If you can only do one tour on Hawaii, this is the one to take. Not only do you get to see the…read moremagnificent scenery of the Waipio Valley, you learn about the history of the land and all it has to offer. Our guide was Keanu...so much knowledge of Hawaii and even more passion sharing it all with us. And the best part was that we were honored to have the owner of the taro farm, Uncle Morgan as our other guide. The two together just made it the best tour - it felt real, it felt like Hawaii. We've had some great moments here, but nothing has matched our experience with Hawea Waipio Valley Adventures.

was visiting Hawaii with my fiancee and his family. His family has been to Waipio Valley a few…read moretimes, while this was my first time, and we are all in agreement that this tour was absolutely perfect. We wouldn't change a thing about it! To start the day we were met by Makano, a local who lives in the valley, who drove us down the steep winding road to the bottom of the valley. The car ride was incredibly educational and Makano made sure to point out all of the beautiful views the canyon had to offer and make sure we could stop and take lots of pictures. Once we were on the family farm we learned all about taro and how its grown. Makano was very knowledgable and shared all of his experiences with us. We got to walk into the Lopi where the taro is grown, got to pick some ourselves and even tasted some freshly made poi.  After the taro farm we headed deeper into the property to try some more of the islands fresh fruits and berries. To end the day we walked to an entirely secluded waterfall, and yes we were able to walk right in!  This tour is perfect for all ages. It's great that it really doesnt have a "touristy" feel. Makano and his family do a great job of showing you just how a Hawaiian lives (or used to live back in the day) the tour is very personal because of the small group aspect. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who wants to actually go down into the valley and experience all of the beauty the island has to offer!

I highly recommend this as one of the best chocolate tours!…read moreWe took the two hour tour with our family - it was a nice small group of six in total. Mike was not only an expert in all things chocolate, but he is easy to understand, he takes time to teach you and answer any questions and he has a great personality! It was pouring down rain the day we went, yet the tour was still a great success. We started out at the farm and then concluded down at the shop. You get to taste fresh cacao, nibs, cacao tea and kakao brew - of course at the shop are the full chocolate bars. Mike clearly loves what he does and enjoys sharing that love with his customers. The only down side is that after listening to Mike you will be ruined forever on eating any other general retail chocolate. So long Hershey and friends!

(This one is about the farm tour)…read more There are three ways to experience the offerings from Honoka'a. You can buy direct from their website, stop by their retail store or go all in and do the farm tour. While I very much am not a chocolate person, and no, this tour wasn't going to change that, I am a tour person who is far more interested in how things are made/done than the actual finished product. If you're going to do the tour, head to the below link and chose a date/time/number of people. honokaachocolate.com/pages/farm-tours It's worth mentioning that yes, the price is $95 per person which to me is on the high side. We did several other food-based tours during our time on the Big Island and that number is a... big number. The front half of the tour is at the owner's house where the orchard and tasting area are located. It's not hard to find and the provided directions are perfect. You get to see the trees up close and there is a lot of great information shared by Mike about every step of the process including answering whatever questions there are about anything you see along with several tasting samples. After this wraps up, you make a short drive to the retail store in downtown for a brief look at the production equipment and a few more samples before you're cut loose to buy stuff from the store. As I mentioned at the beginning, I'm not a chocolate person and nothing I sampled is going to change that. I did appreciate one of the samples more than I thought I would (Barrel Aged Bourbon Bar) but the rest were just meh, and the Cacao Tea was...not something I ever want to have again. But that's just me. I bought several bars for gifts and to the best of my knowledge all were inhaled and appreciated. Overall, I appreciate the information provided on this tour and getting down into the nitty-gritty of the germination-fermentation-weather-growing process/cycles-harvesting/drying-etc. Very Alton Brown with going all of the way down to a very molecular level of detail. If you're into chocolate as most people are and if you like to understand where the things you eat come from, this is a good one.

Awesome tour. Sights were amazing. The experience of the trip and the drive were like something out…read moreof the movies. Our tour guide was a local and gave us a local perspective on everything we saw. He told us the story behind the side by side falls, the big one and the little one. (Hint, it's a love story.) He was very flexible and accommodating, helping his guidees get the best out of their experience. We also had fresh fruits and sampled wild ferns along the way. Our guide explained how the locals were able to sustain them selves in this wild valley.

