Reviewed by: Ricky McKinney
A wonderful experience with outstanding hosts. The privacy and attention to detail was unbelievable. The lunch lacked greens/salad that we thought would be included. Snorkeling was less than expected visually. Overall the adventure of a lifetime for a mature couple. A wonderful experience with outstanding hosts. The privacy and attention to detail was unbelievable. The lunch lacked greens/salad that we thought would be included. Snorkeling was less than expected visually. Overall the adventure of a lifetime for a mature couple.
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Packages: | Shared Charter: Dolphin Watch & Kona Snorkel Cruise with Lunch (4 hours) |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/07/05 |
Activity Date: | 2022/07/01 |
Reviewed by: Cortney
Overall this tour was the highlight of my trip to the big island (night swimming with mantas came in a close 2nd). It was super interesting and well paced. Our guide, Derek, really made the trip: he was informative, jovial, and generally lovely without being too jokey or overly pedantic, which really hit the tour guide sweet spot! I was solo, but this trip could work for anyone, families, couples, whomever. There is very little walking (a mile or 2), I might’ve actually preferred a bit more, but it made the trip very accessible to people of all ages and abilities
The sights:
Seeing a bubbling pool of lava was naturally the highlight. Most tours come in the day time, when we would’ve seen essentially nothing but steam. Our guide brought a telescope, so even though the activity in the volcano was pretty low key we could see spluttering and bubbling! The coffee plantation (orchard?) was a nice buzzy start to a long day. The black sand beach was ok
A well thought out experience:
The van was large and comfortable. Bathrooms were placed often enough that I didn’t have to avoid hydrating despite my tiny bladder. Enough food and snacks to keep everyone happy. Flashlights and jackets were provided, which was crucial!
Bring:
Long pants/sweatshirt - microclimates mean that it can be super hot in Kona and misty and cool at the park.
Binoculars - though the telescope was awesome, it would have been even better to have my own so I would t have to share.
A real camera - my iPhone 13pro was fine, but with such beauty, it’d be nice to have something with a little more control!
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Packages: | Deluxe Volcano Tour |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2022/07/05 |
Activity Date: | 2022/07/03 |
Reviewed by: Amy
The most amazing thing I have ever seen! Don’t miss this!
Aloha Amy!
Mahalo for your kind words, we're glad your group enjoyed the experience of a lifetime! Please keep us in mind for your future booking needs, and we offer a 20% discount for repeating customers.
Mahalo,
Team Iruka Hawaii
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Packages: | Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Sunset Cruise |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/07/04 |
Activity Date: | 2022/07/02 |
Reviewed by: Kat
An amazing experience, once in a life time. A must!!
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Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/07/03 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/27 |
Reviewed by: Kendikane
This was a great experience! Highly recommend doing!
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Packages: | Standard Package: Sunset Manta Snorkel |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/07/02 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/09 |
Reviewed by: Ashton H
We got to see a turtle and a pod of like 15 dolphins we learned were currently in a half conscious state and they can basically auto-swim!
Boat was a little crowded with the kids on board. Would prefer an option with adults only as they were a little much for our honeymoon.
Overall great time! The cooled lava caves were very cool and go up all inside the big island!
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Packages: | 5-hour South Kona Expedition with Lunch (3 Snorkel Stops) |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/07/01 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/30 |
Reviewed by: Joshua Baeza
The crew was great and the experience was a must do while on the big island!!
