Wasabi Tours' Derek Stuart was INCREDIBLE! - OK, I haven't reviewed anything in sooooo long, because I've simply not been blown away with an excursion. UNTIL 10/10/25. First, we were island hopping, and when we arrived for Day 1 of our Oah'u part, we got a call from another tour company (booked via Viator - UGH!) cancelling our Volcanos island tour on the Big Island, less than 48 hours prior, and that was the reason we had planned to be on the big island for just a day - to do that tour. We Googled and by dumb luck found Wasabi Tours and I am forever grateful we did! First, our booking was managed seamlessly and was considerate of our fixed flight times to find an option that worked, and we DID :-) Our guide, **Derek Stuart** was AMAZING. Not only is he so personable; you can also tell he simply loves his island home. We started with a stop at Bay View Farm to learn about coffee farming and production. He knows so very much about the earth, climate, weather, and how that impacts that region’s ability to grow Kona coffee. We tasted wonderful coffees and enjoyed gorgeous views! We had a delicious warm picnic lunch taking in the vistas over Cook’s Bay and learned the history there. Then we hit the road southbound, and along the way learned about the mac-nut tree production along the way. Next we drove down to southern-most bakery in the USA, Punalu'u, and had baked goods (you MUST have the malasadas – chef’s kiss). We then stopped in at the Punalu’u black sand beach where they just happened to be tagging and checking green turtles' health. Incredible to talk to the people doing the work and be able to take in the views and understand the ecosystem and life cycles of these gorgeous creatures. Then we were off to Volcanoes National Park. Now, as we were traversing the island from center west, around the southern-most point, then north into the park, Derek was sharing the histories of the volcanoes, how they formed, why they appear as they do (shield or dome versus cone volcanoes) to be sure he could focus on the incredible things to see once we were there. We got out and took a really lovely hike (they don’t do this with all groups, depending on the physical abilities of each collective group) around the rim of the lava lake at Kilauea. It was remarkable. And while we were there a week before the eruption, it was still extraordinary to see. We had a good deal of time at the park, walked through a lava tube – mind-blowing – it was about 16 feet tall and 300 feet long – Derek prepped us for how they are created and what to expect. We got the hear the Coqui frogs in the forest at night. Afterward, we stopped into a café for hot dinner (again, scrumptious and included), then on the trek back to our hotels (about 90 minutes) we stopped along the way for stargazing and to learn about the stars visible in Hawai’I that may or not be in each of our respective home locations on the CONUS or abroad. I give this 5 stars and would give 10 if the platform allowed me to! And, just an FYI, the vehicle was a Mercedes Sprinter van with tall headroom, comfy seats and plenty of outlets to keep devices charged and ready take as many photos and videos as your heart desires!

Volcano and Stargazing - Our family had an unforgettable experience on the Hawaii Volcano and Stargazing Tour, and much of that was thanks to our outstanding guide, Todd. From beginning to end, Todd struck the perfect balance of being incredibly knowledgeable, approachable, and fun. He made both kids and adults feel engaged the whole time, weaving fascinating stories about the island’s history, culture, and geology in a way that was easy to understand and entertaining. The volcano portion was breathtaking—getting to see the landscape up close while learning how it’s been shaped over time gave us a whole new appreciation for the Big Island. Todd made sure the pace was family-friendly, never rushed, and always attentive to everyone’s comfort. Later in the evening, the stargazing was another highlight. Under the pristine Hawaiian sky, Todd pointed out constellations and even shared cultural star lore, making the night sky come alive. On top of the incredible experience, the tour felt like excellent value for money. It included so much in one day and gave us memories we’ll be talking about for years. I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Big Island, especially families. If you’re lucky enough to get Todd as your guide, you’re in for something truly special.

Amazing Volcano Views - Yesterday, 11 June, Tour Guide Todd led 12 intrepid adventurers on an incredible journey to a coffee farm, an amazing bakery, thru a beautiful lava tube, to some incredible locations to view the erupting Kilauea volcano from many different angles, to a pass with only the full moon providing light. Todd set up a telescope so we could view the moon and other celestial constellations! Quite chilly, Todd had coats if needed to fully enjoy the the last stop of our adventure. The stories he told as well as the knowledge he demonstrated were superb. What an incredible guide! My wife and I along with ten fellow adventurers truly had a special day… and Todd was the reason why. Exceptional trip and an even better guide.

Memorable experience - A really wonderful experience that I highly recommend. The van was very comfortable. Lunch was outdoors in a pretty setting and dinner was in a nice restaurant. Both meals were quite good. Our driver/guide Todd was friendly, accommodating & importantly a great driver. We were a group of 11 strangers of varying ages and his entertaining personality enabled us to have fun as a group. He had a wealth of knowledge & information at each of our stops & along the way. There were so many things we learned & sights we saw at that we would not have been able to do on our own. Volcano National Park is a must see! We made many stops in the park. Some were a sight Todd wanted to show us and others required short walks, but each place was awe inspiring. We ended our day by circling back to the park after dinner to witness a lava glow & for stargazing which were both impressive and amazing. It was a very long day but totally worth it.

Outstanding Day! - My husband and I took this tour on 3/6/2025 knowing that we would be embarking on a 12-hour day to see some of the things on our bucket list. What I soon discovered was that this tour was going to be a very memorable day! Our tour guide, Dreu Basaldua was amazing! He memorized our names immediately and continued to refer to us occasionally throughout the day, as well as the other two (2) couples that joined us. Dreu shared a wealth of information; everything from Island history, to Hawaiian culture to overall knowledge of all of the places we visited and the plants and animals on the Island. Dreu made the day fun, educational and entertaining! His frequent outfit changes that coordinated with each stop added a very personal touch. The coffee farm tour was educational, the Kona coffee was great and the lunch (hot) that we had was tasty! The Panalu'u Bake Shop and the Panalu'u Black Sand Beach were in my top 3 of the day! The Malasadas at the bake shop were fabulous and we saw 5 green sea turtles at the beach. My #1 of the day was Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, specifically the Kilauea Overlook and the view of the Crater from the Volcano House ; although the volcanoe had stopped erupting the view was outstanding! I also appreciated the bathroom stops! We wrapped up the day with a scrumptious dinner at Volcano's Lava Rock Cafe and stargazing. I don't know how Dreu manages to remember so many details, but his knowledge was impressive! We had a fabulous weather day and learned more than I could possibly remember. Thank you Dreu for a day that I will remember for years to come! I highly recommend this tour and Dreu Basaldua! -- Carrie V., Ankeny, Iowa

Amazing Adventures!! - The 12 hour tour was the perfect day to see the Island and set you up to take adventures on your own. We saw so many beautiful sights, Coffee plantation, black sand beach, town and countryside, lava fields and lava tubes. Did I mention the stars! Dreu was the best tour guide ever!!!! He had so much information about the island, culture, history, geology, and flora. Did I mention the stars! He was so entertaining and considerate to all the passangers and we always knew what our next adventure would be. He taught us to be repectful and reverent towards the various locations on the island. We heard amazing stories of the gods and goddess, volcanoes, culture, history of the people of Hawaii. We had such a wonderful time it is hard to put into words, but we will remember it for a lifetime. Make sure to fit this tour into your schedule and get the best guide...Dreu! Aloha, Bob and Claudia

Trip was very organized. ... - Trip was very organized. Guide was very knowledgeable. Enjoyed the trip immensely. Nice that meals were included. Jackets were available when for cooler nighttime star gazing.

Best thing we did on our trip to the Big Island - This was the best thing we did on our trip to the big island. We saved it for one of the last few days of our trip, so the anticipation of this, was pretty high. From the second we met our tour guide Dreu, at the shuttle pick-up, thee experience was amazing. Dreu made my wife and I feel right at home - we were his first pick up of the day. He started the tour with only us, telling us about the volcano we were staying on, and he was on throughout all thee pick ups of the other guests. He basically went 13 hours straight with talking and educating the group about the island. He was a wealth of information, knowing about the coffee plantation, black sand beach , of course volcanoes, and star gazing. We spend alot of time at volcano national park, and it was a breathtaking experience with some of the views. We were very fortunate that the pause on the eruption lifted while we were there, in fact we went back to the see the start of the eruption - flashing occurred, after dinner. Later while driving away the eruption began and we could see the lights in the distance. Totally unexpected by all. We had the perfect day, weather was great, skies were pretty clear for star gazing, and having such a great guide, made this the best experience on the island.

A day on the big island that was amazing. - Drue Basaldua was a very fun and informative guide. There was very little time in the 12 hour tour that he was not telling us something about the area we were in. He ensured everyone had a good time and knew what was next. He kept the 12 hours moving but at the same time we had ample time to explore various stops. Many of the things we wanted to do in Hawaii were part of the trip with the addition of a lot of information so we learned a lot.

Great excursion but ask for a different guide - Visiting the Kilauea Volcano is a must do while on the Big Island! It is a spectacular experience. Sadly the issue we had with this tour was our guide, Todd. He was odd from the moment he picked us up and gave us a warning about how the other party of 8 was going to be”all up in their own world” and said he had to stick together. Turns out they were a lovely family and we had a great time touring together as well as commiserating about Todd’s many quirks. He would point out sites along the way and then telling us we weren’t going to talk about that now. For example, he asked us to identify a historical figure at a church graveyard in Kona and told us we would talk about that later. Why would we not discuss the church when we were looking at it? No idea. My son asked him about how a lava tube is formed and Todd scolded that we would be talking about that later! He did not want us having casual conversation with our families and preferred to yammer on endlessly. Some of his information was interesting and some was really just Todd listening to himself talk on the headset which he liked to keep very loud to discourage other interactions in the van. He also gave us a long soliloquy about his personal life which was definitely not needed. His poor directions at Volcano National Park ended up getting us lost closed to dusk and we had no way of contacting him to see if we were on the right path. I don’t know if he didn’t like our group or what his issue was, but I would request a different guide if you book this tour. Aside from Todd, we absolutely found the geology fascinating and enjoyed seeing videos of an eruption that happened only days before our visit. The donut shop and the drive through Kona could be sacrificed in my opinion to make more time for the actual Volcano tour and stargazing. I would caution that the tour is very long- over 12hours and there really isn’t time to do stargazing unless you cut one of the other stops. I wish we had more time to stargaze as they were absolutely beautiful and the stars seemed like they were twinkling in the night sky. It gets cold at night so definitely wear a jacket. Black sand beach was a very cool stop too.