If the conditions are right, you can actually hike out onto the lava flows near the southern coast of the big island of Hawaii. When we were there, conditions were great. We booked a bike rental complete with lights, water and bike locks, and set out in the late afternoon on bike. After a few miles of biking along old lava flows, and new houses built right on the black lava, we parked our bikes and took off on foot.
There was one park ranger near the gate that vaguely pointed us in the right direction, and we set off. I was quite surprised that in a national park, there was no guidance and no precautions taken. We hiked for about an hour towards the hillside, picking our way over huge chunks of relatively new lava rocks. The hiking wasn’t easy, but we took our time and followed the steam coming out of the lava rocks ahead of us.
As it was getting dark, we started walking toward some steam and started to feel the heat coming from below us. I leaned down and felt how warm the lava rocks were below us. I realized that you could see the glow of the hot lava through the cracks. We were walking on freshly cooled lava. Who knows, this could have been flowing lava that would one day become a lava tube! I couldn’t handle it and insisted that we get off that hot lava. I just kept picturing the crust collapsing below us!
We then continued toward what was now a red glow near the hill ahead of us. As we approached, you could see lava very slowly flowing, moving at a turtles pace, but moving! It was the brightest colors and the heat was intense. We took a few pictures, but I tried to keep my distance. The fumes were strong and I was worried about breathing that in.
The hike out was even more adventurous. It was dark, we each had a flashlight and a headlamp but we really had no destination in sight. We knew there was a gravel road that paralleled the ocean and we’d eventually cross that. But other than a dull blinking light, the park really did nothing to make sure people found their way safely off that lava flow.
I highly recommend this hike, but it is not for the faint of heart. The hike was strenuous, you need to have sturdy shoes, and sturdy legs! Make sure you are comfortable walking over large boulders in the dark and that you have enough water and flashlights to last all evening if necessary!
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
7 hours ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
22 hours ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
5 days ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
6 days ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.