We had a great time on the Hawaii Forest & Trail Secret Waterfalls of Kona Excursion! Our guide,…read moreMark, was incredible--he kept everyone talking and he was genuinely interested in hearing everyone's travel stories. He was very knowledgeable and provided us with a wealth of fascinating information about the island. After a comfortable van ride, we hiked a beautiful trail that led us to a series of truly stunning, pristine waterfalls. We were treated to a delicious lunch from a local deli, and we loved that it was served in eco-friendly, completely reusable containers. On the way back, we made a perfect final stop at a local macadamia nut store. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish, and we recommend it!

We went on an almost 100% full (flower) moon. It was special to see the terminator line on the…read moreCelestron telescope - it had such great definition! The color of Mauna Kea with the moon shining on it was so magical all around us. There were some clouds that cleared pretty well by the end of our star gazing. We were the last ones up there so it got dark enough to see more than you'd expect with the moon. Jeff, our awesome tour guide, used a laser pointer to help us see the constellations we usually can't back at home. The images on the digital telescope like nebulas, the moon & star clusters were an amazing addition to have as keepsakes. My husband and I felt he made the tour a great balance of learning and fun. He had the group feeling like family before we even left from the pickup lot. Things to consider: I do recommend following the moons cycles booking this tour/your trip if this is especially important for you to see as many stars as possible. The sunset and views of the observatory's make it awesome anyways :) I struggled with altitude sickness around 12,000 ft. Jeff had made sure to let us know beforehand if we experienced any issues to speak up. I was hesitant as I know it would mean turning the whole tour around, but some tingling turned to dizziness and then a brief fainting. He immediately stopped the bus and helped ground me and make sure I was completely okay & coherent before letting me know our options for the tour. We made it up to the top with 2 more (included in tour) stops and I felt better with each one having more time to acclimate :) Thank you Jeff!! You handled this so professionally and I appreciate your check-ins for the rest of the trip. It's cold even with parka and gloves. It's so worth packing warm shoes and layers. The bus had ac and heat so that was great! Do it if you can! Awe-inspiring! Such an unreal environment that makes you wonder about so many things. Just take the precautions seriously, move slow and breathe deep.

I was in for the surprise of a lifetime with a proposal at the end of my adventure…read more The Crew, Gavin and Reed and our driver Heno were awesome in coordinating this special experience for me and my now fiancé! Had the best experience the ladies in office were also sooo kind and supportive in the whole process. 10/10 experience and customer service!! Thank you botanical world adventures for a great day and unforgettable experience!

Set in the heart of a beautiful rainforest, Botanical World Adventures' Zipline tour is truly one…read moreof the most scenic excursions! Nick, Kavahi, Lish, and Heno are the dream team who helped guide us through the adventure, offering fun insights on the local flora and fauna along the way, as well as some some stellar "dad" jokes and banter! You truly can't go wrong with the ziplines at Botanical World--the team is communicative, enthusiastic, and safety conscious, while the location is unmatched!

We booked the 6 1/2 hour volcano tour and it was fantastic! We got to see most of the island. It…read morewas super scenic and just breathtaking! We got to visit the volcano national Park, see the steam vents, see the volcano, went to the volcano house, and drove through Hilo. Our guide, Chris was amazing and gave us such great information about the island and all the facts! He was very friendly, fun, and professional! It was just an enjoyable drive! Even my six-year-old ,who I did not know how he was going to do because this was his first tour and being in the car for so long , he did Fantastic.! We also made a special stop and got some delicious treats and picked up lunch for later, which was really good! He also provided us with water, juice, soda, snacks, and a cold towel. Also very accommodating for dietary restrictions like myself who is gluten-free. The booking process was super easy and they confirmed details the evening before your reservation date. They will call you and then send you a text. Pick up was on time so be ready! The shuttle is super comfortable ride with AC. I highly recommend booking this tour if you're visiting the big island.

Our tour guide Thia was fantastic. Super knowledgeable of the island and very genuine. Highly…read morerecommended this tour for anyone who would like to learn about the island and have a fun experience.

Phenomenal Fishing Trip!! Captain Jerry and first hand Shibu are great. They make for an awesome…read morefishing trip. We did the 6 hours trip and we were able to get a bit of everything! 3 tunas, 2 mahi mahi and 1 Ono. It was a lot of fun to reel in the big fish. Also what is great is that once you are back to shore, they will fillet you the fish and give it to you to bring it home so you can have plenty of fish for many days.

