Volcano, Chocolate And Waterfalls Of The Big Island

Debra was a fantastic guide! A wealth of knowledge and was able to get us views of the volcano erupting.

Debra was our tour guide on Wednesday, September 16th. She was OUTSTANDING! Her knowledge of everything Hawaii was amazing, from the volcanoes, the landscape and the cacao and chocolate process! We have been on tours all over the world, and Debra, by far, was the BEST tour guide!

We were so fortunate to have booked our Volcano, Chocolate and Waterfall tour on the big island on the day of Episode 46 at the Volcano National Park. Our guide, Debra was the best! Even though the park was so crowded, she made sure that we got to see the eruption and spend quite a bit of time just taking in the view! It was a once in a lifetime experience for me, something I'll never forget! Debra was so friendly and knowledgeable, she sure taught me a lot about the areas we visited. I have visited Hawaii many times and have booked several tours with Hawaii Forest & Trail. I would highly recommend them.

We booked a full-day Hawai’i Forest and Trail tour to Volcanoes National Park. The trip also included a visit to Rainbow Falls and a chocolate farm in Hilo. We could not have imagined a better tour. We met our guide, Debra, at the Royal Kona resort at 7:45am, and embarked on a delightful day. The 4 people in our party were the only guests on the tour, so we had the benefit of an informative, knowledgeable and warm guide in a comfortable van all day. We visited Volcanoes National Park on a Thursday — Kilauea had been fountaining on the Monday, and although, by Thursday the lava lake was not glowing and the gases coming out of the summit were cloudy but not fiery, it was still an excellent visit. We made several stops in the Park, including a trek through the moody and beautiful fern forest and the lava tube, with the final one being at the Volcano Lodge. From there, we went to Hilo, where we visited Rainbow Falls and visited a small chocolate farm. We tasted lots of varieties of locally-made chocolate, and saw a variety of fruit trees on the property. Even the ride back to Kona was fascinating, as Debra identified all the volcanoes we were seeing on the way back across the Saddle Road, including a view of Haleakala on Maui across the water. I can’t say enough about our guide Debra, and about the tour designed by Hawai’i Forest and Trail. It was a highlight of our trip!

Dave was our guide. He was delightful and had a great deal of knowledge that he shared with us. We enjoyed all three stops, especially the volcano. It was a fun day! I highly recommend this tour and guide.

Every aspect of this tour was excellent. The guide Matteo is a wealth of information. He knows Hawaii and people and really brings out the best in both!

It was an excellent day. Debra was a great guide. She had a lot of knowledge about the specific things on the tour but also about most things Hawaii. She answered questions about the flora and fauna, history and economy and everything else we asked about. She was good about accommodating different activity levels within the group. The day was well paced with breaks, snacks and activities. I would highly recommend Debra as a guide and this day trip as an experience.

We greatly enjoyed our day with Willie. He was personable, professional, thoughtful, engaging, patient, fun, and shared lots of Island history and lore. Highly recommended!

The trip was well organized and made the most of the time available. Debra was very knowledgeable and had a great, enthusiastic attitude that helped everyone enjoy the trip. Jason also added a tremendous amount of information and was a pleasure to have along. We all learned a lot as well as seeing some beautiful locations. Highly recommended!

Our guide Dave was very knowledgable and entertaining. He went out of his way to make sure everyone was having a great time. The van was big and comfortable.

We had a very enjoyable day with an excellent, friendly guide. I would have liked to hike more in the park, but we did see Kilauea after its recent eruption, saw a pit crater, walked through the lava tube, and had lunch out on the pahoehoe (smooth lava rock). The waterfall was just OK--it was pretty and gave us a break from the bus. The last stop at the cacao farm was very interesting, and included little samples of different types of chocolate!

We had an amazing trip with Willie! He was so knowledgeable and friendly. We learned things that we never would have known if we had gone to the park on our own. He took us to different sites in the park and then we did the chocolate farm and the Falls park. The chocolate farm was a great experience! We learned about the whole process. Highly recommend this tour and this company!!

