I cannot say enough wonderful things about Wilson and the Mauna Kea Summit & Stars excursion…read more Wilson was incredibly well spoken and knowledgeable and I learned so much! He did all of this while navigating steep roads (not all paved) and feeding us amazing chicken stew, cookies, and hot cocoa. This was a truly memorable and magical trip and the weather was just perfect! Everything was well organized and I cannot recommend them enough

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.

Kailani Tours is a first rate business. Our tour was wonderful. Our driver (Thaia I believe) was so…read morekind, informative and enthusiastic about our tour. The van is very comfortable. We enjoyed our Kona Coffee stop and of course the stop to the "southernmost bakery in the USA". Dinner was good. Not very flavorful for ordering the blackened fish, but good. Travelling into the National park at night was so cool. We enjoyed walking down into the lava tube and then back to the lodge to view the crater. The tour is a solid 11 hours. But it goes fast. I highly recommend for everyone. As long as you're up for an adventure.

Everything was amazing and way more then was described Our…read moretour guide Thia was unbelievable her knowledge and her wonderful personality just made the day I have taken tours all over including Europe and this was by far the best

Super fun, thoughtful crew; Nick, Avery and Myra!! Beautiful park and a great value. We learned…read moreabout some flora and fauna as well!

Hands down one of the best experiences we had on the Big Island. We got super lucky -- it ended up…read morebeing just me and my boyfriend on the tour, and it felt like a completely personalized adventure from start to finish. The entire team was unbelievably nice. Not just polite -- genuinely warm, fun, and so welcoming. They took the time to get to know us, made us laugh, hyped us up, and really made the whole experience memorable. You can tell they love what they do, and it shows in how they treat every guest. The ziplines were gorgeous, safe, and such a thrill, but the guides truly made it next level. It didn't feel rushed or routine at all. Instead, it felt like hanging out with friends who just happen to be amazing at their job. We loved it so much and would recommend this place in a heartbeat. If you're on the Big Island, this is absolutely a must-do.

Would you pay $99 for AYCE prime rib dinner for two? Yes, but how about if you had to attend a…read moretimeshare sales presentation? 48 Hilton guests took the $99 offer, and came up a packed bus 20 miles from Hilton Waikoloa Village. Gathered in a large dining room sitting around six tables to hear the host give a long talk on the cultural history of the Ranch. Everyone attentive until the singer started playing Hawaiian songs, at which point everyone started talking to the others around the table. Had to talk really loud to be heard across the large table, due to the large amount of background noise. Dinner buffet self serve by table in multiple courses, including unlimited wine and lemonade. Fabulous mixed salad, so good that everyone finished their salad, even those that don't like vegetables. Main course included broccoli, potatoes, fish, and prime rib. I got a double portion of prime rib, while everyone else got a 12 oz to start off with. Thought the outside portion was way too salty and tough. Not for someone to chew with a temporary crown. Center portion was tender and juicy. Threw out a good portion of the outside and fat and gristle. Meal topped off with a dessert of cheesecake covered with sweet mango sauce. Met the host outside. Turned out we were both UC Berkeley graduates, me of class of 1975, and he of class of 1963. Oh, by the way line outside the mens bathroom, as the urinal was out of order. Those people who didn't show up for the Hilton timeshare presentation would be assessed the full $390 price of the event for two!

Fabulous opportunity to come up to Anna Ranch for a dinner with Chef Ipi via a special weekly…read morecultural event managed by the Hilton Grand Vacation folks. We were treated to oral history of the area, music, and an impromptu Hula. Truly honored to be part of this event. Oh, the food? Locally made ricotta in a crostini, mixed green salad with toasted sesame dressing, local shrimp, beef, zucchini, potatoes, and a lava cake with strawberry ice cream.

