All Reviews for Kailua-Kona

I love the Big Island and have visited many times, but this was my first time participating in this tour, which I had been curious about. The bus slowly ascended towards the summit of Mauna Kea, and I could feel the thinning oxygen. During a break, we enjoyed a bento box and warm drinks, and after putting on our warm clothing, we finally reached the top! It felt like a different world! There were people snowboarding on the snow-covered mountain. And the sea of clouds spread out below us! The sun gradually set, and we were able to see a magnificent sunset. The surroundings were enveloped in the evening glow, and I could feel the mana in the sacred atmosphere. From there, the crescent moon and Venus appeared, and as it got darker, the night sky was filled with stars. I've never seen the Milky Way so clearly! The guide used a pointer to explain the constellations, making it easy to understand! There was also a service for warm drinks, and we could take commemorative photos with a high-performance camera against the starry sky. It was a wonderful service to be able to view and download the photos taken during the tour later on the web. I'm really glad I participated. I'm grateful for the amazing experience!

ハワイ島が大好きで、何度も訪れていましたが、このツアーは気になっていながらも初参加でした。
バスはゆっくりとマウナケアの山頂へ向けて登って行き、次第に酸素が薄くなるのが分かります。
途中の休憩でお弁当と温かい飲み物も頂き、防寒着を着用したらいよいよ頂上です～(^.^)
そこはまるで別世界！雪に覆われた山ではスノボーをしている人もいました。
そして眼下に広がる雲海！太陽が徐々に沈み、見事な夕陽を見ることができました♪
辺りは夕焼けに包まれ、神聖な空気の中にマナを感じることができます。
そこからは三日月と金星が現れ、暗くなるにつれて夜空は満点の星☆
こんなにはっきりと天の川を見たことはありません！
ガイドさんがポインターを使って星座を説明してくれるので分かりやすい！！
そこでは温かい飲み物のサービスと、星空をバックに高性能カメラで記念写真も撮って貰えます。
ツアー中に撮って貰った写真を後からWebで見れてダウンロードできるのは、とても嬉しいサービスですね♪
参加して本当に良かったです。素晴らしい体験ができて感謝です>^_^<

I was able to enjoy kayaking and snorkeling with peace of mind, thanks to the careful consideration given to all participants. Thank you very much.

参加者全員にきめ細かく配慮していただき、安心してカヤック、シュノーケリングを楽しむことができました。ありがとうございました。

There are many fish in the shallow area. I was surprised when I was surrounded by yellow tangs.
It's also recommended for energetic kids to slide down from the boat's slide or jump off the diving board.
If you're not confident or worried about getting tired, you can wear a floatation belt around your torso for peace of mind.
Breakfast and lunch are enjoyable on the boat. The meat for the lunch burgers is freshly grilled on the boat and delicious.
I also got to see dolphins.

浅い方に魚がたくさん。キイロハギに囲まれた時はびっくり。
船から滑り台で滑り降りたり、ジャンプ台から飛び込んだり、元気なお子さんにもオススメです。
自信ない人、疲れるのが心配だあれば胴体に巻く浮きのようなベルトつければ安心。
朝食も昼食も船上で楽。お昼のハンバーガー用のお肉は船上焼きたてで美味しいです。
イルカにも会えました。

If you have to choose one paid activity/tour to do on the Big Island, my friends and I definitely recommend the Mauna Kea Summit and Stargazing tour! It was an experience of a lifetime! From the AMAZING views from sunset to stargazing to the amazing, informative and friendly staff, I would definitely do this tour again, if only for the views!

We participated in an early morning tour as a family of four, hoping to encounter dolphins. Even as a family with no canoeing experience, we managed to get the hang of it in the second half thanks to our guide Noni's advice. Unfortunately, we didn't see any dolphins or turtles, but it was a fun two and a half hours that flew by.

イルカとの遭遇を期待して家族4人で早朝ツアーに参加しました。
カヌー未経験の私たち家族でも、ガイドのノニさんのアドバイスで後半はそれなりに様になりました。生憎、イルカやカメには会えませんでしたが、あっと言う間の楽しい2時間半でした。

I had missed the chance to see manta rays in Palau and Ishigaki Island, so I joined the tour with the hope that this time I wouldn't miss out. My family was actually quite skeptical, thinking it might be impossible. However, I’m really glad I went! On that day, three manta rays came to us, and they turned around multiple times, which was just amazing! This was the best memory from my experience on the Big Island. I hope everyone can have a wonderful experience at Manta University as well. If I have the opportunity to go back to the Big Island, I would love to participate again.

