All Reviews for Top Places to Visit in Hawaii

[Reviewed by HawaiiActivities.com Staff]

This activity is my favorite activity on Oahu. You start the paddle as the sun is setting, and end when it's dark. You are guided by LED lights on the bottom of the board, that illuminate the ocean below you. Making it visible to see so much sea life. On this paddle I have seen MANY turtles, manta rays, fish, jellyfish, and even small reef sharks (not to worry they are small and harmless).

This is truly a one of a kind experience that is so much fun! The guides are extremely knowledgeable of the area, and not to mention very personable. You can tell they love their job! They make sure everyone is comfortable and safe, which makes this tour so enjoyable.

No paddle board experience? No need, the guides will instruct you along the way, and make sure you don't feel pressured to do anything you don't want to do. I would recommend this paddle to any one who likes an adventure, or anyone who is looking to step outside of their comfort zone.

I really wanted to do this, so I participated alone. I had heard that it would be cold up in the air, so I wore a windbreaker, but I don't know how many minutes it took from when we descended until the parachute opened. The wind pressure made the zipper press against my throat, and it was uncomfortable. I should have worn a trainer. I couldn't fix it. You need to make sure to fit the goggles properly; otherwise, you'll end up like I did.

The journey in the sky became a rewarding time for myself, and I was glad I did it because the views of the sea, sky, and ground were beautiful.

どうしてもやりたくて1人で参加しました。
上空は寒いとの情報があり、ウィンドブレーカーを着ましたが、降りてからパラシュートが開くまで、何分かわかりませんが、風圧によりファスナーが喉を押し苦しかったです。トレーナーにすればよかった。直すに直せなかったです。ゴーグルにはしっかり肉を入れないと私みたいな状態になります。
空の旅は自分へのご褒美の時間となり、海、空、地上と景色がよくやってよかったです。

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！

Driving a four-wheeler through the great outdoors was so much fun. The buggy had no windows, and I ended up covered in dust from my face to my clothes, which is a funny memory. The guide took a lot of photos and was very kind. One disappointing thing was that the guide explained everything at various points, but it was all in English, so I couldn't understand anything at all.

四輪バギーで大自然の中を走ってとっても
面白い。バギーには窓も無くて顔から洋服まで
ホコリだらけになった事も笑える思い出かな
ガイドさんが沢山の写真を撮ってくれて
親切だった。
ひとつ残念だった事は
ガイドさんがポイントポイントで説明をしてくれるけど全て英語だったので全く分からなかったわ

My friend and I, who are not young anymore, took on this challenge thinking it would be our first and last time, and it was the best (though my family seemed quite worried). No matter how old we get, we want to do what we love!

The view from above was also amazing.

若くはなかった友達と私
でも最初で最後と思って挑戦して最高（家族は相当心配したみたいだけどね）
幾つになってもやりたい事はやる！

上からの景色も素晴らしかったしね

Five years ago, I experienced a one-hour horseback riding course, but this time I tried the two-hour course. Of course, the price was different, but the route was completely different and the scenery was beautiful; this time was far better. I would have been more satisfied if I could have had a light canter on the flat paths, like in the marking video, but that was a bit disappointing.

5年前に1時間コースの乗馬を体験しましたが、今回は2時間コースを体験しました。もちろん価格も違いましたがルートが全く違い景色も良く、今回の方が遥かに良かったです。マーキングビデオのように、平坦な道では軽い駆け足をさせて貰えれば、もっと満足出来たのですが残念でした。

I had imagined Sandbar to be a sandy beach like in the pictures, but it was just a shallow area, which was disappointing. Also, the hamburger lunch was small and not very tasty. Until now, all the tours I participated in Hawaii were very satisfying, but this time I was disappointed for the first time.