The memorial to the brave soldiers from Camp Tarawa is very nice, but I was very disappointed in…read morethe rest of it. A small sign marked the entrance to Parker Ranch. Six flagpoles stand at the entrance without one flag flying. Driving up the driveway, no signs direct visitors where to go or what to do. We parked, got out, saw a woman walking toward one of the houses who did not speak to or acknowledge us, spoke to her and ask where we were supposed to go. She handed us two papers and went about her business. We walked around, looking at artifacts, not marked as to what they were, so I asked her what the deal was. She said, "The trustees are putting their efforts into the cattle ranching now." "So, in other words, they don't really care whether tourists come to the ranch or not?", I asked. She said, "Their efforts are in the cattle." We went ahead and toured the Mana Hale, the original Parker home, with it's rich Koa wood throughout. Lots of pictures and artifacts decorated this small home and most items were labeled. As we left the Mana Hale for the walk, again no signs and only the briefest description on the two papers made it impossible to know what we were seeing. One highlight, though, was seeing the giant pine tree in the front yard that was planted in 1852. Overall, I would advise, just going to the Camp Tarawa memorial out on the highway, pay your respects, and move on to the spectacular drive from there to Hawi on highway 250. We love this drive where you can view the Kohala mountain range (you're actually on it), Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, and Maui and the vistas from the highway are amazing. In Hawi, we got coffee, shopped, visited, then drove back on the coastal highway past the harbor, the Lapakahi State historic park, and all the Kohala resorts. Great drive!

What a strange visit, and a complete letdown after being so excited to visit. We drove around for…read morequite a while trying to find this place. Once we found it we weren't even sure we were in the right place. But, we went inside anyway. We walked around inside the building for a solid 20 minutes looking at artifacts on the walls before speaking to anyone. Nobody would have spoken to us either had I not asked what was going on and if they were closed to the public. It was as if we were in their office space and they just completely ignored us while sitting at their desks. The lady I spoke to looked rather bothered by my inquiry. She handed me 1 well used sheet of paper with some information on it for our group of 4 people. She very unenthusiastically said we could go look at the house if we really wanted to and pointed in its general direction. She was uninterested in having any additional conversation with us after that. So, after passing around and reading the sheet of paper we handed it back to her thinking it was the only one they had. She again looked bothered. We then went to find the house she mentioned. It had some nice koa wood and other historical artifacts. We saw nobody else while we were inside. We left with that what just happened feeling. The day wasn't a complete bust. The drive out to this place is very pretty and scenic. They should just close this place to the public and stop promoting it. They obviously don't want any visitors.

Paradise Helicopters was incredible!! My first helicopter ride was amazing and on the big island of…read moreHawaii had the most spectacular views! You can't see the waterfalls on the north part of the island any other way. Go for the doors off tour; I can't even describe the views. Paradise Helicopters was very helpful in getting my reservation booked and in the details leading up to the trip. Paige is an awesome pilot! He was a great tour guide. You need to book with Paradise today!!

I absolutely loved this tour! One in a lifetime experience, you can't see all these places if you…read moredo not take the tour, just amazing. It's not cheap but it's worthy. I will cherish memories for years to come

This is the 2nd time we rode the Waipio Valley Lookout Bike Tour. It is approximately 15 miles,…read moremostly downhill, but some uphill, not really climbing, on the 1st half of the tour. This is a great tour. The roads are in good for riding, with very little traffic. Brad, who led the tour, was great. They provide the bikes - I rode a Bianchi, with I believe 105 gruppo. The bike was quite good, and extremely well maintained. My only issue is that they don't offer more single day bike tours.

It was a fantastic experience. Aria and Cari were great guides and so knowledgeable. My teenager &…read more8 yr old had a fantastic adventure! Wonderful small group experience.

Our best Hawaii experience to date! My husband and I have been visiting the Big Island of Hawaii…read moreseveral times a year for the past few years. Recently we brought a few friends with us and wanted to do some touristy things that we had never tried before. We found the Giving Tour, and hands-down - this is the best trip we have had to date on this island ever! Sam and Dev live on the Island and are just absolutely wonderful human beings, extremely warm, reliable, knowledgeable at the about the island and the area and passionate about helping people and giving back to their beautiful island. Dev is a riot, there are no dull moments when she is around! Sam is a Jack of all trades who always has a fresh coconut on hand to crack open and share. We booked the farm lunch and tour and it was amazing! The farm is on a beautiful 20 acre property that will blow your mind. It filled with so many different kinds of fruits and vegetables and even animals! The spread we had for lunch was out of this world... We ate until we could barely move. The farm tour was awesome, Travis, the garden manager showed us the garden with all of his awesome medicinal plants and tasty veggies then we got the grand tour with so many exotic fruit trees to sample from and plants from around the world to marvel at. This is not a tour that you can pick out of any random guidebook. We became closer as friends, and made some awesome friends at the farm. This is an insiders look into life on the island, and I cannot recommend it enough! If you want a run-of-the-mill tour with long lines and manufactured entertainment, this is not the tour for you. This is a behind the scenes look at this beautiful island and culture. You will have tons of fun, meet amazing people, eat incredible food and have memories that will last a lifetime. We also did another tour the same week and it also surpassed my expectations. It's a great value for the money and Sam and Dev are the most amazing tour guides I've ever experienced anywhere in the world. Thank you Giving Tour for giving us this beautiful memory.

