Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Jeff Hunt Surfboards
SURFING
(
965-2322;
http://jeffhuntsurfboards.com
; 15-2883 Pahoa Village Rd; rental per day $25;
10am-5pm Mon-Sat, 11am-3pm Sun)
Jeff Hunt is one of the island's best board shapers, and
at his little hut you can buy one, talk surfing and rent soft-top boards.
Paradissimo Tropical Spa
SPA
timation, there's no better way to spend a rainy afternoon than getting a good pampering
here. Owner Olivia is a tender soul with talented hands and the organic spa products she
uses feel like a magical alchemy for the skin. Sauna and massage also available.
Tours
Bird-watching or discovering pockets of unbridled nature along the Puna coast are high-
lights of guided tours in this area, but if the lava is flowing, you
must
go on a lava-spot-
ting tour. You can depart either by boat or on foot from Kalapana (
Click here
)
. Remem-
ber the four classic elements: wind, water, earth and fire? It's rare to see all four occur
naturally at once, but that's exactly what happens on lava tours. Maybe those old alchem-
ists had it right, because when the four substances combine, creation - of the Big Island
itself - occurs.
Lava Ocean Adventures
BOAT TOUR
Kai
get you close enough to the lava that you feel the heat and smell the sulphur. It's an
unforgettable experience. These expertly narrated tours motor from Isaac Hale Beach
Park to the sea entry near Kalapana, where you'll see lava gushing into the ocean, boiling
it on contact.
For 30 minutes watch as live lava chunks explode underwater, getting churned into a
water-molten rock ʻsmoothie' while a new black-sand beach is built - simply awesome.
Go for the sunrise tour and you'll be escorted by flying fish, leaping dolphins and maybe
a rainbow. Warning: you may get seasick.
Native Guide Hawaii
GUIDED TOUR
(
982-7575;
www.nativeguidehawaii.com
; tour incl lunch $300, or $150 per person for 2+ groups;
by appointment)
Tours with Native Hawaiian and cultural practitioner Warren
Costa are different. He's trained, personal, professional and he knows his land well. All-
