Custom Tours

Custom Tours

Photo courtesy Hawaiian Walkways by Linda Woodard - Guide Joe on the Kona Cloud Forest Botanical Walk

When you come to Hawaii Island, chances are you’ll have limited time but unlimited desire to make the most of your outdoor experience by doing exactly what you want to do.

Maybe you want to spend most of your time in the ocean. Or in the rainforest. Or on the planet’s newest lava plains. Or maybe you want to mix it up with some amazing combination of the above.

Photo courtesy Hawaiian Walkways by Paul Tralka - Waipio Waterfall Adventure

No problem.

A number of Big Island tour operators are happy to accommodate your wishes by designing outings tailored to what you want to see and do. All you have to do is contact them and ask!

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Plantations, Farms and Gardens

Other Attractions

The variety of Hawaii Island activities is amazing, from submarine rides and a world-class astronomy center to a white tiger and a winery on top of a volcano.

Sporting Activities

As home to the annual Ironman World Championship triathlon competition, it’s no surprise that the Big Island has its own marathon association. Other sporting activities are abundant. Tennis players can find great courts and clubs around the island.

Ironman

Every October, the famous Ironman World Championship triathlon takes place on the sun-baked Kona Coast of Hawaii Island with some 1,800 chiseled, determined super-athletes pushing their bodies and minds to the limit. This is the culmination of all the other Ironman triathlons that take place around the globe each year, and this is where the very concept of Ironman was first conceived back in 1978. Since that first race, the Ironman story has been one of amazing accomplishment, as is clear from this condensed history of the event compiled by the Ironman World Championship association.

1978 During the awards ceremony for a Hawaii running race, a debate ensues among competitors about who is more fit — swimmers, runners or other athletes. One of the participants, Navy Commander John Collins and his wife Judy, dream up a race to settle the argument. They propose combining three existing races together, to be completed in succession: the Waikiki Roughwater Swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (112 miles, originally a two-day event) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles). “Whoever finishes first we’ll call the Ironman,” said Collins. Fifteen men participate in the initial event held on February 18; 12 complete the race, led by the first Ironman, Gordon Haller. His winning time: 11 hours, 46 minutes and 58 seconds.

1980 In the event’s third year, Collins gives ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” permission to film the event, but warns ABC executives that, “Watching the race is about as exciting as watching a lawn-growing contest.” ABC’s coverage is somewhat more dramatic, and it brings Ironman worldwide recognition. The event draws 106 men and two women. Dave Scott, a 26-year-old masters swim coach from Davis, Calif., wins the event in 9:24:33. Robin Beck wins the women’s division in 11:21:24, placing 12th overall. Other triathlons of varying distances begin to take place around the world.

1981 Valerie Silk takes over supervision of the race and makes the key decision to move the Ironman from the tranquil shores of Waikiki to the barren lava fields of Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. She does this primarily to avoid Honolulu’s traffic hazards, but it lends the event a man-versus-nature element that becomes a signature component. Walt Stack, the oldest competitor (73), finishes last in 26:20:00, setting Ironman’s slowest finish time record.

1982 Arguably the most memorable moment in race history occurs. Julie Moss, a college student competing to gather research for her exercise physiology thesis, steadfastly moves toward the finish line in first place despite becoming severely fatigued and dehydrated. In the homestretch, she staggers like a punch-drunk boxer. Just yards away from the finish line, she falls to the ground. Passed by Kathleen McCartney for the women’s title, Moss nevertheless crawls to the finish line. Her courage and determination inspires millions and creates the Ironman mantra that just finishing is a victory.

1983 Contestants now are required to finish the race within 17 hours. For the first time, a qualification system goes into effect restricting entry.

1986 An anonymous donor provides race organizers with $100,000 in prize money. The purse further cements Ironman’s status as the most important triathlon in the world. The women’s race is marred by controversy as Patricia Puntous of Canada crosses the finish line first but is disqualified for a bike drafting infraction. Relative newcomer Paula Newby-Fraser of Zimbabwe is next across the line and her time of 9:49:14 sets a new women’s course record.

1987 A then-record 1,381 triathletes start Ironman; 1,283 finish within the 17-hour time limit. Contestants represent 49 states and 44 countries. The professional prize purse increases to $150,000.

1990 Silk sells Ironman to veteran Ironman triathlete Dr. Jim Gills of Florida. He forms the World Triathlon Corporation and starts the Ironman Foundation, a charitable organization designed to benefit the people of West Hawaii.

1992 Mark Allen, 34, of Cardiff, Calif., wins an unprecedented fourth consecutive title in a record time of 8:09:08. It was not the only record, though; Paula Newby-Fraser, 30, the Zimbabwean who resides in Encinitas, Calif., breaks her own course record by nearly 5 minutes, becoming the first woman ever to eclipse the 9-hour mark at the Ironman with an 8:55:28 performance.

1994 Paula Newby-Fraser becomes the only athlete, male or female, to record seven Ironman victories as she wins her fourth consecutive title in 9:20:14. Jim Ward, 77, becomes the oldest athlete ever to complete the Ironman, finishing in 16:48. Dr. Jon Franks becomes the first wheelchair competitor in the race’s history. Franks misses the bike cutoff time, but completes the entire 112-mile bike course using a hand-powered bike.

1995 Conditions on the course are among the most difficult ever seen, with headwinds sometimes reaching 45 miles per hour. Darryl Haley, formerly an NFL offensive lineman, becomes the largest athlete at 6’5”, 300 lbs., to ever complete the race.

1996 Luc Van Lierde, 27, of Belgium, in his initial Ironman, becomes the first European athlete to win the event, breaking the course record by more than three minutes with a time of 8:04:08. In the women’s race, Ironman Hall of Fame inductee Paula Newby-Fraser wins her eighth Hawaii Ironman title in 9:06:49.

1997 Thomas Hellriegel leads a trifecta of Germans first across the finish line in race conditions that longtime Ironman competitor Scott Tinley calls the toughest ever. Strong and steady headwinds averaging 30 mph slow the bike and cloudless skies with temperatures in the low 90s combine to produce the slowest finish times in a decade. John MacLean of Australia celebrating the debut of the championship’s physically challenged division by becoming the first athlete to power a hand-crank bike and wheelchair to an official finish; Jim Ward’s competing as the first 80-year-old in race history.

1998 The Ironman Triathlon World Championship celebrates its 20th Anniversary. Race founder John Collins, comes across the finish line in 16 hours, 30 minutes and 2 seconds after a 19-year hiatus from Ironman racing. Seven of the original 15 Ironman competitors are on hand to watch the race, while six of them compete. Among them is the race’s original winner Gordon Haller who finishes in 14:27:01. Also on hand are 17 of Ironman’s 21 past champions.

1999 Lyn Brooks, 51, from Baltimore, MD, becomes the first person to ever finish 20 consecutive Ironman Triathlon World Championship races.

2000 Some days are tougher than others on the Ironman course in Kona, and whipping winds made this year’s bike leg one of the toughest ever. Everyone had tales of two-fisted, white-knuckle cycling, and a few unfortunate competitors were knocked off their bike and out of the race by the “mumukus.” WTC website Ironmanlive.com delivered flawless coverage of the event worldwide over the Internet for the first time, recording on video the moment of triumph for all 1427 finishers as they crossed the Alii Drive finish line.

2001 Just three weeks after September 11, amidst crowd chants of “USA, USA,” American Tim DeBoom, 30, of Lyons, Colorado, brings the Ironman crown back to the United States for the first time since 1995. Switzerland’s Natascha Badmann, 34, successfully defends her title, earning her a third championship crown.

2002 The prize purse is increased from $325,000 to $429,000 with the male and female champion each taking home $100,000.

2003 Ironman’s 25th Anniversary race is a clean sweep for Canada as Peter Reid and Lori Bowden both reclaim the title of World Champion. For the first time in Ironman history, 20 slots are auctioned off on E-bay to raise more than $400,000 for the Kona YMCA.

2004 The Ironman Triathlon World Championship, in its 28th year, had 1,734 athletes at the starting line. Throughout 2004, more than 50,000 competitors strived to qualify for one of 1,800 spots at the event.

2005 This proves to be a great year for athletes, as many of the professional athletes achieve their fastest bike, run and overall times. Robert McKeague becomes the oldest athlete to cross an Ironman finish line. At 80-years-old, McKeague from Villa Park, IL, finishes with a time of 16:21:55. Sarah Reinertsen, from Portola Hill, CA, who attempted to become the first female amputee to finish in 2004, accomplishes her goal and makes Ironman history.

2007 More than 1,780 competitors crossed the finish line with athletes ranging in age from 18 to 78 years old. Charlie Plaskon, a 64-year-old visually impaired athlete who competed with his guide from C Different, celebrated with a time of 14 hours, 49 minutes. Scott Rigsby, a double below-the-knee amputee from Atlanta, Ga. also saw Ironman success with a finish time of 16 hours, 42 minutes.

Horseback Riding Experiences Available on the Big Island

Horseback Riding Experiences Available on the Big Island

Pololu Valley Lookout. Visitors on horseback enjoy the scenic end-of-the-road view of the vertical jade-green cliffs of the Big Island's Hamakua Coast and two offshore islets. Photo by Kirk Lee Aeder.

Hawaii Island offers a fun variety of ways visitors can saddle up for an unforgettable paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) experience, from scenic storytelling tours by horse-drawn wagon to taking the reins yourself for a guided gallop through real cattle country. It’s your choice. Choose too from a diverse selection of beautiful environments: tropical Waipio Valley stream and waterfalls trails, the wide open green spaces of Parker Ranch at sunset, the far upcountry pastures of Kahua Ranch or the southern reaches of an historic trail to Kealakekua Bay – complete with swimming and snorkeling.

