Drive through Banyan Drive the largest Edo-style ornamental garden outside of Japan. Liliʻuokalani Gardens is a peaceful park of towering banyan trees, ponds, bridges, and pagodas.
Drive through Downtown Hilo, a charming mix of historic architecture, local shops, and lush greenery set against the backdrop of Hilo Bay.
Rainbow Falls is named after the colorful rainbows that appear in the mists of its waters. Signs in the viewing area relate some interesting historical facts about the waterfall, as well as the legend of the “Battle of the Wailuku River”.
Explore Hawaii Volcanoes National Park starting at the visitor center and exhibit hall, followed by views of Kilauea caldera and Kilauea Iki, the steam vents, and sulfur banks. Walk inside the ancient Nahuku (Thurston Lava Tube) followed by lunch at Kilauea Lodge.
Discover a beautiful black sand beach on the Kaʻū coast. This renowned local beach is frequently visited by green sea turtles.
This was an excellent tour. Desmond and Ariel were awesome to our guides. They had so much knowledge to all the spots they took us to and shared many artifacts they have collected. Highly recommend this tour with Shaka Braddah Tours!
Des and Ari were the best tour guides we have.ever had! Thought of all our needs and communicated really well. And their knowledge of the island , history and agriculture was astounding. They even brought artifacts and cool island collected pieces to show. They didn’t rush anyone and answered all our questions. They were a lot of fun and felt like we were with long time friends.
We went on a cruise of the Hawaiian Islands with a group of friends. My wife booked all of our off-ship excursions before our trip started. One other couple that was traveling with us joined us on the Ultimate Big Island Experience Volcano, Waterfall, Beach & Lunch Tour. The experience could not have been any better. I don’t know how many guides this company has, but our two guides, Anthony and Desmond, were AMAZING. My wife and I have traveled a lot and have had more than our share of guides along the way and I can’t remember any guides who would have been better. Anthony’s voice while narrating the drive was perfect. Easy to hear, easy to understand, and he spoke with passion about the topics he discussed. His knowledge of the area and the places we traveled was spot on. Desmond drove the van with care and also was the one to walk us through the different areas. He offered to take photos of each party and he made sure the photos were well composed. He didn’t just point and shoot to take a picture. Each of the stops we made were well timed with enough time to enjoy each site. As frequent travelers we’ve had quite a few of the “included” lunches and most of them leave a lot to be desired. The lunch stop for this tour was fantastic. We stopped at a family owned local restaurant and were told we could order ANYTHING on the menu. We just had to pay for our own alcohol or drinks. The restaurant was fantastic and the food was delicious. As the tour was finishing up Desmond shared artifacts from the area that were from his own collection. He has acquired them on his own adventures of the island and the artifacts he shared were directly related to the places we visited on the tour. I could not recommend this tour any more. I hope you get Anthony and Desmond, if you do that will make this tour that much better.
Had the most amazing. Time on our tour with guides Anthony and Desmond! They were funny, personable and knowledgeable. They made sure our experience was top notch! No boxed lunch ham sandwiches with this tour. We were taken to the Lava Rock where we All sat as a group and got to pick whatever we wanted for lunch from a large menu. The cultural experience was a one of a kind treat from locals. Picked up and dropped off right at the cruise port in Hilo, and they were in constant contact via text. No stress with booking them as an outside excursion.
This was a very organized, polished tour. It was great to have the commentary, visuals, artifacts, and music in the van in between stops. Tour guides were excellent and very accommodating! Would highly recommend this tour. We were only in town for the day and I feel like we got to see a lot.
We had an amazing time on our Volcano National Park and Black Sands Beach tour! Our guides were incredibly knowledgeable and made the experience even more enjoyable by sharing fascinating history and stories about the island along the way. They were friendly, informative, and clearly passionate about Hawaii. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, and visiting the black sands beach was a highlight. The lunch provided was also delicious, with several options to choose from, which was a nice touch. Overall, this was a fantastic tour and a great way to experience the island. Highly recommend it!
What an awesome experience! These guys go above and beyond, and the information they provide is great. Excellent service, and the nicest guides!
