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!!!
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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: | 2022/06/06 |
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: Brenda
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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Packages: | Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Sunset Cruise |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/06/04 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/13 |
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: Julz
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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Packages: | Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Sunset Cruise |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2022/05/25 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/23 |
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: Patricia Ponce
First time in Hawaii and snorkeling chose the best crew to experience this adventure with. The whole crew was awesome very knowledgeable and the nicest people I have ever come across in the whole world. Captain Eddie help me with my dizziness advice best way to feel better so I could continue to enjoy our trip. Loved the whole experience and I would recommend this crew to anyone and everyone if they truly want to enjoy their trip.
Aloha Patricia,
Mahalo for your wonderful recommendation! We are so glad to hear you enjoyed the company of the crew. We hope to have the pleasure of seeing you in the near future!
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Packages: | Deluxe Morning Snorkel Cruise with Lunch - Group of 6 or More [4.5 hours] |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/05/11 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/09 |
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: Maegan & Liz
Bryce and the crew were amazing!! We weren’t able to see any rays the first trip, so they had offered to bring us back to the later scheduled ride that evening, and we were able to see them then! This was such a cool excursion for us, we truly enjoyed every second of it. We will definitely be back!! Thank you guys :)
Aloha Maegan & Liz!
We love to hear all the positive feedback about our captain and 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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Packages: | Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Sunset Cruise |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2022/05/05 |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/03 |
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 |
Reviewed by: Ibtihale
I had an incredible time discovering the beauty of Mauna Kea! Mr.Aoki and Wes were very nice and knowledgable. They made us feel so comfortable with the very warm jackets and their kind hospitality. I enjoyed seeing the stars ⭐️ and learning about the constellations and sipping on hot coco;) the best coco I’ve had♥️ Thank you!!!
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Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2022/04/28 |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/11 |
Reviewed by: Linda
This tour was magical. We highly recommend using Mauna Kea stargazing Tour and Sunset Adventure. The entire experience was incredible from start to finish. Our tour guide, Gage, was excellent, very knowledgable and had great energy. We learned all about Hawaii's history, landscape, and culture, this was much more than just watching an amazing sunset at the summit of Mauna Kea and stargazing. This tour should definitely make your list of things to do while visiting the Big Island!
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Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/04/27 |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/25 |
Reviewed by: Kara
My kids had a blast seeing all the amazing dances and atmosphere!
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Packages: | Royal Kona Resort - Standard Luau Package |
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Posted on: | 2022/04/26 |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/25 |
Reviewed by: Cari
The crew was excellent. We saw dolphins on the way out. Only disappointment was we were expecting to go to Kealakekua Bay for snorkeling as advertised, but due to weather conditions, they chose to go north of the airport. We went to a beach area that you can only access with 4 wheel drive or by boat. Beautiful location. The crew took us to shore, and took us over to the queens bath for a bit. Nice time over all.
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Packages: | Morning Snorkeling Cruise (4 Hours) |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/04/25 |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/18 |
Reviewed by: Bob
The show was enjoyable and the actors interacted with the audience. The luau food was very good and had a great variety.
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Packages: | Ohana Package |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2022/04/23 |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/03 |
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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.