Please forgive the email for this glowing feedback of our tour to the Arizona/Punchbowl/Waikiki with Garfield, our tour bus operator/guide. From the moment we stepped onto his magical tour bus, he kept us captivated by his humor, knowledge, and kindness.friendly tour driver. I felt as though I was with a gentle “Papa” because he was so caring and considerate of our well-being. He consistently repeated directions, seemingly aware of how people listen sporadically and miss information from time to time. I’m a teacher, so I know how selective hearing can be in people. His patience, tested when one family kept the tour on hold until they finally returned to us, is another great attribute.

The rest of us might have wanted to throttle those latecomers for putting a crimp into our tour day, but Garfield never showed displeasure with them. On the Missouri, he reminded us more than one time to watch our step and mind our open toed shoes as we walked about the deck areas. He just made us feel safe and cared for. At the Arizona,he helped us to get into the program and to find him after the visit to the memorial and continue on to the Missouri. What a pleasure to find out that he was to guide us on its decks as well! Frankly, I can’t imagine a better tour guide. His storehouse of information kept us entertained and introduced us to many intriguing facts about the island and its people. He obviously loves Oahu and our country, as evidenced by his respectful and admiring tone when sharing details about USS Arizona and Missouri. I would think it a challenge for some islanders to accept the throngs of tourists that visit the islands, but Garfield, as well as so many residents of Oahu and Maui (where we spent the majority of our trip), treated us with so much Aloha! spirit, that I can’t imagine a more enjoyable vacation than to revisit the islands and take another tour!

Mahalo for the pleasure of this trip to Oahu!

This past week I visited Oahu for the first time. I even brought my mom along for the experience. I personally wanted to thank Keao, the driver and guide for our Oahu Grand Circle Island Tour. He took the time to get to know each of us personally, called us by our names, and was really easy to get a long with. The knowledge he has and the history that he passed on during the tour was amazing. We had plenty of time at each stop to take in all the sites. I had a wonderful time and will be back to Honolulu in the near future. Oahu is a beautiful place. I will defiantly take another tour with Polynesian Adventure Tours and hope that I will get Keao again, or at least a tour guide as great as he is. Mahalo Keao, for a very memorable time! MELE KALIKIMAKA