Big Island Abalone has been on our list of to-do's for a while and we finally booked the farm tour…read morewhen we knew we would run errands in Kona. This place is close to the airport and very easy to find. Our guide Carlos was awesome - very knowledgeable and funny. We learned a lot in the one hour tour. We also got to sample seaweed, sea grapes and abalone at the end of the tour. We went to the food truck afterwards. Service was quick and the staff were really nice. We ordered 1/4 lb of the garlic butter abalone and 1/4 lb of the chilli garlic abalone. Both were great. Sounds expensive but I will say that we had abalone in a similar proportion in Monterey and paid more than double what we did at Big Island Abalone. We already have plans to stop at the food truck again on our way through Kona later this well. Well worth visiting. A must if you love abalone.

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect on this tour, but it was amazing! Learned so much! It was…read morefun! And my kids are still talking about it the day after. (We were there just yesterday) Held the attention of my 8 & 10 year old! Seriously felt like a well put together fun school field trip. I wish we had something like this on the mainland. Parents - you have to bring your kids. They'll learn a lot & have fun doing it. My kids are still talking about the abalone, the eyes & feel super smart deciphering which abalone are boys or girls. And if you don't have kids, go anyways! I learned a lot. Best part, there's a food truck on the premises to try the abalone + other stuff. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but YOU WILL NEVER HAVE SUCH TENDER ABALONE ANYWHERE ELSE!!! You need to stop by and try something off their menu. Garlic butter was our favorite, but my husband really liked the chili oil. The only thing I wished they offered - a summer camp for kids. I feel with such unique operations (go on the tour and learn about it), it's a great way to learn about sustainability, ecosystems, and more. Maybe someone will read my post and think about it. I'm sure parents would love to have their kids immersed in such a wonderful environment. Props to: Carlos. Thank you so much for our tour. My 10 year old loves marine animals & absolutely loved the tour. She can't wait to share with her teacher and classmates what she learned. If we return to the island in the future, we'll definitely be making another stop.

Very popular tour at The Vanillerie and it was probably my first time checking out a vanilla farm…read moreof any kind, at least in the whole state of Hawaii. Luckily, The Vanillerie is located only about 5 minutes away from Kona International Airport. Our tour guide was Candee, and she was very friendly and knowledgeable about the history behind vanilla and what it is and isn't. I absolutely learned a lot of things about vanilla that I hadn't known before. Now the farm itself is relatively small, but there are 4 greenhouse-like structures where the vanilla beans and plants grow. There is not much walking or hiking that you have to do, but be mindful of the uneven surfaces. And at the end of the tour, we all got real vanilla ice cream, which I absolutely loved! Highly recommended if you love food!

This was such a fun and informative tour around the Vanillerie! Candee was a great guide and…read moreanswered all our questions with expertise. The store had lots of vanilla products (from their own vanilla beans!) and even had vanilla extract starter kits. The tour was well worth the money.

I booked this tour for my husband birthday and he loved it…read more First of all, the location is amazing with incredible view of the ocean! The whole property is just stunning! It was a wonderful experience where they showed you the whole process of making coffee from picking the coffee bean and ready for sale. Also got to try all different kinds of coffee, which was the best part! There is also a gift shop where of course had to buy coffee. The tour guide Ben was very knowledgeable and friendly and just awesome!

We enjoyed the tour and Cooper was an outstanding guide, especially for a last minute fill-in. He…read moreknew the land and all the growing, harvesting, processing and roasting processes inside and out (promote him?). You could tell they run a tight farm by hiring the right people and keeping the property and all the equipment well-maintained. I must admit, I'm not the biggest fan of Kona coffee from what I tried at Heavenly and at other local spots, but for what it is, Heavenly makes a good product. I wish they would have let me take a to-go cup of coffee after the tour, especially after paying for two tickets + $70 of bagged coffee, but they unfortunately limited me to the little sample cups with no lids. That's the only thing keeping this from being a 5-star review.

I highly recommend this as one of the best chocolate tours!…read moreWe took the two hour tour with our family - it was a nice small group of six in total. Mike was not only an expert in all things chocolate, but he is easy to understand, he takes time to teach you and answer any questions and he has a great personality! It was pouring down rain the day we went, yet the tour was still a great success. We started out at the farm and then concluded down at the shop. You get to taste fresh cacao, nibs, cacao tea and kakao brew - of course at the shop are the full chocolate bars. Mike clearly loves what he does and enjoys sharing that love with his customers. The only down side is that after listening to Mike you will be ruined forever on eating any other general retail chocolate. So long Hershey and friends!

