This trip was so much more than I expected! We started with a quick tour of rainbow falls and boiling pots. our guide Marcus was exceptionally knowledgeable about the plant life and history of both places. We then explored the lava caves, which was an unforgettable experience. Finally, we got to watch a beautiful sunset, followed by stargazing. I can’t believe how much astronomy I learned in one night. The skies were spectacular and once again Marcus seemed to have an endless fund of knowledge, answering all our questions in detail. The trip was unforgettable and Marcus is clearly a great asset to his company!
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/27 |
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-The Staff was incredible
-I loved the the boat, it was well equipped and safe
-People should bring a warn sweatshirt for the ride back
-The manta's were plentiful and exciting
-Best Ever excursion!!
-WORTH IT and MUST try it
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/31 |
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Our tour guide Dreu started our 12 hours together by telling us to set our expectations low. It was scheduled to be a rainy day but this is not what anyone wants to hear at the start of a long day you’ve paid hundreds per person to enjoy. The tour made all the promised stops. The coffee farm was interesting and everyone in our group enjoyed the hot box lunch. The bakery stop was too short considering how busy it was but everyone did have time to purchase something. The time in Volcano National Park was mostly whiteout due to rain. You could not see much during the first 2 hours there but the lava tube was great. I would warn others it is a steep incline on slippery steps to view it. Dreu is full of information but he did not share in an organized way. Hid commentary was scattered and jumped around making it hard to follow. Dinner was at Lava Rock Cafe and was average. They seemed short staff so very slow to get served. Dreu did great job anticipating our needs for bathroom breaks and provided motion sickness chews, rain gear, snacks, and drinks. He was not mindful of those with back or neck problems when he drove fast over speed bumps on the park yelling “hold on in the back!” I feel bad for anyone in our group with these problems as the van bounced and jarred us around each time he did this. The best part of the trip was last hour in park when we were able to do the twilight volcano viewing to see the red lava glow. Due to clouds we did not get to do stargazing and tour ended an hour early. Overall everyone in group was disappointed with this tour because of how dependent it is on the weather. If you get a day with rain or clouds, you will feel cheated out of most of what you signed up to see.
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/25 |
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While I understand there is no guarantee to see and experience manta rays feeding on plankton, I was extremely disappointed with this experience, the crew did not provide a good experience for all. There were a lot of people on this adventure (more than what I felt should be) and as result, the crew had to use three different boards to accommodate everyone. As a result the board with most of the lights, it attracted the manta rays, leaving the others without. The other two did not attract any. I feel the crew should have maneuvered the other two boards or people on those boards to the larger board area so that they could experience the Mantra Ray feeding. I was also very disappointed that there were no lights at the bottom pointing upward. On other manta ray snorkels I joined, when there are lights from the top and from the bottom many more manta rays appear and feed.
The crew also did not provide insights and interesting facts on the Mantra Rays, at least I didn’t hear anything.
The one nice thing I enjoyed about this trip was that the experience allowed me to enjoy nighttime boating.
Aloha Sandles,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We extend our deepest apologies for the experience you had on our tour. We would like to hear more details about it. Could you email us at info@hawaiidolphin.com and elaborate further? We would like to rectify this situation. Thank you.
Best,
Iruka Hawai‘i ‘Ohana
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/10 |
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We had a blast riding around in a dune buggy last Sunday! It was delivered and picked up at our hotel, great communication with Aaron, great tips on where to go - all of it was easy and a ton of fun!
We are so happy you all enjoyed the buggy! It was really nice meeting you all. Thank you for the wonderful review. We hope to see you back on th Big Island!
Aloha and Mahalo,
Aaron
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/19 |
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An incredible adventure for the family and I! I knew I wanted to see the Captain Cook memorial but I never anticipated such an immersive aquatic experience.
Mahalo Nui Loa for the wonderful review. We hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/16 |
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We had a great time. Seth and Colleen were wonderful. Kay was extremely helpful. The Manta's were beautiful and amazing.
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/17 |
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This trip was a wonderful introduction to the great snorkeling in two of the bays on the west coast of Hawaii. Our guide provided all the gear we needed for the water. Our guide was friendly, patient, and knowledgeable about local sea life and the culture and history of the coast we explored. As a family, we were novices at snorkeling but our guide stepped us through getting into and out of the water and directed us to the best areas of the bays to explore. Right out of dock, a pod of spinner dolphins crossed in front of the boat! Flying fish appeared along our route and there were many species of fish and many black sea urchins in both bays. The snacks hit the spot and the cultural history of the bays and coastline were very interesting. After the excursion, we felt we were ready to set off on our own snorkling adventure!
