My wife and I paid for a tour that included the mountain bikes as part of the package. There were just three of us tourists for our sunset tour group. I'm glad we chose that option, because it saved us at least a hour or two of walking each way which gives us more time in the fields. I hadn't ridden a bike in years, but you don't lose that sense of balance and reflex to ride one, within a few minutes I was perfectly fine, though I gotta admit I was out of shape and it was a bit tiring riding up the hills. When you get past the final roadblock, the gravel is very loose on the road, so it is advisable to use the rear brake instead of the front one, unless you want to do a somersault over the front of the bike when you stop abruptly.
The actual hike part of the tour is a bit tiring, because you're constantly going up and down several feet in elevation, climbing over the hardened lava. 1 mile of hiking feels like 2! Definitely bring some very sturdy shoes/hiking boots that you don't mind getting a bit scuffed up. Some of the lava you will be climbing on will be very hot, our guide measured 180 degrees F on some parts, with the temperature in the cracks as much as 300-400 degrees F! We saw some stupid ladies trying to hike it on their own with croc shoes, betcha their shoes were melted after an hour of slogging, not a fun hike back in bare feet!! Really the best time to be in the lava fields is either at sunrise or sunset, because the heat of the sun is not bearing down on you, and hopefully the winds are in your favour, and it's simply amazing to see the lava glow in the dark. Bring your flashlight, and even a headlight. Our tour guide provided the headlights for us.
We also saw the lava firehose entry into the ocean, obviously behind the safety line. That was an incredible sight, even from as far back as we were.
Oh and bring lots of water. I carried three liters worth myself, was just enough for our adventure. We went to Walmart in Hilo beforehand and got a nifty dual bottle fanny belt pack in the bike accessories section for around $10 each. We filled each bottle with ice and water at a fast food restaurant in Pahoa on our way in.
Overall it was an awesome 5 hours of exhilaration and exhaustion, but so well worth it!! I'd say it was the highlight of our week in Hawaii.
Link to the tour we booked:
https://www.activelavahawaiiantours.com/
Fire Hose Ocean Entry:
Slow moving lava:
Lava skylight peeking into a lava tube!
