Hawai'i Big Island: Environmental Conservation, Cultural Preservation & Snorkeling

Hawai'i Big Island: Environmental Conservation, Cultural Preservation & Snorkeling

Location
  • United States of America
    • Hawaii
Length
1 to 2 weeks
Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans
Health & Safety

Program Details

Age Min.
16
Timeframe
Short Term Spring Break Summer Winter
Housing
Guesthouse Lodge
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30)
Travel Type
Budget Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
2695
Price Details
What's included:
All accommodations within Hawaii, which have access to basic amenities and security
All group transportation within Hawaii
All meals throughout your stay
All of your adventure and cultural immersion activities
Funding toward volunteer projects
Drinking water 24/7
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
Dec 31, 2025
Aug 11, 2025
67 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Travel to Hawai’i with GIVE and explore stunning waterfalls, active volcanoes, and lush rainforests on the Big Island. Our projects focus on giving back to the ‘Aina (land) and Moana (sea) through forest restoration, marine conservation, and regenerative farming projects. Work with local nonprofits to learn about indigenous culture & land stewardship practices. You will also be able to snorkel with green sea turtles, hike across volcanic craters, stargaze and see the sky as you've never seen before, and talk stories with indigenous leaders about their sacred lands, culture, and history.

Enhance your trip with our optional add-ons
- Scuba conservation: Receive PADI Open Water certification and scuba dive to protect our oceans
- Academic course in EcoTourism: earn 3-6 college credits while traveling with GIVE!

COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

This program offers a well-structured, immersive experience focused on sustainable travel, cultural learning, and meaningful volunteer work.

Program Highlights

  • Volunteer on environmental restoration projects
  • Trek through lava fields on active volcanoes
  • Chase waterfalls and snorkel amongst vibrant marine life
  • Take part in a farm to table cooking class
  • Experience some of the best stargazing on the planet

Video and Photos

Impact 🌎

GIVE's mission is to inspire growth, empower global citizens, and ignite sustainable change worldwide. To truly inspire growth and achieve sustainable travel internationally, GIVE has adopted the Asset-based community development (ABCD) model, a set of proven best practices in sustainable development that mobilizes a community’s assets and resources as the basis for development. Furthermore, through providing hands-on and eye-opening learning experiences that foster authentic connections between participants and host community members, we can empower global citizens who will continue to spread GIVE’s values and ignite sustainable change worldwide.
Exploring the world with GIVE is all about responsible travel, but what does that really mean?
Mindful Tourism + Community Partnership = Economic Growth & Community Empowerment.

Part of what makes GIVE trips so special is being fully immersed in the cultures and communities we visit. However, we take extra steps to ensure we minimize our influence and always respect local cultures. We prepare all participants before travel and ensure they understand the culture and how to dress appropriately.

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 55 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 5
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Value 4.95
  • Safety 5
Showing 49 - 55 of 55 reviews
Emily
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

GIVE TRIP TO HAWAII

This trip truly changed my life for the better. Not only did I learn so much about traveling and living sustainably, but I felt more connected to the Earth than ever, and I made friendships that I will cherish forever. The volunteering projects taught me so much, and after we volunteered we went on amazing excursions including going to the beach, hiking, snorkeling, etc.. Everyone at GIVE has the biggest hearts and they want you to be the best version of yourself that you can. If you are thinking about going on a trip with GIVE, DO IT NOW. You won’t regret a single second of it! :)

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My advice to future travelers would be to go into this trio with an open mind and an open heart. If you do that, this trio will make you an overall better person, and you will love every second of it like I did :)
128 people found this review helpful.
Kerry
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Give Hawaii

Give Volunteer: Hawaii Excursion was incredible! You will learn so much about a beautiful culture and so much about yourself. There is something to be said about spending 8 days with like minded people who are open and loving. We worked hard, played hard, laughed hard and loved hard. This trip was about growth, understanding, learning about giving back to the land that gives so much already, being a global citizen and fostering a love of the sacred in our own space. The accommodations are great, the food is out of this world and the guides are top notch. GIVE Hawaii gave me so much- knowledge of an amazing culture, tools to be a responsible tourist, laughs to last a lifetime, a new favorite playlist, friends to call family and memories to carry with me always. Don't pass up a chance to go on a GIVE trip!