This was such an amazing experience! We took our son for his birthday and the captain and first…read moremate made him feel so special. They truly made this a once in a lifetime birthday. Thank you so much for the amazing time!

Amazing FREE tour to learn about Kona coffee beans, Hawaiian fruit, and chocolate! There are lots…read moreof different samples of hot coffee to try before and after the tour. Our tour guide, cannot remember his name, was SO funny and was really engaging with our group. He went around the group to learn everyone's names and where they were from, very personable. While waiting to start, they also have umbrellas for shade. Unfortunately, the storm had happened a couple of months prior to our May visit and we weren't able to explore any of the equipment where they process the coffee beans. But our tour guide was still able to make it really exciting for us. We learned about kona coffee and peaberry beans. We also got to see coffee flowers that smell like jasmine. They usually only last for four days before they die. Purchased a couple of bags to bring home. They don't have manufacturing dates on their bags because they always sell them out within five days.

I'm so glad we came here for a tour. I love learning about different things and this was a cute…read moreplace to visit during our stay. Upon arrival, everyone was so friendly and directed us on how to book a tour which ran every 30 minutes or so. While we waited, we were able to sample coffee and check out the little store. Our tour guide was very amusing and kept the tour fun and amusing even though we couldn't do much on the farm due to the recent floods causing a gaping hole of grand canyon through the middle of the farm. Despite the disadvantage, the tour guide still found a way to keep the tour engaging with lots of fun facts, history and merriment. I enjoyed my time here and we also took home some coffee.

We got an email from these guys ONE MINUTE AFTER POSTING HERE THAT THEY DON'T EXIST and that they'd…read moreSTILL TAKEN OUR PAYMENT that we'd somehow "fallen through the cracks" and were getting refunded. This was AFTER their site advertised they were open, AFTER their site accepted our payment, AFTER we got a pre-trip confirmation email that we were good to go, AFTER we *wasted a tank of gas driving 4.5 hours round trip from Kona on our last day in Hawaii*, and AFTER a next-day "thanks for riding with us" email from them. So ... they only realized we'd "slipped through the cracks" and refunded us when they somehow learned they'd been rumbled here on Yelp. Not pretty stuff. I'd give them the benefit of the doubt, but I'm now sure how we can or what explanation could possibly point toward mere negligence.

The electric bikes from Hawaii Lava Bikes are by far the best way to see the active lava flows…read more Even though it's only a ~4 mile ride out to the lava, after you hike 4-5 miles over rough terrain to see the lava (3-4 hours of hiking on tough terrain!), you will be SO HAPPY that you have an electric bike to get your tired legs back to your car. We flew past so many people on regular bikes who looked at us with jealous and envy as we used minimal effort and got there much faster. The guys who run the company are also INCREDIBLY nice and down to earth. Bikes are in excellent condition, and they give you backpacks, headlamps, and water. Would 100% use this company again.

The past week I had called JP Taxi for a ride to the airport. We had been taking Ubers in the past…read moreand for an early morning ride and the XL Ubers in the past few years were somewhat a horror story. Like twice my ride was coming to do my pickup and all of a sudden was canceled. Twice we had driver if a older Toyota forerunner once the rear area had so much dog hair that my luggage had so much hair on it and I was a bit worried to bring it into the house before I had to brush off the hair and hoped didn't have bugs. Same driver picked us up and the inside was so messy with rubbish from candy wrappers and all kinds of paperwork in the doors and just looked like it hadn't been cleaned for sometime, plus no A/C. I had called JP taxi and told him what time to pick me up and he was exactly on time. Taxi was clean and he was very friendly also. He told us to call him when we got back into town and we did. Very friendly and prompt on pickup times.

Jerry is such a sweet man, very friendly and talkative. He's always our ride to wherever we gotta…read morego and makes our day each time. He's also very honest, we left our phone and he returned it without hesitation. He accepts apple pay and square.

