We did the Lava Expedition - which was a great all...

We did the Lava Expedition - which was a great all day excursion. The driver, Makana, was excellent, he really made us feel like his extended family and gave us lots of cultural insight on the island and it's history throughout the day. We started by driving towards the park, stopping along the way to see where the lava had stopped just short of destroying one of the towns. The hike to the ocean entry was flat, and easy - most of it is on a paved path. The lava entry into the ocean is definitely something to see, though we did not see any actual lava on the hike (the steam covered it up while we were there) - this seems to be down to the time you go. I was expecting this to be a bit more of a trek, though the one unique perk of the hike is the company has a permit to park a lot closer than you could normally (cutting off about 4 miles round trip), though you can rent a bike or pay for a ride halfway.

After the park, and a picnic lunch watching the lava pour into the ocean. we visited lava tree state park, before heading to wine tasting and dinner at the Volcano Winery, which was exclusive to this company. The wine was unique and the BBQ dinner was really good. After dinner, we saw the steam vents, and the Thurston Lava Tube, which was really neat to visit at night.

From the lava tube we ended the night seeing the glow at the crater - the lava bubbling and pooling into the lava lake, it's crowded there, but definitely a must see while on the big island.

All in all, there wasn't anything on the excursion (aside from BBQ at the Volcano Winery) that we couldn't have done on our own. The benefit of the tour (aside from the parking at the hike to the lava entry into the ocean) is simply down to the excellent guides the company explores, their own insight and cultural knowledge, and the chance to see something along the way that you might have not thought to check out on your own. If any of these things are on your list of things to visit while on the Big Island, this is a great way to see them all in one day. The tour company does an amazing job, providing water, Patagonia jackets at night - and really everything you would need.