Frog Blog

Boss Frog’s Dive & Surf just got in a whole fleet of brand new bicycles for rent!  We’ve got beach cruisers and Maui street bike rentals at our shops.  Drop by and rent a bike today!  Or, give us a ring anytime at (808) 875-4477.  We’ll see you soon!

OK, I know this is a Maui Blog, but this review of the Big Island of Hawaii is really great and should be shared.  One of our Maui editors island-hopped to the Big Island for a day with some powerful photos and exciting experiences.  We hope you enjoy Kristine’s review below!

“My husband and I had attended the Big Island Grand Volcano Tour with Discover Hawaii Tours last weekend [Booked at the best price with Boss Frog’s at (808) 661-3333.] We wanted to express how much fun we had on this tour.

Upon arriving in Hilo, we headed to the designated location to meet up with our tour guide John.  All 11 of us were put on a mini coach bus. I loved the fact that it was a smaller bus and a small crowd.

Our first stop was at Big Island Candy Factory. I don’t think it was part of the Itinery, but the driver wanted to make sure we started the day off right.  Inside, we got to try numerous samples of candies and cookies; along with a glass viewing section of how the chocolate is made. 

We made our way down through Banyan Drive and Liliuokalani Gardens. You’ll find bridges, fishponds, a lovely gazebo and beautiful statues throughout Liliuokalani Gardens.

We then headed to see Historic Hilo Town. This is when the rain started. It didn’t bother us one bit. We kind of expected it to rain in Hilo. We enjoyed walking around town and going to the Farmers Market. At the Farmers Market, you can get almost any type of fresh fruit, vegetable, or flowers for very reasonable prices. We stopped at a local stand and tried a few sweet rolls.

After seeing the Historic Town of Hilo, we headed to Rainbow Falls. This was an amazing waterfall. We spent about 15 minutes at the waterfall taking pictures and enjoying the view.

We continued on to Volcano National Park. Inside the park we made numerous stops. We viewed the Kilauea Iki Crater , Thurston Lava Tube (one of my favorite spots), Kilauea Caldera & Halemaumau Pit Crater, Jagger Museum, and rainforests. Throughout the drive we could see numerous blowing steam vents. We did pull over to check one out. Very cool.

Afterwards, we headed to lunch. We ate at a restaurant called “Legends Bar & Grill”. They have awesome burgers. Service was great and the people are very friendly.

We continued our drive towards the viewing of active lava flows. Along the way, we stopped off at a black sand beach. Most of the beach area is covered with lava.  We hiked on a designated trial about 5 minutes through the existing lava fields to get to the Black Sand Beach. It’s quite the sight to see. We wanted to explore more, but it decided to rain during the time we had just made it to the beach.

Back on the bus and ready to see some active lava flows. We waited a few minutes on the bus to let the rain pass. Only because our next stop was in the same direction the rain was headed. 

After leaving the Black Sand Beach, we drove a few minutes to the entrance of where the vehicles can proceed down the road to see the lava flows. We were in a Mini Coach bus and that was too big to take on the road. So we all transferred into a Mini Van that they had waiting for us. It was a about a 5 minute ride in the van to get to the drop off spot. The roads are narrow and bumpy.

We had about an hour to walk around before meeting back at the van. We proceeded down one of the two paths. We first chose to walk the path that led towards the ocean. We were not able to make it all the way down to the ocean. They had a section roped off for viewing & picture taking.  All we could see was the big plume of smoke about 3/4 mile away. It was behind some rock/cliff formations. We were too far way to see any active lava.  We then took the other path that led down a road. I was hoping to get a better view. We walked about 5 minutes down the road and we came to a dead end.

The dead end was a recent lava flow that had happened 4 weeks prior to our visit and had covered the road. We were able to walk on the lava in certain sections. Some sections of the lava were still soft and too dangerous to walk on. I wasn’t able to see that plume of smoke that we saw from the other location. There were tons of tall trees blocking our view. Even though we didn’t get to see any active lava, seeing the recent lava and walking on it was pretty neat.

This was the last activity on the tour. We got back on the Mini Coach Bus and headed to the airport.  We had a short 30-minute bus ride back to the airport.

We thanked our tour guide for showing us a wonderful time around the Island. He did a great job! Very friendly and knowledgeable with everything. We had a great time with Discover Hawaii Tours and we will definitely be back!”

To book the most discounted rates with Discover Hawaii Tours, call (808) 661-3333.  

The cheapest and perhaps most exhilerating activity experienced in Hawaii is snorkeling.  For the cost of a few dollars, you can have an entire day of fun with your friends and family. Before you begin your Maui Snorkeling adventure, follow these simple tips.

1. Get The Right Gear

The first thing that most people do wrong when planning to snorkel in Hawaii is rent over-priced gear, or purchase really bad gear.  The snorkel gear you can buy at stores like Kmart and Walmart are really only good for the swimming pool.  If you want good gear at the best price, rent gear from a respected shop on your Hawaiian Island.  Boss Frog’s will set you up with gear that our knowledgeable representatives will make sure fit you and keep you safe from ocean water consumption.  Some snorkel shops rent poor quality gear.  Boss Frog’s rents the highest quality gear at rock-bottom prices.

2. Practice Safe Snorkeling

Review the top ten ocean safety tips by MauiSnorkeling.com.  These are very important as the ocean is powerful and can be fatal if dealt with improperly.  The tips are easy to follow and mostly common sense, but it helps to keep them in mind to ensure a respectful and safe snorkel experience. 

3. Go To The Best Snorkel Location

The easiest way to find out where to go is to ask a professional.  Call a snorkel expert toll free at 1-888-700-3764 to find out the best and safest places to snorkel.  Conditions change from one day to the next, so the advice of an expert living in the area is crucial in order to find the best clarity, most abundant sea life, and safest spot.  Review a Maui Snorkeling Map before doing a beach entry.  If you want to be confident that you’ll have the best snorkeling experience possible, take a Maui Snorkeling Cruise to Molokini Crater or Turtle Town.  On these catamaran cruises, you’ll be taken to where the clarity is best by your experienced captain and crew.

 4. Have Fun Without Impacting The Reef!

Enjoy the beauty of our ocean with family and friends.  If you remain respectful of the life around you, you will enjoy all of it’s perks.  Be certain to leave the ocean the way it was when you arrived by not touching anything.  Corals and other sealife are very fragile.

 See you in the water!

What is all this talk about the Road to Hana? If you don’t already know, driving the Road to Hana is one of the best things to do in all of Maui.  Personally, I don’t like to drive at all, but never the less, you’ll find me making the journey at least once a year. Why, you ask?  The sights and smells of the lush rainforest and it’s many waterfalls and coastal views make the Hana Highway one of the best drives in the world.  Where else can you pull off a jungle road to swim under a waterfall while watching the ocean crash in front of you?  The Road to Hana is magical for many reasons, and this is why you’ll find so many people taking advantage of the excursion. 

What’s the best way to see the Road to Hana? Get up EARLY and make the drive with an open mind and patient demeanor.  Passengers will get the most out of this trip, so taking turns from driving are important.  The best way to do Hana is by taking a Road to Hana Tour.  Knowledgeable locals guide these tours from air-conditioned luxury vans.  Everyone along for the ride is able to enjoy the uninterrupted views. 

If you’re driving it yourself, make certain to prepare for the journey.  The more prepared you are, the better you’ll enjoy the trip.  Some of the many Road to Hana tips to consider include getting rest the night before, leaving early, bringing bug spray, filling your gas tank, and bringing a camera.  If you drive yourself, think about buying a Road to Hana CD.  These helpful CD’s will guide you to the best of the Road to Hana.

Drive safe and have fun!