The team did a great job with everything, including the introduction to the horses, how to ride, the tour itself, all of the above.
It was a beautiful activity for riders of all levels of experience. Would highly recommend to all interested.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/12/05 |
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Arthur gave us an incredible experience. With his knowledge of geology and astrology plus history of island we learned more than we expected. We felt we could not have asked for more in the planetarium and stargazing. The telescope was an exception experience. I will be recommending your company.
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Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2022/11/25 |
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It was nice and cold at the summit, but the provided clothes helped a lot. Guide was informative although not nice. The bus to the top is very old and has a poor seating arrangement of mostly rows of three, so couples will be separated. Additionally, if you are separated on the way up, the guide will specifically force you to be separated on the way down in order to preserve your initial seats.
I have an egg allergy and specifically requested egg free food, yet the sandwich I was provided had mayonnaise and I was left with no other options.
The summit was a nice tour but I would recommend a different company. The other buses we saw were much nicer.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/11/21 |
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Gorgeous stars holy goodness!!!! It is cold but they have some bundling clothes
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Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2022/11/10 |
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ドライブでは見られないキラウェアの溶岩や海岸の絶壁にある滝等、圧巻の景色を見ることができました。バイリンガルのパイロット兼ガイドの知識も豊富で想定以上に楽しむことができました。
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/11/19 |
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Double win when you get to ride horses and hit a waterfall!
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/11/15 |
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Awesome evening all guided, pick up and drop off back near the hotel, very awesome tour
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/11/12 |
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This tour was AMAZING from start to end. Yes this is a pricer tour to book; however, you truly get a ton for your money. This is a long event; we got picked up at 2pm and back around 10pm. The pickup location was very convenient right in Kona Town. You are provided a solid dinner, dessert, and hot beverages while stargazing. You get to sit back and relax during the drive and enjoy the wealth of knowledge from the tour guide. Speaking of, our tour guide Art was absolutely outstanding! He was knowledgeable, approachable, and entertaining. Also the star-gazing area is private to tours and had a high level telescope for easy viewing. We were fortunate enough to see a really big shooting star during our viewing. We were also provided super warm parkas which was great because it is quite chilly at the summit. I could go on and on about this tour but I would 100% book this again and personally recommend this specific tour to family and friends.
P.S. Did we say how amazing Art was?!
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/11/12 |
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The tour was everything we hoped for. Fernando was a fantastic guide, knowledgeable about Hawaiian history, religious significance of Mauna Kea and stargazing.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/10/30 |
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Well worth the money since getting up to the site is nearly impossible logistically for a rental car. More importantly, our guide, Gage, was so exceptionally knowledgeable on everything from astronomy to Hawaii geography.
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Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2022/11/13 |
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Stefan waited after others had left, and got us the most amazing photos and memories. Thank you to Stefan for caring for the guests.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/10/31 |
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It was a fantastic tour! From the ease of meeting the guide at a local pick up point, the his knowledge of the islands, the geography, and of course the telescopes and sky, to the use of parkas, pants and gloves... it was a wonderful experience! We went on an almost full moon night so only the brightest of stars were visible, but we were still able to see Saturn and Jupiter through their telescopes. Dress warm... and have a great time!
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/11/06 |
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Stefan was a great guide and we loved how he made a concerted effort to make sure that we got some amazing photos with the sunset and stars.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/10/31 |
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Have done this tour 5 years ago with a different vendor. Was much better with other tour group but did not recall who it was when I booked this trip. Things I did not like about this tour:
1. Was not notified I could have been picked up in Kona. So we drove over an hour when we did not have to. Another couple drove all the way to the visitor center for the same reason 2. Dinner was marginal at best. 3. Star viewing from the visitor center parking lot?? Are you kidding me? Why? Light pollution, less clear skies..what a joke. I lay that blame on the tour guide, Maka. 4. Guide is not passionate about astronomy but he can be a good guide at times. Sadly, as the night wore on so did his personality. 5. Gloves were only proffered when a man complained. Hand them out with the coats.
Bottom line: do the tour but with a different group.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/11/01 |
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Had a wonderful experience at the top of Mauna Kea watching the sunset, followed by star gazing at a private location.
Very accommodating, lots of pics taken for us and very informative about the dormant volcano as well as Hawaii and the observatories. Coats and mitts were available when the temp dropped with the sunset.
The choice was ours to make as to pics we wanted taken, where and when to have our dinner snack and what we wanted to see in the night sky.
A few improvements would be to have a more comfortable van. This van was not comfortable to ride in for the trip to the top and back. Additionally, the photography equipment and additional telescope equipment should be added and improved.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/10/14 |
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This experience is beyond human words to describe. We had an absolutely perfect night with a crescent moon that set shortly after we got set up. The Milky Way was more spectacular than we could have imagined. James’ knowledge of what we were looking at was top notch. There were a couple of personal disappointments and cons but they do not diminish the rating of the experience.
I had expected some serious telescopes that would be used. James had a top end mount and camera with some powerful lenses but when it came to looking at Jupiter and Saturn, I get bigger and better images with my homemade 6” reflector. I was really wondering if he was using his equipment to show us Andromeda and what I think he said was the Dumbbell nebula or if he was showing us stock photos. He homed in on those two objects very quickly for a setup that was merely put down and “kinda” leveled.
The other comment is about the cost. James is an expert and one expects to pay for expertise. But for an adventure that does not include pickup except for about a mile from the destination and has no major equipment like a submarine that the Atlantis has to maintain, the price seems high. Especially since the included photos are about worthless, you are forced to purchase the full resolution package if you want to share your photos with anything other than your phone.
