Deluxe Big Island Day Tour, Volcanoes National Park & Dinner at Kilauea Lodge
Overall Rating
4.96
What an adventure!
Reviewed by: Chris, 2016/03/22As someone who grew up in new york and then relocated to seattle, I'm used to big city living and never learned how to drive. This was my first trip out to ANY Hawaiian Island so you can imagine my dismay when I realized how limited I was in terms of car service so this tour was a god send when it came to actually being able to see a lot of the big island which I never would have managed on my own. The coach itself was spacious and comfortable and even thought the tour itself was carefully constructed to have a lot of walking breaks I don't think I would have gotten stir crazy even once if we'd done just a complete driving circuit of the island.
Our driver, Jim, was just a fountain of knowledge of not just the sites we visited but also the history/mythos behind a lot of them them and their importance to the indigenous peoples, but also of local attractions that I've totally added to my "to do" list whenever I make it back to the island. Jim was warm and accommodating and the embodiment of 'aloha' . The more in depth stargazing portion of our tour ended up getting rained out which was a disappointment (it was the part I was looking forward to most!) but I did manage to get in a little constellation viewing with Jim while waiting for the rest of the tour group to complete their night viewing of Halemaumau.
It's definitely a tour I would recommend to all of my family and friends, mahalo!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/21 |
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WOW! What a wonderful way to start your vacation!
Reviewed by: Randy C., 2016/03/22WOW! We totally enjoyed our 11 am to 11 pm volcano trip on the Big Island, learning about the island's history, Hawaiian stories and the beautiful and amazing sights! Our passionate, energetic tour guide Jim Carey was extremely knowledgeable and prepared for everything (umbrellas, warm jackets, water, hot chocolate and so much more). Jim prioritized in our safety, comfort and having great fun! He hit many of the items on our Hawaii "bucket list" from lava tubes, volcano sights both day and night stargazing, waterfalls, stream vents and so many more stops. I loved being able to sit back and enjoy the whole trip without worrying about directions or driving. As we drove home in the dark in the comfortable Mercedes van, Jim played a wonderful video with the history footage of volcanos eruptions on the island.
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such an amazing day with Jim. He is a wonderfully knowledgeable guide whose hospitality really helps our guests connect with our island while on tour. It's always great to hear that we are helping people check off items from their "bucket list"! That's why we love what we do. Mahalo for your glowing review and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/15 |
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This was a totally awesome tour! I would absolutely recommend it to anyone!
Reviewed by: L. Estrada, 2016/03/21From the pick-up to the drop off 11 hours later, this was an absolutely fantastic tour! Our guide and driver, Jim Carey was so considerate of everyone from kids to seniors, he was totally accommodating and made excellent use of every minute. The van was clean and comfortable and he had anticipated every scenario. He was prepared with umbrellas, binoculars, flashlights, warm coats, hot chocolate and cookies and warm towels to freshen up after a day of adventures and beautiful sights. Jim was so knowledgeable about all things Kona, plants, birds, stars and he even played the Ukuele for us. Volcano National Park was truly awesome and especially at night. I really can't say enough about this tour from reservation to follow up - I could not ask for more. The lunch and dinner were great! So much thought and effort has obviously gone into this tour and Jim's enthusiasm was the icing on the cake. The concierge at the hotel said she could not even touch this tour and highly recommended Kailani Tours. This is a 10 star for sure!
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such an awesome day with Jim. He is a wonderful, knowledgeable guide with so much Aloha to share! His Hawaiiana stories and ukulele playing have quickly become a favorite amongst our guests. We love hearing that you enjoyed all of our stops and treats along the way! Mahalo for the fantastic recommendation and we truly hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/15 |
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Amazing tour! A cultural, historical and geological journey from sea to sky and back!
Reviewed by: Barry Zeve, 2016/03/15Our tour started at 11:00 AM and ended at 11:00 PM. Our guide, Jim, gathered us together into what felt like a family outing, not a tour with strangers. He sang to us, played the ukulele, chanted and prayed in Hawaiian. He told stories he learned directly from “kahunas,” the gurus of the Hawaiian culture. And his stories had messages beneath the messages that elucidated the world the ancient Hawaiians inhabited when they reached the Hawaiian Islands in 1200 AD that mysteriously still affected me this day. When we arrived at Rainbow Falls, which is more than 75 feet high, I didn’t expect to react that way I did. The falls and turquoise pools beneath them were so majestic that they didn’t seem quite real. I kept looking for the frame around the picture.
“Pele,” the goddess of the volcano, has shimmering black hair that sometimes looks like smooth volcanic rock that oozes out of the craters. Her fiery eyes smoke by day, but they become visible at night. When we returned to the craters to meet her on her terms, at night, suddenly, modern science merged with ancient magic and mysticism, and Jim’s stories took on a haunting inference I hadn’t heard in the light. After several short excursions to the perimeter of Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park that even included a walk through a lava tube, Nahuku, we stopped for a scrumptious dinner in an inn reminiscent of a European, mountain lodge. As the sun set on a day filled with new information that caressed my mind and opened my imagination, I was ready to return to the smoking, lava flows to see Pele’s fiery eyes shooting glances back at me at night, asking me to question the beauty and truth of this world we live in – asking me to quietly contemplate the meaning of my life and whether paradise could actually be something real – whether promises do get fulfilled for those who learn to make a difference.
Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such an amazing day with Jim. He is such a wonderfully knowledgeable guide who truly exudes the Aloha spirit and helps our guests connect with our beautiful island home! His Hawaiiana stories have quickly become a guest favorite and it is so humbling to hear how deeply it all resonated with you. That's exactly why we LOVE what we are able to do! Mahalo for the incredible recommendation and we truly hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/03/14 |
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Aloha! Mahalo for joining us on our Deluxe Volcano Experience. We are so happy to hear that you had such a wonderful day with Jim. He truly is a wealth of knowledge, helping our guests to really connect with our island while on tour. It's always nice to just sit back, relax, and let our guides show you some of our favorite spots. Our Mercedes Sprinter Vans are the best way to do just that! We can also customize private tours for guests who would like to see more of our beautiful island with our amazing guides! Mahalo for your wonderful recommendation and we hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island.