1. What should we wear? Long pants or shorts, light jacket or sweatshirt, closed toe sport or walking shoes (tennis shoes are fine). Long pants are recommended for Kilauea Volcanoes Tour and birding tours, though shorts are acceptable. Long pants for the Kohala Mule Tour please. Swimsuit is optional for Kohala Waterfalls Adventure Tour.

2. How about the Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Tour? Closed toe shoes and long pants with a sweatshirt or sweater are good. We provide arctic parkas with hoods and gloves that should keep you warm and comfortable.

3. Do we need to make reservations in advance? This is recommended, especially on full day tours. At least one week prior is strongly suggested.

4. Can I call the day before and get on a tour once we are on the island? Yes, although your tour of choice may be sold out. We do keep a waiting list.

5. What is your cancellation policy? 24 hour cancellation is required. With less than 24 hours notice, guests are charged full price of the tour.

6. How many people go on a tour? Four to 10 guests.

7. Can I have an exclusive tour for just myself and my family? Yes, we do private tours.

8. What happens if it rains? We go rain or shine. Guides always bring raingear for the guests. We only cancel when weather makes transportation or walking hazardous.

9. What if it’s cloudy on Mauna Kea? The summit of Mauna Kea is normally above the clouds. If the weather – clouds, snow, ice or high winds – cause us to cancel the tour, there is no charge, of course.

10. What is required to make a reservation? Name, address, phone # and accommodations on the Big Island, arrival and departure dates, and credit card #. If you are going on a full day tour we will also need a lunch order. Check-in via phone to confirm your pickup time when you arrive on the island.

11. What is served for lunch? Deli sandwiches (turkey, ham, tuna, roast beef or veggie on a whole wheat Kaiser roll with lettuce, tomato and Swiss cheese), potato chips, chocolate chip and nut “Ranger cookie, sodas, juice drinks and bottled water.

12. What is served for snack? Snack includes: fresh fruit, fresh-baked banana bread and/or pound cakes, sodas, juice drinks and bottled water.

13. What is served for dinner? For the Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Tour only: Minestrone Soup, Choice of entrée: Grilled Chicken w/mango chutney relish or Grilled Fish w/macadamia nut pesto or Baked Tofu w/asian teriyaki sauce. All entrée's served w/wild rice medley and fresh grilled vegetables. Dessert: Chocolate Coma Cookies Chocolate chips, cherries, almonds and oatmeal.

14. How hard are the hikes? We like to call them walks rather than hikes. We walk at a very leisurely pace and stop often to point out various things on the trail. There is no major elevation gain or loss on our walks as they are for the most part level with short distances of uneven terrain. Sometimes if we can't drive to the trailhead. For Kilauea Volcanoes, there are a number of short hikes in the Park from .25 mile to one mile.

15. What is your best tour for children? Kohala Waterfalls Adventure, Kohala Mule Trail Adventure, Hualalai Volcano Adventure and Kilauea Volcano Adventure are all great family tours.

16. What if I am looking for a longer hike? We can do longer hikes by request on an exclusive basis.

17. Where do your tours leave from? All of our tours leave from the Hawaii Forest & Trail headquarters across from the Honokohau Harbor entrance in Kona. However, we do pick up and/or drop off guests at the various large resort hotels on the Kohala Coast or at the Kings” Shops at the Waikoloa Resort.

18. How do we get to Hawaii Forest and Trail headquarters? We are located on Highway 19 two miles north of the town of Kailua-Kona across from the Honokohau Harbor entrance on the “mountain side” of the highway behind the Chevron Gas Station.

19. How do we get to the King's Shops? From Kailua-Kona, take Hwy. 19 north for 30 minutes. Turn left at the Waikoloa Resorts entrance onto Waikoloa Beach Drive, the King's Shops will be on your right. Turn right at the first stop sign, park, and look for Roy's Restaurant.

20. What about tipping the guides? This is up to you, but many people do tip our guides an amount they feel is appropriate for the quality of the nature experience they have had on our tour.