We had such a great time exploring Volcanoes National Park with Hawaii Forest & Trail. Our guide, Mel, was fantastic—super knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and made us feel totally comfortable. It was just us and one other family, and she really made it feel like we were all on a trip together, not just a tour. Mel was so attentive and genuinely passionate about what she does. We didn’t want the day to end. Would absolutely recommend this experience!

When my wife and I were planning our trip to the Big Island, two of our priorities were to 1) visit Volcanos National Park and 2) visit a chocolate farm. We accomplished both by taking the Volcano, Chocolate, and Waterfalls tour with Hawaii Forest & Trail. The tour started with an early morning pick up near our condo at the Waikoloa Beach Resort, followed by a drive across the island on the Saddle Road. Following a short stop in Hilo to pick up more customers, we made a short drive to Rainbow Falls for photos. From there we headed to Volcanos National Park, where we had lunch (diet restrictions were handled perfectly!), took a walk in a several years old lava field, walked through a lava tube, and then visited Volcano House where we were able spend several minutes taking in the close-up view of the Kilauea caldera (unfortunately the volcano was not erupting that day). After leaving the National Park, we were driven back to Hilo where we visited a chocolate farm / factory. The entire chocolate growing process from tree to finished product was fascinating (and the chocolate samples were very tasty!). Throughout the day, our knowledgeable guides did an excellent job explaining the various landscape features and plants, as well as discussing the history of the areas that we visited. There were plenty of restroom breaks. We highly recommend Hawaii Forest & Trail to everyone!

This by far was the best experience we've had on a tour. Being a very visual person Mel's explanations were so spot on that everyone understood her presentation & explanation s c!early. The time she spent with the group & individuals gave us the feeling of a personalized tour which we loved so much. Mel's knowledge & experience is top notch & will definitely book another tour with Mel at the helm. Loved the integration of hiking with this tour made the time & experience more enjoyable.

Signed up for the all-day Volcanos Unveiled tour (Volcanoes National Park, visit to cacao farm and chocolate tasting, and Rainbow Falls), and it exceeded our expectations. Melanie picked us up at our hotel (Kona Village) right on time at 8:20 am in a very new-looking and nicely painted Mercedes Sprinter. We had one other traveler in our group (I believe they need at least 4 to run the tour but can accommodate up to 14). From the start, Melanie was friendly, funny, and enthusiastic. She connected with our kids (ages 14 and 10) immediately and made it a point early in the tour to find out what everyone's relevant interests were and what each of us were hoping to get out of the day---and then she was able to tailor her talking points, how much time we'd spent at various spots, how much hiking we'd do, etc accordingly. The day was very well thought-out and planned, with appropriate breaks for restrooms, snacks, etc. And Melanie was *incredibly* knowledgable about volcanoes, the history of Hawaii, and everything pertaining to the Big Island. Her enthusiasm about teaching us was infectious, and we all learned so much and had fun doing so. We unfortunately missed seeing lava fountains and flows by just a few hours, but honestly I don't feel as though we missed much because the day was so fun and fulfilling. We loved visiting the cacao farm and tasting not only the various chocolates they had but also raw cacao fruit and learning about the chocolate-making process. And getting to snap photos in front of Rainbow Falls was truly memorable. I cannot recommend Hawaii Forest & Trail more. Exceptional experience!

Melanie, our guide for volcano, chocolate and waterfall tour today pulled together a disparate group of 13 into a tribe of folks with intimate knowledge of volcanos. Volcanos, we learned were integral to the Hawaiian archipelago, and her explanations were pithy, down to earth and super funny. She was sharing and caring, which inspired the same in all of us. The trail to the volcano floor was not too rigorous but the trail up was fairly steep if short. The waterfall seemed to be the favorite for many, even as a short stop, which included the waterfall "hallucination". My favorite was the cacao, lychee, orange, orchard also with native hawaiian canoe species, brought by ancient Polynesians. Highly recommend! Thank you Melanie.

