled due to bad weather. The staff kindly assisted me, and I changed it to another day. On the rescheduled tour date, the weather was favorable, and the staff's service was excellent, making it a fun day.

当初、予約した日が天候不良で欠航でした
スタッフの方が親切に対応していただき、他の日に変更しました
ツアー変更日は、天候に恵まれ、スタッフの対応もよく楽しい一日にになりました

The Milky Way was amazing. As it got darker, more stars became visible, to the point where I couldn't even recognize the constellations. Eating a meal (sandwich) in the cramped car was a bit of a letdown.

天の川が最高でした。暗くなるにつれて見える星増えて、星座が良くわからないくらいでした。
食事(サンドイッチ)を狭い車内で食べるのは興醒めでした。

Gary was a knowledgeable and easy guide, and everything was well organized.

I stayed at King Kamehameha. While sitting on a bench outside the front desk, a friendly man named James came over to talk to me. He earnestly guided me in Japanese about volcanoes, lava, and stars, even if it was just a little bit. At the summit of Mauna Kea, I felt like I might be blown away by the strong winds, but he took a lot of photos for me. I was very satisfied to see many breathtaking views, including a large telescope, lava shaped in various colors, and the sunset. When it got cold, I was able to borrow high-performance cold-weather gear. The hot cocoa was also delicious. Thank you for the amazing experience!

キングカメハメハに宿泊していました。フロントの外のベンチで座っていると、気さくなジェームスさんが声をかけてくれました。少しですが、火山のこと、溶岩のこと、星のこと、日本語で一生懸命ガイドしてくださいました。マウナケアの山頂では強風で吹き飛ばされそうなりながら、たくさん写真を撮ってくださいました。大きな望遠鏡に、多彩な色で形作られた溶岩、夕焼けなど、たくさんの絶景がみられて大満足です。寒くなったら高性能な防寒着を貸し出してもらえました。ホットココアも美味しかったです。最高の体験をありがとうございました。

The meeting place was easy to find, and Chris's explanations in both Japanese and English were great. I was especially glad that I signed up for the sunset tour.

集合場所もわかりやすく、担当のクリスさんの説明も日本語と英語で良かったです。特に、サンセットが申込んで良かったです。

I made the best memories.
I was able to experience the thin air environment.
The sunset, with nothing to obstruct it and higher than the clouds, was breathtaking‼️
The moon was too bright for stargazing, which was a bit disappointing, but I was thrilled to see so many satellites that I stopped counting them halfway through.

最高の思い出が出来ました。
空気が薄い環境を体感出来ました。
雲より高く何も妨げになるものがない中でのサンセットは感動‼️
月が明る過ぎて星空観察はチャッと残念でしたが、途中で数えるのをやめるくらいの人工衛星を見て感激しました。

It's been several years since I visited the summit of Mauna Kea. It was tough with temperatures at minus 10°C and strong winds, but I was able to see a wonderful sunset and starry sky. The guide also spoke Japanese, making it an enjoyable tour.

数年ぶりのマウナケア山頂へ。
マイナス10℃で風も強く大変でしたが、素晴らしい夕日と星空を見ることができました。
ガイドの方も日本語も話してくださったりと楽しいツアーでした。

The sunset and starry sky from the summit of Mauna Kea, which is higher than Mount Fuji, were amazing! My friend who went with me seemed to struggle with car sickness, but our guide, Sho-chan, was very kind and helpful, which I really appreciated. It was a tour I definitely want to join again!

富士山より高いマウナケア山頂から見る夕陽と星空は最高でした！
一緒に行った友人が車酔いで辛そうだったのですが、ガイドのしょーちゃんがとても優しく対応してくれてありがたかったです。
またぜひ参加したいと思うツアーでした！

Today, I went to the summit of Mauna Kea to watch the sunset. Originally, it was supposed to be an English tour, but the guide spoke Japanese as well, which made it very easy to understand the content. The summit is cold, but they provided outerwear for rent, so it was comfortable!

本日、マウナケア山頂と夕日を行って来ました。本来は英語のツアーのはずでしたが、ガイドさんが日本語も話せる方で日本語でも対応していただき、凄く内容がわかりやすかったです
山頂は寒いですがアウターの貸し出しもあり快適でした！

This was the tour I was looking forward to the most during my trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. The guide was polite and friendly, making it a fun experience from start to finish. Thank you so much! ♪

今回のハワイ島旅で一番楽しみにしていたツアーでした。ガイドの方の丁寧かつフレンドリーな感じで終始楽しく参加させて頂きました。ホントにありがとうございました♪

The Royal Kona Resort Luau was a fantastic oceanfront experience. The setting overlooking the water was beautiful, especially at sunset, and the evening was well organized from start to finish

The food and show were both great. It seemed like a smaller venue than one we went to on Maui a few years ago, which was nice because there was less wait to get food and every seat had a great view of the show. Great for the kids, it wrapped up around 7:30pm. Fire dance was pretty cool as well.

I was unsure about joining the tour since I was going alone, but since it’s Hawaii Island, I decided to give it a try. This tour takes you to the summit in a 12-passenger bus. We go up to 4,200 meters, so to avoid altitude sickness, we take a 40-minute break at 2,700 meters to acclimatize. During that time, we could buy souvenirs and use the restroom, which was quite clean.