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/17 |
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The tour was great. The sunset was amazing. The boat ride out was super fun with water and sodas. The guides worked hard to get us positioned for the rays. We got to see several rays with one completely in the center of our group doing several flips while eating. Afterwards we got hot chocolate.
Aloha Hilari,
We're so glad to hear all the positive things you had to say about your trip with us, and thank you for sharing your pictures! All returning customer's receive a 20% repeater discount if you folks plan on returning!
Mahalo,
Iruka Hawaii Team!
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/17 |
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What a fun, informative, and relaxing 3 hours. Great history guide and fantastic music! Helen the bartender was great as well. We are a group of six with two elderly parents who were comfortable the whole time and loved it. We will do this again!
Thanks a million for joining us! We are so happy to read that you had a great time!
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/15 |
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The overall experience was amazing. With the long trip to volcanoes national park, they did a great job of breaking up the trek with stops for food, coffee, snacks, and dinner. The driver was great and had lots of interesting facts to share as we traveled, and gave us his unique perspective on the island and points of interest. The night portion was amazing and it was a perfect end to the trip to see the lava glow at night. Highly recommend the guided tour over DIY!
Aloha Richard,
Thank you so much for commenting on your tour experience, we're glad you felt the experience was worthwhile! Having a guide is a real added value on a tour to the volcano. It's a long trip, but we appreciate you touring with us, and hope your stay on the island was amazing!
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/12 |
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This was a pretty fun show to attend. One thing I like a a luau is some of the history of the Hawaiian Islands and Polynesia and this show had some good dances going over the history and region. The house band was excellent and the host, while being kind of Vegas lounge singer-esque, hit a tone that was welcoming and fun. There was some audience participation and the event was generally a good time. The food and drinks we're a little less impressive and while they were as advertised and a typical luau fair, the quality was more of a banquet at a hotel style and the main reason for the 4 star over the 5 star. Fun luau, worth the purchase.
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/10 |
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We were greeted by sign on the way to the baggage claim. The greeter had beautiful flower leis for us waiting and helped up put them on and also helped with directions to the baggage claim and rental car facility. It was my dad's and son's first time to Hawaii, so we wanted to do something special and it didn't disappoint.
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Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/09 |
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This luau at Royal Kona was a truly wonderful experience! I would recommend it to anyone staying in the Kona area when coming to Big Island.
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Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/13 |
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This experience is 100% worth it and is a must do if you are visiting the Big Island. The Manta Rays are magical and come so close to you that they sometimes even touch you. It is a once in a lifetime memory that you will never forget. Sometimes the image of them doing their barrel roll pops into my head during work and I am taken back to a moment that didn't even seem real. It was so special. While I would recommend this tour to someone who has snorkeled before, we had a member in our group who was a first timer and they did great and had a wonderful experience. Don't let anything hold you back and just book it. The tour guides are very knowledgeable and all about keeping you safe and comfortable. You will not regret it!!
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Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/16 |
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The night manta ray snorkel was sooooo cool!! We saw many manta rays and the guides were very helpful with information.
This was one of the highlights of our trip to Kona!
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/12 |
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We enjoyed the luau, the food and the program. This is our second luau and by far, it was the more enjoyable one. The food was good and the entertainment was captivating. The program was surprisingly interactive which made it even more enjoyable. My 12 yr olds appreciated that there were foods they could identify (mac n cheese, chicken nuggets) after trying the poi, lomi and poke.
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/05 |
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Length of trip perfect for first time snorkelers (12 yr old children). Crew knowledgeable, attentive and fun.
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/07 |
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This trip was awesome. I have done several before with other companies and this is the best. Within minutes, four or five mantas started feeding. Others soon joined. Then flips and near surface swimming by the mantas continued the whole time. Excellent and I highly recommend. The crew were incredible.
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/08 |
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Mr Jim was a very knowledgeable and friendly tour guide! The tour was very organized at each stop and Mr. Jim was very accommodating to ensure we didn’t have to wait in long lines as well!! Mr Jim loves what he does and provided myself and everyone on the tour with an Amazing experience!!! I would definitely recommend this tour to all my family and friends. 5 Star Tour!!!
Aloha, and thank you for posting this review! We're thrilled you had a good time on tour, and yes, Jim is extremely knowledgable and friendly, just a wonderful guide! Again, glad you had a great time, and we hope you enjoyed the island.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/07 |
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We really enjoyed our 21st Anniversary and Big Island Convertible Car Rental was a huge part of it. Aaron and his wife was so accommodating and showed us where to go on the big island. The buggy was nice and comfy for me because I am a plus size beauty. I was able to get in and out with ease and we really enjoyed the ride around the big island.
