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    Big Island Buggy

    4.9 (101 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 7:00 pm

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    My son had to take a picture for his friends.
    Debbie C.

    What a fun easy way to see the island! Went down South, had a yummy breakfast. The owners are amazing! Great communication. Shared stopping points for our drive. Pick up and drop, couldn't have been easier. Definitely check them out!! 5 stars isn't enough!

    Jalyn M.

    Amazing! Rented our buggy for 4 hours ended up doing more time. Great way to cruise the island, I recommend staying on the south side of the island, up north is busy with traffic, and hwy is windy. Bring a buff or tight hat for hair, sunglasses and sunscreen. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable and funny.

    Refurbished VW.
    Alex V.

    THANK YOU BIG ISLAND BUGGY!!!! You saved my trip in Hawaii from a tough start to a great ending. I found your old kiosk and was totally interested. After some trouble with transportation in the first few days, your buggy transformed my whole itinerary. It was great to just be alone, or with a friend, going up and down the island in the great, or not so great, weather. It was like a Choose Your Own Adventure. Debi and Aaron were amazing, have lots of great tips and are EXTREMELY accommodating. I read their reviews before booking and they lived up. Mahalo Big Island Buggy. Best wishes and be well.

    Brooke B.

    I have nothing but great things to say about Debi & Aaron! Super sweet couple who run a fantastic business! Booking was super easy online, got to explore the island ourselves, & pricing was reasonable! Would definitely recommend renting their buggy's I LOVED how they dropped off (the buggy) at our hotel & picked it up after we were done. Made the process even easier. Next time we come to Kona, we will definitely be renting another one! Mahalo(:

    Danielle F.

    I booked and then cancelled because I thought it was going to rain. I was going to venture out and do something new. To my (I say now) fortune, the owners weren't sent the cancellation and showed up with the buggy at my hotel. They were Smiling and so friendly! I felt bad. I explained I had cancelled and was worried about the weather when I cancelled. Not only were they understanding and nice about the mix up, they said they'd honor it! No issue, no attitude, just warm people! Based on how they handled the entire situation, the weather report being wrong, I decided why not keep it? The vibes they gave made me remember exactly why I booked in the first place; get out and live life to the fullest starts with letting things flow the way it's supposed to not just what you planned or didn't plan. Because they didn't pressure me in anyway, I was able to get out of my comfort zone. Close out my last day before my next year of birth ( my birthday just started at midnight as I'm writing this) doing something totally new! Start my next year of life with I DID IT! I tried something new! Because of these two's amazing attitude I did just that! They gave me the gift I almost didn't give my self! I drove all over and I'm not a driver by nature; get to and from that's all. Here is what I text them once we turned in the buggy after the amazing trip. I'll share it so that another "me" out there debating on stepping into the next phase of their life and wondering do you step out of your comfort zone??? YES! Rent this! UNPLUG, FEEL THE TRUE AIR OF THE ISLAND, THE BREEZE OF LIFE... get out of the rental car that closes you off from the entire reason you spent the money to come to Hawaii! You came to create memories... so do just that! Wave to people on the street like I did or sitting in an door dinning who smile and stare as you vroom by, be proud you can drive a stick shift, your hair is blowing all crazy and say hi to those who throw up the hang loose or shake their head yes watching you beaming as if supporting your decision to do something totally different and living life having fun on vacay. Smile silly just because your out and feeling like a kid when you first could drive on your own! So here is what I text the owners: Thank you!!!! Best mix up ever! Loved going back in time, like I was driving my first car ever, my red Volkswagen bug at 16! However, now with my two (kids 15 and 12 1/2) and going all over the island. We Built amazing life long memories for us.. plus mommy is cool!it's the 3 of us, no phones or music, just talking and sharing everything we are seeing, getting lost and then trying to find actual gps...on a MAP! They had an amazing time! Oh and we saw some other ladies at the beach rocking your green buggy! We all smiled at each other and said hiiiii ... I see you! Lol!! (All proud as if connected in the; we made the same " oh let's just try this decision"). It was so nice meeting both of you! You made my last day of 51 the best and closed out the year as it should've been! Tomorrow will start the new year of life! Thank you!! Hopefully this helps someone make that decision to actually LIVE on vacation and not just BE on vacation! Thanks to the owners Deb and Aaron I did! Come join me in the "WE DID IT"! Club! Rent one and vroom into the YOU did something new!

    Oops don't Pic and drive!  Super fun!
    Dave M.

    Wahoo! Super fun! Rental process was breeze. Customer service was superb. Aaron/Debi we're gracious and very helpful. It's like driving a go cart around the island. We did a 4 hr rental with four of us in the car. We all had plenty of room. No problems whatsoever. We will do this again! Mahalo Big Island Buggies!