Once we reached the summit, it was very cold, around 0 degrees Celsius. Many people borrowed warm clothing, but I was fine with what I brought (a knit hat, neck warmer, fleece, down jacket, and thermal pants).

The sunset was amazing, as we could see it from a higher point than Mount Fuji. After that, we moved to a spot where we could see the starry sky, and while enjoying warm cocoa, we spent a luxurious time learning about which stars belonged to which constellations.

It’s a life-changing experience, so I highly recommend you go!

1人参加だしツアー行くか迷ってましたが、せっかくのハワイ島だから行ってみようと決めました。
こちらのツアーは12人乗りのバスで山頂までいきます。
4200mまであがるので、高山病にならないように2700m地点で40分休憩して体を慣らします。
そこではお土産を買えたりトイレも行けました。
トイレは普通に綺麗でした。

山頂まで行くととても寒くて0度くらいになります。
防寒具は借りてる人も多かったですが私は持参したもので足りました。
（ニット帽、ネックウォーマー、フリース、ダウン、浦起毛パンツ）

日の入りは富士山よりも高いところから見れてとても良いです。
その後、星空が見える位置まで移動し、どの星がどの星座か教えてもらいながら温かいココアをいただきながら贅沢な時間を過ごしました。

人生観が変わるのでぜひ行ってみてください！

It was an experience that could only be done on a tour! We had explanations on acclimatization to high altitudes, enjoyed BLT sandwiches, warm cocoa, and took lots of photos. I was thinking about not booking a tour and just seeing the starry sky on my own during the trip, but observing the stars from a place higher than the center was a really great experience.

ツアーじゃないとできない体験ばかりでした！
高地順応のポイント説明、BLTサンドに、温かいココアとたくさんの写真撮影。
旅ではツアー予約しないで星空を個人で見ようかなあとも思ったのですが、センターより高い場所での星空観測はとてもいい経験でした。

It was a time to quietly watch the sunset sinking into the sea of clouds. The colors changed moment by moment. As I looked at the sky, I felt my mind gradually quieting down. It's beautiful. Even though I couldn't express more than that, it felt sufficient. A time when I didn't have to think about anything or be anyone. I thought it was incredibly luxurious to have moments like this when my heart could unwind.

雲海に沈んでいくサンセットを、ただ静かに眺める時間だった。刻々と色が変わっていく。空を見ているうちに頭の中がすっと静かになっていくのを感じた。きれいだね。以上の言葉が出てこないのにそれで充分だった気がする。何かを考えなくても、何者かでなくてもいい時間。こんなふうに心がほどける瞬間があるのはすごく贅沢だと思った。

Great food , entertainment and company . Great time

Our guide was excellent, very knowledgeable and prepared and our experience was unique with the viewing of a huge shooting star crossing the sky as a prelude to the eruption of the volcano in the distance. Unforgettable, thank you!

I was nervous about the English tour, but our guide James was considerate and mixed in some Japanese. We were blessed with great weather and got to see the best sunset and starry sky! It was my first time seeing the Milky Way. I've participated in a Mauna Kea tour before, but this guide was great at taking creative photos. In the end, I wanted to give a tip, but I felt bad for not having any cash on me. I hope there will be a way to pay with a card in the future.

英語ツアーでドキドキでしたが、ガイドのジェームスさんは日本語を交えてくれたりして気遣ってくれました。お天気に恵まれて最高の夕日と星空が見られました！！
天の川を見たのは初めてです。以前もマウナケアツアーは参加したことがありますが、こちらのガイドさんは写真を工夫してとってくれたりして良かったです。
最後にチップを渡したかったのですが、現金を持っていなくて申し訳ない思いをしました。後でカードなりで払える形があると良いなと思いました。

I couldn't find a Japanese tour, so I joined an English tour, which made me a bit anxious, but the result was absolutely satisfying! At one point, the road to the summit was closed due to thick fog, but as predicted by our guide James, the closure was lifted, and we were able to experience the best sunset and a sky full of stars at the summit of Mauna Kea.

Even though Hawaii is a tropical paradise, the temperature at the 4,000-meter summit was very low, around 0 degrees Celsius, and the air pressure was also low, which posed a risk of health issues. However, James was incredibly reliable, preparing and guiding us like a Sherpa, which was truly reassuring.

The beauty of the sunset through the Subaru Telescope and the starlit sky viewed from an even higher location than the Mauna Kea foothills is something I will never forget. James took some very skillful and creative photos, which I continue to enjoy even after returning home. Thank you very much!

日本語ツアーが見つけられず、英語ツアーでの参加となり、すこし不安でしたが結果は大満足でした！
一時は濃霧で山頂への道が閉鎖されてましたが、ガイドのJamesさんの予想通り、閉鎖が解除されマウナケア山頂で最高の夕日と満天の星空に出会えました。
常夏の​国ハワイとはいえ4,000m山頂は、気温が0度前後と非常に低く、気圧も低いことから、体調をくずすリスクがある中で、Jamesさんがシェルパのように頼もしく準備・案内してくれ、本当に心強かったです。
​すばる望遠鏡越しに沈む夕日や、マウナケア山麓より、さらに高い場所で見上げる星空は、一生忘れることができない美しさでした。
Jamesさんはとても上手でクリエイティブな写真を撮ってくれ、帰国後も楽しませてもらっています。
ありがとうございました！