これまでにパラオ、石垣島でマンタに出会うチャンスをのがしていたので、今度こそとの思いでツアーに参加しました。家族はもう無理じゃない？と実のところ後ろ向きでした。しかし、行ってみて本当に良かったです。この日は３枚のマンタが来てくれて、なんどもターンしてくれてもう大感激でした！！今回のハワイ島での体験の中で一番の思い出です。ぜひみなさんもマンタ大学で素晴らしい体験をしてほしいです。またハワイ島にいく機会があれば、もう一度参加したいです。

We were picked up in front of the condominium at 3 PM and headed to the summit after picking up four groups. The weather down below was sunny and cloudy, and as we climbed, the clouds thickened, making us uncertain if it was really clear. However, near the summit, it was perfectly clear, above the clouds.

I had heard that the sunrise was wonderful, but due to timing, we opted for the sunset, which was also quite magical and enjoyable. The altitude at the summit of Mauna Kea is a bit breathless, so it might be tough for those around middle school age.

After the sun set, we descended a bit for stargazing. Unfortunately, there were quite a few clouds, and the moon was too bright, which was a bit disappointing. However, there was a thorough explanation of the constellations, which was satisfying. We were able to return to the hotel by a little after 10 PM.

Overall, it was a satisfying activity. The time spent was long, from the afternoon to the evening, allowing us to enjoy the day. If you manage the time difference well, you might also be able to enjoy the sunrise.

午後3時にコンドミニアム前にお迎え、此処から4組をピックアップして山頂に向かいました。下での天候は晴れ、曇りで、登るにつれて雲が厚くなり、本当に晴れているのか不安でしたが、山頂付近は快晴、雲の上でした。
朝日が素晴らしいと聞いておりましたが、時間の問題で夕陽にしましたが、こちらもなかなか幻想的で良かったです。マウナケアの山頂は少々息が切れる高度ですので、中学生位まではきついかも。
日が沈んで少し下山して、星空観測。こちらは雲が少々多いのと、月が明る過ぎたので、ちょっと残念。でも丁寧な星座の説明もあり、満足。夜10時過ぎにはホテルに戻れました。
全体として満足のいくアクティビティでした。時間も午後～夜までと長く、一日楽しめました。時差を上手に使うと朝日も楽しめるかも知れないです。

On August 1st, I participated with six people, including two children. I think there is a need for improvement in guiding to the seats, but the buffet food was delicious, and the luau show was enjoyable with various performances like hula dancing and fire shows. I thought three hours from 5 PM to 8 PM would be long, but with the meal, the show, and the sunset along with the natural setting, I was able to enjoy it without getting bored.

８月１日に子供２人を含め６人で参加しました。
座席までの誘導に改善が必要かと思いますが、ブッフェの料理もおいしくルアウショーもフラダンスやファイヤーショーなどいろいろな構成があり楽しかったです。
５時から８時までの３時間で長いかと思いましたが、食事・ショーそしてサンセットと自然の演出もあり飽きずに楽しめました。

Very friendly and helpful crew.
Good food
Very nice boat
Great tour to relax and see tropical fish
We enjoyed watching the spinner dolphins
I highly recommend it!

I visited the Big Island of Hawaii on a mother-daughter trip because I wanted to show my 13-year-old daughter the great outdoors and the starry sky. Due to our fixed schedule, we were unable to see the starry sky as we had hoped, especially since it was the day after the full moon and July has long days. However, I was very moved by the sunset from the summit. I was also surprised to see the magma from Kilauea Volcano coloring the sea of clouds orange.

Our guide, Jin, was highly professional and made every effort to ensure we had the best tour possible under the limited circumstances. He secured the best spots at the summit, arranged for us to take photos with a rare moonbow on the way down, and even made a stop on the way back when the clouds cleared a bit to show us the starry sky. Overall, it was a very satisfying tour, and I would like to try to see the starry sky again.