Horseback Trail Rides in Waimea. Photo by Kirk Lee Aeder.

Our paniolo culture is an authentic, historical part of Big Island life, not something we’ve invented as a “visitor attraction.” Ranchers are waiting to saddle up with you and share their world. They have years of experience — some of them 3rd or 4th generation paniolo — a wealth of stories, and a real feel for the land they take you through. So whether you’ve never sat in a saddle or you run a ranch of your own, please join us for a memorable trip you’re not likely to experience anywhere else.

Other Guided Tours & Sightseeing

Whether it’s on ocean, land or in the sky, there are all sorts of guided tours for activities and sightseeing on Hawaii Island.

All Land Adventures

Botanical Gardens

Learning is fun when you’re strolling a winding path bordered by colorful flowers, palms, fruit trees and other plants, many of them with identification signs in Latin, English and Hawaiian. Hawaii Island has a number of excellent botanical gardens. There’s no faster or easier way to introduce yourself to the incredible variety of plants that grow here and around the Tropics.

Amy Greenwell Garden. Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden
82-6188 Mamalahoa Hwy., Captain Cook, HI 96704
808/323-3318; F – 323-2394
Email
www.bishopmuseum.org/greenwell
15-acre botanical garden landscaped to reflect the plant life of the area before 1779, archeological remnants of the Kona field system including stone mounds, terraces and fields where ti, sugar cane and breadfruit were cultivated.

Pua Mau Gardens. Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Pua Mau Place Botanical Garden
POB 44555, 10 Ala Kahua, Kawaihae, HI 96743
808/882-0888; F – 882-8088
www.puamau.com
Pua Mau (“ever-blooming”) is a garden in the desert. The Big Island’s newest botanical garden features the Doi and Magic Circle, a Hibiscus Maze and stunning ocean views. Currently 15 acres for self guided tours. Not-for-profit. Wonderful flowers and colorful birds.

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden
P.O. Box 80, Papaikou, HI 96781
964-5233; F – 964-1338
Email
www.hawaiigarden.com
25-acre forested valley with over 2,500 species of rare and endangered tropical rain forest plants and trees, including palms, heliconias and aroids. Garden trails wind through a tropical rain forest with waterfalls, streams and tropical plant life from around the world.

Photo courtesy Nani Mau Garden

Nani Mau Gardens
421 Makalika St., Hilo,HI 96720
808/959-3500; F – 959-3501
Email
www.nanimau.com
Nani Mau Gardens has evolved into a treasure of the Islands with 20 acres of many-splendored tropical flowers and trees, pools and waterfalls and sun dappled paths. Here are orchids and anthuriums and native Hawaiian plants. Garden is accessible via walkways or tram rides.

Umauma Falls at World Botanical Gardens

World Botanical Gardens:
808/934-9105
www.wbgi.com
Savor the beauty of our Botanical Gardens; view the spectacular triple-tiered Umauma Falls; and stroll beneath a tropical forest alongside a cascading stream on our peaceful Rainforest walk. Take in panoramic views of the Pacific and of Mauna Kea.

Akatsuka Orchid Gardens
11-3050 Volcano Rd, P.O. Box 220, Volcano, HI 96785
808/967-8234; (888) 967-6669; F – 967-7140
www.akatsukaorchid.com
One of the largest orchid collections in Hawaii. Located on the slope of Kilauea, the cool moderate climate creates ideal growing conditions. Fully covered, indoor orchid displays offer the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular beauty of the orchids and exotic tropicals completely protected from the outside elements. Pack and ship flowers home for clients.

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Bicycling

Bicycle the Islands. Photo HVCB Image Library

Home of the world-famous Ironman Triathlon with its 112-mile bike segment, the Big Island has plenty of serious cyclists—and plenty of very casual ones too. Some visitors go “bicycle camping” around the island, pedaling from campground to campground with all their gear strapped on their bikes. You can rent a bike and go out on your own, or sign up with a tour company offering guided trips.

Bike tours take you in a van to great starting points. Photo HVCB Image Library

Hiking

Hike to beautiful places. Photo by Kirk Lee Aeder, Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Hawaii Island is heaven for hikers, with hundreds of miles criss-crossing the island. One trail goes to the remote, forbidding lava fields at the 13,677-foot summit of Maunaloa. Another ancient trail traces the rocky coast. Others take you across steaming volcanic craters, through dripping rain forests or over sun-baked deserts. Some trails are challenging 20-mile treks, and others are easy strolls of less than a mile. Take your pick.

But wherever you hike, please be sure to wear sunscreen and bring rain gear and plenty of water. It’s also a good idea to hike with a partner and, if possible, carry a cell phone in case of emergency.

Family hikes in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

• For more information about trails in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, visit www.nps.gov.
• Or learn about Alu Kahakai National Historic Trail at www.nps.gov/alka/.
• For more information about trails outside the national parks, visit www.hawaiitrails.org.