This excursion was not how it was presented. I understand that they tour company had to come up with another sight since the Volcanoes National Park was closed, but the majority of this excursion was spent in a full sized charter bus driving. We maybe spent only 20 minutes at each stop. The first stop was the Mauna Loa factory to get lunch/snacks, it was 9:30 in the morning. We then went to the Black Sand Beach, then to the Orchid Farms, then to the Rainbow Falls. I was unable to see any rainbows the main reason I wanted to go on this excursion since it had started raining. We then went to a statue and the final stop was a candy/cookie store, so the bus driver could get a cup of coffee. The passengers were standing outside waiting for the driver to finish his coffee. This driver also refused to engage with any of the passengers. He apparently had the history of Hilo memorized and would not deviate from his script. He also talked down to the passengers. I would not recommend this excursion to anyone. I was very disappointed and felt like I wasted my time.
James did a fantastic job narrating our excursion and truly made a difference! The excursion itself consisted of a number of stops. Rainbow Falls, macadamia nut factory, Volcanoes National Park the crater, heat vents, lava field, and lava tube, orchid farm and candy factory. Each stop provided it's own unique experience and gave us a chance to see the area while James narrated along the way. Each stop provided the right amount to time to see/experience the location without being rushed which made the day go really fast. We would have missed the interesting information James shared if we would have tried to see these sights by ourselves.