Experienced the VIP cacao tasting tour and enjoyed every last second of it! Mike was an amazing…read moretour guide. He built his cacao farm from the bottom up and it was amazing to witness his progress ever since 2017. He walked us through the seed germination process, the growing process, the fermentation process and everything before, in between and after that.. from seed all the way to chocolate bar. This tour is meant to expand your knowledge and change your perspective on how you think about, taste, and experience chocolate. At the end of the farm tour, you drive down to the gift shop (about a 3 min drive from the farm) to make any potential purchases as well as taste even more chocolate! What an amazing and unique experience in Honaka'a and 100% recommend adding this tour to your Big Island itinerary. P.S. my favorite chocolate bar is the barrel aged bourbon bar!! Notes of dark cherry with a bourbon finish :)

This was one of my favorite moments from our recent visit to Hawaii. I swear that we were…read moreliterally treated like ohana. Leslie and her small staff were so kind and welcoming. There is something to be said about the view and the fantastic coffee!!!! Wow was it top tier! It feels like a custom tropical treehouse. We sat around her concrete table as we sipped sample after sample of award winning Kona coffee. On the TV we watched a live feed of the volcano. It was such a genuine experience all the way through. She took the time to walk us around the farm and explain the entire process. So much effort goes into making such a delicious cup of coffee. This place is highly recommended. It has extremely limited hours so be sure to be mindful of that .

A fantastic and personal tasting and tour that was so gratifying and wonderful. Leslie and Etsi…read morewere wonderful and really made us feel like old friends! We were served several tastings of the coffee (7 or 8 small cups) and every cup was delicious! My favorite was the SL34 and I purchased a purchased a pound and half of it. After the tastings, we were taken on a tour around the farm and processing areas and it was so great to see Leslie treat the workers with love and respect. It was genuinely the best coffee farm we had been to...and we've been to several! The view is beautiful as well. The hours are extremely limited so make sure to make plan to come.

Wes is on the cutting edge Korean Natural Farming. I had an opportunity to walk through his…read moreoperation at 3 Keiki Farm and was impressed with his dedication to developing and improving natural farming techniques. Also he has the best coffee I've had on the island. I have no doubt you'll be hearing more of 3 Keiki Farms.

got an amazing tour and had the opportunity to try the best cold brew i've ever tasted! thank you…read morewes and kudos!

Parking, a headache. The view, spectacular. The coffee, about par…read more We had to come by twice to find a time when they were open. Doors were closed the first time we came by during opening hours.

11/10 - Amazing! This place is fantastic ! The owner, Bill, is super nice and makes the most…read moreamazing americano The views are to die for ! I've been back with my wife 3 days in a row now- we can't get enough of this place

Such a fun tour!!!! Highly recommend. You get samples along the way as you learn. This tour is…read moreshort but very informative. Had a great time and then went into town to buy the chocolate.

No one in my family wanted to go to a coffee or chocolate farm while vacationing in Kona, but I'm…read morea squeaky wheel and booked a tour anyways. Luckily, everyone loved it and walked away saying it was one of their favorite parts of the trip! Keith was our guide and is not only is he hysterical with his light hearted (and well timed) comedic injection, but he's clearly passionate about the farm and highly knowledgeable about the entire farm to shelf process. It was such a breath of fresh air and honestly, his delivery of the tour information is what kept everyone so engaged and interested. We were able to crack our own macadamia nuts and eat them fresh, tried 100% kona coffee and even learned how to taste chocolate like a real cocoa connoisseur! It was lovely and a highlight of our trip indeed. The gift shop was also great and had an awesome selection of chocolate to purchase and bring home to share with friends. I highly recommend the tour, it's something you'll never forget!

I loved sampling the variety of fresh produce. Hands down the best ruby grapefruit I've ever had…read moreand one of the best mangoes I've ever had. Tip: where long sleeves and pants to help deter bug bites.

From the owner: Are you longing for adventure? Do you wish to explore the natural wonders of Hawaii? Do you yearn…read moreto deepen your connection to the earth, the spirit, and each other? Lokahi Garden Sanctuary offers a variety of residential, day, and travel programs to give tourists and locals an authentic and unique Hawaii experience. Couple's adventures, farm tours, massage/spa treatments, international excursions - we have plenty of fun, meaningful programs for you to enjoy. With a comprehensive itinerary and amenities available, our guided tours have everything you need for an unforgettable nature and cultural experience. We might be strangers at the beginning of our trip, but by the end, we'll be family.

Had an absolutely amazing time on the farm tour! The guide was very knowledgeable and took her time…read moreanswering everyone's questions about all the different plants. The produce we sampled was all absolutely delicious, especially the blimbi (which tasted like a crunchy lime and is related to star fruit). It was so cool to see so many different kinds of fruits and edible flowers and herbs I'd never heard of before. Make sure you check out the gift shop! The t-shirts are super breathable and perfect for summer weather, and the hat is very comfy too. I still can't believe what a great deal everything was. Easily one of my favorite stops on my trip to Hawaii, and that's saying something!

My husband and I thought this would be a nice relaxing stroll through a garden munching on new…read morefoods-but it was so much more! Our guide Daisy is very knowledgeable and taught us about plants we have never seen before and pointed out different varieties of things that we have at home. Big Island Farms does an excellent job at conservation of their land. We will definitely be back.