Open Eye Tours LLC One-of-a-kind customized tours since 1983. Visit places seldom seen, or the most popular ones, with or without walking. Your day, your way.
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Personalized itineraries and site specific songs, chants, more...Enjoy spots group tour buses and vans can't access. Private Guide Pono Fried (M.A.) uses his 30 + years experience & Hawaiian cultural immersion to plan an educational/environmental private tour that is uniquely interpretive, personal & fun! Top resort/guide book references; fully insured with Commercial Auto & Liability Insurance
and P.U.C. license. Pono helps you discover the real beauty of Hawaii; weaving together her sites & sounds, legends & stories, nature & wildlife, music & food, & most of all, her Aloha.
Guest comments from the lovely Chin family:
“Mahalo Pono!! We had an incredible time with you today - definitely a highlight of our trip!
We had a perfect day yesterday and had a great sleep last night. Mahalo!
Hey Pono, thanks again for such a memorable experience. And for the great recommendations. We will be sure to let the Concierge know what a special experience we had with you, and provide you with a glowing recommendation.”
Chin Family
Westchester, New York
Latest review:
Aloha Pono,
thank you so much for the wonderful hospitality you showed us all day yesterday, with all your kind hospitality and dedication m(_ _)m Thanks to you, we had a great time and enjoyed Maui to the fullest, and we have come to love Maui. From the morning, the heartfelt homemade breakfast, to the delicious lunch in a wonderful place, and the shaved ice, it was a real treat. We are truly grateful to Pono for working so hard to welcome us all day m(_ _)m Pono's fun and reliable guide was very educational and moving. Next time we would like to stay in Maui. We look forward to meeting you again 😆✨‼️President Eiko was overwhelmed by the wonderful Maui tour, and although she has just arrived in Hawaii, she said that she can go home now (^^) Take care of yourself and stay healthy‼️We'll come again 😄
Andrew Davenport’s Trip Advisor Review!
Once in a Lifetime Trip to Hana
Review of Open Eye Tours & Photos
Reviewed today
Our family’s experience with Pono, our private tour guide from the Grand Wailea in Maui to the iconic Road to Hana, was nothing short of exceptional. Pono’s expertise and professionalism shone brightly as he guided us, Andy, Kristin, Drew, Emma, Jade, and Zoey, through some of the most breathtaking sights Maui has to offer. From the mesmerizing black sand beach to a stunning waterfall and an ancient Hawaiian temple, Pono’s knowledge about each location enriched our journey, making every moment unforgettable.
Pono’s passion for Hawaiian culture and history was evident as he shared fascinating stories and facts at each stop, adding depth to our adventure. His attentiveness to our family’s needs and interests ensured that the tour was not just a sightseeing trip but a personalized experience that catered to our curiosity and comfort. Whether it was taking the perfect family photo or suggesting the best spots to truly appreciate the beauty of our surroundings, Pono went above and beyond.
This tour with Pono was the highlight of our trip to Maui. His ability to blend education with entertainment made our adventure engaging for all ages in our family. We highly recommend Pono to anyone looking for a private tour guide who is not only knowledgeable and professional but also genuinely cares about creating a memorable experience. Mahalo, Pono, for making our journey along the Road to Hana an unforgettable chapter in our family’s travels.
Date of experience: December 2023
We love this place
Do you know why there’s a hole in the roof of the Pantheon?
The circular oculus (eye in Latin), or opening, right at the apex of the temple’s dome might be the edifice’s most iconic feature. Allowing spectacular shafts of light to flow down into the Pantheon, these days we know that the 27-feet wide oculus performed a number of important functions – beyond lightening the weight of the dome still further, it’s been theorised that the oculus also served as a kind of massive sundial marking the passage of the hours, as well as illuminating the Pantheon’s doorway on the occasion of Rome’s birthday every year – April 21st.
During the Middle Ages a different significance was given to the mysterious oculus, however. According to medieval chroniclers, the hole was created on the occasion of the Pantheon’s conversion into a church in the 7th century – the legend went that the pagan demons who infested the structure were forced to flee at the moment of its Christian consecration by Pope Boniface IV, bashing a hole through the dome as they beat a desperate retreat from the newly Christened house of God.
A tall tale, perhaps, but it captures something of the wonder that medieval Romans felt when entering this extraordinary, almost other-worldly structure from an impossibly distant past.
Learn more about the long history of this unique building with us: https://buff.ly/43KyI5t
Trip Advisor Review Reba GG
Boulder, CO
Inspiring Tour in Maui, Pono and Open-Eye Tours are Custom and Create Memories!
Feb 2023
Our day on Maui with Pono was beyond our expectations. My husband, daughter (13yo), and I selected Pono for his knowledge of Hawaiian culture, his creative/personalized approach, and his great way of showing nature, ecology, and varied past and current aspects of Hawaiian culture. We visited a sacred site on the coast with a 3 mile walk, where we were away from any tourists. Pono showed us many native plants and shared with us a Hawaiian chant of honoring and connection. We visited a local artist where we learned about the mythology and art in Maui. We visited a charming and authentic old Town with local arts boutiques, where my daughter bought something special from the daughter of the artist who is also a young artist and runs her own modern Hawaiian boutique. We enjoyed especially Pono’s home baked sesame cookies! The treat of 8 tropical fruits from his farm was a highlight. We received handmade leis which came from flowers on his farm. For lunch we ate in a cute, delicious organic cafe where the food was delicious and we met the owner who is also known in the local theater community. Pono is a very special tour guide. We took a tour in 2014 with Pono and it was so meaningful we sought him out again in 2023. He went out of his way to understand our interests and craft a custom tour. A perfect balance of all of our interests of all our family. He was especially good at talking with my daughter, and the tour was geared to all of us. He has an extremely comfortable vehicle and his driving made it easy for us. Thank you Pono! We saw things we would never see without Pono! We are inspired and grateful from our tour!
Written February 10, 2023
More San Cristóbal de las Casas
Beautiful San Cristóbal de las Casas, and the ruins of Toniná, Chiapas, Mexico!
Trip advisor review:
Robert W
Big family had a unique experience
Jun 2022 • Family
Pono is a truly amazing guide and person. His knowledge of the island is endless and captivating. We had a large group of about a dozen from age three to eighty-five and everyone came away with a great and unique experience. We spent two days with him and we wish it had been longer. Pono asked a lot of questions about our group prior to our meeting and I gave him a lot of information about all of us. I’m glad I did, because had a one of a kind tour tailored to our needs. We sampled fresh fruits we had never heard of and Pono showed us a new dessert that is already a family favorite. We learned so much from him about the history of the island and found his musical stylings to be a fun way to come together as a group. There were so many times where it felt like we had Maui to ourselves. He never wasted a free moment, if he wasn’t answering questions, he was taking pictures and he captured everything. He was so generous with all of us; he gave us recommendations for other parts of our trip and followed up with us after our tour. After so much, we even got gift bags. If I ever make it back to Maui I will definitely book another tour with Pono
sageglass
Austin, TX
13 contributions
0
50th Anniversary on Maui
May 2022
My wife and I decided to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary in Hawaii and wanted to ensure we had an experience that would complement the fantastic journey we’ve had over the many years. We chose to stay at the Mana Kai Maui resort so we could enjoy the beach just a few steps off our location and were not disappointed with the selection. Given this was our first trip to Hawaii we wanted to get as broad an overview of the culture, location, and nature of the island without getting caught up in the hustle of structured touristo tours. In preparation for the stay, we planned on the month of May knowing we would miss the whales but would capture great tempatures and warm water. We reached out to the conciergerie at the resort, gave her some specifics on what we were looking for, and let her recommend food, cultural locations, and potential tours. She directed us to Open Eye Tours and the owner/guide Pono. We’ve had individualized tours before on other vacations and the prospect of being able to personalize our tour to our liking was very attractive to us. We reached out to Pono, selected a date and initiated a dialogue to make our Hawaii tour our own.
We couldn’t have been more pleased. We met Pono in a mutually agreed upon location where we were greeted with leis and a welcome chant. We were taken on a tour that took us across a wide spectrum of the Island culture. We visited amazing geographical parks filled with waterfalls, beautiful tropical plants, and historical significance. We traveled across the Island to isolated beaches, unique villages, culturally significant locations, stopped at a local art gallery (met the artist), spent time in a sacred garden (met the proprietor), and had a personalized picnic lunch in the I’AO valley rainforest. Lunch consisted of food we selected at a local deli (Poke bowls) with a complement of local fruits from Pono’s farm. Pono was masterful in attempting to give us the local name, the cultural significance of the fruit, and the particular method of eating some of these native plants. It’s something we would have never gotten on our own or without his personal touch.
Throughout the tour we were impressed with the knowledge, the reverence, and the connection Pono had to the Island culture and to his chosen home of Hawaii. The locations Pono took us to seem to be only populated with local people and he was greeted by friends in their native language (Pono is fluent in several languages). We spent a full 10 hours with Pono in his car with a constant flow of cultural information, topical dialogues, music, and personal stories of his life experiences in Hawaii. We will retain fond memories of the definition and music of a “Maui Cruser”, excellent food, a quick stop at an organic farm and distillery, and ended the tour with a stop at a secluded beach where green turtles come to shore to spend the evening. At the end of our tour Pono presented us with a goodbye gift and surprised us with another chant, this one was for a celebration of our marriage. We can’t say enough about the personal energy Pono puts into his tours before and after the tour and it feels more like his life’s calling for him than a job. For us an amazing time – we’d highly recommend his tours to anyone that really wants to feel like they have immersed themselves into the spirit of the Island. Mahalo nui ia oe Pono, manaʻolana e ʻike hou iā ʻoe.
Trip Advisor post:
Larry M
1 contribution
0
Pono is a One of a Kind Guide!
Aug 2022
Pono is a one of kind guide. He is so knowledgeable about the history of the island, and knows all the hidden gems!
We toured with Pono this past August, we did an 8-hour tour. We were staying at the Montage and met Pono in the middle of the island. Pono greeted us with a welcoming Hawaii'n chant, and we were off and touring. We saw places of the island that we couldn't do on our own nor did we want to do what some of the commercial tour companies had to offer.
Pono was recommended to us by a friend where we live, and he lived up to the hype.
We saw some of the most amazing beaches (turtles included), best surf spots, upland watering holes, scenic farmland views and so much more. We went were the locals would go, and tasted some of the most amazing cuisine
Our time in the car was very informative! Who knew Pono was music producer! Pono clued us in to some catchy Hawaii'n tunes!
We highly recommend Pono as a guide to Maui!
Trip Advisor Review
Howard S
Roslyn, NY
10 contributions
Outstanding personalized Road to Hana tour
Oct 2022
We just came back from a private, guided tour with Pono Fried from Open Eye Tours. What an absolutely fantastic day. Pono is amazing.
My wife and I are traveling with her sister and our brother-in-law for what is likely to be our only trip to Hawaii. There was intense debate among the group about whether to do the Road to Hana because we had heard how dangerous the road could be. Once we agreed it was an experience we could not pass up on our only trip to Maui, the next question was whether to drive ourselves or to use a guide. Pono came highly recommended, and we decided to entrust him with this once-in-a-lifetime tour. Rather than have him pick us up at our hotel, we decided to meet him at a central location that would give us some extra time for the tour. Pono greeted us with leis that he had made from flowers from his farm and presented them to us with the traditional lei giving ceremony.
We are so fortunate to have found Pono. He has lived on Maui for 40 years and is a very experienced guide in addition to being a teacher, musician, historian, and farmer. His knowledge of the Road to Hana and his relationships with people along the journey allowed us to see all the important sites at a leisurely pace without leaving at sunrise. We had planned for a “halfway to Hana” tour for seven hours. We had communicated regularly with Pono before our trip to be sure he knew what our priorities were.