13歳の娘に大自然と星空を見せたくて母子旅行でハワイ島を訪れました。
日程が動かせないこともあり、満月の翌日、また7月は日も長いこともあり、期待した星空は残念ながら見ることができませんでした。でも頂上から見るサンセットにはとても感動。キラウェア火山のマグマが雲海をオレンジに染めているのにも驚きました。
ガイドのジンさんはプロ意識が高く、限られた状況の中でもベストなツアーとなるよう努力してくださいました。頂上でのベストな場所確保、下山途中に珍しいムーンボーとの写真撮影、更に帰りに少し雲が晴れたところで途中停車し星空を見せてくださる等、総合的に大満足のツアーとなりました。星空はもう一度チャレンジしたいと思います。

My husband and I loved this experience! It allowed us to see the other side of the island, which we would not have seen otherwise, and we got the best views of the volcano!

I highly recommend this excursion with Circle Island Helicopter Tours.

Overall, I think it's a tour similar to what others have described. However, while the Milky Way can be seen during a new moon, it becomes quite difficult once it surpasses a half moon. Even if the moon is said to look beautiful, since stargazing is the main focus, it was a bit disappointing. I wish I had checked the moon phase before booking.

概ね他の方が書いている通りのツアーだと思います。ただ、新月なら天の川も見えるのでしょうが、半月を超えてくるとまず難しいのではないでしょうか。月が綺麗に見えるといわれても星空観測がメインですからちょっとつらいものがありました。月齢を調べて申し込めば良かったと思いました。

Nice people on the boat, good instructions and also suitable for our 10 year old son.

There were hardly any Japanese customers, just groups and families of foreigners, but they kindly approached us with a unique idea. With a stunning sunset as the backdrop, the entertainment was truly engaging and we had a wonderful time.

日本人のお客さんがほとんどいなくて、外国人のグループ、ファミリーばかりでしたが、奇策に声をかけてくださり、素晴らしい夕景を背景に、見応え充分のエンターテイメントは、とても楽しい時間でした。

I wasn't very confident with vehicles, so I was a bit worried, but I thought it might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to climb up to 4200 meters, so I decided to go for it. With a relaxed schedule that included photo opportunities, dinner, and bathroom breaks, we were able to reach the summit.

It felt quite strange to drive up to a summit of about 4200 meters. Even though I was wearing warm clothing, it was still cold (it seems it had been quite warm recently), and I felt the air was thin, so I was consciously breathing. From the summit, we were treated to a beautiful sunset, and I was able to get some wonderful photos with the sunset in the background. A little below the summit, we did some stargazing. Since it was three days before the full moon, the moon was too bright, and unfortunately, we couldn't see the Milky Way, but I was able to take some fantastic photos here as well, which made for great memories.

あまり乗り物が得意ではないので少し心配でしたが、4200mまで登ることなどこれからないかもしれないと思い、思い切って申込みました。途中写真撮影、夕食とトイレ休憩など、余裕のあるスケジュールで山頂まで行けました。
約4200ｍの山頂まで車で行くということでとても不思議な感じでした。車を降りると、防寒着は着ていても、やはり寒く（ここ最近ではかなり暖かかったようですが）、空気は薄く感じたので、意識して呼吸はしていました。山頂からはきれいな夕日、そして夕日をバックに素敵な写真を撮ってもらえました。山頂から少し降りたところで星空観察。満月の3日前ということで月がまぶしすぎ、残念ながら天の川など見ることができませんでしたが、ここでも幻想的な写真を撮ってもらいよい記念になりました。

No shuttle plan $110
It takes about 30 minutes by powerboat from the meeting point to arrive off the Sheraton Hotel. The sunset is amazing.
When we arrived, there were about 7 or 8 boats gathered.
After the sunset, we held onto the boat and enjoyed manta ray watching for about 40 minutes.
During that time, we saw manta rays ranging from 50 cm to 100 cm about 10 times.
On the way back, we returned in the powerboat through the darkness for 30 minutes, but it started to rain and it was quite cold and uncomfortable.
I think a tour that meets near the Sheraton would be easier and quicker.

送迎無しﾌﾟﾗﾝ＄110
集合場所からﾊﾟﾜｰﾎﾞｰﾄで30分位でｼｪﾗﾄﾝﾎﾃﾙ沖に到着。ｻﾝｾｯﾄが最高です。
着くと7.8艘のﾎﾞｰﾄが集まっていました。
ｻﾝｾｯﾄ後ﾎﾞｰﾄﾞにつかまりﾏﾝﾀ観賞40分位しました。
その間10回位50cm～100cmのﾏﾝﾀが観られました
帰りはまたﾊﾟﾜｰﾎﾞｰﾄで暗闇のなか30分かけて戻りますが、雨が降ってきてけっこう寒くて辛いです。
ｼｪﾗﾄﾝ近く集合のﾂｱｰの方が楽で短時間でいけると思います。

The Mauna Kea summit tour is a must-do!!! This is my second trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, and I participated in a stargazing tour at the summit for the first time.

