Volcano Travel · Tour
Hilo Shore Excursion by an Independent Guide: Peacock Lava and Fruit from the Farm
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Big Island of HawaiiAn independent guide, working the days a ship is in Hilo, including every Tuesday when the Pride of America docks. The guide does not work for the cruise line, and says so up front. North of Hilo the road narrows and the driving slows over the surf spots, with a commentary on the surfers who are in the water at the time. Then old bridges through jungle, past waterfalls, with the plants, the history and the local property market all getting covered. Stops that depend on the day: iced coconuts when the vendor is there, whipped ice cream, and the wild pigs, which get fed when they turn up. In the park the walking goes onto a lava field to look for peacock lava, and there are photographs taken of you standing inside a fissure. Photos happen at every stop, and the Hawaiian mythology gets told along the way. The Volcano village gift shop sells things made in Hawaii, and food can be bought there to take away. Fruit comes from the guide's own farm to taste, or there is a stop at a fruit stand to buy some. One cost to know before arriving: at Rainbow Falls the county charges 5 $.
What's included
- Hawaii Volcano National Park fees
- English Speaking Guide
Itinerary
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Hilo Bay, Wailoa River, Wailuku River Fishery Management Area, Hilo
The guide meets you in the centre of the building, on the left side, after you come off the ship at 8:30 am at Hilo Harbor.
I drive to the Ice Pond
A stop at the Ice Pond, out of the vehicle, for the turtles and the fish. At Liliuokalani Garden the guide looks for nene geese and names the plants, and there is a sign showing the local fish to go through. The guide does not work for NCL.
Pepeekeo Scenic Drive
Old bridges through thick jungle, with waterfalls along the way. There is a stop to take photographs and to feed the prawns from an old wooden bridge, and a look at a river running through a lava tube. The plants, the history and the property market all get explained. The pace is deliberately quick, so the day covers as much as possible.
Rainbow Falls
At Rainbow Falls the county charges 5 $. Twenty minutes here, for photographs and an optical illusion the guide will point out. Then 15 minutes for iced coconuts, if the vendor is there; 30 minutes for whipped ice cream; and 10 minutes to look for the wild pigs and feed them.
Costo extra
Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Visitor Center
Food to take away at the Macadamia Nut Farm, and macadamia nuts to sample, with the processing explained and time to shop.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaiian music plays on the 35-minute drive up to the Volcano village, where the stop lasts about 45 minutes. Inside the park, the first stop is the crater overlook, with the Hawaiian mythology. Then the steam vents, where the guide shows you how to make a vent steam considerably more. Then Volcano House, for shopping. After that a lava field with a fissure in it, to look for peacock lava, and photographs of you standing inside the fissure. The last stop in the park is a lava tube, with more photographs and the native birds and plants. Two hours in the park, then a 35-minute drive to the macadamia nut farm.
Big Island Candies
Big Island Candies, for chocolate, candies and Kona coffee to sample. The chocolate gets made behind glass while you watch, and there are drinks and food.
Richardson Ocean Park
A black sand beach for photographs, and for turtles, fish and nene geese. Then back to the cruise ship.
Hilo Bay, Wailoa River, Wailuku River Fishery Management Area, Hilo
Not included
- Rainbow waterfalls
Good to know
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The total duration of the tour includes the travel time
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- It is a requirement for travelers to sign a release agreement.
- Up to 14 travelers per booking.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Guiding available in: en.
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Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor