Top Hawaii Day Trips - page 2

Definitely a must do on Maui. Despite the long drive, it was 100% worth it and we highly recommend it to anyone visiting. Our driver Marty was extremely knowledgeable and knew all the best places to stop. We definitely recommend taking the tour rather than driving yourself.

The tour was wonderful. They provided warm fleece hooded blankets which was really helpful with the cold weather at the top. The breakfast was delicious and the views were incredible. Everette gave us such great explanations and history along the way. You could do this cheaper and on your own but this was 100% worth not dealing with the hassle and having someone experienced take you. We were back in time to enjoy the rest of the day at the pool!

This is an experience that cannot be missed! Seeing the sunset atop Mauna Kea, considered the tallest mountain in the world, literally above the clouds, is truly one of a kind. The landscape itself is otherworldly. When people say it looks like another planet, they aren’t lying. It’s how I imagine Mars would look! After sunset, we gathered under the clear night sky and gazed at the thousands of stars dotting the vast darkness. Coming from a big city, I have never seen a night sky with that many stars—and shooting stars too! It was absolutely surreal! Our guides, John and Chris, were awesome and made the experience even more memorable. They showed us the constellations and had a telescope that allowed us to see celestial objects I had only ever seen in pictures. Holy smokes! What I saw through that telescope was spectacular! Seeing nebulae and distant stars with my own eyes gave me an entirely different appreciation for the sheer scale of the universe. And somehow, one of my favorite little details was enjoying hot cocoa while stargazing. There was something wonderfully cozy about holding a warm cup of cocoa while peering into the vastness of a cosmos so far beyond our ability to fully comprehend. You feel incredibly small looking out into that immensity, yet at the same time, the warmth of the cocoa makes you feel grounded and present in that exact moment. More than anything, though, this was a deeply spiritual experience for me. Mauna Kea is sacred in Native Hawaiian culture, and standing there, I could appreciate why this mountain has held such profound significance for generations. You feel so close to the celestial heavens when you’re there. The experience also gave me an even greater appreciation for the extraordinary astronomical and navigational knowledge of Native Hawaiians and other Polynesian voyagers. Just wow. Between the sunset above the clouds, the otherworldly landscape, the incredible night sky, the telescope, the shooting stars, the hot cocoa, and our fantastic guides, this was an unforgettable experience from beginning to end. I feel incredibly grateful and fortunate to have experienced Mauna Kea in this way.