    Big Island Buggy is the BEST!
    Shay H.

    What an amazing company! We had the best time ever, in our buggy! Aaron treated us as though he had known us forever, gave great advise, suggestions on places to go, and to have a blast, and that is exactly what we did!

    Hawaii dreamin'

    What a fun experience! Time to ourselves, wind in our hair and good times on the road in paradise. Debi and Aaron are who you want to rent from. Great communication, friendly and helpful. Best part of our Kona vacation by far.

    Big Island Buggy
    Annie K.

    The owners, Aaron and Debi, have found a niche. Their dune buggy rental is such a great addition to the must do activities in Kona. It is so much fun and better than driving a regular convertible! Reservation is hassle free. They even deliver the buggy to your hotel with chairs, umbrella, and cooler to boot! We had to make some changes to our reservations because we overbooked ourselves. Aaron was so gracious to accommodate our request. The day before we got the buggy, we asked Aaron if they had boogie boards we could rent or borrow. They brought us two boogie boards free of charge What great customer service! We only reserved the buggy for 4 hours but ended up extending it for a couple more with no problems whatsoever. We really should have reserved it for 8 hours! We plan on reserving it for a couple of days next time. This is really a must do if you're in the area, and you won't find better operators. Just the best people to work with.

    Jonathan W.

    Having been a long time VW guy and owning over 5 Bugs in my life - but never a dune buggy- I was totally excited to rent a buggy for a few hours! I was not disappointed- we rented the Tang, just two seats and room for beach chairs and other equipment (provided by BIB) Thanks to BIB for some great memories

    What fun!!! My wife and I rented a buggy from Big Island Buggy. Aaron and Debi (owners) exceeded our already high expectations. First, securing our rental online, prior to our arrival was simple. Second, the day before our rental date, we received a call from Aaron confirming the time we wanted the buggy and he informed us it would be delivered to us at our location at that time.. Third, Aaron and Debi met us at our condo and covered the operation of the buggy and Debi went over a map of the island, making some great recommendations of places to see, based on our interests. In summary, we highly recommend Big Island Buggy and commend Aaron and Debi for their phenomenal, and personalized service. What a great way to explore this wonderful island!!

    Hookena Beach!

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    2 years ago

    This was a lot of fun and had us laughing all the way. Terrific customer service. Highly recommend.

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    So easy to book, pick up and return. Fun to drive and the kids had the best time riding around.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Big Island Buggy

    Review Highlights - Big Island Buggy

    Aaron made the checking in process easy & smooth, gave great local suggestions, along with directions.

    Mentioned in 67 reviews

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    Discount Hawaii Car Rental

    Discount Hawaii Car Rental

    3.7
    (26 reviews)
    1.7 mi

    We enjoyed a week in Kona in January 2026 and rented a car through this company. We were pleased…read morewith the whole experience. This was our first time using this company and everything went smoothly. The rental rate was excellent. No problems with picking up or dropping off the car or interacting with Thrifty staff. The car was fine for our purposes and we had a great trip. We were also very pleased with the company's responsiveness when we contacted them several times with questions. They were prompt to answer email or return calls. We would happily rent through them again.

    You guys at Discount USA & Discount Hawaii car rental are the best and I need to tell you that…read more We bought our condo in KOA at the end of 2017 and travel there twice a year. The wife lived on Oahu for 15 years and her son and grandson still do so we hop over to see them regularly too. Since 2018 when I was told on a flight to check you out I don't think I've rented a car in KOA or HNL any other way and it's been dozens of rentals. Now I found Discount USA too so we'll use that app too. Anyway.... I just wanted to pass on how much we use your service and how pleased we are with the ease of shopping all rental companies in your website and app. I wouldn't shop any other way although I keep trying directly and bookings and car rental. Com and Costco but guess what? You guys are consistently the best so I figured I better pass that info on to you Thanks & Mahalo..... happy dancer |

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    Flight left at 9:15am, we dropped the car at 8:04, per there records. This is clearly wrong and a lie. They added coverage, not late fee.
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    The original reservation, note the late fee
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    Big Island Jeep Rental

    Big Island Jeep Rental

    4.9
    (60 reviews)
    4.3 mi

    Big Island Jeep Rentals is THE place to rent your Jeep! The pickup/drop-off was the easiest and…read morequickest experience I've had with a rental company. We rented the Jeep Renegade named "General Gene". The bed was loaded with beach chairs, a cooler, beach umbrella, pool noodles, 2 boogie boards, life vest and 2 sets of snorkel fins with plenty of room for luggage for the 3 of us. All at NO extra charge!