Our research prior to our arrival in Maui left us concerned about where we might find bathrooms or places to eat. This was not an issue for Pono. An early stop was at a scenic overlook at a National Park station that had picnic tables and bathroom facilities. Pono had brought exotic fruit from his farm, chocolate macadamia nut brownies and an assortment of drinks as a snack. Later, he brought us to a food stand for lunch, perfectly timed to be sure they still had food available. Just up the road was another amazing beach-front stop with waves crashing on the volcanic rocks, complete with another bathroom facility. We got as far as mile marker 19 before we headed home. It turns out there was a mudslide that closed the road a short distance further. On the way home, Pono insisted we make on additional stop at a beach where sea turtles come ashore. We were fortunate to see about 30 turtles on the beach.
In addition to pointing out the important sites along the road, Pono would talk about Hawaiian history and legends, culture and music. He clearly loves the islands and has become completely immersed in the life on Maui. We all took photos along the way, including Pono. At the end of the tour, he shared his pics on Google with us. We have traveled to many places and taken tours with Viking and Abercrombie and Kent. We are happy to say that our experience with Pono was as good as it gets.
Trip Advisor Review
Kris W
Kill Devil Hills, NC
9 contributions
Amazing Day! Best Guide and Tour Ever
Oct 2022
I can't begin to describe how pleased we were with Pono and the tour we chose to take with him. 3 of us went on tour, including my 81 year old mother, who immensely enjoyed herself, all of Pono's stories, tour highlights, food, personalized service, surprise stops, the snacks and meals, and EVERYTHING! Pono was great with assisting us in choosing stops that interested us, and also some surprises along the way that only added greatly to the experience. Before the trip, I was concerned with choosing our itinerary as we were a 30 yr old, 6o yr old, and 81 yo...there were no issues, as we all had our wants/needs met on our tour day. Filled with adventure and THE BEST top notch guide.
Pono gave us his complete attention, so many fun moments mixed well with Hawaiian history, lore, music, and culture. The trip went smooth... his vehicle was immaculate, safe driver, and very comfortable accomodatios whereever we stopped.
Although we met only for the day, I feel we made a forever friend. Mahalo, Pono!
Kris from North Carolina
Trip Advisor Review
Once in a life time tour on the Road to Hana with Pono Fried
Oct 2022
When planning our trip to Hawaii this past October, I spoke with friends who had been there, contacted concierges at each of our hotels and of course looked at various website reviews. All were extremely helpful and offered different tidbits of places to go and experiences we shouldn't miss. Maui was the last island that my husband, my sister and brother in law visited. When discussing whether we should include the (half way) Road to Hana in our itinerary, we needed to decide how we should see the road; by helicopter, on our own via a rented car or hire a tour guide. After referring to all my sources, including Pono Fried’s website, the decision was a no-brainer. We chose Pono Fried as our tour guide.
Pono and I spoke on the phone prior to our tour and we were able to create a private tour totally customized to my family’s likes, dislikes, fears and passions.
Pono’s skills as a tour guide far surpassed any and all of our expectations. He is an expert in his field. He is knowledgeable on any and every topic you will ever need to know about the island of Maui. We were not only provided with remarkable facts and information about the Road to Hana; its history and its significance, but Pono adds so much more to his tours; his 40 years of living on the island, his incredible familiarity with it and his unending enthusiasm all contributed to our truly unique Hana experience. In addition, he offers phenomenal photo opportunities, outstanding insight and expertise that only comes with being an accomplished, qualified, charismatic, talented, multilingual tour guide. And we can’t forget his sense of humor and gift for storytelling that contributed to a fabulous afternoon of entertainment, fun and unexpected sites. As one example of his desire to ensure that his clients come away with the best experience possible, on our way back, Pono pulled off the road and surprised us with a fabulous view of over 20 turtles resting on the shore just waiting to be photographed. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.
And finally, if you love farm to table snacks, Pono brings along incredibly healthy and fabulously delicious food that he has personally grown on his farm. He also knows exactly where to stop for lunch and where bathroom stops are located– not known to all tour guides.
