Tovin Lapan
Kilauea, the Hawaii Island volcano that has taken out whole neighborhoods with rivers of lava and spewed towering columns of ash into the air since May, is starting to show signs of decreased activity. Still, the majority of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the most visited attraction in the entire state, remains closed and will need significant repairs to roads, buildings and other infrastructure before its safe to welcome back the public.
Accordingly, tour operators and outfitters are adjusting to the new reality, exploring previously overlooked parts of the park that remain open, and concocting new, imaginative tours to fill some of the gaps.
KapohoKine Adventures has done just that, introducing a half-dozen new tours that blend the history and culture of the island with outdoor wonders and activities.
Co-owner Gary Marrow said KapohoKine, which has been operating on Hawaii Island for 15 years, had not seen a slowdown similar to the last few months since the 2008 recession, but business is starting to level out again. While some clients cancelled tours, especially when the eruptions were making national headlines in May, Marrow said interest in the island and the volcano has increased among others, including a surge in bookings from New Zealand visitors.
"Things are picking back up and the volcano activity is calming down," Marrow said. "With the eruption and with Hawaii Volcanoes National Park closing, it lit a fire under us to come up with some brand new tours and to show guests other parts of the island."
The majority of the park, including one of the main attractions, Halemaumau crater, is closed, but one portion, the Kahuku unit, remains open to visitors.
"The Kahuku unit is on the southwest part of the island and is huge, some 116,000 acres. It's an amazing part of the park that is still open and it's sort of been rediscovered since most people went to the main unit previously," Marrow said. "We're taking guests to Kahuku, where you can explore the 1868 lava flows, the history of ranching in the area, and beautiful forests."
The "Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Waterfalls Explorer" is a full-day excursion that is adapted daily to make the most of the current volcanic activity.
"Every day is different and we never know exactly what the volcano will be doing any given day," Marrow said. "Right now we have lava entering ocean. It's an amazing, gorgeous fissure and that's a highlight now for visitors."
The tour's first stop is at Bay View Farms, a working coffee farm with views of Kealakekua Bay. The tour then takes guests to the Kahuku Unit and onto Punaluu Black Sand Beach. Guests then head to a volcanic winery for a wine and tea tasting of products made from plants grown in volcanic topsoil. Finally, the tour passses through Hilo on its way to Rainbow Falls and Akaka Falls.
While Kilauea cannot be currently explored by land, there is always air and sea. KapohoKine partners with Blue Hawaiian and Kalapana Cultural Tours to offer packages that include helicopter and boat rides respectively. On the boat tour, guests leave from Hilo and venture south to the Puna area where lava is currently spilling into the ocean. The helicopter tour is packaged with a zipline and evening volcano tour.
"With the helicopter, zipline and volcano tour, participants see 80% of the island in one day," Marrow said.
KapohoKine has also added the "Cap'n Cook by Land and Sea" tour. Cook was the first European to come to the Hawaii Islands, and upon a return journey was attacked and killed in Kealakekua Bay. The package starts with a tour and tasting at the 24-acre Bay View Farm near Kealakekua Bay, before guests head to Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park, where some temple platforms, fishponds and other remnants of early Hawaiian life remain. Next, a high-speed zodiac raft carries visitors to sea caves and lava tubes on the way to snorkel in Kealakekua Bay.
The new "Kings, Kohala and Paniolo" tour explores the birthplace of Kamehameha I, Hawaii's first king, in addition to a trek through Pololu Valley to its black sand beach. The tour also takes participants to Parker Ranch, which was a large part of starting the ranch culture that persists today on Hawaii Island's northwest coast.
KapohoKine has also added a tour of the northwest Hamakua Heritage region, including stops at Akaka Falls State Park, which offers an easy walking path with vistas of multiple cascades.
In addition to the handful of new tours from KapohoKine Adventures, they are also still running their existing slate of excursions which includes Waipio Valley, Mauna Kea stargazing, and various zipline tours coupled with other activities.