if wanting an in depth experience at the national parks tour and the volcano, this tour is for you…read more Eric did a great job,

Kilauea Eco Guides = Top. We selected the 5 hour tour and we have absolutely no regrets. With a…read moreguided tour by Kilauea Eco Guides, you'll learn how the volcano's complex geology ties together with the flora, fauna, and culture of the Hawaiian islands. We were lucky to have the lead guide/proprietor, Erik, as our guide - Erik has tremendous credentials as a trained geologist and academic in Hawaiian language and culture. Erik is extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and he made our park experience a great one. The main benefit of a private tour is that there are countless details that would be easy to overlook as an inexperienced visitor. Want to hold a real life example of "Pele's Tears"? No problem. Curious about how a traditional Hawaiian bandage is made from native plants right on the trail? Done. Think that is just a crack in the lava surface? It is likely 3,000' deep. If you are on the fence, go for it.

Longest lava tube on earth waiting to be explored .. Located in a beautiful rainforest with an…read moreexperienced guide named Harry .

If you're adventurous and curious, a volcano tube tour is perfect for you. Those with…read moredisabilities.... no this is not for you. Even the short tour is pretty extensive. There are miles of lava tubes snaking throughout the underground on the Big Island. They provide hard hats and flashlights so no equipment is needed other than appropriate clothing and footwear. You will need the ability to climb ladders and ropes. Extensive history is provided during your tour. It was a great and memorable experience.

We went on the Ahiu guided lava tour about a month ago during a trip to the big island. We knew…read morethat the active lava areas were not visible from the volcano national park. so we wanted to get up close and personal with the lava. From what we could tell, this was the best, and it didn't disappoint. They take care of all the arrangements on the phone and when you show up they have a backpack, light, snacks, water, gloves, and poncho ready for you. The tour starts at 2 pm, but it's a little drive out to the start of the hike. The guides will help you find a walking stick to help you keep your balance. Now, the hike itself is totally insane, and not for the faint of heart. It's about 3 hours of hiking through the rainforest, where there is ankle deep mud, fallen trees, puddles, and a lot of up/down and switchbacks. I've got to be honest with you, this is a pretty hard hike and not for the faint of heart. We were somewhat ill-prepared, as we only had regular sneakers. I'd definitely recommend real hiking boots. Then it's about another mile on the cooled lava fields to get to an area where the lava is actively coming out. All in all, you arrive at the lava around or just after dusk. The lava itself is one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It is so hot, that once you get within about 10 feet it starts to scorch your face and arms. You can stick your walking stick in the actively flowing lava, and the tip immediately catches on fire! Amazing, just to dip a stick in liquid rock and watch as it cools to a solid. The guide themselves are totally legit. We had 2 guides for a group of about 13, with one leading the way and another bringing up the rear. We spent a fair amount of time talking to one of the guides, Tomas, a native Hawaiian who is pretty much an all around badass. When he isn't guiding tours, hunting boar, surfing, or other stuff with the company, he does mixed martial arts training and fighting. At the time of our tour, he was still undefeated. Big ups to Tomas. The worst part is the hike out. Because you're starting at about 8 pm, and it's another 4 hours of hiking, you don't get back until midnight or so. I can safely say that it was one of the most exhausting experiences I've ever had. Well worth it though. Overall, Ahiu provided us with one of the more amazing moments in my life. I'll always remember it, and I don't say that in many reviews on Yelp. Definitely do it, but bring hiking boots!

The experience of this was truly once in a life time. The front office however is jacked up. First…read morethey called us on the wrong day and said we were late. We had to email them the reservation they sent us in the first place. Then they told us the hike was about 2 hours when it was more than double that one way. I was totally fine with that, but just be honest about it. I would like to give them less stars just for the way the front office handled the whole thing. The tour was a long hike through a rainy jungle. Then you come up to the lava fields and hike to the spot where the current flows are coming up out of the ground. This tour was an absolute must and I was extremely happy that I did it. We were definitely worn out in the end, but it was all worth it. The guides were extremely friendly and polite. You could ask for anything better. I would have given this five stars if it were not for the front office.

We purchased two Magicycle Ocelot Pro electric bikes they are so FUN you can even rent for 24 hours…read moreto see if they fit your needs. We rode in the parking lot and we're SOLD a big smile as we rode beach to EJ who took excellent care of us. Mahalo to such a nice team! Always on it if you have a need or question. If you Cannot buy RENT they have fun guided tours pricing is very fair!

I rented a couple e-bikes through Big Island Personal tours for a 3 hour (half day) excursion for…read moremy hubby's birthday. The owners were so accommodating and kind and allowed me to choose exactly the day and time that I wanted even though it wasn't their usual day for rentals. Everything was so easy and smooth for check-in and check-out. They provided helmets and there is a spot to strap down your things though I recommend wearing a backpack. We were also given locks so that we could lock up our bikes for stops. We went about 30 miles in total with a long lunch break in between. We rode all the way up to rainbow falls and Chong's pond and across Hilo and through wailoa park and some of Keaukaha. We had a blast!! The bikes felt super steady and safe because the assist is very smooth and the tires are thick. We were able to bike with the throttle all the way up kaumana drive and it was easy, I barely had to pedal. By the end of our time I still had 80% charge on my battery and I was using the throttle the whole time! I definitely recommend renting e bikes through this company. The whole experience was perfect and It was a super fun way of exploring Hilo.

We travel the world and always look for unique, relaxing, comfortable places to stay. I never -…read moreEVER - toss out 5 stars. This place would've earned six. Time of stay: 8-11 Mar 2014 Weather: Tropical low (think 1-2 in/hour rain for 22 of 24 hours for 3 days) Sierra (the homeowner) makes this house feel like home! Without such a grand house, I doubt that our solid-rain visit would have been as pleasant and successful as we'd hoped! By comparison, we visited the hotels on Hilo Bay and to a one, they were all rundown, shabby, and uninspiring. One master bedroom with a generous bathroom, one bedroom with a full hallway bath, and a double-bed futon in the family room, plus a full kitchen and screened, covered, walk around porch make this house fully functional for 6. Cable TV proves that 50+ Time-Warner channels provides nothing worth watching (grin), but it comes with WiFi. Bring a HDMI-HDMI cable to port your Netflix to the TV. There are games, books and magazines as well. The kitchen is stocked with all normal utensils and often condiments from prior visitors, but you'll want to do your own grocery shopping. Sierra will leave some items for you upon arrival - fruit, nuts, candies, etc. With the tea candles, it makes for a very lovely arrival after a long trip to Hilo. The view from the rear porch is nothing short of mesmerizing! You will be looking out over your own small waterfall and pond, safe for swimming, 20 feet below your deck. The trek to the pond is a bit challenging, but those without severe joint disease or a walking aid can make it. I recommend "beach shoes" for swimming. Wake up to brew some 100% Kona coffee, fry up some eggs and ham, and you'll be ready to take on a day of sight-seeing, knowing that your home-away-from-home is just 30 minutes away to wash and dry your clothes, have a nice meal (or drive 5-10 minutes to any of the good restaurants in town), and enjoy a great night's rest. Sierra also provided a rental vehicle - Honda CRV van. Plenty of room for 6 with luggage. The back-up camera is essential for backing into the 10%-grade (down) driveway, or you can park on a gravel lot at the top of the hill. You can't miss the coco frogs, as they make their presence known - very loudly - all night long. Combined with the falls - and our errant tropical storm - I was awakened just once. The majority of the time the sound was welcome "white noise." In fact, I cannot recall when I'd been so rested on a vacation! This was the nicest rental I can recall in 12+ years of travel in CONUS and abroad. (Note - Don't miss the air tours over the volcano, as you cannot see the lava from the ground, due to a recent change in lava flows. If helicopters aren't your thing, the locals have a Part 135 (airline level) service using 4 and 7-person Cessnas. As a GA pilot myself, I knew to look for these, and we much-preferred this tour to helicopter. It is also MUCH cheaper and you will see the same or more.)

We arrived late at night on our first night at Aloha Falls. It was so dark that we hardly could…read morepark our car and find our way into the house. Unfortunately, the owner had double booked the house by mistake... so we had to stay the first night in the ground-floor level of the house. So, when we walked into the house in pitch darkness to find unfinished basement-like place...We felt like we had made the biggest mistake of our lives. We were hoping it wouldn't end like a horror film with us murdered. When we woke up the next morning and went outside, we were blown away by the beautiful greenery, fruit trees, and waterfall. When we moved to the upstairs of the house, we found a beautiful spa-like home with everything you could want and more in a Hawaii getaway. Besides the slight hiccup on our first night there...the rest of the stay was wonderful. Next time we visit the Big Island, we will definitely make sure to stay at Aloha Falls again.

We found Ricky's Tours while we were cruising on Holland America to Hawaii. We found Ricky to be a…read morevery knowledgeable guide. Though not a native, he grew up in Hilo and has so much information about the Hilo and Kona areas. As he drives along on the tour is a wealth of knowledge. We took two tours with Ricky. He has a brand new Ford van that seats up to 14. It is comfortable and the A/C works great. He has a sometime partner, Mel, that will add his van for large groups. I highly recommend that you contact him if you are interested in touring either Hilo or Kona.

Ricky was awesome, he was referred to us by Richard from Hawaii Eyes Tours in Maui. Ricky was…read morefriendly and very knowledgeable and taught us as he drove us. It was a five hour tour and well worth every minute of it.

Our broker and hostess, Sophia, was very friendly and attentive. She answered all of our questions…read morealmost immediately and was available to us via email or phone for the entire booking process and duration of the stay. She manages several properties in the Kapoho Beach Community--which is a 10 minute drive to Pahoa's "downtown" and a 30 minute drive to Hilo--and even one in Kihei, Maui. Important notes: 1. Secure, gated community. 2. Only AT&T and T-Mobile cell phones work here. 3. Free wi-fi works well. 4. Very friendly locals with lots of Aloha spirit.

Phenomenal Fishing Trip!! Captain Jerry and first hand Shibu are great. They make for an awesome…read morefishing trip. We did the 6 hours trip and we were able to get a bit of everything! 3 tunas, 2 mahi mahi and 1 Ono. It was a lot of fun to reel in the big fish. Also what is great is that once you are back to shore, they will fillet you the fish and give it to you to bring it home so you can have plenty of fish for many days.

This was such an amazing experience! We took our son for his birthday and the captain and first…read moremate made him feel so special. They truly made this a once in a lifetime birthday. Thank you so much for the amazing time!