Desmond and Anthony started the day as strangers to us. Within a very short while we really felt like we had known them forever. How so? Their demeanor, kindness, thoughtfulness, and engagement with the whole of the group, plus their passion and enthusiasm not only for the tour but also for people too make it so. We loved their sense of humor, much needed when the weather turns a little bit wet! They know and love their homeland so much you can feel it oozing from deep inside them. What a team! What a great couple of guys! So kind, so friendly, so knowledgeable and so much fun. You will laugh, you will smile for days afterwards and you’ll cry when you have to say farewell at the end of the day.
Desmond and Anthony were awesome and very nice and knowledgeable tours guides. Gave us full walkthroughs and even kept the car rides entertaining with jokes PowerPoints and knowledge of everything we passed by.
From coordibating the tour, pickup and end of tour, Desmond and Anthony took care of us! Very informative and fun! Highly recommending their tour company.Thank you for an amazing day!We enjoyed it!
This was a great experience and we had a wonderful time. They went OUT OF THEIR WAY to make sure we saw what we wanted and even took us to a slightly different spot when part of the volcano was clouded in. They even got us local treats to try.
The tour was outstanding! Our tour guide Anthony was amazing. Very knowledgeable about the culture and history of the island. Very engaging and informative. Very upbeat, positive, accommodating and fun. The overall timing of the stops were adequate. We didn’t feel rushed and the lunch was fantastic local fare at a local restaurant. Overall it was one of the better tours in my travels. Anthony went above and beyond to ensure a great experience.
Anthony and Desmond were outstanding tour guides! They had so much knowledge and even had like a little hands on museum in the van during traveling. It was so enjoyable! To top it off we did see the Volcano erupting for real! It was life changing. Lunch was amazing at a cute Hawaiian spot. I got the Loco Moco!!! Wonderful day!
Knowledgeable tour guides, extremely professional. Food was scrumptious. Need to wear comfortable shoes.
If you want a great general tour of the east side of Hawaii, this is a great way to do it. Town of Hilo, Rainbow Falls, Black Sand Beach and multiple stops at the Hawaii Volcanos NP. Our guide Desmond was top notch, helping with all need of his riders, very knowledgeable and gave us some memorabilia and take home items. This is a smaller group, there were only eight of us. No lag time, he was flexible on time at each stop. Just a wonderful day.....
Amazing Tour Company. Would hire them again!
Fantastic experience!! Desmond and Anthony were the best! The sights, the history, the artifacts, and all the extras, made for a truly magical adventure!
FIVE STARS!!! Anthony and Desmond were very informative, enthusiastic and kind. The trip was perfect. Don’t hesitate. Book this tour. Along the ride, there were so many Hawaii touches- fresh fruit after the black sands beach and chocolate covered macadamias when we passed the macadamia nut trees. The best tour!!
This was an amazing trip and Desmond and Anthony were great. They were very informative and explained everything in detail from the lay of the land to the history of Hilo. Lunch was very good and have fresh fruits for us after the black sand beach was a wonderful surprise!
Was picked up from airport, got to see lava tubes, vents where lava steam was coming out, and all while hearing history and stories about the big island and the volcanoes. We got some little treats too and completely enjoyed our day!
Desmond and Anthony gave us a great tour of the Volcano, waterfall, and Black sand beaches. The tour was verging personal and informative, highly recommended!!
Anthony and Desmond were wonderful. So friendly and knowledgeable about the history and land of Hawaii. I’d definitely recommend this pair as go-to guides in the future.
Anthony and Desmond were kind, courteous, and knowledgeable. They went out of their way to ensure we had a magical experience. You will feel more attached and appreciative of the Hawaiian islands and culture after spending a day on this tour.
Great experience! Our tour guides were wonderful and provided so much history and details of the island. It was a little rainy and they provided umbrellas and ponchos for everyone. They even gave us fresh fruit from the farmers market to try!
Very fun and educational. Anthony and Ariel were great. Very attentive, kind and engaging. I would recommend!!
Take this tour! It’s so well done. Desmond and Anthony were engaging, offered history, insights, and made us feel comfortable from the very first moments of the day. Each stop was well worth the time, and the guides went above and beyond our expectations. HIGHLY recommend.
