Paradise Safaris

The trip begins mid-afternoon with a pick-up at one of our central locations in  Kailua Kona or at the Kings Shops (Waikoloa) or at the Jct. of Hwy 190 and 200. As we drive up the mountain, we learn about island geography, geology and natural history.
While acclimatizing and dining at the Mauna Kea visitors center , you'll find out why the world's largest telescopes are located on this spot. And you'll learn a bit about the lives of astronomers who work there.  Before leaving the visitors center we issue parkas and gloves (the warmest available) and engage our four wheel drive for the steep 1/2 hour drive to the summit area.  
On the summit, your guide will point out the  observatories as they begin to open and rotate into position. You'll learn about famous observatories such as Keck, Subaru and Gemini. There is plenty of time for photos while the sunset transforms the area into a beautiful and quite unearthly spectacle. When the best of the color has past, we descend to mid-mountain, where the sky is equally clear but the climate and air density is  much more comfortable for stargazing.
Almost every night we  explore the night sky using our large portable telescopes*.  Using high power green lasers our guides are famous for their ability to locate the treasures of the night sky and interpret them in a way that everyone can understand. Our clientele is usually very international so don't be surprised to hear us narrating in a few different languages. Halfway through the evening  we serve hot drinks and cookies to take the chill off . The tour is 7-8 1/2 hours in duration. The actual schedule of the trip varies throughout the year according to sunset times.

THE TRIP INCLUDES
·         Extremely informative narration from our highly trained guides
·         Convenient central pick-up points in Kailua Kona, Waikoloa  or at the highway 190/200 junction
·         Van Terra 4x4 micro-coaches-  more comfort, more space and panoramic views
·         Superb scenery and photo opportunities with Sunset on the summit
·         Arctic style hooded parkas and gloves
·          Delicious hearty meal choices: Kho chu Jang Beef ribs, Teriyaki Chicken or Veggie Tofu wrap served at the Onizuka Visitors Center lanai
·         11" Celestron CPC telescopes (90%more powerful than 8"scopes carried by other companies on Mauna Kea)
·         Stargazing program* with our powerful telescope (weather permitting