サンドバーは写真のような砂浜をイメージしていましたが、単なる浅瀬で、がっかりしました。またハンバーガーランチは小さく味もイマイチでした。
今まで参加したハワイのツアーはとても満足のいくものばかりでしたが、今回初めてがっかりしました。

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。　

My wife and I attended the luau show. Before the show started, there were several events prepared, and we had a great time. At the same table, a couple from the mainland talked to us, and we had a nice interaction. The show was also very impressive and enjoyable. Thank you very much.

家内と2人でルアウショーに参加致しました。
ショーが始まる前に幾つかイベントも用意されていて楽しく過ごせました。
同じテーブルではメインランドから来たご夫婦が話しかけてくださり、良い交流もできました。
ショーも大迫力で楽しかったです。
ありがとうございました。

There were few Japanese people, and both the captain and the co-captain spoke only English. The captain only spoke with those he wanted to talk to and did not engage with us Japanese guests at all. The female co-captain was very friendly and spoke to everyone. The sailing offered the best views!

At the end, I intended to give a tip, but I wasn't prepared to give it to both of them, so it ended up being less than expected. The captain made a sarcastic remark about it in a loud voice. I apologize for not being prepared, as I didn't know that a tip for both was necessary, but it left me feeling very disappointed after such a wonderful sailing experience. If it weren't for that captain, I would want to participate again. I highly recommend this activity, but I think it's best to prepare tips for both before boarding.

日本人は少なく、キャプテンも、副キャプテンも
英語のみです。キャプテンはご自身の話したい方とだけ話されていました。日本人の私達とは全く話していません。副キャプテンの女性は、皆に話しかけて下さりとても感じが良かったです。セーリングは
最高の景色でした☆
最後にチップをお渡しするのですが、2人にお渡しする様に準備が出来ておらず、少なくなってしまいました。それをキャプテンから、大きな声で嫌味を言われました。2人分のチップが必要だと知らず
準備不足なこちらも申し訳無かったですが、せっかくの素敵なセーリングが、とても残念な気持ちになりました。あのキャプテンでなければ、また参加したいです。とてもおすすめなアクティビティですが、チップを2人分ご準備されて乗船されると良いと思います。

One of the reasons I wanted to go to Hawaii was to visit this place, but I could only make a reservation for January 1st, so I went by rental car. I was a bit anxious about driving, but the scenery along the way, with the North Shore coastline and the ocean, was incredibly beautiful. It took about an hour from Waikiki, but the zip line experience was amazing. We started with an easy zip line and gradually moved on to longer ones, reaching up to 800 meters, which was not scary at all and very enjoyable. The longest zip line offered a fantastic view of the North Shore ocean from a high point. I was able to get some great photos while zip lining. I participated with older children, and we all had a great time without any issues. The instructions were all in English, so there were a few things I didn't fully understand, but since the process was the same each time, it wasn't a problem. On the way back, we also stopped by Giovanni's, famous for its garlic shrimp, which became one of my best memories.

ハワイに行く目的の一つとしてここに行きたかったのですが、予約が１月１日しかとれず、レンタカーで行きました。レンタカーで行くのは不安でしたが、道中でノースショアの海岸や海に向けて広がる景色がすごく綺麗でよかったです。ワイキキからは１時間程度かかりましたが、ジップラインが最高でした。最初は簡単なジップラインから徐々に長いものに行き800メートルのところに行くので全然怖くなく楽しめました。最長のジップラインは高台からノースショアの海が見える最高の景色でした。そこでジップライン中の写真を撮っていただき最高の写真もゲットできました。高学年の子供連れで参加しましたが、問題なく楽しめました。説明はすべて英語なのでちょっとわからないところもありましたが、毎回やり方は同じなので、問題ないかなと。帰りにガーリックシュリンプの有名なジョバンニにもよれて最高の思い出の一つになりました。

I wasn't sure what to expect but it was such a great time. Captain Z is awesome, Casey was knowledgeable and Jaime was a lot of fun to talk to. We were able to see turtles when snorkelling thanks to them telling us where to look. The water activities were fun and I got to Stand Up Paddleboard for a decent amount of time. We were supplied with plenty of snacks and drinks (hot and cold). Overall it was amazing and I would highly recommend.

