I know that Robert's of Hawaii Tours have a reputation as a tourist cattle car but I happen to…read morethink they do a very good job at an affordable price. Like many of the other Yelps here, I also took the "Circle Island Tour" around the big island of Hawaii. It was a long day but what a wonderful way to see the island. I was fortunate enough to have James (aka Miles) as my driver & guide. He was fabulous and shared all his knowledge about the islands with the 18 people on the bus. All the stops we made along the way never felt rushed or rote. Although my personal preference is to take the tour in smaller buses and not the large coaches Robert's utilizes, I still learned so much and soaked in unbelievable beauty along the way. Stopping at the University of Hawaii at Hilo's Imiloa Astronomy Center was fascinating and, of course the Volcano overlook was fabulous. I managed to get some shopping done for the family back home at the Macadamia Nut Farm & Kona Coffee Company. It is one thing to come to Hawaii and lay by the pool or on the beach soaking up the island sun, which is fine by me. But I also want to learn and take in the magnificent scenery. If I did not take the Robert's Tour, I would have probably skipped on seeing Hilo, and it is a wonderful wet world over there. You will not regret spending the day on the Robert's Circle Island Tour. 5 YELP STARS for tour guide James (aka Miles) !

Aloha A wonderful experience all the way around…read more Polynesian Cultural Center was great. The Trip out to Dole etc was also great. The drive to the airport also a good experience. The driver from the Cultural center was very friendly and knowledgeable he used to dance for this very place, he was very kind and we enjoyed our day with him very much. So upset that I can't remember his name. The Dole trip was very informative as well. Koko was our driver. We liked him very much too. The man who picked us up from the hotel the morning of the 13th or 14th was nice and we enjoyed the Hawaiian music on the way to the Oahu airport. We were heading to Hilo. All in all a wonderful bunch of guys. A great company. Clean buses in good condition w good AC. Highly recommend Roberts !!! Call them ! Aloha

While on vacation on the Big Island of Hawaii, my girlfriend and I were looking for something new…read moreand exciting to do. Not being really familiar with the island (through our Airbnb host) was provided a short list of local attractions. This tour was one of them. We definitely do not regret it! Kris was extremely helpful in providing insight as far as what happened in the area back in 2018. Although a really unfortunate situation, Kris provided details as far as how and why it happened. Climbing down the ladder, into the lava filled landscape was really a cool experience! Standing over and looking into Fisher 8 was an eye opening experience! One can tell that Kris has a true passion for what he does. So much so, that we became very interested in learning much more about the regions history with situations such as this...LAVA!!. I definitely say check it out!

Kris was a wealth of information on what is truly one of the most interesting geological landmarks…read morein the world and actually one of the wonders of the world.

I broke my leg on 04/06/18 when I took the "Sunset Lava Hike" which was a distance of over 13 miles…read moreand nearly 8 hours. I broke my fibula on a fall I took at about mile 10. I was required to hobble for 3 miles/ 2 hours on a broken bone. Chris was our guide and offered zero first aid or concern for my situation. When we returned, Fabienne was unaware that I had even been injured. Neither she or Chris offered any first aid or advice as to where I could seek medical attention. I knew that this hike would be strenuous, but the longest estimate I could find for how long this hike would be was 6.5 miles. It was at least 13 miles. That's a half marathon. I booked the tour and was told I would be contacted three days before to confirm the start time. I heard from Fabienne less than 24 hours before, and that was the first time a distance of 8 miles was mentioned. I said 8 miles was at my top limit of ability. No mention was made that there was the potential for longer. When we arrived at the starting point for the hike, flashing road signs said "3.5 miles to lava". A group of 6 of us (another couple, a father and his 10 year old son ) started at 3:50pm. Sunset was at 6:36pm. As 6pm passed, we had already traveled nearly 5 miles. When questioned how much longer until we would find lava, Chris answered defensively. He stated that we were traveling a longer distance because it was a less steep incline, which while true, he refused to tell us how much more distance this was was adding. He said we'd find lava "In another 15 to 20, no more than 25, minutes ". We found lava at 7:05: an hour after Chris' estimate and well after sunset. We stayed for about 20 minutes and then agreed we were exhausted and wanted to head back. We estimate we had already hiked 7 miles. We left the lava around 7:30. At about 9:40, around mile 10, I fell and (unknown to me at the time) broke my left fibula. I was in a tremendous amount of pain, but tried to put on a brave face and say "I hope it's only sprained". My husband asked Chris "Do you know first aid"? Chris, standing 15-20 feet away, in the dark, did not approach me or examine my foot in anyway and replied "Yeah, I know first aid, but she doesn't need it. If she was really hurt, she'd be having a bigger reaction". Fortunately, my husband had an ankle wrap and we tended my food as best as we could. I was unable to put weight on my ankle at all. I tried hobbling with my husband supporting me on my left side, but it was excruciating. Another member of our group, Hung (the father of the 10 year old) came to my assistance without being asked. With his and my husband's aid, I hobbled the last 3 miles. Chris never once called back to see how I was doing or offered any moral support or guidance. About 1 mile before reaching the road, I misstepped with my bad food into a fissure in the lava field. I cried out in pain and was stuck. I managed to slip my foot out of my shoe, and pried it out of the crack. Chris came back to check on us and said "Yeah, you really have to be careful where you put your feet". At this point, my husband lost it, raising his voice to Chris. "Great advice. 'Watch where we put our feet'. Got it. You have one job. Get us to the road!" Chris replied "Man, nobody has ever yelled at me before". We arrived back on the road at about 11:40 pm: 7 hours and 50 minutes after setting out. Fabienne came out to meet us, all smiles, asking if it had been awesome. When we informed her of my injury, her response was a simple "Oh bummer, but did you at least get there before sunset?" When we told her no, she said, "Oh man, I'm going to have to start these hikes earlier". That's it. No care or concern or even awareness that I had been injured two hours earlier. When we started the hike we had made a note that my husband's fit bit registered 8500 steps. When we finished, it read 42,332 for a total of nearly 34,000 steps. This hike is dangerous. There is no way to not make it so. I accepted that before I booked the trip. What I take enormous issue with is the lack of forthrightness about how long this hike could potentially be. I was leery of an 8 mile hike, but was up for it. If I had been told "But it could be over 10-12 miles" (let alone over 13 miles) I would not have done it. We signed no liability waivers. Chris, as a guide, offered no leadership skills. His defensiveness and lack of answers when questioned fostered no confidence. His complete disregard for my injury and unwillingness to perform first aid (let alone actually examine me) is negligent bordering on criminal. The injury occurred on April 6th. I returned to L.A. on April 9th and saw a doctor on April 10th who confirmed I had broken my tibula. I have had my leg in a cast for nearly 5 week, am facing another 3 in a walking boot, and will require physical therapy after that.

