We recently took the Road to Hana tour with Temptation Tours, and I must say it was a thoroughly disappointing experience. Despite confirming over the phone that there would only be 4 people in our group, we ended up being packed into a van with 8 people. This was far from the intimate tour we were promised.
The breakfast provided was nothing more than a Little Debbie chocolate croissant, which hardly constitutes a proper meal. Lunch was equally underwhelming. Considering the numerous restaurants along the way, the lack of a decent meal was a significant letdown.
The van itself was old and uncomfortable. Our driver repeatedly mentioned that he wished we had been given one of the newer vans, and it was easy to see why. The advertised "captain's chairs" for each passenger were nonexistent. Someone was crammed into the front seat with no legroom, and three people were squished into the very back. This was far from the comfortable experience we expected.
The guide's performance was the worst part of the tour. He knew virtually nothing about the history of the road or the surrounding area. Instead, he spent most of the time talking about the houses he built for celebrities during his time in construction. His negative remarks about the locals were highly inappropriate and uncomfortable, including statements like "they don’t like white people but you get used to it" and "all the locals will be out here this weekend for Memorial Day, I think I’ll call in."
For the cost of this tour, we expected a high-quality experience. Unfortunately, it did not live up to any of the hype. I would never book a tour through this company again and strongly advise others to avoid it as well.
Response from Host
May 2024
Dear Anthony,
Thank you for your feedback. We take all the information we get from our guests to heart and look into each situation individually. We pride ourselves on the best team of Hawai'i Certified Tour guides, which many awards and reviews, as you can see, will attest to their great wealth of knowledge and experience. Steve has had many 5-Star reviews. We understand that your experience did not meet your expectations, and for that, we sincerely apologize. To express our commitment to customer satisfaction, we offer you a 20% refund. In addition, we would like to shed some light on a few things. We can never promise a private tour unless our guests book the full 8-person van for fewer people. Our Luxury Limo-Vans are updated often, cleaned, and serviced daily. Our meals are curated daily from local sources with many wonderful reviews.
Anthony, as a family-run business with a legacy of over 38 years, we hold ourselves to high standards. We are proud of our 1500 5-star reviews and many awards, which testify to our commitment to our guests. We understand that your experience was not what you expected, and we are truly sorry for that. We hope the 20% refund will help ease some of your disappointment. We are always striving to improve, and your feedback is invaluable in this process. Thank you for sharing it with us.
We hope that despite the challenges, you were able to appreciate some of the Aloha of Hana and her beauty and magic.
Best Regards,
Dave and Kathy Campbell
Owners
Temptation Tours