Pono Fried, tour guide for Open Eye Tours, is a gem and anyone visiting Maui should experience one of his tours. They are family and kid friendly and will create memories that you and your family share forever.. He rates a “5” with us, Outstanding!
Written November 4, 2022
Spectacular review on Trip Advisor by sageglass
Austin, Texas
50th Anniversary on Maui
Review of Open Eye Tours & Photos
Reviewed 2 days ago
My wife and I decided to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary in Hawaii and wanted to ensure we had an experience that would complement the fantastic journey we’ve had over the many years. We chose to stay at the Mana Kai Maui resort so we could enjoy the beach just a few steps off our location and were not disappointed with the selection. Given this was our first trip to Hawaii we wanted to get as broad an overview of the culture, location, and nature of the island without getting caught up in the hustle of structured touristo tours. In preparation for the stay, we planned on the month of May knowing we would miss the whales but would capture great tempatures and warm water. We reached out to the conciergerie at the resort, gave her some specifics on what we were looking for, and let her recommend food, cultural locations, and potential tours. She directed us to Open Eye Tours and the owner/guide Pono. We’ve had individualized tours before on other vacations and the prospect of being able to personalize our tour to our liking was very attractive to us. We reached out to Pono, selected a date and initiated a dialogue to make our Hawaii tour our own.
We couldn’t have been more pleased. We met Pono in a mutually agreed upon location where we were greeted with leis and a welcome chant. We were taken on a tour that took us across a wide spectrum of the Island culture. We visited amazing geographical parks filled with waterfalls, beautiful tropical plants, and historical significance. We traveled across the Island to isolated beaches, unique villages, culturally significant locations, stopped at a local art gallery (met the artist), spent time in a sacred garden (met the proprietor), and had a personalized picnic lunch in the I’AO valley rainforest. Lunch consisted of food we selected at a local deli (Poke bowls) with a complement of local fruits from Pono’s farm. Pono was masterful in attempting to give us the local name, the cultural significance of the fruit, and the particular method of eating some of these native plants. It’s something we would have never gotten on our own or without his personal touch.
Throughout the tour we were impressed with the knowledge, the reverence, and the connection Pono had to the Island culture and to his chosen home of Hawaii. The locations Pono took us to seem to be only populated with local people and he was greeted by friends in their native language (Pono is fluent in several languages). We spent a full 10 hours with Pono in his car with a constant flow of cultural information, topical dialogues, music, and personal stories of his life experiences in Hawaii. We will retain fond memories of the definition and music of a “Maui Cruser”, excellent food, a quick stop at an organic farm and distillery, and ended the tour with a stop at a secluded beach where green turtles come to shore to spend the evening. At the end of our tour Pono presented us with a goodbye gift and surprised us with another chant, this one was for a celebration of our marriage. We can’t say enough about the personal energy Pono puts into his tours before and after the tour and it feels more like his life’s calling for him than a job. For us an amazing time – we’d highly recommend his tours to anyone that really wants to feel like they have immersed themselves into the spirit of the Island. Mahalo nui ia oe Pono, manaʻolana e ʻike hou iā ʻoe.
Date of experience: May 2022
Open Eye Tours & Photos: 50th Anniversary on Maui - See 176 traveler reviews, 163 candid photos, and great deals for Makawao, HI, at Tripadvisor.
Open Eye Tours & Photos: Our Eyes Were Opened - See 175 traveler reviews, 163 candid photos, and great deals for Makawao, HI, at Tripadvisor.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-lemonade/id1608913097?i=1000555437290
Show Blue Lemonade, Ep Aloha, from Hawaii - Mar 28, 2022
Presenting my new online mini-brochure promo piece. Big mahalo to Mark Friedman and Diane Epstein for their talents, hard work and aloha.
(This is much clearer in the pdf file, which I am happy to send you via email or text.)
The Hawaii State Supreme Court has ruled in favor of East Maui taro farmers and Native Hawaiian practitioners, saying the state’s issuance of revocable permits to divert millions of gallons of water per day from East Maui was “not authorized” under the law. The opinion from the high court last...
