Very informative tour. We learned a lot about the process of growing and processing cacao into…read morecacao nibs which are then sold to be used to make chocolate. We tasted delicious chocolate that was made from cacao grown from these fields. Thoroughly enjoyed the tour and chatting with the owner. Highly recommend.

The cacao farm is breathtakingly beautiful. Very informative tour - we really learned how much…read morework goes in to growing and processing cacao for chocolate. Also appreciated learning how the owner used her engineering background to perfect the growing, drying and roasting processes. The chocolates we tasted were delicious! We highly recommend this tour.

In a new location, the Mokupapapa Discovery Center serves as a museum and educational center for…read morethe Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a huge area of oceans and islands around Hawaii. While most are off limits outside of scientific stations, this is a great way to learn about them and the history of the monument. The center has many events, that can viewed on their website. It's free and open Tuesday through Saturday during the day. A highlight for me was the large aquarium of reef fish at the back, as well as maps and historic photos from the different islands. They also have clean restrooms, which can be hard to find while walking around Hilo. They have free information to take as well. It's worth it to talk to the attendant as they are knowledgeable about the center and monument. This is a worthwhile activity for any visitor to the islands.

The woman at the front desk provided great educational information…read more There is no admission fee and is completely free. They accept donations at the front desk and by the aquarium. It wasn't crowded and has Air Conditioning. You can probably see the whole place in about an hour. There are additional exhibits upstairs, i don't believe there is an elevator. Public restroom is available. Lots of free parking available.

I lava you. This was…read morereally great to see real life lava. It has always been a life long dream of mine to urinate inside a volcano. Lol I can tell you this lava flow is miles away from the volcano it self and once you get with 10ft of the lava. The heat is so intense! I was able to watch the lava break and flow like a hot lava watefall. It just like watching National Geographic expect with 1000 degrees in heat right in your face! My pictures don't even begin to outline of details the acutally site, heat or awe of amazement. Right now it is a 4.2 mile hike out to the lava. I opted to rent a bike. The bikes are $10 an hour and pretty good bikes. Full suspension. But I can tell you this it is not an easy ride. The road is made of loose gravel. I was in the lowest gear 99% of the time. It took about 40min to paddle out there. I was going faster than most. As I was passing people so keep that in mind. I can regularly ride my bike 8.4 miles or more. But this ride is really tuff. I consumed 1.5liters of water on this ride. So bring lost of water and stop and chug it often. I did this trek at night hoping to see more glow and less flow. What I got was both and it was a spectacular show. If you look to the right off in the distance you can see what looks like two red eyes glowing. That is pele smiling at you as she oozes gifts of new land. YES! new land. You can actually watch the earth be made and how it's made. Totally worth the trip! Add this to your bucket list!

Excellent adventure to the lava flows at Kalapana! This couple respects the land and culture and…read moreis knowledgeable on both as well. They guided us carefully through the Kalapana lava flows, seeking out the most comfortable path available through the lava yet doing so as not to tread on anything fragile or dangerous. Hank was supremely prepared - binoculars, snacks (fruit, nuts, energy bars), flashlights, medical and boot repair equipment, etc. and spares of everything. As a former hiking guide myself, I can tell you that Hank and Malia are doing this absolutely right! For anyone looking to hike to the active lava flow from Kilauea, we highly recommend this terrific couple!

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.

This was the perfect stop to get our baby's wiggles out on the way to the volcano! Infants and…read moreadults are free (you can leave a tip if you feel inclined). Parking was free and easy, and staff were friendly. Good baby area separated from the big kids. Looks really cool for the bigger kids. No AC but lots of fans blowing.

3 year old daughter had a blast. Clean and friendly environment for children to play on rainy days.read more

Store was very welcoming and colorful. Nice cool spot to hang out for a little. My daughter enjoyed…read moreherself with this experience. Price was reasonable as well. 10/10 RECOMMEND

The owner was very friendly and ended up reaching out to me and tried to resolve the situation. My…read moredaughter enjoyed everything she received from here .

