The Circle Island Tour was fantastic. Justin was a great tour guide. The amount of information that…read morehe has is incredible. He kept us entertained the entire time which says a whole lot considering how long the tour is. He was so full of great stories and information not only about the Island but so much more. I asked him had he ever considered being a Jeopardy contestant. lol . I highly recommend this company and I recommend Justin as your tour guide even more.

This review is for the Twilight Volcanoes and Stargazing Tour, with tour guide Drew…read more My partner and I had never been to the Big Island before, so we chose a tour that would essentially bring us around the island and visit some of the major "must-see" locations. We also happen to love astronomy, which made the stargazing tour an easy choice for us. It was also extremely important that we selected an experience that offered *small* tour groups and was locally owned and operated. Drew was an absolutely fantastic and entertaining host. His enthusiasm and knowledge shines through the way he spoke non-stop from the moment he picks you up. On this tour, we visited Bay View Coffee Farm, Punalu'u Bake Shop, Punalu'u Black Sand Beach, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, and stargazed near Mauna Kea. This was a LONG tour, but was filled with so much fun that time flew by. Although we missed Kīlauea's most recent fountaining episode (51) by a few days, Drew still made time for us to catch the lava glow which was super cool and a highlight of the tour. Our weather was not super favorable with thick, overcast skies; and my partner and I actually gave up on our hopes of stargazing. But Drew is so observant of the weather that when a window to view the night sky opened up, he did so. He provided thick coats to those that needed them and spent some time pointing out different stars and constellations. By this time in the evening, it was really cold and we didn't mind our limited stargazing time. We truly enjoyed our experience, as well as Drew's expertise and respect in regards to Hawai'i's culture and history. We highly recommend that you take a Wasabi Tour early in your trip (like first day if you can), and then you can tailor the rest of your Big Island afterward.

If you are looking for a fun interactive tour filled with education and fun, this is for you. Keep…read morean open mind and and eyes to the sky. I have always been one looking up in the sky wondering what is out there. Now I know what to look for . You can tell Lisa is passionate about this and so willing to answer all questions intelligently. This is a must do when you are on the big island. I would totally book again.

Lisa is amazing!!! 10/10. Incredible knowledge, pictures/videos, stories. This was tons of fun and…read moresuper interesting. 100% worth it! FYI try to go on a clear night

Although we weren't able to do the full tour due to it being a little cloudy, James and Dylan made…read morethe experience worth it. James was very communicative about updates about weather and the different locations. When we got to the spot, Dylan was very friendly and pretty honest about the sky being unfortunate and that we may not get clear skies. He told us we could wait or just leave now and reschedule or get a refund. At our tour start time he decided to cancel the tour but offered a mini tour for free instead. Since we weren't able to rebook, we opted for this option instead. Dylan was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and funny. He was able to show us some cool stuff they saw last night. It was for sure a bummer that we had our tour canceled, but everyone made up for it and we still got a full refund. We knew it was a gamble, but we chose this company since they gave full refunds if it was cloudy and they fulfilled that promise and then some. We still walked away with a very cool experience. Highly recommend! If we come back, we will for sure try again.

Would not recommend this tour. Save yourself the money and drive up to Mauna Kea on your own…read more To be fair, the staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and did a good job getting everyone safely to the viewing location. We also lucked out with excellent weather. Unfortunately, those were the highlights. The experience itself was surprisingly chaotic. While the lead astronomer, Dylan, was trying to give his presentation, the photographer was constantly lining groups up for Milky Way photos just a few feet away. Between the photography, people talking, and others getting up for pictures, it was difficult to hear or stay engaged. If you're expecting a peaceful evening learning about the night sky, this isn't it. Dylan was clearly knowledgeable, but his presentation felt more like a stand-up comedy routine with astronomy mixed in than an actual guided stargazing experience. Instead of focusing on the stars and constellations we were actually looking at, much of the discussion revolved around black holes, nebulas, and other astronomy topics that had little connection to what was visible in the sky that night. It was entertaining at times, but not what we signed up for. The telescope felt especially misleading. The website advertises that one is provided, but guests never actually get to use it. Instead, we were shown images on an iPhone that were presented as if they had just been captured, only to later discover they had been taken weeks earlier. That left a bad taste and felt unnecessarily deceptive. By the end of the night, we genuinely couldn't figure out what our nearly $300 had paid for. The viewing location was on public land just minutes off the highway with no special access, we never looked through the telescope, and the astronomy portion rarely focused on the sky above us. In the end, it felt like we paid hundreds of dollars for hot chocolate, a folding chair, and two professionally taken Milky Way photos. Mauna Kea is breathtaking and absolutely worth experiencing. This tour, however, added very little value and actually detracted from what should have been a memorable, peaceful night under the stars.

Amazing time. Crew was very expressive on the trip and was very professional. Showed us dolphins…read morewhen they didn't have to. Made sure everyone on the trip enjoyed and experienced something wonderful. Offered insight on anything, let us enjoy the water before showing us the manta rays. 10/10 experience and highly recommend!