Our tour guide took us (family of four) at the last second on Thanksgiving day. The group was…read moreprobably 16ish, led by two guides. Our kids were younger, and she ended up staying with just the four of us all night. The lava is always changing, so there was concern (on our part) that we might walk away without seeing lava, but you can tell she wouldn't let us leave without seeing lava, so we kept trekking until we got to some good flows. Once we got there, we didn't feel rushed at all, and she helped us take tons of pictures. Long hike back, in the dark, but that's where the provided headlamps came in handy. Small operation that obviously focuses on the customer's experience...would highly recommend if you're looking to cross this off your bucket list.

Beautiful rain forest, welcoming and caring company, and awesome family memories. We'd go back…read moreevery year if possible.

Fascinating activity to include if you're in the Kilauea area. The tour of this farm showcases how…read morethey are farming Mamaki ( makes a great tasting tea with health properties) and in the process improving the indigenous forest. Tour guide is very friendly and knowledgeable. Tea tasting at the end is a treat.

Thoroughly enjoyed our short stay at this farm retreat: especially going to sleep surrounded by the…read moremesmerizing calls of coqui frogs, the interesting farm animals (muscovy ducks, saffron finch, the rowdy guineafowls, a lot of peacocks, a few piglets) at the farm. Our cabin had private shower, fan, condition was okay but lacked coffee supplies. There were frequent sounds of cars moving to/from cabins but overall it was a good stay. We did not use the shared kitchen but everyone seemed to be really nice and friendly.

We stumbled upon Hawaiian Sanctuary Retreat Center while looking for a last-minute place to stay…read morenear Hilo after deciding to extend our honeymoon from Kona to explore the other side of the island, and we're so glad we did! What started as a spontaneous stay turned into one of the most healing and transformative experiences of our lives. From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere was peaceful, welcoming, and full of genuine care. We ended up spending nearly all of our time at the sanctuary instead of exploring because their healing services were exactly what we needed. Dr. Rich was phenomenal! Combining medical expertise with a holistic approach to help us address some long-standing health issues. Tammy's bodywork and her deep understanding of frequency and energy work were absolutely essential to our experience. Anita's hydro cleansing session was nothing short of incredible, my wife actually regained her sense of smell for the first time since losing it after Covid and a stroke in 2021! And then there was Kelly, her food and fresh juices were out of this world! Every meal was nourishing and full of life. The entire staff radiated warmth, kindness, and a genuine passion for helping people heal. We didn't want to leave and are already planning our return trip. Thank you, Hawaiian Sanctuary, for making us feel like family and for the life changing care and love you poured into every moment. You've truly left a lasting mark on our hearts.

Longest lava tube on earth waiting to be explored .. Located in a beautiful rainforest with an…read moreexperienced guide named Harry .