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Open Eye Tours Receives 2022 Best of Makawao Award
Makawao Award Program Honors the Achievement
MAKAWAO March 2, 2022 -- Open Eye Tours has been selected for the 2022 Best of Makawao Award in the Custom Private Tours category by the Makawao Award Program.
Each year, the Makawao Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Makawao area a great place to live, work and play.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2022 Makawao Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Makawao Award Program and data provided by third parties.
About Makawao Award Program
The Makawao Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Makawao area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.
The Makawao Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.
SOURCE: Makawao Award Program��CONTACT:
Pono Fried, Owner/Guide
www.openeyetours.com
[email protected]
808 280-5299
�Makawao Award Program�Email: [email protected]�URL: http://www.awardsnotification.com
Lovely review from happy customers, the Blumenthals, who stayed at the Four Seasons Wailea and the Fairmont Kea Lani. Grateful for each opportunity to be of service!
Reviewed by Sunshine440360
Sep 2, 2021
The most unique and wonderful journey to Hana!
From beginning to end - WONDERFUL!
Pono picked our party of six up at the Andaz Maui and presented us with homemade leis while chanting a Hawaiian greeting. We set off and at every turn Pono shared information about our surroundings. As we traversed the Road to Hana, Pono shared cultural information and knowledge as well as interesting stories that kept all of us engaged and made the time pass surprisingly quick,
At our first stop, Pono fixed a picnic table adorned with a Hawaiian tablecloth and a spread of homemade banana bread and fruit from his farm - guava, mango, lycee, pineapple, passionfruit - simply delicious!
First we went to the Black Beach - beautiful. We wanted to swim in a waterfall, so Pono took us to a perfect spot and we had a wonderful time. Next we went to Kahanu Garden and finally Hana and the volcanic rock beach.
Pono is a very special person and a great guide. We wanted an intimate personalized tour and got that and so much more. We all came away feeling great about the tour - from the 10 year old to the 80 year old and every one in between- we all felt that it was the highlight of our trip.
Response from Pono F, Owner at Open Eye Tours & Photos
Response Pending
What a treat to spend the day with your precious family! Your enthusiastic interest, curiosity, whole-hearted participation, can-do positive attitude, and kindness inspired me to pull out all the stops for you! From games, to hands-on activities, legends, language learning, musical instruments, your own private waterfall, visiting the largest ancient stone temple in all of Hawai'i, lei making, our Thai lunch spot, feeding George, the miniature Horse, even seeing the turtles with limited light- I'll always remember your unique, special adventure! Aloha a hui hou, until we meet again...
New Trip Advisor review
Emily E
wrote a review Jul 22
Birmingham, Alabama
1 contribution
Incredible tour with Pono
Pono is one of the nicest and most kind man you will ever meet! The way he welcomed us into the Hawaiian culture was a special experience my husband and I will never forget! We explored all over Maui and had the best time learning all about the island through Pono’s incredible stories. He has on the the most genuine heart that loves people and his island so well. It was my husband and I’s honeymoon and we are so grateful to spend the day with Pono!
Read less
Date of experience: June 2021
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
The plumeria, also called frangipani, is called pua melia in Hawaiian. The plant is native to Mexico and the Central American region and was brought to Hawaiʻi in the 1860s by Dr. William Hillebrand, a physician who made his home on Oʻahu in the area now known as Foster Gardens. There, at his home, he planted many introduced plants, such as the hibiscus - which he thought might help in the treatment of leprosy.
The yellow plumeria (Plumeria acuminate) was the first to be introduced to Hawaiʻi by Hillebrand and is the most prevelent. It was commonly called the “graveyard flower” because they proliferated there, as they need little care – just sun and water. One variety, the one with red and white stripes, is called “Hae Hawaiʻi” in Hawaiian or “Hawaiian Flag.”
Pua melia is the flower and lei of choice for hula dancers wearing ti-leaf skirts. A flower placed over the right ear signaled that one was available for dating. In some cultures, plumeria is an appropriate lei to give to someone who has overcome difficulties.
PO Box 324
Makawao, HI
96768
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