Not only is the beauty of the night sky breathtaking, but the sight of telescopes from around the world, including the Subaru Telescope, lined up in the red, barren landscape gives you the illusion of being in space.

However, there were some Japanese participants who did not follow proper etiquette. It seems that this land is very sacred to the people of the Big Island, so I hope everyone will respect the rules while participating.

マウナケア山頂ツアーは絶対に参加するべきです！！！
ハワイ島への旅行は今回が２回目で、初めて山頂での星空観測ツアーに参加しました。

星空の美しさもさることながら、すばる望遠鏡をはじめとする世界各国の望遠鏡群が赤土の無機質な空間に並ぶ風景は、まるで宇宙にいるかのような錯覚を覚えます。

ただ、一部の日本人でマナーを守れていない方がいらっしゃいました。ハワイ島の方々にとっては、とても神聖な土地のようですので、必ずマナーを守って参加いただきたいものです。

I was really anxious about getting altitude sickness, but along the way, our guide Matsuzaki kept us laughing with his entertaining talks, and I was able to go on with energy. The full moon made me wonder if I could see stars as beautifully as in Japan, but the sunset and the moon that felt within reach were indescribably beautiful. If I come to Hawaii Island again, I will definitely participate once more! It was truly wonderful. Thank you for the lovely time!

高山病になるのではと不安で仕方なかったですが、道中ガイドのマツザキさんが面白いトークでたくさん笑わせてくれて、元気に行ってこれました。満月で星は日本のきれいな場所で見れるかな？って程でしたが、夕日そして手が届きそうな月は、言葉で表せないほど美しかったです。ハワイ島に来たらまた必ず参加します！ホントに良かったです。素敵な時間をありがとうございました！

We participated with my sister in her 40s and her children (a 2nd grader and a 1st year high school student). It was our first stay on the Big Island of Hawaii, and we were anxious about our English skills, but thanks to the person who picked us up and our guide, we felt truly safe and enjoyed ourselves. They guided us with careful encouragement while cherishing Hawaii's nature and dolphins, ensuring that guests could fully enjoy snorkeling. My 7-year-old son, who was experiencing the ocean for the first time, jumped in with a wonderful smile without any fear. Even for me, a first-time snorkeler, I was able to relax without a floatation device thanks to the guide's suggestion, "Mom, you'll be fine without a float, you can do it," and I entrusted my children to them, allowing us to fully enjoy the beautiful world of dolphins. I am truly grateful for being able to share such a happy experience with my children! I will not forget the smiles of the staff and the ocean of Hawaii, and I definitely want to visit the Big Island again.

40代の姉妹と、その子ども（小2と高1）で参加しました。ハワイ島初滞在で英語も不安な私たちでしたが、迎えにきてくださった方やガイドさんのおかげで、本当に安心して楽しめました。ハワイの自然やイルカを大切にしながら、ゲストがシュノーケリングを満喫できるよう細やかなお声かけで誘導して下さいました。海が初めての7歳の息子も、全く怖がらず素晴らしい笑顔で飛び込んでいました。シュノーケリングが初めてのわたしも、ガイドさんの「ママは浮きなしでも大丈夫、いけるよ」の暗示（？）のおかげで（笑）リラックスして浮き具なしで、子どももお任せして、とても美しいイルカさんの世界を堪能できました。こんなハッピーな体験を子どもと一緒に楽しめたこと、心からありがとうございました！スタッフの方々の笑顔とハワイの海を忘れず、ぜひまたハワイ島を訪れたいです。

My husband and I had a wonderful time with Kevin! He made us feel safe and comfortable. We had an amazing time snorkeling and the cave was awesome. Would recommend this to anyone and would also do again when we go back to Hawaii!

I participated with my 70-year-old parents. My father struggled with snorkeling and gave up partway through, but during that time, our guide, Tori, frequently checked on him as we returned to the boat. My mother seemed to be having a great time, looking around in the water the whole time.

The manta rays come very close; it's an incredible experience!

70歳の両親と三人で参加しました。
父はうまくシュノーケルが出来ず、途中で断念しましたがその際もガイドのトリちゃんがちょくちょく心配してくれ、船に戻りました。
母はおおはしゃきでずっと海のなかを見ていて、楽しんでいたようです。

マンタ間近にきます、大迫力ですよ！

Absolutely gorgeous morning...our guides Ben and Happy were amazing....they were really great....very helpful and very knowledgeable....it was the advertising of this event that I'm pissed about....me and my kids wanted to travel into sea caves....well....there was no sea cave...it was literally a hole in the mountain.....you don't go into a "cave" and explore and see amazing things....you literally go up to a wall and thats it. Had I known that....I wouldn't have dropped $85.00 bucks each to paddle out in a kayak to see a hole in a mountain!!! It's very misleading and I wouldn't waste the money on this.....we did see dolphins run by us in the kayaks, we did see some fish while snorkeling..even though my mask they provided kept fogging up...I eventually just gave up on the snorkeling and sat on a rock until it was time to go. No pictures to provide bc go pro didn't work.

I wanted to see a beautiful starry sky, so I decided to join this tour. However, I was a bit anxious about whether I could climb up to 4,000 meters. Fortunately, there was time to acclimatize to the altitude, and I was able to breathe deeply, so I had no problems at all. The summit wasn't as cold as I had expected, and thanks to the warm gear provided, I was able to enjoy it to the fullest. After descending a bit, the starry sky we observed was also wonderful. I thought about how vast the universe is. There was a time when people traveled relying on the stars, and I felt a longing for such journeys. The Milky Way was clearly visible, and I was even able to see about four shooting stars, which made me feel happy. I'm really glad I participated in this tour.

綺麗な星空を観たいと思いこのツアーへの参加を思い立ちました。が、4,000ｍまで登って大丈夫なのかって不安もありました。途中で高所に慣れるための時間があったのと、深呼吸が上手く出来たので何の問題もありませんでした。山頂は思っていたほど寒くなく、最も貸していただいた防寒具があったのでその恩恵もありましたが、思う存分楽しむことが出来ました。それから少し下って観測した星空も素敵でした。宇宙は広いのだなあ～と思いました。星空を頼りに旅をしていた時代もあったのです。そのような旅にも憧れを感じてしまいました。天の川もはっきりと観えました。さらに、流れ星も4個ほど観測できたので幸せな気持ちになれました。このツアーに参加出来て本当に良かったです。

Absolutely a must do!!! For entire family. Captain John was marvelous!!

A large manta ray turns multiple times right in front of me. It was an impressive sight, just inches away from my face! You can truly feel the magnificent nature unique to the Big Island of Hawaii.

目の前で大きなマンタが何回もターンをします。顔スレスレで大迫力でした！
ハワイ島ならではの大自然を感じられます。

My husband and two kids (12 and 9 y.o.) went on this kayaking tour. At first, I was nervous that 4 hours would be too long and my kids would not last. It turned out that my kids and husband loved it and could have gone longer. It was easy paddling. The day was perfect for kayaking - very relaxing and beautiful scenic route. Best part was snorkeling at Keauhou Bay. Our guide, Kevin, at King Kayak was very knowledgeable about the area and gave us a good history overview. Would definitely do this again and want to go longer next time.

参加者の多くは米国本土からのカップルで、日本人は私どもだけでしたが、料理も音楽も最高で楽しめました。ハワイ島の歴史も分かりやすく語られていました。

About 10 minutes after departing from Kona, we encountered dolphins.
After about 20 minutes, we proceeded to the diving point.
We played with colorful fish, slides, and inflatable rings that delighted the kids.
I was satisfied to see my child, who was not fond of deep water, happily swimming without any signs of anxiety.

コナを出港して10分程でイルカに遭遇
20分程船を進めてダイビングポイントへ
色取り取りな魚と、滑り台や子供が喜ぶ浮き輪で遊びました。
深い海が苦手だった子供が楽しそうに不安な様子もなく泳いでる姿に満足しました。

I signed up because I wanted to go cave exploring, but we didn't go to the cave. There was no explanation for not going (there might have been one, but it wasn't heard by everyone over the ocean). It ended earlier than planned. Snorkeling was fun, but I felt like I missed out on something.

洞窟探検に行きたくて申し込んだのに、洞窟行かない。行かない説明申し込んだのにない（あったかもしれしれないけど、海の上では、全員には、聞こえない）。予定より早く終わった。シュノーケリングは、楽しかったけど、なんか損した気分

We had a great time at the Luau, it could have used a better set up for the Adult Beverages there was only one line for that and had to wait which caused us to miss a few of the performances, but all in all was really fun for my Girlfriend and I..