All I can say is that Devin's tour was the highlight of our entire time on The Big Island. She's…read moresuper loving and fun, the farm itself is amazing and awash with hundreds of years of history--and then there is the VIEW! Wow...I hate to break the suspense...but to finish the tour with the view they have....well...like I said that's worth the trip. I'm always hunting for that insider's angle on the place I'm visiting. That spot where I can feel connected to how the locals are living and a sense of connection beyond what I can find at the next resort or airbnb. The Giving Tour was just that--and then some. I can't more highly recommend.

I booked this experience through TripAdvisor although if we were to do it again, I would do it…read moredirectly. Although we didn't have any major issues, I coordinated with their team to notify them that we would be driving to the starting point on our own, but the guy still called us at the would-be meet up spot near our hotel thinking that we were still taking a shuttle. No biggie. If you do drive, they have a parking lot where you can park your car while you're out and about. It's important that you wear a short sleeve shirt and shorts long enough to be used with the harness. Any extra items that you have, you can bring along in the shuttle, but you just won't take them with you on the course. They told us to get there at eight and the shuttle and most of the other gas didn't arrive until 8:30am. Soon after they gave us the safety guidelines and overall rules for the zip line experience. We were put into our harnesses and given helmets and gloves. Then we all got into the shuttle and drove up to the ropes course starting point. We had Dane & Brogan as our guides. They were totally awesome and super helpful throughout the whole course. Their directions were very clear and ensured everyone was safe and having a really fun time. They were super knowledgeable of the area and even told us more about the local flora and fauna. They also took photos along the way which you could purchase at the end of the trip if you wanted. At the end of the zipline, we got back in the shuttle and drove to a scenic Lookout point of the cliffs in the ocean where we had lunch that was provided by the company: a sandwich (of your choice picked prior to the trip) chips, a cookie, and juice or sparkling water. After our break, we got back in the shuttle and drove to another spot. I wouldn't say it's necessarily a hike, but more of a nature walk down to the waterfall spot. It was beautiful! We had a great time swimming around and going under the waterfall. After we got back in the shuttle and drove to the headquarters. I would absolutely recommend this experience to anyone traveling to the Big Island!

This was one of the coolest experiences I have ever done before. From the pick up to the drop off…read moreat the end, this was hands down one of the best tours I have ever been on. Our guide was knowledgeable, and the scenery and grounds we walked were absolutely stunning. This tour really celebrates the beauty and culture of the Big Island and our guide was the best to make sure we all understood what he was saying. Even though the zipline was fun, learning about the nature on the island and walking around was one of my favorite parts. The zipline was so cool though! It is a mix of starter and long runs. Having had been on zipline before, it was a good course with plenty of great runs where you got to see everything around you for a good period of time before slowing down and stopping. Between the zipline, waterfalls, hiking views, and all of the knowledge we were taught about the nature and beauty of the island, this tour was absolutely worth it. Next time we are on the big island, we will have to go again. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the island.

One of the better farmers markets on the Big Island. We play 'tourist' when we have…read morevisitors from the mainland or other islands and it's always an enjoyable field trip. Local vendors selling their wares -- art, clothing, jams/jellies, baked goods, Kona coffee, fruits/veggies. There are vendors selling hot/cold foods. They open early on Saturdays and parking can be challenging. Get there early!

Tourists far and wide - if you're looking for a farmers market on this island, this is it. And if…read moreyou visit over Christmas, be sure to stop by and see Santa. Fresh coconut, fresh fruits, tasty food made ready at each stand, great crafts for sale, and a great uncrowded layout. It's a mix of tourists and locals and the playground just across the street seals the deal for families with little ones. We ate so much I thought we wouldn't fit back in the car! Even my family members who were dragged into the experience against their will (I have a habit of doing that) loved it. Super friendly vendors who were all ready to answer questions about their products, farms, and life in Hawaii. Love this market!