Great experience, definitely recommended!…read more EDIT: I forgot to add that they rescue a lot of their horses. They make sure they are rider ready for sure, but this fact alone was worth a lot to me. The fact the experience was awesome regardless was icing on the cake. We booked a jungle ride for 2 at the last minute (a couple of days before) after another local place cancelled our online booking on us. I am so glad that happened, because we had a great time. The owner and her assistant guide were able to accommodate us on a Sunday for a private ride for the two of us. We were perfectly matched based on my more experience with riding, and my husband's very beginner ability. They each talked to us about the surrounding farms we were riding through, and the different plants, trees, animals, etc. around us, and their origins. They were very knowledgeable about all of this, as well as riding. We were even able to pick some fruit from one of the farm's trees (with permission from the farmer of course!) Our guide took a bunch of photos of us as we went (wasn't obtrusive though), and texted them to me right after our ride, ready for facebook upload :-) I always try to unsuccessfully take photos while riding so this was a treat. At the end, the owner's daughter had brought some juice out for us, My husband really doesn't like horseback riding, but he said he loved our ride here and it was one of the highlights of the trip. The owner told me they just bought some additional land that they are hoping to develop into a destination they can ride to and then do luaus with food, entertainment, and drinks, which I thought was such a cool idea! She was hoping to have this done in around a year, so I would definitely be back to check it out.

Was booked for an hour and half ride but we went longer just because they had free time after. Our…read moreguides Cynthia and Anna were hilarious and knew about all the plants and animals on the trail. The horses were extremely well behaved and easy to ride * especially for a non rider like me!* Would highly recommend for a beginner or advanced. Great ride.

I am a top-level reviewer on TripAdvisor, and we travel the world A LOT; I review most things…read morereally highly! I was so excited for this tour for my family. BUMMER that I didn't get to do my usual high-star review... It seems to come down to spoken words not matching with contract. I frankly wonder if our awesome planning phone conversation was perhaps under "compromised" conditions, as I know I was clear & sober, and I believed what was said... And that is where our mis-communication occurred. The only reason we are coming to the big island is the Volcanic National Park. I am sad to report that my interaction with Hayley went poorly - we didn't get a chance to take the awesome tour, as although I made reservations many months ahead, she dumped us 6 weeks out. Given my many years in customer service, I was hoping she would at least help us with the crunch we were left in due to mis-communication and we could just continue on with the plan; I took responsibility for my part of the misunderstanding, she replied with "...it is in both of our best interest to cancel this reservation..." Actually, NO, it's NOT in both of our best interest, just her CYA, as apparently there's a crackdown on tour agencies offering taxi-like service, etc. We are now left 6 weeks out with plane reservations in and out of the big island, a motel reservation, with only the intent of coming to the big island to tour the Volcanic National Park, and now NO TOUR. We were going to pay her $850 for the day! Apparently she didn't like what I had to say regarding our mis-communication. I HATE to post bad reviews, I am assuming we are a "bad day/night" exception and she just didn't want to actually deal with it. Sounds like otherwise she rocks. Wish we could have been another 5-star review. But now I'm SCRAMBLING to get a tour to accommodate the flights and hotel we have already booked... It just wasn't that hard to make this right. I am happy to copy the back-and-forth emails to anyone who would like more details on what happened. Just know words over the phone mean nothing, only what's in writing or email matters. Not a problem for most if it's a simple agreement by email. TravelPhotoWriter... at.... g... mail... dot com UPDATE: I think ultimately it worked out GREAT that she cancelled us! We booked a replacement excursion with the company that rates higher than this one on T.A., very professional service & $100 less!!!

we had such an amazing tour, I was sorry to hear the previous experience, but we were able to fit…read morein on a tour that canceled last minute and had a tour beyond our expectations. Tyler was the best guide, relaxing and extremely informative. would do again next time we come. highly recommend