We chose Makaio Tours because it seemed like a good length tour that covers a lot of the popular…read moretourist destinations around Hilo, and boy, did Justin deliver! He was prompt, great at planning, and exceptionally personable and professional throughout the entire trip. It is clear that he has a wealth of knowledge regarding the islands of Hawaii and regaled us with tons of interesting fun facts. I would recommend this tour to anyone looking for a great comprehensive and interactive adventure around the Big Island. Justin, thanks for being our host for the day! We have learned a lot from this Hawaii Volcanos, Waterfalls, Beaches, and Hilo tour. We would highly recommend Makaio Tours

From the owner: Aloha! We are a Native Hawaiian guided touring company that specializes in the Ultimate Hilo day…read moretours which consists of everything from Volcano's, blacksand beaches, waterfalls and many hidden gems that the locals know of which stands us out from the rest!

10/14/2024 Pacific…read moreTsunami Museum 130 Kamehameha Ave Hilo, HI 96720 I went there on Columbus Day, so it was open (closed Mondays)! Street parking is available on Kalakaua Street and Kamehameha Avenue. If you are a Hilo resident or a Baby Boomer from Hilo, I highly recommend a visit. There are rooms for the history of Hilo Tsunamis and the 1960 Tsunami which I experienced. The other displays were interesting, educational and informative. The 1975 local Tsunami display was especially relevant to me because one of the fatalities was my brother's doctor. The other rooms feature displays for other Pacific Tsunamis and Tsunami science. The staff was knowledgeable, helpful and friendly I won't repeat until we have another future Tsunami for display.

This is only open on the weekends! It is well worth the visit. There is so much history with…read moretsunamis in Hawaii.

Great customer service, reminds me of something right out of a movie…read more Really quiet, clean and super close to downtown Hilo with a nice walk into town over the bridge. Open and comfortable, as well the caretakers are really tentative and helpful and full of knowledge of things to do around town, they also offer a tour around parts of the island a few times a week for a reasonable rate. I think it was around $55 when I was there. Overall I give it a perfect score for the amount of aloha and overall atmosphere.

We took a Paradise Island Tour from our Ship in Hilo Harbor to Volcano National Park that also…read moreincluded a city tour and lunch. We had a wonderful day. John, our guide, was a good speaker and very knowledgeable about the area.

`My wife and I were celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary with our children and grand children…read morecruising with NCL Pride of America. We got off in Hilo on the Big Island with no particular plan. We ran into the staff of this company and allowed their pitch. Since there were 9 of us, we accepted their offer and John Milare loaded us into his van and off we went. The beauty of a private van was we pretty much called the shots. First stop was Starbucks for our morning "fix" what other tour would make this stop for you? After our coffee break John took us to the highlight of the Hilo side of the island. John was very engaged and excited to share his knowledge of Hawaii and its history. His being this engaged made the tour very interesting and entertaining. John and this company get two thumbs up He also gave us some snorkeling tips for Kona -- BEST snorkeling ever!!

Huaka'i guide services showed me a part of Hawaii I normally wouldn't see. Going hiking is out of…read moremy element but you only live once right? I gave Kehau a call and worked out a hike with a group of friends that wouldn't be too rigorous but still challenging. With steady encouragement and the message "it will be worth it at the top" and on the way he filled me in with awesome history and an authentic hawaiian perspective which was informative. Once at the top of the ridge I was at a loss for words we were mesmerized, it was completely worth it. We ended up scheduling another hike before the trip was over. Highly recommend Huaka'i guide services for an awesome authentic Hawaiian adventure.

From the owner: We are a group of seasoned local guides, dedicated to perpetuating pono and aloha by sharing with…read moreour visitors a cultural and historical understanding on the people of Hawai'i and the place we call home. Experience the amazing and beautiful island of Hawai'i through Hawaiian culture and folklore. We provide a wide range of services guaranteed to show you the most iconic locations in the most authentic way. Whether you are looking for a easy breezy shuttle or an elaborate full day tour, our team at Huaka'i Guide Services has you covered.

I totally 100% agree with another fellow Yelper that I'd give this place 1M stars if I could!!!…read moreThis is such an amazing life experience and a MUST when you visit the island. Please go.... You will be in love with what you see. I am still in awe over the experience!! The sky was absolutely beautiful with all the stars and seeing the Milky Way. Just wow!! Helps to put into perspective just how amazing God is with his creation! My only regret is I wish I had a better camera to have taken better pictures to remember what we saw and share with others. Gets really cold so bring your jacket!!

