Can anyone recommend a really good guide for the Volcano. One who will answer all the kids%26#39; questions?
Guide for the Volcano
Jc11235,
I don’t recommend a guided tour of Volcano. Instead talk to the park rangers, especially if one can get there early in the morning, there are ranger led hikes etc. Check out the website ahead of time to have an idea of what you and your kids would be interested in.
http://www.nps.gov/havo/
If one must take a tour, check into Hawaii Forest and Trails
Good luck and happy travels!
Guide for the Volcano
as echolynch said,
education and guidance are built into the national park system staffing and there are many educational exhibits that can give the kids a foundation. No need to pay a guide.
In addition, there are signs and plaques at the various lookouts.
Although I have never met anyone who can answer ALL the questions kids can ask ... ;-)
Definitely read through the website and follow the links.
Print out relevant material.
USGS has a good one that is linked from the NPS site.
For a more peaceful time at the actual site, I recommend you start explaining the information you find on the website beforehand, so the kids are ahead of the game when they arrive.
Echolynch and KamaainaK
Thank you so much for the advice, and especially the link. This will help me to prepare the children for what looks to be a most fantastic trip!
Aloha! I agree with both of the experts%26#39; recommendations regarding the park rangers. They are helpful and knowledgeable. Additionally, learning about the park from the various resources, including the parks%26#39; own web site, before your departure would enrich not only your own experience but also that of relating to your children in a meaningful way.
If, however, you wish to have a personal guide who would be at every site with you to explain the features, the history, the people, and lots of other wonderful insight, try www.nativeguidehawaii.com. Everyone who tried this service raves about it.
Enjoy!
Just want to second the recommendation for native hawiaan guide as a personal guide service. My wife and I hired Warren on 5/15/07 and had a great experience.
Charlie
Mahalo everyone!!!
www.nativeguidehawaii.com
will be a wonderful web site to share and use.
This is for Charlie aka aafflyer. We have set up a trip next Friday with Warren of native guide hawaii. What did you do besides see the active lava flow? When I talked to him last night, it appears that there are two trips one will be in the park with short hikes and walks without the lava flow (of course with much history,etc.) and the other one will be to see the active lava flow, but then the rest of the trip will be done by the ocean, I think more the Puna area. Which trip did you take.
Thanks.
Marlene
Hi Marlene (and everyone else) -
What you chose to do with your time with Warren totally depends on what you want to do. In our case, the whole purpose of going to the Big Island was to see and photograph lava -- it had been my wife%26#39;s dream since a little kid. And everytime we have shared the pictures and video with friends and family, she (and I) are again in awe.
Our time with Warren was from about 9:15 am until about 4 pm. We were picked up at our cottage we rented in Volcano, and from there it was about an hour drive to the ';other side of the park'; (including a ';last chance restroom stop'; at a small church that was relocated before it was destroyed by an 80%26#39;s lava flow. From where we parked, it was about an hour hike to the an area with surface flow breakout, with several pauses along the way for photographs and to take in the sites.
Once we found an area with active surface flow, we probably spent at least an hour there, in awe, taking pictures, talking, having a snack, etc, before doing the return hike. You may wish to spend more or less time at the lava, and the hike could be shorter or longer. Once you%26#39;ve been there, you understand that conditions can change daily as to where and if there will be surface flow.
After the time in the lava flow area, we drove along the coast, and stopped at a scenic area for a nice lunch that Warren had provided. We then continued to drive along the coast, at some point turning inland for the drive back to Volcano. We did make a stop at Lava Tree State Park (I had read about it in a guide book and asked Warren to go back to it when I saw us drive by it).
So, back to your question, the ';tours'; he does are really self chosen in that he can modify what you do based on your input. However, he is very knowledgeable, friendly, and has a very interesting background. He also worked for the park for many years, and thus does know his stuff. I recommend him without question.
Getting back to our goal being to see lava and the park, we spent about seven to eight hours the day before on our own at the park. Depending on your interests, there are lots of areas and hikes to see in the park. We did the drive to the end of the Chain of Craters road, and again spent about an hour or two hiking around there. We hiked to the petroglyph field (just short of two miles roundtrip -- this was interesting, but not as dramatic as some of the petroglyphs in Utah (newspaper rock comes to mind).
And besides the day with Warren, and the day in the park by ourselves, we did a doors off helicopter ride where we got to see the active vents, lava tube holes / skylights, and the lava entering the sea. This too was amazing (but very, very windy and cold as we were not bright and did not take a jacket on the helicopter).
Anyway, I%26#39;m sure you will have a great time. Be sure to tell Warren that Charlie and Cathy say hi, and when you sign his guestbook look for my wifes entry from 5/15/07.
Have a great trip!
Charlie
I just happened to come across an article about Warren:
pe.com/lifestyles/stories/PE_Fea_Travel_D_ki…
He sounds very good.
My first post was to reinforce that you don%26#39;t have to spend extra money to be guided around VNP. If one wishes to spend the money for a guide, he sounds like a knowledgable person who is also good with people. The two don%26#39;t always go together.
Charlie, thank you so much for the information. I%26#39;m so glad you liked the tour. The whole point of us going with a guide was to be able to see the lava without hurting ourselves or damaging the rental car on the area outside the park and not hike 9 miles in ridiculous conditions and to learn about this remarkable unique area.
Was the hike out to the lava very difficult? Warren says it is about 4 miles roundtrip. Did you enjoy the 2nd half of the trip through Puna? Did you stop much and see the sites?
The day before (this coming Thursday, it%26#39;s almost here!) we plan on the Kilauea Iki hike, and the Thurston Lava Tube and the Crater rim Drive. That way we should see the ';highlites'; of the park.
I have a tough question, so I hope you don%26#39;t mind me asking. We can only afford either the guided hike or the open door helicopter ride. If we brought jackets with on the heli ride, which one would you recommend in seeing the active lava flow?
Thank you again, Charlie, for sharing your first hand experiences!
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