David and Takashi Labon
You two are the Cutest!! Thank you so much for the 5 Stars!! We really enjoy meeting you both and being part of your experience on the Big Island!! Happy Anniversary!!
Aloha and Mahalo,
Aaron and Debi
Big Island Buggy
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/02 |
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We really enjoyed our adventure with Mauna Kea Stargazing Tour. Our guide, Maka, was excellent: entertaining, polite, knowledgeable, etc. He was extremely quick and calm when responding to a high altitude emergency when we reached our high altitudes. I was impressed with the Veltra company with their constant updates, emails reminders, and phone call reminder. I gave "Good" review because it was very cloudy and the star gazing was limited. I would book through this company again and I would do this tour again too.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/10 |
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This was our first trip to the Big Island, so of course we wanted to see the summit at Mauna Kea. Our tour guide was Justin- and he was tremendous. He met at pickup location a couple minutes early. He provided a clear outline of what the day would include- and he held to it very closely. On the way to our first stop, He provided a great narration of the volcanic and mythological history of the island. After dinner (and acclimating to elevation for a while) we headed further up the mountain- the safety discussion was very calming, but helpful. The view from the summit was SPECTACULAR. About 10-15 minutes before the actual sunset, sneak to the back side of the area up there, and the SHADOW of Mauna Kea on the clouds looks like another mountain. I am fairly well-travelled, and this was a first for me! After that, we went down to the Start gazing station, and got to see some really cool stuff. Justin's knowledge was superb, enough to engage with a couple college students in our group that studied Astronomy at school. Very impressive. Truly, a great way to see a unique and beautiful piece of the Big Island! Many thanks!
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/02 |
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I cannot recommend this trip with this company enough. The guides were fantastic and the experience was amazing.
Aloha Brenda,
We're glad to hear that you were satisfied overall during your time with us! Repeating customers are offered a 20% discount when booking directly with our company, so we hope to see you in the future.
Mahalo,
Team Iruka Hawaii
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/13 |
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We had a wonderful time! We had 5 of us from 5 to 28 years of age and everyone had a great time. The views were magnificent and they were great with our 10 year old and telling her how to row. The guides were fun and knew their stuff. 10/10 recommend.
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Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/02 |
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Stefan is a cool guide and got us safely up and down Mauna Kea. It was very cold so I appreciated the ski pants as I came with my own gear and it wasn't enough. The night we ascended was very cloudy so unfortunately no stargazing for us but I mainly wanted to see the telescopes and that was otherworldly. Stefan gave some interesting facts about the telescopes that was appreciated and we got lucky to speak with one of the NASA scientists while up there. There was no rush and we were allotted plenty of time to take pictures and take breaks as the altitude will creep up on you. We were told we'd be refunded $100 for the cloudy skies and I received the refund a couple days later. The sandwich wasn't the best but it was appreciated while up there.
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Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/18 |
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The views are amazing. The entertainment was great, the food and service were garbage. The food was ice cold and tasted terrible. My meat was all fat and sauce. The tiny package of Mac nuts and salad were the only thing edible. Getting a staff member to do anything but dance and have fun was difficult.the views and dolphins are worth the money but eat before you go and bring your own drink or you’ll be parched.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/03 |
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Overall, great experience! First the check-in process was easy. Scott was friendly. There was 20 of us on the boat. Bryce and Diego were funny and entertaining. It was super cool having the manta rays swim up so close for feeding. I wish we were out there longer! The sunset was beautiful!
I'd recommend if you are visiting for the first time. The waters were a bit chilly, but we were in for 30 or so minutes.
Aloha Julz!
We love to hear all the positive feedback about our Manta Ray Experience and the crew! Mahalo for joining us and we hope to see you again soon, we offer a 20% discount for repeating customers.
Best,
Team Iruka Hawaii
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/23 |
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These guys were fantastic. The boat had plenty of room, good food and drink, and the crew were fun to talk with. We had a calm trip, got to see the coast, a sunset and even travelled near some dolphins! Had an Al around fantastic experience.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/20 |
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Scheduled with 7:30 manta ray tour, checked in at 7:30, crew provided snorkeling equipment and wetsuit, our boat (have around 16 people) leave around 8 and after 5 mins we arrived the view point. And finally we spend around 40-45 mins in super man mode.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/21 |
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Reply from activity provider
An unexpected error has occurred. Please go back to the previous page and try again, or wait a few minutes and try once again.
Aloha!
We appreciate the kind words about our crew and staff, and are ecstatic that you enjoyed yourself out on the water with us! We do offer a repeater discount of 20% off, so please keep us in mind for future travel plans.
Mahalo,
Iruka Hawaii.