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Packages: | Standard Package: Moonlight Manta Snorkel (Seasonal) |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/07/01 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/29 |
Reviewed by: J Slayton
We did the No Wiki Kona LUXURY SAIL, dolphin watching, snorkeling. This was the best Catamaran snorkeling sail we've ever been on! (and we've done quite a few)
The captain and crew were knowledgeable, friendly and very attentive. They found us a fantastic snorkeling spot in a reef corner with LOTS of different fish and turtles and no other boats there at the same time. The breakfast and lunch was really great as well. I loved that they put cushioned chairs on the mesh canvas area up font so that you could sit so comfortably in the best spot on the boat! I would definitely do this again and highly recommend it
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Packages: | Shared Charter: Dolphin Watch & Kona Snorkel Cruise with Lunch (4 hours) |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/06/30 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/18 |
Reviewed by: J Slayton
This is a MUST do if you're going to the Big Island Hawaii. It was really a great way to see a lot of the islands best highlights. Even my husband loved it, who really doesn't like doing "tours" with groups / crowds and doing one ALL day long at that (likes his relaxation time on vacation). Our guide was fantastic, he gave us so much good information about the island, it's history, places, and everything in between. He was super attentive and made things fun as well. We would highly recommend this tour and specifically this company for a wonderful trip on the Big Island.
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Packages: | Standard Tour |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/06/29 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/20 |
Reviewed by: Pam UK
Hands down the most amazing experience ever! The guides were knowledgeable, supportive and made you feel safe. The whole experience was just magical! Thanks so much!
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Packages: | Night Manta Discovery Adventure |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/29 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/27 |
Reviewed by: Michael
Marcus was a very knowledgeable astronomer and answered any question our group asked.
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Packages: | From Hilo - Rainbow Falls, Kaumana Caves, Solar Viewing & Stargazing with Dinner |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/06/29 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/27 |
Reviewed by: Lal
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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Packages: | From Hilo - Rainbow Falls, Kaumana Caves, Solar Viewing & Stargazing with Dinner |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/29 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/27 |
Reviewed by: J. Hope
-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
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.
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Packages: | Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Sunset Cruise |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/28 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/31 |
Reviewed by: Travel Mama
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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Packages: | Standard Tour |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/27 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/25 |
Reviewed by: Sandles
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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Packages: | Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Sunset Cruise |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/23 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/10 |
Reviewed by: Heidi P
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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Packages: | Blue "MAKO" - 4 Seat Buggy with Standard Transmission |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/21 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/19 |
Reviewed by: Grace
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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Packages: | Deluxe Morning Snorkel Cruise with 2 Snorkel Stops, Breakfast & Lunch [4.5 hrs] |
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Posted on: | 2022/06/21 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/16 |
Reviewed by: Williams
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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Packages: | Night Manta Discovery Adventure |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/19 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/17 |
Reviewed by: Kevin H
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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Packages: | Kealakekua Bay Snorkel & Dolphin Watching Tour |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/19 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/17 |
Reviewed by: Hilari Freeman
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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Packages: | Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Sunset Cruise |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/19 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/17 |
Reviewed by: Mike
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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Packages: | Dinner Cruise |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/17 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/15 |
Reviewed by: Richard J
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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Packages: | Deluxe Volcano Tour |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/06/16 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/12 |
Reviewed by: Chris
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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Packages: | Royal Kona Resort - Standard Luau Package |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/16 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/10 |
Reviewed by: Chris
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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Packages: | Classic Orchid Lei |
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Posted on: | 2022/06/16 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/09 |
Reviewed by: Grace
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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Packages: | Royal Kona Resort - Standard Luau Package |
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Posted on: | 2022/06/15 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/13 |
Reviewed by: Siobhan
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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Packages: | Night Manta Discovery Adventure |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2022/06/15 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/16 |
Reviewed by: Catherine Campbell
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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Packages: | Night Manta Discovery Adventure |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/14 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/12 |
Reviewed by: Michelle
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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Packages: | Ohana Package |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/11 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/05 |
Reviewed by: Michelle
Length of trip perfect for first time snorkelers (12 yr old children). Crew knowledgeable, attentive and fun.
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Packages: | 3-hour Captain Cook Cruise (1 Snorkel Stop) |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/11 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/07 |
Reviewed by: Terry
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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Packages: | Swim with Mantas |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/10 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/08 |
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Aloha Cortney,
Thank you so much for posting your review, we really appreciate it! Your timing was impeccable, being here when the volcano was erupting. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for visitors, we are thrilled you were able to witness it! Derek is awesome too, you're right, he's such an amiable guide. Again, thank you!