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。

With anticipation, I set sail, feeling the pleasant breeze and gazing at the coastline of Waikiki Beach. However, as time went by, my feelings became complicated with disappointment and sadness about not being able to see much. But when the boat finally reached the point where dolphins gather, everyone started taking pictures, and somehow that helped distract me a little.

As for my thoughts, I felt that we needed to go a bit further out to see more. Also, since the boat rocked quite a bit, I thought medication would be necessary.

期待を持ちながら、出航し気持ちいい風を感じながら、ワイキキビーチの海岸を眺め、海を見つめていましたが、時間がどんどん経つにつれ、段々見れないことに気持ちが、落ち込むことと、残念に思うことに複雑になってきましたが、最後イルカの集まるポイント！？に船が着くとみんな写真をパシャパシャと、何となくそれで少し、気がまぎれたようなかんじになりました！？
感想としては、もう少し沖に出ないと、見れるものも見れないのではと思った。
また、船が、だいぶ揺れるので、薬は必要と思った。

We really enjoyed this tour. It is a long one so be prepared. But they keep you hydrated and fed. I loved the black sand beach, and the sea turtles and the stop along the shore the most. But all of the events were really fun. They packed so much into one day. it was a great tour and we had a lot of fun. The picnic, the stop at the bakery, and the dinner, you were all excellent quality as well.

On the day of the event, we were informed that the mountain trail was dangerous, so we had to decide whether to take half of the course or cancel. Considering the return bus, we decided to cancel. Instead, we rode go-karts. It was fun in its own way, but I ended up covered in mud, which I hadn't planned for, and it caused a lot of trouble afterward.

当日、山道が危ないとのことで、半分のコースになるか、キャンセルするかとなりました。
帰りのバスのこともあったので、キャンセルしました。
その代わりにカートに乗りました。
それはそれで楽しかったのですが、身体全身が泥だらけになり、予定してなかったのでその後すごく困りました。

The experience was amazing! We were super well fed, the crew was so knowledgeable, we saw so many whales along the way, and had a great time!
The captain was super friendly and was great at keeping everyone on track for time. Chad really went the extra mile by learning all of the passenger’s names. Mark gave lovely whale knowledge and some history of the Trilogy. Justin made sure we were always with a drink and was extremely polite!

Will definitely be doing this experience again!

We participated as a three-generation family, from ages 9 to 72. On the day of the tour, we went directly to the site by rental car and checked in. We chose this tour because other tours had age restrictions that would separate our family. It was great to explore a wide area for 1.5 hours and enjoy the grandeur of nature. The explanations were all in English, but I think it's a good opportunity to participate as a chance to hear from a native speaker.

9歳から72歳まで3世代で参加しました。当日はレンタカーで直接現地に行き、チェックインしました。他のツアーでは、年齢制限から家族がバラバラになってしまうため、こちらを選びました。1.5時間 広範囲に回っていただき、自然の雄大さを堪能できて良かったです。解説は全て英語ですが、ネイティブの話を聞ける勉強の機会と思って参加すると良いと思います。

I was worried that I might stall because I had mistakenly put on my seatbelt incorrectly and couldn't accelerate. However, the guide at the back quickly came to my aid, identified the mistake, and helped me reattach it properly, allowing me to drive normally again! The magnificent scenery was breathtaking, and it was a very enjoyable experience!

シートベルトをつけ間違えて、スピードが上がらずエンストしないか心配しながら走行していたら、最後尾のガイドさんがすぐ駆けつけてくれて、つけ間違いが判明、すぐに装着し直して元通り走行できました！壮大な景観に圧巻、とても楽しい体験でした！

I signed up for a year-end tour.

