The deep water port on the East side of the Big Island, the Port of Hilo has been accepting cruise…read moreships since the 80's. Since Kona is the more popular plane destination for visitors coming to the Big Island, my wife and I haven't had the opportunity to visit Hilo until coming in for a port day on the Carnival Radiance from Long Beach. We never expect much on port days so we are not disappointed, but our first visit to Hilo was very memorable, for both the scenery and the people. Our ship was cleared for disembarkation earlier than at the other ports on our trip. It was heavily drizzling, with vendors selling disposable rain parkas. Along with the various booths attracting pre-bought and off-the-cuff tours, there was a long line for a free shuttle to downtown Hilo (which at over 2 miles away is too far to walk). I stood in line for a bit, but then was told that both the 10:00 and 10:30 buses had been filled. Thus, we ended up deciding to walk to whatever was accessible so we could stay close to the ship and watch the Bears playoff game on the ship. We ended up finding that both a really nice general store and a beautiful beach park were within walking distance. After coming back, we had to show our picture IDs to both the gate guard and building guard to get through. It was the only one of the four Hawaiian ports where the metal detectors were not set-up at the port, instead the ones on the ship were used. This created a bit of backup as the detectors had to be used for both crew members leaving the boat, along with passengers coming back.

This was the first port we dock in while cruising in the pacific ocean which is the largest and the…read moredeepest of all the earth ocean's with the max depth of 36,231 The port of Hilo is not a cruise dock for ships, it's more less like a dock for containers and commercial port for Hawaii, once we disembark we follow the sign's through a huge empty covered warehouse to waiting buses and shuttle.

We went on the Ahiu guided lava tour about a month ago during a trip to the big island. We knew…read morethat the active lava areas were not visible from the volcano national park. so we wanted to get up close and personal with the lava. From what we could tell, this was the best, and it didn't disappoint. They take care of all the arrangements on the phone and when you show up they have a backpack, light, snacks, water, gloves, and poncho ready for you. The tour starts at 2 pm, but it's a little drive out to the start of the hike. The guides will help you find a walking stick to help you keep your balance. Now, the hike itself is totally insane, and not for the faint of heart. It's about 3 hours of hiking through the rainforest, where there is ankle deep mud, fallen trees, puddles, and a lot of up/down and switchbacks. I've got to be honest with you, this is a pretty hard hike and not for the faint of heart. We were somewhat ill-prepared, as we only had regular sneakers. I'd definitely recommend real hiking boots. Then it's about another mile on the cooled lava fields to get to an area where the lava is actively coming out. All in all, you arrive at the lava around or just after dusk. The lava itself is one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It is so hot, that once you get within about 10 feet it starts to scorch your face and arms. You can stick your walking stick in the actively flowing lava, and the tip immediately catches on fire! Amazing, just to dip a stick in liquid rock and watch as it cools to a solid. The guide themselves are totally legit. We had 2 guides for a group of about 13, with one leading the way and another bringing up the rear. We spent a fair amount of time talking to one of the guides, Tomas, a native Hawaiian who is pretty much an all around badass. When he isn't guiding tours, hunting boar, surfing, or other stuff with the company, he does mixed martial arts training and fighting. At the time of our tour, he was still undefeated. Big ups to Tomas. The worst part is the hike out. Because you're starting at about 8 pm, and it's another 4 hours of hiking, you don't get back until midnight or so. I can safely say that it was one of the most exhausting experiences I've ever had. Well worth it though. Overall, Ahiu provided us with one of the more amazing moments in my life. I'll always remember it, and I don't say that in many reviews on Yelp. Definitely do it, but bring hiking boots!

The experience of this was truly once in a life time. The front office however is jacked up. First…read morethey called us on the wrong day and said we were late. We had to email them the reservation they sent us in the first place. Then they told us the hike was about 2 hours when it was more than double that one way. I was totally fine with that, but just be honest about it. I would like to give them less stars just for the way the front office handled the whole thing. The tour was a long hike through a rainy jungle. Then you come up to the lava fields and hike to the spot where the current flows are coming up out of the ground. This tour was an absolute must and I was extremely happy that I did it. We were definitely worn out in the end, but it was all worth it. The guides were extremely friendly and polite. You could ask for anything better. I would have given this five stars if it were not for the front office.

Any affiliates of DeWitt (Dim Witt) Movers is horrible. They delivered our furnishings to our home…read moreand destroyed our beautiful hardwood floors. They sent out TEMP LABORERS they were paying 18.00 an hour to deliver our goods. I filled out a claim form that the driver provided and told us they would repair the damage to our brand new floors. We never heard anything from them, and when I called 2 months later to discuss it they had no record of a damage report. It trickles from the top down in their organization and they charged us 1500.00 extra for the delivery saying our driveway was inaccessible. If they hired competent help that could navigate a truck it wouldn't be an issue as we have had many many subsequent deliveries of furniture and applicances of trucks of equal or larger size. BUYER BEWARE. They are awful.

Move from Big Island to California. They moved all of our household furnishings and loaded them…read moreinto the shipping container. So happy to discover what a terrific job they did with wrapping our items with care. Not one broken item! Their team communication is great as well. Very fair price. Thank you Bonnie, Joaquin, and the movers. I would recommend!!

Tim was very professional and accommodating in surveying an older Farrier trimaran. Though and…read moreuncommon boat he researched their issues and sales history to do a very thorough inspection, finding a number of issues that could well have been overlooked. I would not hesitate to use his services again.

This company should always be utilized when considering a boat purchase here in West Hawaii. Owner…read moreTim is always extremely knowledgeable, professional and thorough in his inspections/surveys.