Big Island Backroad Adventures 73-1945 Kaloko Drive, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

"We did the Big Island tour with Shawn and had a wonderful time! It was a long day full of beaches, a volcano, and waterfalls. We were exhausted at the end of it all, but we really felt like we had gotten a wholistic view of the island. Shawn was amazing: safe driver, highly knowledgeable, and he made sure we were happy the entire time. There was even a Lovell local dinner at the end of the day! This private, customizable tour is a must for anyone who wants to get a personal feel of Hawaii."

"This was absolutely the best excursion we (myself, my husband and our adult daughter) did during our two week stay in Hawaii!! The highlight of our trip was spending the day with Shawn on the Water and Fire Tour. He is very passionate about all things Hawaii and his passion really shines through in the knowledge that he shares with you during your day. We really appreciated that he picked us up at our rental house, did all the driving and took pictures of us and everything we were seeing so we didn't have to worry about using our phones to take photos, and kept us fed and hydrated the whole day. He talked to us about the history of Hawaii, the legends and folklore, pointed out all the species of flowers, plants and trees, picked us fresh fruit, and pointed out all the different animals we saw through out the day. Sure you could see water falls and volcanos on your own but having someone talking to you about everything you are seeing and answering all your questions was priceless. I thought it would be awkward to spend so much time with a stranger but we said good bye to a new friend."

"What an amazing experience! From the start, Shawn helped create the perfect tour for us. We took a few things from his various tours and made it into a custom experience that was beyond anything we could have expected. Shawn was a great communicator beginning to end. He answered all of our questions before (and during!) the tour and made us feel comfortable with everything. Our day began with Shawn picking us up at our hotel. We had no idea what to expect as this was our first time doing a private tour. The initial ride before our first stop was fairly long, but Shawn was able to use this time to give us a tour of the island and fill us in on the history of the island. You can tell how much Shawn loves what he does and how much he loves the island. Shawn has an incredible and impressive amount of knowledge about everything and anything Big Island, you can feel his passion for learning and his passion for sharing this knowledge throughout the tour. Our kids (9 and 13) were easily entertained and engaged by Shawn’s knowledge and approach. This is by no means a tour just for families, it would be perfect for anyone, but Shawn effortlessly adapted the information for kids and adults. Spending an entire day with a stranger could be hard but Shawn is so friendly that we quickly felt like we were spending the day with a friend. During our tour we had to make some changes on the go and Shawn was able to adapt quickly and had some alternatives ready to go. Shawn really helped to make this tour feel special and personal. On top of all of this, Shawn had everything we needed-snacks, drinks, rain coats, and head lamps! He made it so easy to pack for this tour. We can’t recommend Backroad Adventures enough. It has been a few days since we did our tour and we are still talking about it. Shawn definitely made Big Island memorable for us!"

"Our family did the private, full day water and fire tour. My husband and I agreed this was the best tour we’ve ever done. Sean is great at what he does; he is so knowledgeable about the island, a true naturalist. There was no question he couldn’t answer. He has thought of everything: comfortable expedition with plenty of room, pick up at our resort, microphone headset so everyone can easily hear him speak in the car, amazing lunch and dinner provided at local restaurants, in depth and interesting commentary about the island, included photos he took for us throughout the tour, and plenty of drinks and snacks. I was worried that a full day tour would be too long, but Sean kept our interest throughout the day, talking to us and showing us amazing sites. My favorite moments were the short hikes through the jungle to the waterfalls and volcanoes, walk through a lava tube, and feeling the steam of the steam vents. We stopped at a local food stand for lunch that was a highlight of our trip. We would have never found this on our own. They had such fresh food; we loved trying their freshly picked Hawaiian fruit, including passion fruit, papaya, and fruit smoothies. I am sure you will not be disappointed with any of Sean’s tours."

"I want to give a shout out to Big Island Backroad Adventures for an amazing Big Island experience. We went on their Waterfall Experience and I give it 5 stars. The vehicle we traveled it was very comfortable and our guide, Shawn, was so knowledgeable, personable and attentive to our needs. We went to the Boiling Pots, Rainbow Falls, the Botanical Gardens, Laupahoehoe Park and to the Waipio Valley Lookout. A little Hawaiian rainstorm tried to get in our way but our guide quickly changed course and took us on to another great location. Our lunch at the What’s Shakin shack was so good. I had the ono wrap and would highly recommend it. Shawn was also always advising us on where the bathrooms breaks were and offering us snacks and drinks at all of our stops. I highly recommend this company!"