Itinerary
Join us on an unforgettable day of exploring restricted lands at the Hakalau National Forest Reserve, home to some of the rarest plants and animals on earth. Your adventure begins in a comfortable 4-wheel-drive Short Wheel Base Mercedes Sprinters. These vehicles are perfect for our birdwatching tours as they are designed for smaller, more intimate groups (10 guests max) and deliver a rugged build that allows access to those off-the-beaten-path locations. Journey across Hawaii Island through its diverse climates and ecosystems before turning off-road to reach your destination. Follow your interpretative naturalist expert birding guide into Hakalau's forests and fields of the Pua Akala tract as you discover rare native plants and animals, including carnivorous caterpillars and happy-faced spiders. Your guide will help you search the treetops with your binoculars for Hawaiian endemic bird species such as the Akepa, Akiapolaau, Amakihi, Apapane, Hawaii Creeper, Iiwi, Elepaio, Omao, Io, and Pueo. Your day includes a deli-style lunch, snacks, beverages, and filtered water. A once-in-a-lifetime adventure to explore protected and private Hawaiian native forested lands.
See Availability.
Hawaii Forest & Trail, 73-5593 A, 73-5593 Olowalu St, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA
Traveler pickup is offered
06:30 AM
12 hours(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Not wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Guests on this tour should not be physically challenged or unable to hike on uneven or rocky terrain. Must be able to do short hikes of 1.5 to 4 miles.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : Hal72
We have been going on HFT birding trips for years. Hakalau is special as int is limited entry. There are a number of endemic honeycreepers to see here. It's not Disneyland so sightings are not guaranteed, Each trip we have seen most of the birds. The more we go, too, the better pictures we get. It might (does) rain a bunch too. The guides work hard to find and show you the birds and much of the rare plants. The refuge is an example of what can be accomplished with a commitment to habitat restoration. It is a long day but fun.
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Posted On : 2024-03-30
Posted By : Dan_W
If you want to see rare and beautiful birds and amazing forest, this trip is for you. Gary our guide did a fantastic job and went the extra mile to make sure each of us saw each species.
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Posted On : 2024-03-27
Posted By : Amber B
Awesome tour! We saw so many birds. Knowledgeable and funny tour guide. Highly recommend if you want to get way off the beaten path.
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Posted On : 2024-03-19
Posted By : Q1036NCrobing
Access to the forest is limited and Hawaii Forest and Trail provided the guided birding. At every point of contact they were helpful, kind, understanding, and accommodating. I called with concerns about my age and limited ability and was reassured and suggestions. Staff are unfailingly cheerful and glad to talk to you. Our guide, Jon, was caring and adjusted to make sure we all got to see the birds. I can recommend this tour without reservation.
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Posted On : 2024-03-02
Posted By : Bruce S
I would have rated a 5 but the guide said at the outset he would do an eBird checklist and share but failed to do so. We saw all 11 of the rare endemics possible at the elevation of the reserve. Excellent spotting and very informative about plants, ecology and evolution.
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Posted On : 2024-02-08
Posted By : 198carrief
This was a wonderful hike into a reserve with rare and endangered birds. Our guide Gary was very knowledgeable and found most of the birds on the list. He was funny, too! Highly recommended.
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Posted On : 2024-02-01
Posted By : HPaluck
On this tour you get to hike through a forest that is closed to the public to see some of the rarest birds in the world. We saw Akiapolaau, Apapane, Akepas and so many I’iwi that they became a common sighting. Gary was a fantastic guide who taught us much about the conservation efforts to protect Hawaii’s dwindling native species of plants and birds. Whether you are an expert birder or a novice such as myself you will not regret spending a day participating in this unique experience.
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Posted On : 2023-09-06
Posted By : Deidre_H
Walking in what remains of the ancient rain forests, seeing jewel-like birds darting between trees, observing the heroic efforts being made to preserve what we still have left - inspiring and fascinating. An extra benefit: our guide John was an excellent source of information and really bad jokes.
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Posted On : 2023-05-23
Posted By : HankTaliaferro
Gary was a spectacular leader. He provided an enormous amount of information regarding the various bird species that we pursued, botany, geology, and history about the island. I came on this trip as a serious birder, in search of Akiapolaau, Hawaiian creeper, and Akepa, and left with success in terms of finding the birds, but also, an understanding of what Hakalau is and the tremendous amount of work it takes to restore native Forest. Gary worked extremely hard, and was an outstanding guide. He also provided some comic relief and kept all members of the group entertained. I would recommend this tour for any one interested in learning about the endangered birds of Hawaii, botany, geology, and wanting to connect with nature.
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Posted On : 2023-03-31
Posted By : Hal72
We have done this trip with HFT a number of times. ALL have been good, with plenty of birds and information. This trip was the cherry on the sundae. Previous couple weeks had been windy and rainy. This day was calm and clear. In the past, the three really special birds (Aki, Creeper, Akepa) were found but often fleetingly. This time, one of the three was almost always in sight, they posed for pictures again and again. Can't imagine how it could be better. Garry, the guide, is not only vey knowledgeable about the birds and their calls but has the history, geology, and botany down so one learns a lot about the Island and conservation. Box lunch is excellent.
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Posted On : 2023-03-23
