Best of Hawaii for First-Timers

The best part is the guide took excellent pictures of everyone with the sunset and stars.

Very knowledgeable and answered all questions. Was very considerate and made sure all were ok during the trip.

Setup the telesco... morepe very well - we could see the rings of Saturn very clearly.

Our guide, Koki, did a fabulous job with the Sunset photos for each of us at the summit and also a great job getting everyone's photo with the stars. He was an excellent driver and went slowly on the bumpy gravel part of... more the drive.

Because Koki's Japanese dialect is not something most English speaking people understand, he needs to speak more slowly and distinctly. I had a great deal of trouble understanding him - seems like I could only catch 4 out of every 10 words, and that is not something I expected on this tour. Granted, out of the 10 people, there were 2 Japanese men and Koki spent a lot of time on the way home speaking only to them in Japanese.

So, I had very mixed feelings about this tour. I come to Hawaii at least a couple times a year and I would definitely ask more questions about the guide and his speaking and understanding ability before I take my nest tour.

Night snorkeling with the manta rays was incredible! We had a wonderful show from six different rays the entire time we were in the water. The guides were all very friendly and helpful. They assist with wetsuits befor... moree you board, then assist with masks onboard, and assist with floating noodles and less-experienced swimmers while in the water.

A word of warning - the water (and subsequently, the boat) were rolling intensely once we left the dock. And once you leave the dock, there is nowhere to go to get away from the rolling. Several individuals succumb to seasickness on our cruise. Not sure if maybe the ocean was just rough on our night, or if this amount of rocking is normal. Either way, I would advise caution if you are sensitive to motion sickness or vertigo.

The location, the food, and entertainment was amazing. Truly worth your time and money for this experience. Would go again. My family enjoyed this. The breeze off the water felt heavenly. Go you will not regret it.

Todd, our guide, was great. Great driving up the steep dirt road. Great info about the geology, topography, observatories, constellations and more. Engaging, informative. All the other details too - nice sandwich, ho... moret beverage and clothing for the cold. Did I forget to mention the views? Fantastic views of the sun setting into the Pacific and a clear night sky.

Guide was very informative and friendly. I recommend this trip.