We chose Makaio Tours because it seemed like a good length tour that covers a lot of the popular…read moretourist destinations around Hilo, and boy, did Justin deliver! He was prompt, great at planning, and exceptionally personable and professional throughout the entire trip. It is clear that he has a wealth of knowledge regarding the islands of Hawaii and regaled us with tons of interesting fun facts. I would recommend this tour to anyone looking for a great comprehensive and interactive adventure around the Big Island. Justin, thanks for being our host for the day! We have learned a lot from this Hawaii Volcanos, Waterfalls, Beaches, and Hilo tour. We would highly recommend Makaio Tours

From the owner: Aloha! We are a Native Hawaiian guided touring company that specializes in the Ultimate Hilo day…read moretours which consists of everything from Volcano's, blacksand beaches, waterfalls and many hidden gems that the locals know of which stands us out from the rest!

My husband, 1yr old son, and I spent the day touring the big island with Savannah and Keola. We…read morewere greeted with leis and smiles! Really felt the "Aloha Spirit" with them. We were so grateful to find a tour that was kid friendly and they made it so easy with accommodating our son and potty/diaper changing stops. The van was very clean and comfortable with a tv screen that showed educational videos about where we were about to visit. Both Keola and Savannah would chime into the videos and tell different stories that connected with the video, felt very interactive. We had a blast and would 100% recommend!

From the owner: Exploring a new Island may lead to unneeded stress. Don't worry leave it to us your Hawaii Local…read moreConnection to take care of you like ohana (family). All of our tours are done Hawaiian local style full of ALOHA. Lots of fun and laughter will be shared during your tour. We will assure your safety is our #1 priority. Then let the fun times roll. These tours are suited for all ages and fitness levels. If weather is not ideal, we got you covered. We will provide umbrellas and alternat sites to visit if needed. We will provide snacks nonalcoholic drinks and lunches. You will also be driven around in a luxury mercerize sprinter van equipped with a large tv. We will be featuring rare Hawaii videos of Historic lava events, Hawaiian Legends of the lava/fire goddess Pele, Hula dancing and the connection to Pele, and much more options. You will be able to kick back and relax on "Hawaiian time" while we drive you around to visit some of Hawaii's most breath-taking sites. Let us take care of you and show you true Aloha. About Hawaii Local Connection Tours LLC Hawaii Local Connection tours is a 100% local, family-owned company, operating on the big island of Hawaii. Our tours specialize in a fully customizable authentic local island experience. We can take you almost anywhere you want to go on the island with a variety of epic scenic locations available to choose from, with native guides bilingual in Hawaiian-Pidgin and English. We are here to serve you as your Hawaii local connection.

I first came across Ka'u local buzz coffee and Paradise Meadows a couple of years ago and decided…read morethat this was the best coffee I've ever had. Same for the Mac Nuts. I immediately subscribed to their newsletter so I could keep up to speed on what they where offering. In a recent trip to Hawaii, we were finally able to visit in person and it was a fun experience. Enthusiastic staff, lots of laughter, delicious fruit slushies, Art Gallery with featured local artists, penny the pig, baby ducks, parrots that would squawk at you until you engaged in conversation. Premium Kau Coffee, Macnuts, chocolate, short bread, slushies, pizza (on the day we were there) made by two Italian guys. Yes please! After we gorged on free samples and margarita pizza, we went on a shopping spree at the well stocked gift shop (not sure if that's the correct term, maybe farmstand?). Since we spent a certain amount on goodies, a discount was given along with free shipping to Alaska (what?!?). It makes me so happy just knowing that places like this exist. My only regret about stopping is that because we were in go, go, go mode to get to a birthday party, we didn't spend nearly enough time here as I would've liked. Next time!

I truly thing this place is amazing and should be on your list as a stop as you explore the Big…read moreIsland It's the only place that we found clean bathrooms. Not just one but 4 of them with in a beautiful art gallery filled with art by the Resident / Owner and Artist They have the most amazing macadamia nuts and cookies we have found on the Island. They literally have you try and sample everything they have COFFEE HONEY SHORTBREAD COOKIES & Macadamia nuts Salted and in some of the most amazing flavors as well as delicious chocolates..... The property is beyond peaceful and tranquil and is educational. There was a pizza vendor and he is from Italy..... we tried 2 of the pizzas and it's the best we have eaten in a very long time. The staff is inviting and friendly and go out of their way to have you try their delicious goodies. MAKE IT A MUST ON YOUR TRIP TO THE BIG ISLAND