    I just finished law school and took the Bar Exam. My partner and I planned a trip to the Big Island…read morewith two goals in mind: (1) Driving to the Summit of Mauna Kea, and (2) see the best beaches we could. Since doing the first item requires a 4x4 vehicle (true fact, rangers check your car for 4lo and will turn you back without it), and many beaches require some off-pavement driving, we knew we needed a Jeep or another high clearance car with 4wd. I've rented dozens of cars from big name car rental outfits but I've constantly run into the problem of Hertz, Thrifty, etc not having the car I requested upon arrival--I just didn't trust selecting an "off road" or "luxury SUV" category and not ending up with the right kind of car. I also hate using businesses that are not local that direct all profits to off-island corps. Ultimately we found Big Island Jeep Rentals (BIJR). We were able to not just rent a Jeep, but a specific vehicle that we knew met our needs. It took out the uncertainty of renting from a big name car rental. While we had to arrange a short ride from the airport to reach BIJR, we did not have to wait in an hours-long queue that you normally face in the Budget/Enterprise/Sixt airport car rental multiplex. We had a contactless pick up and were on our way, canvas down, playing music as we found our first beach. It was also helpful because BIJR will add folding beach chairs, a quality wind-resistant beach umbrella, swim fins, and a small cooler to your trunk for you! These were essential items for enjoying the Big Island beaches. BIJR also sent us useful videos on how to use the 4x4 features for driving up Mauna Kea and a video on how to operate the cloth-top and access the trunk--useful since I've never driven a Jeep or used a 4x4. BIJR also made some reasonable requests to avoid certain tourist 4x4 spots where newbie off-roaders often (a) get into trouble or (b) damage BIJR's Jeeps and complicate those drivers' trips (e.g., Makalewena Beach and the Green Sand Beach [of which we heard was underwhelming anyway]). BIJR also can give you great tourist spot recommendations, too. In the end the only complication was that the Jeep we reserved was returned in bad shape. BIJR gave us a free upgrade to a luxury trim, but made sure we had all the features we needed (thanks for the Rubicon). Bottom Line: We got to do everything we wanted. I felt safe and prepared to use the 4x4 features. We were secure knowing our car rental would not be swapped for an insufficient replacement at the last moment. We were comfortable knowing our car rental could handle what we planned (in style). We had free access to a few beach items that made our luggage smaller and kept us from buying equipment on the Island that we'd have to leave behind. In the end we paid less than a premium upgrade at one of the big name car rental shops and got to support a local business.

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    Sunrise @ Pololū Valley Lookout
    Big Island Jeep Rental
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    Drive In Hawaii

    Drive In Hawaii

    3.4
    (5 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    Beware of Drive in Hawaii: Unsafe Vehicles and Terrible Customer Service…read more My husband rented a van from Drive in Hawaii through Turo for our trip to Kona, Hawaii. Everything seemed fine until our front right tire popped. To our shock, the spare tire was also flat. We went to a Goodyear store, hoping for a more permanent fix. The Goodyear staff informed us that they couldn't repair the tires because they were over six years old and in terrible condition. The tires were made in 2017, making them seven years old--far too old to be used safely. We reported the issue to Drive in Hawaii, providing evidence and photos. The Turo claims review team also determined that we were not at fault. Despite this, Drive in Hawaii falsely claimed we had tampered with the tire ourselves and lied about visiting Goodyear. This was absurd! Drive in Hawaii's false accusations were incredibly disappointing. According to their reviews, no one else had yet experienced issues, but our situation revealed their true colors given an emergency situation. I strongly recommend staying as far away from this company as possible. If you do decide to rent from Drive in Hawaii, take lots of photos, check the DOT numbers on the tires, and get a free tire and brake check from a reputable service center like Goodyear. Document everything, take pictures, and save all the conversations between you and the host. Also, if you do end up in the same situation, make sure you get a note from a tire shop or take a picture of the car so that you have a record with a time and date stamp. Drive in Hawaii even claimed their tracker showed we never went to Goodyear. Shame on them. Stay safe and beware of this company.

    Beware of using this car rental company - Drive in Hawaii…read more I rented from this company using Turo. I filled up the gas tank to full at the gas station that they recommended which was 5 minutes from the airport before returning it. After dropping off the car, they charged me $23.00 for gas! Impossible! I reached out to them on Turo and they said that they would look into the charge and remove it. They ghosted me, I tried emailing, messaging on Turo and even calling them. Now I am in the process of disputing this charge with Turo and my bank. Do yourself a favor and avoid this company! I should have rented from a private owner on Turo instead of Drive in Hawaii. Lesson learned.