I cannot recommend this experience highly enough…read more From the moment I arrived, everyone involved was incredibly warm, welcoming and friendly but what truly made the experience exceptional was our guide, Seanry. His knowledge of Waipiʻo Valley, its history, culture, people, agriculture, waterways and the relationship between the community and the land, was extraordinary. He didn't simply drive us through a beautiful place, he helped us understand what we were seeing and why this valley is so sacred and deserving of respect. Equally important was the sense of safety Seanry created for our group. Navigating the incredibly steep road into Waipiʻo is no small thing, yet I felt completely comfortable in his hands. He was attentive, knowledgeable and genuinely cared about everyone's experience. Initially, I was disappointed to learn that the tour's permit does not include access to the black sand beach but once we entered the valley, however, that disappointment disappeared. There is SO much more to Waipiʻo than its beach. The waterfalls, taro fields, freshwater springs, wild horses, vegetation, history and people who continue to call the valley home made this one of the most meaningful experiences I've had on Hawaiʻi Island and throughout my world travels. The value for the money is beyond words. What you receive isn't simply transportation into a place most visitors can no longer access by vehicle or on foot, you receive an education and a deeper appreciation for Waipiʻo that you simply cannot get by standing at the lookout with another tour bus. I also came away understanding why these permitted tours are so important. If we ever hope to see responsible public access to the road expanded again, visitors need to understand how to enter this sacred place with respect, for the residents, the culture, the land and the fragile ecosystem. Experiences like this provide that education. If you are visiting the Big Island, do not just drive to the lookout or take another tour bus, take a picture and leave. Take THIS tour. Go into the valley. Listen to its stories. Learn about the people who have lived there and those who still do. Understand the land you're standing on. Waipiʻo deserves to be more than something we photograph. It deserves to be understood, respected and protected. And if you're fortunate enough to have Seanry as your guide, you're in excellent hands. A must do experience on Hawaiʻi Island!

There isn't anything more to say that Dave G. hasn't covered. So I will break my learnings down in…read morebullet points: *Fascinating history of Hawaii and why Waipio Valley went from the Valley of the Kings with a population of 3,000 to the sparsely populated land where only 50-75 Hawaiians reside today. *If you have back problems or are prone to back problems and pinched nerves, you may want to skip this tour. It's bumpy, the road down the valley is steep enough to make an atheist start getting religious. *Spray lots of OFF on your exposed body parts. There are many, many critters all too eager to feast on fresh blood, haole and otherwise. So either wear long pants or douse yourself in OFF. *It's windy at the lookout so dress in layers, light jacket or windbreaker will do. *Bathroom outside the Neptune Garden/Last Chance store is clean but bring your own toilet seat cover. *Minor detail but the website lists the meeting point address as 48-5300 Kuikuihaele Road, Honokaa, HI. We entered it in our GPS and couldn't find it because it's actually 48-5300 Kukuihaele Road, Honokaa, HI. Bonus points if you can spot the error. *Mules are smarter than horses and can pull heavier loads. Being called an ass, not so bad. *Taro is hard to grow and harvest. Appreciate your poi and taro chips for they are lovingly grown by earnest Hawaiians, one of whom is our tour guide Li'a. *Tip Bob and Li'a. These two guides are doing their part to keep the old Hawaiian spirit and culture alive so help these brah's out. *The tour lasts about 1 1/2 hours and the drive from either side of the island can take 1-2 hours one way. Grab some malasadas from Tex Drive-In on your way into the valley and stop by Jolene's for local food and Hamakua Fudge for dessert to end your day. *Lastly, show respect and pay reverence to the old Hawaii that you won't see in these Disneyfied resorts or urbanized enclaves of Hilo Hatties and ABC stores.

The other one-star reviews are spot-on…read more We spent more time in the dirty, stinky van, and waiting for the dirty stinky band, than we did in the wagon. The van's transmission warning light was on, my seat belt wouldn't latch, and three of the four tires were beat up and bald. For your own safety, please pick a different company. I'm sad to have to give a negative review and try to give people the benefit of the doubt when at all possible, but putting guest safety at risk like this is never acceptable.