On the morning of the day, Waikiki was sunny, but by the time we arrived at Kaneohe Bay, it was cloudy. According to another tour guide, the eastern side of the Hawaiian Islands tends to be cloudier and rainier compared to the southern and western sides.

The local staff were friendly and attentive, ensuring that we didn't drift too far from the buoys, which made it easy to enjoy the experience even with kids. It was a slightly chilly day, but there were enough canoes, SUPs, and snorkeling gear for everyone, even though the boat was nearly full. However, the donuts provided as a light snack ran out quickly, so I recommend securing them early.

年末のツアーに申し込みました。
当日朝のワイキキは晴れていたのですが、バスでカネオヘ湾に着く頃には曇天に。他ツアーのガイドに聞いた話だと、ハワイ諸島は島の東側は南側・西側に比べ曇天や雨になりやすいのだそうです。

現地スタッフの皆さんがフレンドリーで、風でブイより遠くに流されたりしないように、など良く見ていてもらえたので子連れでも安心してエンジョイできました。
少し肌寒い日でしたがほぼ満席でもカヌーやSAP、シュノーケリング用具が足りなくなることはありませんでした。
ただ、軽食として提供されるドーナツは早めに品切れとなるので早めの確保をお勧めします。

The tour was conducted only in English, but even for us, who hardly speak any English, we managed just fine. It's not guaranteed that you'll definitely see whales, but they extended the time by about an hour beyond the scheduled time, and we were able to see them. I was really happy that they were so flexible.

Even though I had seen Waikiki from the ocean on TV, the actual scenery was amazing. Even if we hadn't seen any whales, it was a tour that left us completely satisfied! If I come to Hawaii during the whale watching season again, I will definitely want to join this tour.

ツアー自体は英語のみの案内なのですが、英語がほとんどできない私達でもなんとかなりました。
クジラは必ず見えるとはもちろん確定されていません。ただ、予定していた時刻より1h時間ほど延長してくださり無事に見ることができました。ここまで融通を効かせてくださることも本当に嬉しかったですし
沖から見るワイキキはテレビで見たことがあっても実際の風景は素晴らしく、仮にクジラが見えなかったとしても十分満足ができるツアーでした！
またホエールウォッチングができる時期にハワイに来たら必ず参加したいツアーです。

I HIGHLY recommend this experience to everyone. My crew enjoyed a shuttle ride down to Waipio Valley with the most knowledgeable and engaging guide. We learned so much about history, culture, farming, and geography of the valley.

Five Stars.

It was a great experience for the family and the buffet was amazing. We have been to Hawaii, New Zealand, and Fiji, and the shows were great. didn't expect
that much audience participation, but it made it enjoyable. Would love to go back if we weren't leaving.

I had never experienced such a rainy trip during the rainy season in Hawaii in December. Since the last day was also forecasted to be rainy, I made a last-minute reservation with Veltra the night before.

At the dinner buffet, we were seated near some Japanese guests, which allowed us to take photos and enjoy conversations together. It was amazing to see the hula dance up close during the meal.

Although we didn't have the top-tier tickets for the show venue, we were close to the stage and it was exhilarating! Elvis came right up to us, and we even got to shake hands. Unfortunately, the scarf was given to someone at the next table... Even though we aren't very good at English, we were able to enjoy the stage thoroughly and would love to come back.

It's definitely not a cheap option, but I think it's worth seeing at least once.

Thank you for the precious time!

12月雨季の中のハワイ旅行、こんなに雨に降られた旅行はありませんでした。
最終日も雨予報だったので、前日夜にveltraさんで急遽予約をして参加しました。

ディナーブュッフェでは、日本人の方を近くに配置していただいたので、お互いに写真を撮ったり会話を楽しんだり出来ました。
食事中には間近でフラダンスを見れ最高でした。

ショー会場も最上ランクのチケットではありませんでしたがステージに近く大興奮！
エルビスが目の前まできてくれ握手もできました。残念ながらスカーフは隣の席の方にプレゼントされましたが…
英語がそんなに得意ではない私たちでも十分楽しめるステージで、またきたいと思いました。
決して安くないオプショナルですが一見の価値はあると思います。

貴重な時間をありがとうございました

I couldn't see any fish, let alone sea turtles. Everyone got bored and quickly went back on the boat, just cruising for the remaining time. It wasn't interesting, and I was freezing. The best memory was seeing a wild seal on the beach before getting on the boat. I'm disappointed.