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    Alamo Rent A Car

    Alamo Rent A Car

    3.2
    (303 reviews)
    1.7 mi

    I was charged $244.93 for a Damage Waiver I never requested on my recent rental in Hawaii. When I…read morecontacted Alamo to resolve it, the representative actually acknowledged there may have been a fault on their end but still refused to issue a refund, hiding behind the signed contract. Here's the thing about that contract, customers sign at the counter in good faith, trusting that what's in the document matches what they asked for. That trust was broken here. Nearly $250 for a product I didn't ask for and wasn't clearly informed about is not a small mistake. And a company that recognizes its own potential fault but still refuses to make it right tells you everything you need to know about how they value their customers. I'd caution anyone renting from Alamo to review every single line of your agreement before signing, because apparently that's the only protection you have. I'll be pursuing this further through my credit card company. Update: After escalating my concern, the regional manager reached out and processed a full refund for the Damage Waiver. I appreciate that they made it right. Raising my rating to 3 stars for the resolution, but I'd still encourage anyone renting here to review every line of your contract before signing.

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    Car Rentals Of Hawaii

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    I chose Car Rentals of Hawaii because I wanted to support a local business, but unfortunately my…read moreexperience was very disappointing. Shortly after picking up the vehicle, I discovered the A/C was only blowing hot air. I contacted Dennis immediately. He apologized and attempted to locate another vehicle, which I appreciated. Unfortunately, the replacement wouldn't be available until another car was returned, inspected, and cleaned. With 10 family members visiting and transportation needed that day, waiting wasn't a practical option. I rented a vehicle from another company instead, returned this vehicle within about two hours, placed the key in the drop box, sent a photo confirming the return, and immediately requested a refund. Since then, I have sent multiple follow-up messages asking about the refund and have received no response. I have documentation of the defective vehicle, our text conversation, the return of the vehicle, and my repeated attempts to resolve the matter. Mechanical issues can happen with any rental company. What disappointed me was not the broken A/C, but the lack of follow-through after the vehicle was returned. I expected the company to stand behind its service and communicate about the refund. Unfortunately, that has not been my experience.

    Dennis?! Every time something else happened with a car, it became a joke to say his name. We kept…read morelooking around and asking if we were in Pranked. I liked the owner, Dennis, and hope his business succeeds. But this guy needs to get organized, learn some basic customer service, and take responsibility for his cars. It was easy to rent/pay, but incredibly hard to get a hold of him. Calls went to voicemail. Texts are unanswered. It's like he couldn't be bothered when the cars had issues. And there were a ton of issues. First, he didn't have the van I reserved and paid for. So he gave use two cars instead. Great compromise. Both were about 10 years old and beat up, but we didn't care. One of the cars was literally returned while we were there and the car still had trash, sand, and dirt in it from the previous renter. Gross, but okay, easy to take a few minutes and clean it out. The cars had issues starting and I was reluctant to leave. Dennis said it would be fine and promised if the issue caused a problem he'd be there. An hour later, my family was stuck at Costco because the car wouldn't lock. Dennis came (an hour later) and replaced the fob battery. We eventually go the van, and he switched out one of the cars. He wanted the 2nd car back so we took time from our vacation to make a special trip to drop off the 2nd car (45 minutes away). In the van, the check engine light was on the entire rental. One of the windshield wipers was split in half. We had been texting Dennis when we saw an issue and no response. We have yet to hear from Dennis after many texts.

    Kahalu'u Beach Park

    Kahalu'u Beach Park

    4.4
    (396 reviews)
    4.9 mi

    Great beach! It has shade and some good views. Definitely a good place to bring the family as it is…read moresomewhat protected. Parking is expensive kind of a bummer. The area itself didn't have much amenities, but definitely have palm trees and shade, which was nice in the afternoon. Happy to make it on our first day

    We swim here regularly, year-round. IMHO this is the best all-around snorkeling beach on the…read moreisland, but as with any ocean activity the surf and tide will affect your experience, so ask the lifeguards or the volunteers for advice. This protected bay has over 120 species of resident fish, and usually has clear water. Other than urchins (7 species) there is no marine life to worry about. Turtle sitings are more likely at high tide when their salad bar (the algae on the rocks) is available. Typically from 9 to 3 daily the Reef Teach volunteers have photo guide books and other reference materials available, along with free advice, defog spray, and reef-safe sunscreen. Water access is the narrow and shallow rocky channel in front of the lifeguard station by the parking and pavilion. Swim fins or sand shoes are recommended. The locals value their feet and swim through it even at low tide when it is only a foot deep. Coming back in you can actually swim all the way back to the sandy channel. The water is usually noticeably warmer and clearer away from the entry. The bay is shallow with only a few places that are even 8' deep at high tide. Unless you really need to, don't stand on the bottom or coral - fins and feet damage it.

    Photos
    | #intenselypassionatephotography
    | #intenselypassionatephotography
    Locals
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    Water is way more blue. Pic not doing justice.

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    Water is way more blue. Pic not doing justice.

    Big Island Buggy - carrental - Updated August 2026

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