This tour of the Volcanoes National park is a great way to see it without having to drive. We were picked up and on the drive there, were given tons of information about volcanoes, what we w, but worth it.ere seeing on the drive and Hawaii in general. John was a terrific guide. So knowledgeable. And the chocolate factory was quite interesting. A long day

Guides made the trip very interesting. However, would have preferred more time at the volcano or other natural attractions v. the chocolate farm.

Excellent visit with the chocolate farm and ditto with Kilauea. Missed the waterfall part of the trip because of a traffic accident that caused us a delay. Guide was VERY knowledgeable and a fun and enjoyable person to be with.

Our guide, Debra, was great! I was surprised by a bout of altitude sickness and she was very kind, patient and helpful. Luckily, we got to see an eruption, which changed her hiking plans for the day, but she didn't miss a beat. The pick up on the west side of the island was right on time. Box lunch was perfect. We would have preferred to skip the chocolate part of the tour and spend more time in the national park, but we had one guest who wanted to see it. I don't think it adds much to the experience of the day. Rainbow falls stop at the end of the day was relaxing and peaceful. Highly recommend this tour.

Tour was great. Tour guy Jon was better. Great scenery from coastline to mountains. Jon explained all about volcanoes and dates of eruptions. Lunch and snacks provided. Island history and native narrative was great. Enjoyed story about Hawaiian culture and palace buildings.

Terrific tour of the Big Island! Our tour guide Mel was so knowledgeable and helpful. She answered all of my many questions and tailored the tour for our group. I learned a LOT about the unique geology, flora, fauna and the first settlers to reach Hawaii. I enjoyed the cacao farm, the waterfall visit and especially our time in Volcano National Park. Highly recommend this tour!

We totally loved our day with Deborah and the small group that joined the tour. It’s a long day but we saw so much and learned so much. Deborah is a great guide - really knowledgeable, really interesting and lovely to everyone. We had a lovely group which really helped. The volcano national park was a highlight - but also enjoyed the other bits of the tour too. I would highly recommend this tour. Would also be good for families.

This is a great way to see Volcanoes Park without driving. Our guide was Debra. Can't recommend her enough. She was intelligent, informative and very helpful and thoughtful. They provide water bottles and ice water and backpacks. Sunscreen, bug spray, rain jackets and blankets were also available. Besides the park, you visit a cacao farm where you can taste the beans fresh from the pod (surprisingly good!) and dried as well as sample the finished chocolate. The Rainbow Falls were beautiful.

Overall Experience: This tour is a must-do for anyone visiting the big island. It perfectly blends adventure, education, and relaxation, leaving you with lasting memories and a deeper appreciation for the island's natural beauty. Highly recommended for solo travelers, couples, and families alike! Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Guide Eugene did a great job. Excellent driving. He brought us to the optimal place to see the erupting volcano and a nice visit to the cocoa plantation.

We wanted to go see Kīlauea and found this tour recommended by our hotel (but not booked through the hotel). The staff is super responsive and helpful. We have a gluten free need in our family and it was easily accommodated. The tour itself was awesome. A lot of driving but it was filled with history and story telling. All three sites were great, but ‘Auntie’ Mel (guide) was fabulous. She was kind, considerate, knowledgeable, and engaging. She made sure everyone was getting what they needed out of the tour and really made it memorable for our family. By the end of it I felt like our kids really did get an awesome new aunt in Hawaii 🙂

No molten lava but lots of other stuff. Pit craters , volcano views, good chocolate. Our guide Bret was excellent. Many great stories, was really good with the kids on the tour (8 and 12). Very knowledgeable about geology, history, and culture of Hawaii.

This was one of the best tours I've ever been on! Mel, our guide, is so knowledgeable and friendly, and the places we went were amazing! Mel tailored the trip to our group's interests and hiking ability - we were all hikers (aged 30-something to 80) so we got to do a 4 mile hike down & back to the volcano caldera. A real highlight was getting to go to the privately owned lava tube, which was part of why I chose this trip - a very unique opportunity!! We had time for a quick stop at an old growth forest - another rare opportunity, and an extra that Mel added! Everyone loved it!

