28 Feb 2024
The tour went smoothly from end to end. They arranged the flights and picked us up at airport on Big Island and dropped off again at the end. It was a rainy, blustery day with limited views but our tour guide Mel made up for it by describing what we would have seen on a clear day. When we encountered a road closure due to a fallen tree, Mel was able to quickly pivot and salvage the day. The lunch spot was good, offering lots of options.
At the park we did not have to rely on the written signage alone. Mel's narration of the volcanoes and the eruption process added greatly to our understanding of what we were looking at and experiencing. So cool!
The coffee plantation would have been just a store if not for Mel's insight into coffee production on the island.
All in all a great day, largely thanks to our tour guide Mel, a native Hawaiian who shared information about the geology, flora, fauna and history of the island and his family.