Ryan, Jordan, (forgetting the lady drivers name,) were awesome guides…read more They were great for our elderly mother and kids alike (youngest being 7 year old.) It's worth the price people - it really is memorable and bucket list worthy. (Will upload pics once we receive them.)

Set in the heart of a beautiful rainforest, Botanical World Adventures' Zipline tour is truly one…read moreof the most scenic excursions! Nick, Kavahi, Lish, and Heno are the dream team who helped guide us through the adventure, offering fun insights on the local flora and fauna along the way, as well as some some stellar "dad" jokes and banter! You truly can't go wrong with the ziplines at Botanical World--the team is communicative, enthusiastic, and safety conscious, while the location is unmatched!

A very smooth experience! We booked online, it gave meeting area instructions, times, etc. The…read moreteam was punctual, friendly, and knowledgeable about the boat! The views were amazing! Only thing that would make this 5 star is if the music would have been more prominent.

Such a gorgeous, relaxed day on the water. The crew were friendly (did I mention relaxed?) and…read moreknowledgeable about the marine life around us. Captain Damian used the light winds to carry us a few miles offshore, then apparently switched to electric power when the wind ebbed. It was blissfully quiet and peaceful. When we spotted whales surfacing nearby, mate Shaun dropped a microphone over the side and we were treated to the chorus of multiple humpbacks singing all around us - unbelievable! The crew kept us supplied with healthy snacks and hydration and good information about the baby, mother and male escort whales we were seeing. All and all, it was an epic morning experience off the West shore. Love to come back!

Loved the experience! The staff was very friendly (at the beach and on a boat). The vessel was…read moreclean so we could see everything clearly. Boat crew made sure we encountered every creature possible so they had to "chase" manta for a bit. Pretty good value! Highly recommend!

Buddy was the rudest, most insulting employee I've encountered at any type of Company, let alone a…read morehospitality business in the last 30 years. Zero stars merited.

Amazing experience! The best part is that we've got footage from all the great spots we went with…read moreKai. It is great to have a passionate and experienced person who genuinely takes an interest in you. Just tell Kai what your special diet requirements are and/or expectations like we did... he made a memorable experience happen beyond our imagination. Mahalo for the Hawaiian history lessons too!

Everyone dreams of having a once in a lifetime experience! When you book a tour with 808tourz, you…read moreget that and those dreams become a reality!!! I would consider myself an adventure seeker and with Kai (the tour guide) it's nothing short of an incredible adventure. It's the type of adventure you can't wait to tell all your friends about and can't wait to share your experience with everyone around you. These are among many other reasons that I have booked several times with Kai!! I have the most amazing time. Kai is so accommodating to everyone's needs and it's genuinely shown through his actions that he truly cares about the experience that you will have. Kai is also very thoughtful and willing to basically give you the shirt off his back if needed. I was on a tour with Kai and we were hiking, during the hike one of my flip flops broke and I was left with a broken slipper, so essentially left me barefoot. The terrain we were hiking through was rocky and uneven. It basically did not feel good on the feet... Kai without question handed me his flip flops and did the rest of the tour barefoot!! Talk about a super nice guy!! So if you have dreamed of chasing waterfalls, swimming/snorkeling with sea life, hiking up mountains, seeing lava, sunsets, sunrises, learning about everything hawaii has to offer and as an extra bonus having it documented, then book a tour with Kai!!!! I promise you will not regret it!! Aloha

Excellent tour! Our driver took us to the Volcano national park on the south east side of the Big…read moreIsland. Along the way he kept us educated with fun facts about Kilauea, Hawaiian mythology and legends, and about the areas we were in. He also took us to some spots where other tour drivers aren't aware of! In the end this tour was well worth it, but make sure to plan nothing else for the rest of the day because this venture has a lot to offer.

Our tour with Mel exceeded our expectations. He was enthusiastic, friendly, and very knowledgeable…read moreof HI history. Next trip here we will have to rebook w/him!