The guide was very knowledgeable and took us to examples of each phenomena. The private lava tube was amazing. The guide adjusted to our interests and her enthusiasm for volcanos and the big island made the trip more enjoyable

Extremely informative. Tour picked us up from our resort in the Waikoloa are. During initial drive to the Volcano National Park area, our tour guide Mel(anie) gave us the history of the 5 volcanoes that make up the Big Island. We then toured a lava cave on a piece of private property owned by the tour company, with a detailed explanation of how lava tubes are made and the ecosystem they become. We then went to the national park, got to see steam vents, a view of the crater of Kilauea from the rim, and hiked down into it to see the floor of the crater. During the entire trip, Mel provided nonstop fascinating information about the island. My daughters and I throughly enjoyed it!

The whole tour is amazing, and Eugene is a great guide! The only think i would say is that would be better to offer 2 different kinds of tour, one with people that can do more long walks and hikes, and other one that is planned for people that cant walk so much. I think that way everybody will have a better experience!

Loved the volcano tour! Magical experience in a private lava tune as well as in the Park! Many thanks to Mel for providing such great insight into the splendor of Hawaii and volcanos in general. A great introduction into an amazing world. I appreciate how well this company operates. I wouldn't hesitate to utilize the many experiences when we return to this magical island.

Very informative and fun tour. We visited a 1000 year old lava tube, which is privately owned by the company, so less footfall and completely untouched. Then went onto the national park and did a hike around the canyon rim. Mel was a fantastic driver and tour guide. She asked us all what our goals were and what we wanted to learn and ensured all our questions were answered and made us feel like part of her family. There was also plenty of snacks, drinks and food throughout the tour. Would highly recommended

I live here and decided to do this tour with my mom. I learned so much and spent more time in HVNP than I ever have before. I can’t wait to go back on my own now and explore with knowledge that is impossible to have unless you go with a skilled guide. These guys also own a lava tube that they take you to. It’s on their private land. Crazy cool!!! I’m so geeked out by this. John, the guide taught us so much about every aspect of the island. The food was good. Plenty of stops. Just the right pace for the long day it was.

This was a fantastic tour! Jon was a knowledgeable and fun guide to use. Their tour van is super comfortable. The extra bonus for this tour is that the company owns the lava tube you tour, so no one else is there and it’s in excellent condition. The biggest caution I have is that the road into the lava tube is bumpy. The van handles it well, but be thoughtful if you have back issues. Highly recommend this tour!

Lava tube ; Locarno was very interesting. guide was great. Everyone had a good time. Food was good. Tracy had great stories.

This was a great experience! Tracey was our guide, and she was so knowledgeable. The lava tube was really interesting, and hiking through volcanoes national park was really cool. It’s a very long day but so worth it!

Volcano Unveiled May 13,2024 A long ride from Kona to Hilo to the Volcano National Park. Then I did a Google map search and found that whether you go Kona—Hilo—Volcano or directly from Kona to Volcano, it’s the same distance! Andrew was our tour guide and he kept things interesting explaining geological features as we crossed up and over the saddle. Our first point of interest was the lava tube. I have explored five lava tubes in New Mexico’s El Malpais (Bad Lands). For those you have to check in at a ranger station where you buy a pass and he checks to see if you have all the proper gear (helmet, headlamp, gloves, hiking boots, & knee pads). Those lava tubes require scrambling over rocks to enter and sometimes within. So my wife never joined me on those adventures. HOWEVER, This experience had EASY ACCESS! This lava tube had a predominantly smooth floor and uniform tube unlike those in NM. Andrew pointed out the different features. After that we had lunch. The lunches provided are always good. We had pastrami sandwiches and later stew and chilli (Wife, chilli, me, stew). Then we drove to the big, most recently active volcano, Kalua Pele. We took a short hike/walk there. Beautiful flowers, ominous steam vents, and the occasional whiff of sulfur. Andrew explained the different area of the immense caldera, and what happened just a couple years prior with the last eruption. Then we were off for a second volcano which sits right next to the first! The second volcano, Keanakako, required a 1.4 mile hike round trip, the last part of which was over hardened lava. This, too, was different from NM. In NM the trails lead over what I call lava plates. Flat pieces of hardened lava that can flip over as you walk. This has none of that. So a very safe trail. Andrew told us about the Ohia plant. It has a beautiful red flower and is the first plant to grow on the freshly hardened lava. Over time it provides the soil for other vegetation. Cool. This last hike was in the rain which by the time we reached the crater’s edge was a downpour. We were thoroughly drenched by the time we got back to the van. Andrew took us to Natinonal park welcome site, so we could dry off by a roaring wood fire and eat our delicious hot stew. Good plan, but they threw us out for eating. Nice. Recommendations: It always seems to be raining, so: waterproof hiking boots and waterproof pants. They provide a raincoat, but if you take your own make sure it has a hood and is waterproof, not just water resistant. Waterproof gloves would complete the ensemble. A must tour! Super guide! Great itinerary. Oh, yes, you can go to a lava tube at the park, but there is limited parking and a long line. Plus our guide told us that the tube has suffered from all the tourists. The lava to tube the tour takes you to is in pristine condition. JUST GO!