If you're adventurous and curious, a volcano tube tour is perfect for you. Those with…read moredisabilities.... no this is not for you. Even the short tour is pretty extensive. There are miles of lava tubes snaking throughout the underground on the Big Island. They provide hard hats and flashlights so no equipment is needed other than appropriate clothing and footwear. You will need the ability to climb ladders and ropes. Extensive history is provided during your tour. It was a great and memorable experience.

THE SADDLE ROAD IS A NICE HIGHWAY!…read more================================ I have been visiting the Big Island since 1980, but I had never been on the Saddle Road until June 18, 2023. It is a beautiful highway now and not treacherous as I heard about in the old days. Rental car companies always had a blurb in their contracts that renters should never take their rental cars on it, so I never did. My sister has lived over there for ages and she never took me on the old road either. I guess she was always too busy working. Highway 200 or the Saddle Road is a great way to get to Hilo from Kona. On Father's Day it was clear as a bell, so we could see the top of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Hualalai which are three volcanoes. We also drove past the Pohakuloa Training Area. Pohakuloa Training Area provides a quality joint/combined arms facility that provides logistics, public works, airfield support, and environmental and cultural stewardship in support of the U.S. Army Pacific training strategy while maintaining an enduring partnership with the local Hawaiian community. If you return from Hilo on the Saddle Road just pay attention how to get to it. I have it on good authority from two locals that is hard to find and we all know GPS doesn't work great over there.

This review is serving as a mind jogger for myself. Prior to our most recent trip to the Big Island…read morewas five years ago. I thought at that time it wasn't safe to drive from Kailua Kona to Hilo on the old Saddle Road. So we went the long way along Hwy 11 to Hilo. I did some homework prior to coming two weeks ago today. I discovered the new Saddle Road has been transformed into the Daniel K. Inouye Hwy 200. No more pot holes or two lane roads. From Kona you take Hwy 190 then cut over to Daniel K. Inouye, Hwy 200. We got to Hilo in under 2 hours. On the way to Hilo you'll pass by Mauna Kea. We saved that for an excursion with a tour company for sunset and star gazing. But that's another review. Factoid - there aren't many street lights on the Big Island as the observatories don't want the artificial lighting to interfere with their studies of the stars. I wouldn't drive on Saddle Road once nightfall hits as there aren't any lights. Unless you're a local or you want to live on the wild side. Coming back we took Hwy 11 as we were going to hit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Slow and scenic. We got back just as the sun was setting. Safe.

Our 4:30am lava hike was one of the highlights of our trip to the Big Island. We met up at their…read moreoffice close to the Kalapana Gardens at 4am, checked in, signed some papers and got snacks and coffee (included in the tour). It is recommended that you wear long pants (but some did it in shorts) and requires that you have shoes that cover your toes (no water shoes or sandals). I did it in work out legging and sneakers and my boyfriend did it in jeans and hiking boots. We were both fine and neither of our shoes melted though at one point, his feet got really hot bc I made him stand by the lava for so long for a picture. Bring a good amount of water or your camelback and a hoodie bc it was cold in the morning. They provide you with good headlamps and flashlights since you are hiking in the dark. We were in a group of 12 or so and we loaded up in their nice van and drove out to start our hike. They take you as far as you can go on the road (where people would be otherwise renting bikes or walking) so it saves you some walking. From there, it's just up the lava you go. It was nice that the tour guide told us to take a look at the lava rocks and the texture which was glass like. Basically a warning to tell you don't slip and fall bc this stuff might hurt you. As we walked, it sounded like glass shards breaking under us and we walked towards orange glows up the mountain. Eventually we made it while it was still dark and it was crazy you could feel the heat as you got close to the lava. We spent an hour or so taking pictures of and with the lava and relocating to a few other areas with lava as it eventually got light. We hiked back down the same way and ended around 8:30am. Highly recommend this company as they do a good job making everyone feel safe and we completed the hike at a nice pace. They do not allow kids under 12 and it's probably not recommended for anyone over 50. There are parts where you might have to hop down or take a big step up or down and keep your balance. Our group did a good job and most were in their 20's and 30's and maybe one brave solo hiker in her 40's. Super worth it to wake up early and experience this in Hawaii!

The best thing I've done in Hawaii! We went out on their second day with the new (bigger) boat,…read morewhich provides a pretty smooth ride. We did the sunrise tour, which I would highly recommend. You get to the flow while it's still dark and can watch the sunrise out of the ocean which is another awesome aspect. Parts of the flow were breaking away while we were out there causing new patterns of flowing lava, it's just ever changing the entire time you're watching. A bonus was while on the way back, we came upon a pod of bottle nose dolphins and they swam along with us for awhile. No sooner we left those to continue to the dock, we came up on a pod of spinner dolphins. We absolutely recommend this and it is worth every single penny. Looking forward to doing this again next time we're on the island