A must-go when coming to the big island. However, to get to the summit you must have a 4x4. We had…read morea crappy Dodge van so we weren't going to even try to go up. They wont let you go unless you do have a 4x4. However, the visitor center is a good enough area to be able to see the sunset as well as the night sky. It was about an hour 20 minute drive from our hotel in Kona and about the same drive back. The road is paved all the way up to the visitor center, but once you start making your way to the summit after acclimating to the 9,000 ft. altitude, there is a stretch of dirt trail on the way up, which is why you'll need a 4WD or 4x4. Also, I had read online that the center is open certain days of the week: this is a lie, the center is open every day. The visitor center has awesome workers and a cool little gift shop. If you decide to make the trip definitely bring layers and even blankets as well. It gets cold up there. I would also recommend arriving there about an hour before sunset, otherwise it can be pretty packed.

My husband, 1yr old son, and I spent the day touring the big island with Savannah and Keola. We…read morewere greeted with leis and smiles! Really felt the "Aloha Spirit" with them. We were so grateful to find a tour that was kid friendly and they made it so easy with accommodating our son and potty/diaper changing stops. The van was very clean and comfortable with a tv screen that showed educational videos about where we were about to visit. Both Keola and Savannah would chime into the videos and tell different stories that connected with the video, felt very interactive. We had a blast and would 100% recommend!

From the owner: Exploring a new Island may lead to unneeded stress. Don't worry leave it to us your Hawaii Local…read moreConnection to take care of you like ohana (family). All of our tours are done Hawaiian local style full of ALOHA. Lots of fun and laughter will be shared during your tour. We will assure your safety is our #1 priority. Then let the fun times roll. These tours are suited for all ages and fitness levels. If weather is not ideal, we got you covered. We will provide umbrellas and alternat sites to visit if needed. We will provide snacks nonalcoholic drinks and lunches. You will also be driven around in a luxury mercerize sprinter van equipped with a large tv. We will be featuring rare Hawaii videos of Historic lava events, Hawaiian Legends of the lava/fire goddess Pele, Hula dancing and the connection to Pele, and much more options. You will be able to kick back and relax on "Hawaiian time" while we drive you around to visit some of Hawaii's most breath-taking sites. Let us take care of you and show you true Aloha. About Hawaii Local Connection Tours LLC Hawaii Local Connection tours is a 100% local, family-owned company, operating on the big island of Hawaii. Our tours specialize in a fully customizable authentic local island experience. We can take you almost anywhere you want to go on the island with a variety of epic scenic locations available to choose from, with native guides bilingual in Hawaiian-Pidgin and English. We are here to serve you as your Hawaii local connection.

Captain Jerry and Tony were great! We had a wonderful time and caught two huge fish! Highly…read morerecommend! Definitely a highlight of our trip to Hilo!

My sister, brother-in-law, son and I went out with Captain Jerry and First Mate Kimo in pretty bad…read moreconditions--10 foot waves and poor visibility. They were up-front about the battering we were about to receive, which of course was out of their control. We were excited to go out anyway, and felt that we were in completely capable hands (Kimo is also a captain, so between the two of them there are decades of experience on the sea.) The whole morning was an adrenaline rush! We made it back completely safe, although without any fish. These guys are so great that we will definitely try again someday!

If you are looking to purchase an e-bike on island, don't look anywhere else but Hawa E-Bikes…read more Keola made the entire purchasing process so easy. He clearly communicated with me every step of the way. When the bike arrived he made sure that I was comfortable riding it and that I understood how to use it. He even helped us load it into my truck so I could drive it back across island. I will recommend Hawa E-Bikes to anyone on island that is interested in purchasing a bike.

THE BEST ADVENTURE EVER! Our guided e-bike tour through Volcanoes National Park was the highlight…read moreof our 2024 Big Island vacation. Savannah and Drake made herculean efforts to meet us with the bikes, and then Drake led us on a fun, informative, and thorough tour of VNP. (He knows EVERYTHING!) He kept us all safe, and was so great to spend time with. E-bikes are really this way to see this park, because it's too big to easily walk, and parking is difficult. Mahalo to this family run business for taking us on this memorable adventure!