We had a great experience on this tour! On guide, Jon, was so knowledgeable about Hawaiian culture and history, volcanic history and geological history. The private lava tube is a really cool experience, especially when you get to the Volcano National Park and see the crowds for their lava tube. The snacks and meals provided were generous sizes. Overall we had an excellent time!

Long tour be prepared. Our guide ,Tracy,was very knowledgeable which made the trip very worthwhile. Great views, moderate walking activity, craters, lava flows, walking in lava tube was cool.

Tracy with Hawaii Forest & Trail is an expert in the knowledge of the volcanos, trees, birds, and all wildlife on the Big Island. Her stories will amaze you! She will keep you entertained throughout the entire tour. The lava tunnel was the best that I have ever seen. I highly recommend the Volcano Unveiled Tour and Hawaii Forest & Trail for all your outdoor activities! They are a 5-star company!

This was our first time on the Big Island. The Forest and Trail tour was the highlight of our stay! At first we thought it was a bit pricey, but it was worth every dollar! It was a long day, from 8am to 8pm, and a lot of riding. Our tour guide Adam was amazing! He was very informative about the history of the island, the flora and fauna, and the volcanos. He took us to some places that we would have never found on our own and kept us well fed with multiple snacks, beverages, and meals. Would definitely recommend this all day adventure of a lifetime! Next time we will sign up for the star gazing. Thank you Hawai'i Forest and Trail. And a special thank you to Adam!!

This was the 2nd tour we did thru Hawaii Forest and Trail because they do such a great job. Our guide, Tracy, was extremely knowledgeable and shared many interesting facts and tidbits throughout the day. We saw and did many things that we wouldn’t have on our own, the most impressive being the lava tube! For me, this alone is worth the price of admission.

Our guide Tracy was excellent. She worked really hard and her knowledge was very extensive. We learned about geology, plants, Polynesian culture,local customs and history. The lava tube was incredible. Tracy was very personable and funny at times. She answered many questions that we all had. I would highly recommend this tour.

This was a fabulous tour. We met at their office which was a short drive from our hotel. Our tour guide was very friendly and efficient. She was very knowledgeable about the entire island and answered all our questions. We made a few stops along the way to the national park and so we were able to get an overview tour of this beautiful island. We did a few short hikes in the park and stopped into the visitor centre where we had a wonderful view of the crater at night. Since we don't like driving in the dark this was a perfect tour for us. It was a full day with a stop for a light dinner, which was provided and was totally delicious and filled us up! Would highly recommend this tour!

We absolutely loved this tour experience. Our tour guide Tracy was fantastic and provided insights and learnings all along the way. The lava tube that this tour has as a “special experience” was truly remarkable and breathtaking inside. The care the tour company provided through Tracy with snacks, lunch, and a lite dinner excellent. At the volcano site we felt like we were on another planet. Really impressed and one of the best and most insightful tours we have been on. Well Done!

Guava Jon was the best guide - super passionate and knowledgable. Saw and learned so much about the Big Island and its history and volcanoes.