We had a wonderful time with Tyler and Captain Alan. Really nice, down to earth people. We got…read moretwo swims at lovely coves and a spin To Kona. Highly recommended. A memorable day.

We went on a snorkeling and whale watching tour with Liquid Hawaii for our wedding anniversary, and…read moreit ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. Matt, the owner, was incredibly knowledgeable about the island's history and marine life, and he was kind enough to honor our tour even though they didn't have the minimum group size of four passengers that day. That alone says a lot about the kind of business he runs. He also made our anniversary feel extra special by providing a fresh seafood lunch with fish he had caught himself, which was such a thoughtful and unexpected touch. The tour was about 3.5 to 4 hours total. From the marina, it was roughly a 10 minute boat ride to the snorkel spot. The ride itself was very comfortable. There is some shade on the boat, but it's not fully covered, so definitely bring solid sun protection. A long sleeve rash guard or sun shirt is a good idea. On the way out, we saw a few whales in the distance and once we were in the water, we could actually hear them singing. It was surreal and honestly kind of magical. The snorkel location itself was beautiful, with several sea turtles, tons of fish, and colorful coral. There was only one other boat nearby, so it felt remote and almost private rather than crowded or rushed. Hunter, our snorkel guide, was relaxed and helpful, and we were able to move at our own pace which made the whole experience feel unhurried and personalized. We didn't get to see any whales up close unfortunately, they just weren't cooperating that day, but even hearing them underwater was something we won't forget. Matt was friendly, down to earth, and clearly passionate about what he does. He offers both land and water tours, and we appreciated the local perspective woven throughout the experience. If you're looking for a more intimate, locally run excursion instead of a large crowded boat tour, I would absolutely recommend Liquid Hawaii.

Our manta ray night snorkel was honestly disappointing from start to finish. Trips had been…read morecanceled all week due to high winds, and in hindsight, this night should have been canceled too. It was extremely windy and choppy -- even the boat captain & guide commented, "this is windy," which didn't exactly inspire confidence. We didn't see a single manta ray, and the conditions made it hard to even enjoy being on & in the water. The ride back was rough, freezing, and completely soaked us. It felt more like surviving the ocean than experiencing it. I understand wildlife sightings aren't guaranteed, but guest safety and overall conditions should come first. I wish the company had made the call to reschedule rather than pushing forward in clearly poor weather.

We had an amazing experience with Dave's shuttle service on our last trip to the Big Island. Very…read moredependable, comfortable shuttle service. Dave is very knowledgeable about the island and will show you all the best the island has to offer, as well as give great recommendations for restaurants and sightseeing tips. He went above and beyond to keep us updated as he knew we really wanted to see an eruption of Kilauea while we were on the island. Absolutely a 10/10 experience with Dave's Shuttle Service.

Dave kept up with my airline delays and was accommodating…read more He didn't end up picking me up but connected me to someone else and they communicated promptly. Would definitely recommend.

We went on an almost 100% full (flower) moon. It was special to see the terminator line on the…read moreCelestron telescope - it had such great definition! The color of Mauna Kea with the moon shining on it was so magical all around us. There were some clouds that cleared pretty well by the end of our star gazing. We were the last ones up there so it got dark enough to see more than you'd expect with the moon. Jeff, our awesome tour guide, used a laser pointer to help us see the constellations we usually can't back at home. The images on the digital telescope like nebulas, the moon & star clusters were an amazing addition to have as keepsakes. My husband and I felt he made the tour a great balance of learning and fun. He had the group feeling like family before we even left from the pickup lot. Things to consider: I do recommend following the moons cycles booking this tour/your trip if this is especially important for you to see as many stars as possible. The sunset and views of the observatory's make it awesome anyways :) I struggled with altitude sickness around 12,000 ft. Jeff had made sure to let us know beforehand if we experienced any issues to speak up. I was hesitant as I know it would mean turning the whole tour around, but some tingling turned to dizziness and then a brief fainting. He immediately stopped the bus and helped ground me and make sure I was completely okay & coherent before letting me know our options for the tour. We made it up to the top with 2 more (included in tour) stops and I felt better with each one having more time to acclimate :) Thank you Jeff!! You handled this so professionally and I appreciate your check-ins for the rest of the trip. It's cold even with parka and gloves. It's so worth packing warm shoes and layers. The bus had ac and heat so that was great! Do it if you can! Awe-inspiring! Such an unreal environment that makes you wonder about so many things. Just take the precautions seriously, move slow and breathe deep.