That being said, experiencing God’s creation like that was amazing!
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/09/28 |
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The guide is friendly and informative. He can speak fluent English and Japanese. He provided the needed equipment for the trip and took nice photos for us. We’ve had unique and amazing lifetime experience by standing on the top of the world (count elevation from the seabed) and watching the stunning sunset and moonrise. Unfortunately, the full moon was so bright and we couldn’t clearly see the Milky Way. Overall a must have one and I will recommend do it with a guide as first time as some unexpected situations could happen if you are not fully prepared.
Warning: some people might feel faint and uncomfortable or fall asleep due to elevation
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/09/09 |
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This tour was jammed packed with fantastic activities and good information. Todd was our guide, and he was filled with lots of good information on the area and language. He is definitely the one you want around for star gazing as he has a formal education in astronomy. One word of caution--bring warm clothes and jacket! You are going to a higher elevation with trade winds, and it gets cold!! (even on the van)
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/09/28 |
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Great staff, gentle horses, and a fun adventure. We had our 9 year old granddaughter who had never ridden but they went out of their way to make sure she was comfortable and with a horse that she could ride safely.
I have lots of riding experience and was able to enjoy the ride as well; they shared much information about the plants and animals and Hawaiian history. Btw, the swim at the half way point was very refreshing.
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Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Activity Date: | 2022/09/26 |
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Awesome tour! Stephan was amazing. Very knowledgeable about the island, Mauna Kea and the stars. We would definitely recommend. Everything was as advertised and even more!
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/09/20 |
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One of the most fun nights! Shawn was an awesome host. We laughed, hung out in lava tubes and enjoyed the stars! So fun that it was just us... not a big group. We created a memory that we will have for a life time!
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/08/23 |
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Absolutely amazing, a once in a lifetime experience made easy through this tour group. Easy to accommodate our special pickup needs, kind and knowledgeable guide. It was a guided tour, but plenty of time to wander and explore on our own. The stars and cocoa were amazing and the photos were first class that we received!! Highly recommend!!!! This was my sister's favorite activity during our week long Hawaii stay!!
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/08/26 |
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My wife and I did this tour on our honeymoon. We come from the Midwest US and have not ever really been able to see many stars hence our booking this trip. The pickup location was convenient, the tour guide friendly and informative, and the experience overall was enjoyable. Would recommend to anyone going to try and book this tour as it was fun and definitely worth it.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/08/05 |
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Super condition. Great guide very helpful to get thé good pictures spot and take also excellent pictures with vis dedicated caméra.
Tour well organized with amazing star gazzing.
Flexibility for thé pick up localisation
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/08/17 |
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This tour was truly an amazing experience. We had the best guides, Mesha? and Todd. They are very knowledgeable and made the tour so much fun. We enjoyed all of the activities that were included in the tour and the food was delicious. If you are considering adding this to your to-do-list, you will not be disappointed. I highly recommend this particular tour and company. I hope that you have as much fun as we did.....enjoy!
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Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2022/08/10 |
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We have been extremely lucky with the weather and our guide Stephan. He made a fantastic job and created a memorable event for us. THANK YOU!!!!
The stargazing was unbelievable. We have never seen so many stars in the sky and Stephan explained all of them - ok, most of them .
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/07/21 |
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What an evening!
The whole experience from booking to drop off at was seamless. The guide was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic to share his knowledge. He also gave an idea of the Big Island’s topography.
The main attraction is worth the money and the time you will spend. We went in a clear day and the sunset was spectacular. The guide gave a fantastic guided tour of the telescopes, the sky, the stars and the constellations.
He patiently took pictures of all the tourists and I’m immediately airdropped them.
In all a must do trip. Big shout out to the guide.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/07/19 |
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This was a great trip, seeing the views from 13,000 feet, watching the sunset above the clouds, and the star gazing with a knowledgeable guide, all made for an awesome trip.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/08/09 |
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We arrived early some did not which put us behind.
Please please wear the right kind of clothes to ride a horse.
Not a dress and heels.
Beautiful ride horses healthy and well taken care of.
Our guides were awesome very knowledgeable of area and great conversation.
I wish there was more time at waterfall.
So pretty
It rained on the way back and being from The desert it was so fun.
I would definitely go again.
mahalo melissa, sorry about the late arrivals, we apologize once in a while it does happen road work, detours and lost guests. yes proper attire for ride recommeded, dress and heels oh my goodness that is silly, it is in confirmation as well on what to wear. yes horses are definitely well cared for, very spoiled, they work hard, so we need to love them a little more extra they have their own personality and we love them too.. guides are great and have been in the family for over 30 years. weather is so unpredictable it is a surprise to us on the daily. yes the rain is the best blessing and cools us down. the best rides are the sometimes light rain.. thank you for sending a sweet review, we look forward for you to joining with us again and hope you get to spend more time at the waterfall next time.. mahalo nui! wailea horseback adventure..
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/08/05 |
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My husband and I absolutely LOVED this excursion. Our tour guide was so incredibly kind and knowledgable. We loved learning about the history and culture surrounding the mountain during our ascent. The dinner provided was delicious. The sunset on the summit and the stargazing was other worldly. We will never forget it!
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/07/07 |
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Aloha Cindy and Family, mahalo for the review and the kind words! I am very glad that you all had such a great time! I too enjoyed taking you all on our adventure and still get a big smile thinking about the laughs we had. Thanks again and looking forward to our next adventure together! A hui hou, Shawn