Heads up: this post is more than 5 years old and may contain out of date information. Lava is no longer viewable from the ocean.
As a quick update, since my trip, a few friends have also ventured out to Hawaii’s Volcano via a boat tour and this review reflects the collective 2016 & 2017 experience.
I’m a cheap budget conscious traveler. Sure, I chase adventures and marvel at new experiences but I hate having to pay for anything I think I can do on my own. So, when I planned a trip out to the Big Island of Hawaii to check out Kilauea Volcano’s lava flows I naturally opted to take a (free) hike to the lava for my first view. Now don’t get me wrong, the hike was epic in its own right, so epic that I bumped my plans to head to Waikiki Beach, extended my stay, and slept in my car to do it all over again. Heck, I’d make the hike out again tomorrow if there wasn’t like 3,000 miles of water in the way. But as impressive as the hike was, tantalizing photos from guiding made it clear that the lava boat was in another league.
Coughing up $200 for a couple hours on the ocean was not a decision I came to quickly however. Standing above the flows, I’d seen large, jam packed boats crowding the lava’s exit point while TripAdvisor reviews shared woes from people who had been stuck waiting for their tour to turn around for the chance of a view. Still, I wanted that classic lava meets water view and more than anything, I wanted to see the lava close up so at last decided to take the plunge.
There are many boat operators to choose from with varying sizes of crafts and packages. Most important to me was size, attitude, and admittedly price so I figured talking to the operators myself would be my best bet.
For that, I headed down to the lava viewing area where Kalapana Cultural Tours and many others have setup booths (don’t let the websites fool you, the best companies are not often the slickest.)
Kalapana Culture Tours grabbed my interest from the start by running updating video clips from recent trips (you can see footage from them regularly on Instagram) but really it was their relaxed vibe and incredibly inviting attitude that won me over — that and their small (6 passenger) boat. After a few more questions, I snagged a last minute spot for the next morning’s 5am sunrise trip. Sunrise because I’d been told it was the best time for photos where as sunset has to be the most incredible outright view — not that any time would be bad!
Most of the lava boats I scoped out leave from a dock just a couple miles away from the lava viewing parking lot and with a 4:30am start, I opted to skip the spendy hotel and crashed in my car for a couple hours at an undisclosed location. Starting out in the dark with half a night’s sleep is never fun but there’s something to be said about a little misery in making for an adventure. My fellow passengers and I were well into conversation about what the day would hold when the boat rolled up and our really energetic (or perhaps well caffeinated) captain rolled on up to meet us, boat in tow. Perhaps he was just hyped up because he gets paid to look at lava every day?!
The Incredible Experience Only a Lava Boat Tour Offers
With boat tours running all day long, the operators do not mess around in hauling out to the lava and I felt like were flying as the captain charged ahead (we were just doing 23 knotts but on a small boat in the open ocean, it felt plenty fast). We lucked out on having calm flat seas but even still, expect to be bumping around and rolling in the seas for almost an hour to start out the morning.
Nearing the lava in the dark was an unforgettable experience with the lava glowing brighter and brighter in the lessening distance. Even in the pre-sunrise dark, the venting flows threw out enough light to see steam billowing from the ocean well away as new land was created.
For over an hour we sat out by the flows, gawking at the view and cheering for more light (to help with the photos). Those of us with big cameras snapped away endlessly but it was impossible not to stop now and then to just stare and gawk at the incredible sight a few dozen yards away (and also to let the rolling feeling subside.) We were one of the first boats out but soon several others joined us and yet you could tell most of the crews knew each other well engaging in a coordinate game of leap frog for position around the viewing area though we were rarely more than what felt like a hundred yards out.
I’ve had a photo of the lava flows over my living room wall for several years now and it’s been one of my goals to replace it with a shot of my own. Within a few minutes of arriving I felt like I’d already snapped something worthy and even my iPhone videos, blurry as they are at a distance, feel incredible. What you really can’t tell from a distance is just how dynamic the lava is; from one moment to the next it would change completely as cooling land blocked a breakout forcing another one to build up. Months later the entire landmass we had looked at is gone, fallen away and replaced by a “firehose” funnel; the earth is truly alive.
True to my initial impressions, the Kalapana Cultural Tour team delivered an incredible experience. Leaving the dock, we were one of the first boats out in the morning, the first to actually arrive on scene and the last of the morning run to leave. Our captain and his first mate were friendly with immense knowledge of the volcano and the Island as locals and brought us into the discussion to plan out the tour. While it was nothing fancy, their boat delivered without any of the big crowd concerns I had heard about coming up.
The Rough Reality a Lava Boat Tour Also Comes With
Now I’ve been all thumbs up and glowing to this point because really, the view is just that good but there’s always a catch, always a reality to bring up in a review.
Rocking back and forth to try and stay of a few feet of land is certainly not the most enjoyable feeling in the early morning no matter how you approach it. Throw in a long-length camera lens and there were a few tough moments for all of us. Anyone who easily gets motion sick may want to pass here unless you’ve really dialed in your Dramamine doses.
Similarly, while there are plenty of different types of boats that run the waters, functionally the tours all come down to getting more bodies in front of more views and little more. At 4:30am I didn’t need much but if you’re expecting luxury tour with a coffee, bagel or even a bathroom, I don’t think you’ll have much luck.
Finally there’s the cost. With tours starting at $200, this isn’t going to break the bank for most people who flew out to Hawaii individually but coughing it up for a family of four… it’s a lot more expensive than renting a couple bikes and headlamps for a lava hike.
Aside from those realities however the tour is quite simply incredible and something I can’t recommend enough if you want to get right up to the lava (and live to tell about it.) Do the hike / bike, take a helicopter ride if you like and then wander over to Kalapana Cultural Tours or whatever operator your prefer and book a boat trip – it’s so worth it.
And oh, if you do want a tour, be sure to call in advance. Boats book up early at times but also need enough paying passengers to run in the first place so last minute spots may not be all that likely.
Lava Boat Photography Gear:
For the boat tour I brought along my Canon 6D and 70-200 f/4 IS lens rented from Lens Pro To Go [My Review]. Most shots were above 170mm and a 300mm lens certainly would have been nice for some closer takes though with the salt water and air, I would not want a prime setup here. Shots at f/8 with ISOs from 400 – 2000, around 1/100th sec.
Boat Operators / Booking Agents:
- Kalapana Cultural Tours (highly recommended and a solid 5 out of 5 for me)
- Hawaiian Lava Boat Tours
- Kalapana Lava Boat
- See Lava
- Big Island Lava Boat
- Lava Ocean
- Kohala Tours
- Moku Nui Lava Tour
Less there be any confusion: I paid for my tour the same as anyone else and made no mention of my plans to write a review.