My husband and I have been on many tours around the globe, & this was definitely one of our favorites! Anthony was the perfect Tour Director with a wealth of knowledge, imagery, artifacts, humor & music. He kept the conversation going but also knew when the group needed a rest. His blend of friendliness and intelligence was top-notch! Our driver, Desmond, was like a close friend by the end...so kind and ready for any engaging conversation. Both were always ready with a hug and made you feel like 'ohana. The tour was scenic & doable for many age ranges. HIGHLY recommend this tour & these guides!
Wow! This tour was one of the best our family has ever taken! There were ten of us, ranging in age from 18 months to 80 years old and everyone had so much fun and learned a lot too! Every stop was amazing and they give you plenty of time to explore and take pictures. In between stops, you will learn so much about the history and culture of the native Hawaiians. If you are trying to decide which tour to book, look no further, you will not be disappointed!
The guides were great, very friendly, very informative, very welcoming, and each of the sites was something totally worth seeing. We got some great pictures and had a great time.
Guides were very knowledgeable about the history of the island and volcano. They made extra effort to observe the weather and take us back to view volcano when it was clear.
Great experience, awesome and very knowledgeable guides and a little bit of everything Hawaii. The history of Hawaii being told along the way between stops. The artifacts we a nice touch to the experience. Teaching guest Hawaiian words and meaning.
I delayed my review because I wanted to make sure I had adequate time to give Desmond and Anthony the kudos they deserve. They are two of the best tour guides I’ve ever had. They were friendly, knowledgeable, sensitive to the needs of their clients, willing to go above and beyond to ensure a positive tour experience and even gave us gifts, including a fruit dish and homemade macadamia nut honey. In fact, one member of our group needed a ride to pick up some medicine, and they volunteered to take her to a local pharmacy so she could get it. I highly recommend Desmond and Anthony as tour guides and as people.
I highly recommend booking this tour! 10/10 experience. Desmond and Anthony were the absolute best tour guides! They’re both so knowledgeable and you can tell that they really love their jobs. My husband and I were celebrating our honeymoon and booked this tour while on the big island. We both agreed that this was the best excursion of our entire honeymoon! We saw a beautiful waterfall, walked through a lava tube, explored Volcanoes National Park and actually walked up to the caldera of an active volcano, visited a black sand beach where we saw a sea turtle up close, and SO much more! You won’t regret booking this excursion. It’s very fun and surprisingly very educational! Mahalo, Desmond and Anthony! My husband and I will definitely be back again hopefully soon!
Desmond and Anthony were incredibly knowledgeable about the culture of Hawaii and specifically Hilo. It was a wonderful tour - we appreciated the visuals they had on a screen overhead as well as the opportunity to physically see and touch pieces of history and their culture. They were also very accommodating and went out of their way to insure that everyone was safe and comfortable. They even provided fresh fruit in a basket as a snack and Desmond gave us Macadamian Honey that his friend had just made. They went above and beyond in a way we have never experienced on a tour before. We were very lucky to get Desmond and Anthony as our tour guides! We thank them so very much and appreciated spending the day in Hilo with them. They were truly the best!
The Ultimate Volcano experience Review of “Ultimate Big Island Experience” Volcano,Waterfall,Beach & Lunch We flew from Honolulu for a day trip to experience the Ultimate Big Island day tour which included the Kilauea Volcano Rainbow Waterfall, Nahuku lava tube and Punalu’u Black Sand Beach, where we also saw turtles. The tour was six hours and the experience was fantastic. Anthony and Desmond went out of their way to make our day extremely enjoyable. Lunch was included it was delicious and well organised. There were no admission fees to be paid along the way. As locals Anthony provided excellent commentary about Hilo and the volcanoes in the area. Although we missed Kilauea venting during this tour we definitely got a sense of her ferocious by the amount of Tephra in the area. We would definitely recommend this tour to anyone interested in exploring Hilo and volcanoes.
This is easily the most amazing tour we’ve had in the islands. A huge mahalo to Desmond and Anthony for an unforgettable day. Anthony is a phenomenal guide—we loved the History and local stories and finally learning how to say humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa! Learning the legend of the demigod Maui and how he’s linked to the creation of the Islands added a layer of magic to the scenery. The service was top-notch, the explanations were insightful, and the overall experience was just great, great, great. If you want a tour that combines island history with world-class service, this is the one. Highly recommended!
Our guides went above and beyond to make sure we all had a great day. They were extremely enthusiastic and loved to tell stories.