119 people found this review helpful.
Savannah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

GIVE HAWAI’I

Most amazing experience of my life. I learned so much, grew mentally, physically and emotionally. I met amazing people while have so much fun traveling! Everyone needs to go on a give trip in their life. It’s the most wholesome way to travel! You make actually change in the places you visit instead of doing the basic “tourist” stuff. There’s no better way to travel! I felt safe and supported the whole time I was there and the accommodations were amazing. I went by myself too! It was amazing !!!!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Noni!! A fruit found in Hawaii, we found it while hiking!
128 people found this review helpful.
William
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

2021 GIVE Hawaii June 26 - July 3

Wow! Where do I even start … Give Volunteers is something everybody needs to do in their life. If you do not want to go abroad, then come on the Hawaii trip. Jess and Traven are extraordinary leaders that WILL change your life and your outlook on tourism. For example, I had a Europe trip planned for next summer that I planned for pretty much the past 10 years, and I dropped that because that was a luxury, not a necessity. The places that you will work will help you connect to the land as you’ve never done before. You will fall in love with the land that so many call home. As for the group (group 13) of people that I was so lucky to meet, I just wanted to say thank you so much. These people went from complete strangers to people I call family now. The meals are fantastic too! When coming on this trip, please have an open mind and challenge yourself!

What was your funniest moment?
Traven's animal impressions. He always knew when to make the group crack up!
133 people found this review helpful.
Julia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Hawaii

GIVE Volunteers is an incredible program. They practice responsible travel and sustainability. Going onto my trip in Hawaii was an eye opening experience and has changed my life for the much better.

I met the most wonderful people in the 8 days of this trip. My guides Jess, Traven and Thomas were the most welcoming people and made you feel nothing but comfortable. Every single person I met on my trip I now get to call my family.

Thank you GIVE for giving me the opportunity to meet all of these amazing human beings and teaching my so much about our earth. I fell in love with GIVE, my guides and all of the people I met along the way and I can’t wait for another trip !!

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
Travelling to Hawaii alone and meetings 15 others was very nerve racking for me. It ended up being the best decision I could have ever made. I met the most amazing people!
129 people found this review helpful.
Averie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Worth every dollar.

My trip with GIVE in Hawaii was absolutely one of the best decisions I have ever made. I was hesitant to because my past trip to Nicaragua got cancelled twice due to COVID, but I took the leap anyway and left the trip with so much knowledge and happiness. The guides and fellow volunteers made me feel like family from day 1 and the service projects we did were so rewarding. We walked away knowing we left the island better than we found it and for that, I am so grateful. Don't be afraid to travel alone and go in knowing no one. It was honeslty way better that way. Get out of your comfort zone and just do it! After the trip, you will realize all the money you spent was worth it.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
It was 100% getting off the plane in Kona and walking up to meet the group. I had so much anxiety about meeting the people I would be spending the next 8 days with, but the moment I found a small group of them waiting at our designated area, I felt relieved. We got to talking right away, and I realized that everything was going to be okay and I had some great people to get to know over the course of the trip. It can be anxiety-inducing traveling alone, but it builds so much character!
133 people found this review helpful.
Zoe
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

BEST first GIVE trip I could’ve asked for

The most amazing experience ever, I am so glad I decided to go on this trip. I originally didn’t really want to go, the Nicaragua trip was cancelled due to COVID so I was like I guess I’ll do the Hawaii trip and I am SO glad it was my first GIVE trip. I met beautiful like minded people on my group who will be forever friends. The tour guides I had, Jess, Kealoha, and Traven were all so nice, funny, and knowledgeable about local culture and how tourism impacts the land on the Big Island. Seeing how the work we were doing directly impacts the environment to provide cultural preservation and food security was awesome to see. Plus, all the excursions (despite some being cancelled because of uncontrollable weather) were the best I could not have asked for a better first GIVE trip!! Everywhere I travel in the future I will be implementing the responsible tourism information I learned with this trip.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
The most unfamiliar thing I ate was dried crawfish with a common seasoning used in Hawaii on it. Another thing I didn’t know what it was when I saw it was Longan, a fruit similar to lychee which I love so it became familiar quick.
139 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers