Hours:

Operates 3 nights per week. Advance reservations required.

Services:

Luau, dinner, polynesian revue, craft demonstrations.

Review:

The Island Breeze Luau at King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel is described by travel writers and kama'aina's (local residents) as the Big Island's most popular luau. The festivities begin when the Royal Court, representing the personages of King Kamehameha I and his retainers, arrives at Kamakohonu Bay aboard an outrigger canoe to a greeting by the Court Conch Herald and Court Chanter. The food is excellent and the show fantastic. Extra activities include Hawaiian craft demonstrations, instructions detailiing how to open coconuts and even island style temporary tatoos. Kona's only beachfront luau is definitely not one to be missed.

Hours:

Operates daily. Advance reservations required.

Services:

Ocean kayaking; all equipment, snacks, and beverages included

Review:

If you're visiting the Big Island and get the urge to do some kayaking, Ocean Safari Kayaking is the way to go. They offer a lengthy tour that begins at Keauhou Bay, skirts scenic cliffs, and winds up in a colorful sea cave. Afterward, the kayaks are lashed together in a calm, protected cove where you can snorkel, swim, and observe the abundant sea life to your heart's content. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, you can even jump off the 12-25 high cliffs into the clear waters below. Ocean Safari provides everything you need, including snacks, bottled water, and equipment.

Hours:

Operates daily. Advance reservations required.

Services:

Sunset dinner cruise and fun Polynesian review.

Review:

Kona's only dinner cruise and Polynesian show is with Captain Beans. If you're looking for quiet elegance and romance, find another place! This cruise is all about fun. With the blow of a conch shell, the entertainment begins and doesn't stop. There's a good chance you'll be dancing on the tables before it's all over. The food is excellent and the atmosphere is festive. The boat is the Tamure, one of the largest double-hulled canoes in the world. Quiet and comfortable Captain Beans dinner cruise will send you home with a smile on your face and a night to remember.

Hours:

Operates daily, advance reservations required.

Services:

Horseback rides in Kohala, just north of the Kona Coast.

Review:

Naalapa Stables offers you an opportunity to become a paniolo (cowboy) for a day, as you ride your horse through an unforgettable tropical paradise. Whether you choose to see the Kalua Ranch in the heart of Kohala, or the lush green beauty of Waipio Valley, you're setting out an adventure quite unlike anything you've experienced before. In both cases you'll have a chance to ride sedately through the open countryside, enjoying the unparalleled view, taking in the sweet mountain air, and bonding with your horse in a way that humans have enjoyed for thousands of years.

Hours:

Check website for availability and reservation information.

Services:

Luxury 5 star resort with all amenities. Low Internet rates available.

Review:

Located within the Wailokoa Beach Resort oasis between Kailua-Kona Town and the Big Island's northern ranch country, this 62-acre, family-friendly oceanfront resort includes every imaginable facility and activity. The Village's 1,240 guestrooms are located in three widely spaced towers among lush gardens and expansive water features. Each room provides a patio or balcony. Because of the resort’s size, air-conditioned trams and canal boats transport guests around the grounds (if they choose not to walk). The Village contains a play-with-dolphins lagoon, a salt-water swimming lagoon, two large pool complexes, and an adults-only pool.

Hours:

Operates Year Round. Check website for tour times and days.

Services:

Year-round whale watching excursions

Review:

Most Hawaiian whale watching excursions are offered only from November through March, so if you've got a hankering to see whales any other time of the year, you've got one choice: Dan McSweeney's Whale Watching Adventures. Open year round, they offer an exhilarating ocean safari starring the world's largest mammals. Captain Dan McSweeney personally takes out his boat, the Lady Ann, for every trip so that his guests can benefit from his 25+ years of observing and studying whales. The Lady Ann is clean, safe, comfortable and well maintained, and perfectly suited to the task at hand. Two flippers up!

Hours:

Morning tours everyday from 8 - 12. Afternoon tours everyday from 1 - 4.

Services:

Snorkel tours of Kealakekua Bay, whale watching in season. Custom tours available.

Review:

The protected marine sanctuary at Kealakekua Bay is one of the world's premier snorkel destinations and to keep it pristine only a handful of snorkel tour operators are approved to take you there. Our choice is Sea Quest Rafting and Snorkeling Adventures. Departing from the dock at Keauhou Bay the first thing you'll notice is the personal attention. Sea Quest takes no more than six guests on the same rafts that other companies will pack 14-16 people on. During the short ride to the bay keep an eye out for whales and dolphins as they're known to frequent this area. After a quick briefing on safety and ecology, it's into the water. Kealakekua Bay is teeming with an incredible assortment of fish and other marine life. If you're a beginner or non-swimmer you won't be left out. Sea Quest's Captains are known for their patience and they'll have you enjoying the underwater sights in no time. Make your reservations well in advance because space is limited on this popular trip.

Hours:

Operates daily. Advance reservations required.

Services:

Helicopter tours of Hawaii Island and Kilauea Volcano.

Review:

Paradise Helicopters is the only tour company on the Island of Hawaii to offer both four passenger and six passenger helicopters. Each helicopter has unique features not available on other helicopters on the island. The Paradise staff is dedicated to providing you with the best possible service and hospitality. The pilots are committed to provide the highest level of professionalism and to carry out a safe and informative flight for their passengers. Paradise Helicopters take pride in their level of service, and enjoy providing a friendly atmosphere for their customers.

Hours:

Daily Tours. Advance Reservations Required.

Services:

Tour through Volcanoes National Park

Review:

After an approximate 45-minute drive you will enter the Volcanoes National Park and drive along Rim Crater Drive where you will enjoy a unique view of this moon-like landscape and learn about the mysteries of the famed Madame Pele, the Hawaiian Goddess of Fire. Standing at just over 5,000 feet, Kilauea is not the Big Island's tallest volcano, but it is certainly the most active. You will pass the Halemaumau Fire Pit and the Kilauea Iki Crater before stopping at the Thurston Lava Tube, where you will have the opportunity to walk through the extinct lava tube for an up-close view of how the lava cuts through the ground forming a large tube along the way. You’ll stop at the Hawaii Volcano Observatory and Jagger Museum to see exhibits of the geological changes caused over the years by this active volcano. Learn the natural progression in the life of a volcano and take time to browse through the many relics which the erupting volcano has left in its path. A stop will be made at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory for shopping before returning to your ship.

Hours:

Open everyday.

Services:

Non-sectarian Buddhist temple, retreat center, gift shop, organic coffee.

Review:

Wood Valley Temple and Retreat Center is a mecca for visiting Tibetan Dignitaries. Venerable Buddhist Lamas come from all over the world to teach and relax here. The Dalai Lama himself has taught here twice and is known to have a strong attachment to the location. Situated in the Rainforest just south of Kilauea volcano you feel the tranquility as you stroll the grounds and look at the peacocks. The temple and retreat center are non-sectarian and welcome people of all faiths. An excellent place to relax and find your own inner peace while on the Big Island. There's also an ecclectic gift shop stocked with all sorts of rarities and no trip to the volcano would be complete without stopping in to pick up some of their excellent organic coffee grown by the resident monks.

Hours:

Operates everyday. Advance Reservations Required. Advance reservations required.

Services:

Undersea tour.

Review:

No Hawaiian vacation would be complete without an exploration of the archipelago's unforgettable marine life. There's always snorkeling, but Atlantis Submarines lets you dive deep and soak in the underwater sights while remaining completely dry. You'll learn all about an underwater ecosystem few surface-dwellers ever see as your sub explores brilliant natural coral reefs, sunken ships, and wrecked airplanes, all teeming with exotic sea life like sharks, eels, and turtles. You might even see a whale or two. The tours, all of which are U.S. Coast Guard approved and perfectly safe, leave daily from ports in Oahu, Maui and Kona.