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!
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Packages: | Deluxe Volcano Tour |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/06/17 |
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 |
Reviewed by: LaShonda Denman
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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Packages: | Standard Tour |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/06/09 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/07 |
Reviewed by: Takashi Labon
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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Packages: | Green "HONU" - 4 Seat Buggy with Automatic Transmission |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/06/07 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/02 |
Reviewed by: Moma Jen
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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Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/06/06 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/10 |
Reviewed by: Ryan R
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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Packages: | Summit Sunset & Stargazing Adventure |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/06/04 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/02 |
Reviewed by: Momof2
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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Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Posted on: | 2022/06/04 |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/02 |
Reviewed by: Polly
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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Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2022/05/29 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/18 |
Reviewed by: Hawaiian fun girl
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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Packages: | Dinner Cruise |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/05/28 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/03 |
Reviewed by: JaDev
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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Packages: | Sunset Cocktail Cruise |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/05/24 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/20 |
Reviewed by: Rui
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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Packages: | Night Manta Discovery Adventure |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/05/23 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/21 |
Reviewed by: Chet and Marge
Could not have been a better tour! Star gazing was phenomenal! Thanks Aaron for a tour to remember! Chet and Marge Sarasota Florida
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Packages: | Standard Tour |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/05/21 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/19 |
Reviewed by: Islands Lover
It is Amazing!!! In person always better than in the pictures!!! I would definitely do this again (on the nice current ) The ride from the pier was short which was really nice so we wouldn’t be so cold for a long time. The cost of this is great! Better than other deals I was searching.
We saw so many Manta and they were all under us and swam up close to us for the plankton ❤️
It is for sure one of the best memory for my Hawaiian trip!
We will be back!!!
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Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2022/05/21 |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/28 |
Reviewed by: Lemmies
It’s really hard to go wrong with a sunset/early evening swim with manta rays in Hawaii. 100% worth the $. Our 8 and 10 yr old loved it. 8 yr old was nervous but boat captain and crew explained everything, made it fun, and he was way less stressed once we got out there. Canoe ride is short, water isn’t too cold either. Actually, I don’t really remember the water temperature because I was too busy watching for manta rays and freaking out over how amazing it was.
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Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/05/19 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/16 |
Reviewed by: Nono
The tour guide is awesome, friendly, easygoing and very considerate.
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Packages: | Elite Volcano Hike from Kona Hotels |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2022/05/19 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/17 |
Reviewed by: Cindy Z
Amazing tour with superb crew. Once in a life should do it to see manta ray. I saw two mantas because of seasick, I had to return the boat at earlier time, but my daughter really enjoyed it and saw a lot of mantas. The girl of three crew was really nice, she stayed with us when she knew we were first time snorkeling, and carried me back to the ship when I felt nausea and showed her that I would like to go back. Definitely recommend this tour to my friends. Just remind to have seasick pills ready if you worry about it.
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Packages: | Standard Package: Sunset Manta Snorkel |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/05/17 |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/25 |
Reviewed by: Chuck
We had a great trip! We were celebrating my parents' 40th anniversary and the captain and crew were all very kind - they congratulated them, helped us get comfortable, served us drinks, all the good stuff. It was a wonderful time and I would definitely recommend it to all!
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Packages: | Sunset Cocktail Cruise |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/05/11 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/04 |
Reviewed by: LJLW
This was a fantastic tour to the Summit. Stephan, tour guide, was very knowledgeable and accommodating. He even took pics for us on his own camera to share with us. This is not to be missed when you are on the Big Island. Highly recommend!
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Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/05/08 |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/28 |
Reviewed by: April
Had seating for 5 and was awesome to get our photo taken so if we wanted, we could purchase after the show. It rained in the beginning for half an hour but they had ponchos for everyone. Finally the rain stopped and the music was cool. We got to eat and the show started. Loved everything about the host and how he explained everything like a story teller. My family enjoyed the food and the show. The luau was great and we left happy! Photos and memories! I recommend for sure. Mahalo!
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Packages: | Royal Kona Resort - Standard Luau Package |
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Posted on: | 2022/05/06 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/04 |
Reviewed by: The Foster's
We were a little skeptic about where we met, but we were assured by the guy checking us in. We got to the landing station and were told step by step what was going to happen. We got to the snorkel site, we had to jump in from the side of boat which took my facemask off. After regrouping and getting it back on we swam to the float. Wow, what an experience! So many mantas swimming right under us giving us a great show. I had one rub on my arm. It was nonstop mantas for 45 minutes! We all loved it! The highlight of our trip! Thank you all!
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Packages: | Night Manta Discovery Adventure |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/05/02 |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/21 |
Reviewed by: Trose
This was money well spent. The crew was very nice and sent emails for confirmation reminders and directions. They were very knowledgeable and gave a ton of information about rays through the evening. While I would love to have stayed in the water a bit longer it was a good amount of time to watch the rays swimming around. Plus it started to get a bit cold since you are not actually swimming.
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Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2022/05/02 |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/18 |
Reviewed by: Shauna
This is a wonderful catamaran! We didn't see any whales this trip but I love being on the ocean so I didn't care. As a bonus if there are not any whales you can go back for another trip. I recommend this to anyone going to The Big Island.
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Packages: | Afternoon Whale Watch Cruise [Sailing Catamaran] |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2022/04/30 |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/07 |
Reviewed by: Kara
The Black Sands Beach was unreal, it is so cool to see the crystal shine! The whole tour was filled with breathtaking views, great experiences, and yummy treats :)
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Packages: | Deluxe Volcano Tour |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/04/29 |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/27 |
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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!