What a wonderful way to hear history and get a very nice tour of Volcano National Park, Waterfalls, Black sand beach, and lunch. Anthony and Desmond, both native Hawaiians go out of their way to share history and are so warm and friendly. We would recommend this tour as quite a bit of ground is covered.
We flew from Honolulu for a day trip to experience the Ultimate Big Island day tour which included the Kilauea Volcano Rainbow Waterfall, Nahuku lava tube and Punalu’u Black Sand Beach, where we also saw turtles. The tour was six hours and the experience was fantastic. Anthony and Desmond went out of their way to make our day extremely enjoyable. Lunch was included it was delicious and well organised. There were no admission fees to be paid along the way. As locals Anthony provided excellent commentary about Hilo and the volcanoes in the area. Although we missed Kilauea venting during this tour we definitely got a sense of her ferocious by the amount of Tephra in the area. We would definitely recommend this tour to anyone interested in exploring Hilo and volcanoes.
This was our first time to Hawaii and this tour was absolutely wonderful. The tour guides were great and we got to see rainbow falls, volcano National Park including a walk-through the volcano tunnel and the black sand beach where we even saw several turtles. This is a must do tour and we highly recommend it
It was very informative! Interesting to get history, domestic, farming, nature, etc. into one awesome trip!
Anthony and Ariel were fabulous. They were fun and informative. Learned so much about the islands while visiting great places.
I don’t generally write reviews… Recommend ++ . Very friendly happy people, a delight to spend the day with guide Anthony. They clearly care about their guests and their experience. Good lunch stop. They were all over the volcano activity & local history. Wasn’t obvious to me from the website, but they do pickups & drop offs all around Hilo.
So much information and we had an amazing time with Desmond and Anthony! Having a small group tour is totally worth it. This is a must do!
Great way to see Hilo area and the volcano. We contacted Desmond prior to our trip for help with directions as Apple maps doesn’t give accurate information. He was very helpful and we arrived without any problems. Desmond and Anthony are very knowledgeable and friendly, we left them feeling like family. Lunch was very good and had a variety of selections to choose from. Would highly recommend this tour.
What great tour even my husband and my two boys we are 17 & 13. Both of our tour guides were super knowledgeable a friendly. One of them took the best pics of our family. We spent just enough time in each places were we didn’t feel rushed or bored. The restaurant we stopped at was also great. Over all a great tour and would definitely recommend them!
Our experience was absolutely unforgettable thanks to our incredible tour guide, Anthony! From start to finish, he was not only extremely knowledgeable about the area, history, and culture, but he shared everything with such passion and authenticity. You could truly feel the spirit of aloha in the way he welcomed us, cared for us, and made every moment special. Anthony made us feel like part of his ohana by treating us with warmth and kindness. He went above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable, engaged, and having a great time. Whether it was pointing out hidden gems, sharing Hawai’i legends, or making sure we got the best views and photos, his attention to detail made all the difference. If you’re looking for a tour that’s not just informative but truly memorable, Anthony is the one. Highly recommend!! With everything we saw in Hilo, this was one of the highlights of our trip! 🌺 Mahalo Anthony!!! Ps. Wear comfortable shoes and bring some sandals for walking the beach.
Our tour guides were locals from Hawaii and were so welcoming, helpful and kind. We felt very well taken care of. Anthony and Desmond were just the best and had so much to share about Hawaii. The day we went in this tour amazingly episode 44 happened of the Kilauea volcano eruption. They knew to get us to the park early so we were all able to stay and enjoy watching one of the most spectacular events on earth. Be flexible in what you may see for the day. Things can change quickly on the island with road closures, etc with volcanic activity. Anthony and Desmond still took us to another lava tube cave which was beautiful even though the one at the park had closed due to the eruption. We visited an enchanting black sand beach and ate delicious little bananas. Thank you for the memorable trip our family will never forget!!
Desmond and Anthony were fantastic! Learned a lot about Hawaii and visited beautiful parts of Hilo. Plus when we experienced a flat tire on our rental at the end of our journey they safely got us to a tire store to ensure we could make it back to our hotel. Wonderful experience and wonderful day!
Our guides were amazing! They shared great knowledge of the island, kindly took our photos along the way, and provided delicious fresh fruit. We enjoyed every stop on this beautiful and magical island!
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