ウミガメどころか、魚もろくに見えませんでした。
みんなつまんないから早々に船に上がり、あと残った時間クルージングしてるだけです。面白くもないし、寒くて仕方ありませんでした。
船に乗る前に砂浜で野生のアザラシを見れたのが1番な思い出でした。がっかり。

The staff is very friendly, and I felt completely at ease even as a first-timer. You can truly feel the majestic mountain range of Oahu. However, two hours is quite long, and I found myself getting sleepy while riding due to jet lag.

とても親切で初めてでも全く不安なしですよ。壮大なオアフ島の山並みを感じれます。しかし、2時間はさすがに長く、時差ボケ中だと騎乗しながらも眠くなってしまいました。

The instructors were talking about how they jumped with "Japp" yesterday.

It's frustrating to hear discriminatory language used where customers can't hear it, especially in a job where lives are at stake. It makes me anxious that they might have a dislike for Japanese people and that an injury could occur.

It was a relief that my instructor didn't engage in that conversation. However, another person who was jumping kept insisting on using "Japp." The cameraman was nice, though.

The image gets tarnished because of a few discriminatory individuals. Naturally, I wouldn't recommend this to my Japanese friends.

I want a safe and secure environment. If they dislike Japanese people, they should keep that to themselves outside of work.

The driver, cameraman, and accompanying skydivers asked for tips. That's fine, but I don't want to pay them when they act like this.

インストラクターらが、ジャップと昨日も飛んだぜと話していた。

ジャップって客に聞こえないところで差別用語使うならともかく、命預かる仕事で呆れる。
日本人嫌いから、怪我でも起きないか不安になる。

自分のインストラクターが、その話に乗らなかったのはまだ良かったが。
別の人と飛ぶ人がわざわざしつこくジャップと。
カメラマンも良い人だったが。

一部の差別的な人間のせいでイメージ悪くなる。
当然、自分は日本人の友達には勧めない。

安全、安心な環境を提供してほしい。
日本人嫌いなら、それは仕事以外で。

運転手、カメラマン、同行スカイダイバーには、チップを要求される。
それは良いのだが、こんな連中に対しては払いたくはなくなる。

This time it was a trip with my wife, but during the last company trip, we stayed in Waikiki to participate in the Honolulu Marathon in 2017. We enjoyed the show back then, so I made a reservation to show it to my wife. On the day of the show, we added the buffet, but we were seated at the edge, and since it started to rain a little, we got wet. When I looked towards Sky Waikiki, I saw a big rainbow, and it was a very lucky day.
The show was consistently enjoyable, but I felt that MJ seemed a bit tired and chubby, and his movements lacked sharpness. Haha.

今回妻との旅行でしたが、前回会社の旅行で2017年のホノルルマラソンに参加する為、ワイキキに宿泊。その時に今回のショーを見て楽しかったので、妻に見せたいと思い予約をしました。当日ブュッフェをつけましたが端っこの席で、少し雨が降って来た為、濡れてしまいました。ふとスカイワイキキの方向を見ると大きな虹が見えて、とてもラッキーな日でした。
ショーは安定の楽しさでしたが、MJが少し疲れたのか、ぽっちゃりしていて、動きにキレがなかったように感じました。笑笑

Such a great experience!
Crew was great and made the whale watching excursion wonderful.

It was a wonderful flight. My youngest daughter first time in one. We were lucky and saw a whale