Beautiful Scenery, but a Disappointing Experience…read more I really wanted to love this tour, and there were certainly some positives. Our guide was clearly very educated and knowledgeable, and his passion for nature was undeniable. You could genuinely feel his excitement about the flora and fauna (a word he was particularly fond of using!). It was refreshing to see someone so enthusiastic about the natural world. Unfortunately, the experience itself left much to be desired. My biggest disappointment was the waterfall. This was one of the highlights we were most looking forward to, yet we were given less than five minutes to actually enjoy it. We were hurried back to the van because the chocolate farm was apparently going to close its gates. I completely understand that the rain prevented us from hiking, and I certainly wouldn't fault anyone for making decisions based on safety. However, rushing us away from one of the main attractions was incredibly frustrating. What made this even more disappointing was that throughout the day, we were given approximately 15 minutes at farmers markets and an additional chocolate shop. It was difficult to understand why there was time for these stops but virtually no time to enjoy the waterfall. We spent approximately 10 hours on this tour, much of it sitting in the van. To make matters worse, the atmosphere was frequently uncomfortable. My husband and children were repeatedly chastised by our guide, and there were several interactions that felt unnecessarily rude. At one point, he asked a woman to roll down her window because she was occupying what he considered his spot, then proceeded to comment that people were "friggin idiots." Regardless of the circumstances, that kind of behavior felt unprofessional and made the experience unpleasant. I truly appreciate our guide's knowledge and love of nature, but enthusiasm and expertise don't necessarily translate into a great guest experience. For the amount of money we paid, I expected a much more enjoyable and thoughtfully paced day. We technically got to "see" a waterfall, but spending less than five minutes there hardly felt like experiencing it. Ultimately, we spent far too much time in a van, too little time enjoying the natural beauty we came to see, and too much of the day feeling uncomfortable. Sadly, I cannot say this tour was worth the cost.

We spent an awesome morning on the water with Evan. He was friendly, fun, knowledgeable and even…read morewent the extra mile (fathom?) while free diving 40 feet to find an octopus so that we could have an encounter with one. We saw lots of turtles getting their spa day while tropical fish cleaned them. Within an hour or two, we received an email with two dozen high quality photos and videos that Evan took with his GoPro. A pretty big value add to the tour! I was a little apprehensive about exiting the kayak but he made it a safe, easy and fun experience. If you're thinking of joining a huge group tour organized by one of the resorts, book a trip with Evan and his guides instead. You won't regret it!

Excellent experience. Evan and Don where great. They both were very knowledgeable of the ocean and…read moretook us to a great place to snorkel on the kayaks.

My mom and I took the Atlantis Submarine in Kona, and she absolutely loved it. Through the…read moreportholes we saw shipwrecks that have become artificial reefs and plenty of fish, including yellow tang, parrotfish, and eels. It's a great way to see what's under the ocean without getting wet. What impressed me most was how seriously they take safety. On the shuttle boat out to the submarine, the crew gave a life jacket demonstration, and at least four staff members helped everyone get in and out of the submarine safely. It was the most well-executed, safety-focused tour of our whole trip. I'd recommend it to anyone, and especially to families traveling with older parents.

My friend recommended this trip as it was the highlight of her Hawaii cruise. I was so happy to…read morehave been able to book this excursion as not many sights were available on Christmas day. This is right on the cruise terminal port and quite easy to walk to. The check in area is in a hotel called Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel. I would recommend to check in early as 15 minutes before your tour departs, they guide you to the water shuttle. Once you get on the water shuttle, it takes you to the submarine. You need to be able to climb a ladder to get into the submarine. The space is a little on the tight side and there are no backs to the seats so work on your abs before the trip! The air inside was cool and constantly recirculating so it did not feel stuffy. Everyone gets their own porthole to look into the ocean and there are fish identification cards in front of you. The submarine can get to 100 ft pretty quickly and I was surprised that my ears did not get plugged up. We saw lots of fish that day. Some get really close to the submarine. We even saw a school of fish! My only disappointment is color. At those depths, everything has a blue tinge so sometimes it was hard to identify the fish. The operators and tour guides were so nice and informative. This was one of the best tours I've had on this trip. Thanks again for a great excursion!

WOW.....What an incredible experience...only regret was not reserving the whole day instead of just…read more4 hours. Owners are super friendly and helpful Easy location to find them in Kona and easy check in and checkout

One of the best things to do in Kona! This is our third time…read morerenting from Big Island Buggy over the years and it is just as fun now as the first time. Aaron and Debi, the owners, make everything quick and easy and before you know it you are cruising the coast with the wind in your hair and everyone turning their heads to check out your ride. They really take the time to guide you on great places to go based on your interests, which makes the experience even better. This trip we rented three buggies, an automatic and two manuals. The two seater "Tang" is a zippy, fun manual to drive and its bright yellow color really grabs people's attention. It is also one of the most affordable / cheap excursions in Kona. You get hours of exploring, total freedom to go where you want, and a ride that makes the whole trip more memorable. If you are new to the island, they even have a QR code you can scan that pulls up a map with great local recommendations, which is a nice touch. After three visits I can say this is one of those experiences that never gets old. We will keep coming back every time we visit.