Taikobo Hawaii Inc — Local services in Hawaii

To summit Mauna Kea is not a joke. The access roads and modern cheat codes make it seem like average dummies like myself ought to be able to do it easily but there are some real things to consider like your choice of vehicle, the grade of the access road, rapidly changing weather conditions and the very real risk of altitude sickness. The access road is over 23km and climbs 2km from the saddle road to the summit. My son and I tried and failed to summit only achieving the Onizuka visitor's centre before we had to turn back because we had a FWD vehicle. Sure we could have rented an AWD and tried again but the last 8km are a poorly maintained gravel road and you probably ought to check if your rental insurance is going to cover your shenanigans on such a dangerous road. We instead booked with Taikobo which provided pick-up and drop-off at no charge from Kona side locations. We got snacks and were provided parkas (it was 0°c at the observatories a full 25° difference from sea level). The ride is a Merc Sprinter. The best part of this was our guide and driver, Shin. Great guy, safety conscious and an excellent driver. He also had the best spots out of any other tour group. We booked last minute with less than 24 hours notice and everything went off without a hitch. Yes, I would have liked to drive myself to the summit but descending the mountain is a challenge and if you plan to see the sun set you might have to make that descent in the dark, drunk from lack of oxygen and still be faced with another hour or more of driving to reach Kona or Hilo. My advice is to hire these guys after you get turned away and let a professional do the driving it is absolutely worth it. Besides the peace of mind you might get to meet Shin who besides being a wealth of knowledge also pointed out other very important things like travel times between way points and very importantly for your lady friend the general quality and availability of bathrooms at each point of no return. Besides making it possible for some dumb Canadians to go from the ocean to above the clouds with little pre planning it was a comfortable and very safe excursion....

Mauna Kea sunset & stargazing tour (by Taikobo)-the BEST trip EVER!! John, our tour guide was great! Knowledgeable and informative. Emmy was a doll and very helpful! For those who know my love of Astronomy, you’ll appreciate that I got to see the darkest, most AMAZING night sky of my entire life from Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii!! The Milky Way was incredible … Stars everywhere … and we saw Crux, the Southern Cross (which we can’t see from GA’s latitude!). Also looked at the Jewel Box Star Cluster through a telescope! Soon as I got out of the tour van & saw Crux, out came my green laser pointer & I was in full ‘Star-party’ mode & pointing out all the constellations & stars we could see!! (just retired from teaching Astronomy in H.S. - 36 years as a Science teacher total!!) ❤️🔭 Thanks to my hubby, Mark Seng, for such a wonderful trip to celebrate a belated 25th anniversary (thanks, CoVid!) & my retirement!! Saw the sunset from atop Maunakea in view of the twin Keck Telescopes & other observatories - elevation over 13,600 ft! Very cold! Then drove down to 9,500 ft elevation for some Star gazing & astrophotography. Just an incredible view of the night sky - truly a memory I’ll cherish forever!! We...

Our Mauna Kea tour with John was absolutely unforgettable! He’s incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience both fun and informative. We loved every part of the sunset and stargazing tour.

The tour van was a Mercedes, very spacious and comfortable, with a smooth ride that made the journey even more enjoyable. John provided a detailed and fascinating introduction to the region, and gave us plenty of time to take in the sunset and night sky.

He even helped us capture stunning photos using his professional equipment, and used a computerized telescope to show us stars and constellations in incredible detail. The whole experience was magical.

The snack bag was thoughtfully prepared and filled with delicious local treats.

We would absolutely do this tour again if we return to Hawaii. Highly...