We did the Big Island Bees tour - 100% your time and the drive. Our guide/beekeeper grew up on…read moreher family Bee farm in the mainland. She was extremely knowledgeable about beekeeping. She shared her knowledge regarding be keeping, hive management, and the lifecycle of bees. She identified drones, workers, and the queen. She also explained Big Island Bee's rotates their bee hives into three unique environments which provide distinctive flavors of honey. and the process used for honey is extraction for sale. Big Island Bee's honey is 100% pure honey. (No attatives, it was interesting to learn that some producers of honey add corn syrup an and other adjectives) And she provided information regarding the year-round, honey production that is available in Hawaii, including the fact that big Island bees rotates their hives into three unique environments which provide distinctive flavors of honey. The honey tasting offered a great sampling of the honeys produce by the bees by the and good people at Big Island Bees. This is a great activity for everyone of all ages.

Great location, products, staff and tour. We always come home with bee balm, honey and soaps. This…read moretime I'm trying waxed food storage paper, too. (Sorry no pictures it's packed!) Very welcoming, easy parking, fair prices. So glad to be able to visit before leaving the island. See you next time!

Great selection at choice market. Good restaurant menus. Vendors outside at times. Next door to…read morebotanical garden. Friendly staff. Hair salon.

I was locked in their parking lot overnight! An employee who arrived around 2am managed to unlock…read morethe gate and let us out. We dined at the Chinese Redtsurant and afterwards hung out in my car as I was showing them a video I took of our day. Not more than 25 min immersed in the video As we were leaving, the entrance gste was closed and locked. Surprised no one was around watrning us that we need to clear out! Drove around and checked on other gates. All 3 were locked as well!! Very annoyed because no one was in the guard shack too. This was on a Friday June 26. Bathrooms were locked ss well. No access to restrooms and Iʻm do glad we didnʻt have an emergency that would require an ambulance. If there were a fire, we would have been trapped in with no one knowing our presence. Not acceptable, poor security system.

The ranch is open from 10am to 2pm with their hours clearly listed by the parking lot…read more It's a quaint little museum that records how the Parker family contributed, and continues to give back, to the Big Island community. The gift shop has a range of clothing, books and other information pertaining to the cowboys. It was fun to learn about how Hawaii came to grow to what it is today. Apparently they have fun events with plenty of vendors frequenting the ranch on weekends and holidays.

Parker Ranch is such a nice gem in Waimea (Kamuela) and full of history; in fact, they have been…read morefeaturing on Scenic Hawaii Channel (now Experience Hawaii). As of Summer 2024, they only offer self-guided tours at 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 1:00 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. But if you are able to make it out to Parker Ranch, it is so worth it. There are a couple houses that you can go into (including the main one which you check-in with the staff), and then select parts of the grounds, and you might even see the cattle and horses along the way.

Best shave ice on the island. And the red haired lady who works there is always friendly and…read morecourteous. She is the best ! There is a lot of cool stuff to buy too which I like browsing.

Their shave ice is the bomb! Great flavors and different toppings (ube, coconut cream!). Also…read moregrass fed beef from the ranch and assorted local crafts and unique gifts. Quite a nice stop on the way to the volcano.

Amazing FREE tour to learn about Kona coffee beans, Hawaiian fruit, and chocolate! There are lots…read moreof different samples of hot coffee to try before and after the tour. Our tour guide, cannot remember his name, was SO funny and was really engaging with our group. He went around the group to learn everyone's names and where they were from, very personable. While waiting to start, they also have umbrellas for shade. Unfortunately, the storm had happened a couple of months prior to our May visit and we weren't able to explore any of the equipment where they process the coffee beans. But our tour guide was still able to make it really exciting for us. We learned about kona coffee and peaberry beans. We also got to see coffee flowers that smell like jasmine. They usually only last for four days before they die. Purchased a couple of bags to bring home. They don't have manufacturing dates on their bags because they always sell them out within five days.

I'm so glad we came here for a tour. I love learning about different things and this was a cute…read moreplace to visit during our stay. Upon arrival, everyone was so friendly and directed us on how to book a tour which ran every 30 minutes or so. While we waited, we were able to sample coffee and check out the little store. Our tour guide was very amusing and kept the tour fun and amusing even though we couldn't do much on the farm due to the recent floods causing a gaping hole of grand canyon through the middle of the farm. Despite the disadvantage, the tour guide still found a way to keep the tour engaging with lots of fun facts, history and merriment. I enjoyed my time here and we also took home some coffee.

This is not your standard tourist attraction. This is a real farm run by the owners. There might be…read morespace enough for 2-3 cars to park. Joe is a really nice guy who walked us (maybe 10 feet) to the trees. He told us about the trees, pointed out the flowers, told us how they are harvested and dehydrated (not roasted) and answered all my questions. This would be a great place for a curious kid. It is a real farm though, so animals are present. A small store boasts several flavors of nuts with samples. We were there for maybe 10 minutes. Definitely worth the stop.

The nuts were available in a variety of flavors. They were all delicious. We were able to sample…read morethem. We bought one of each.

I picked Dragonfly Ranch because Brian Wilson stayed here for inspiration, and I knew why the first…read morenight there. I could hear every musical animal and raindrop in the forest in surround sound. I have misphonia, like Wilson did, which can make day to day sounds unbearable but the orchestra of nature and music phantasmic. I stayed with my two little girls, husband and life long friend. We were all cozy in the Writer's Studio. Barbara and Phoenix were my two favorite people I met on the island. Typically I avoid people in the morning. After the first morning, I looked forward to seeing them with my cup of coffee. In fact, I kept my ear out for them with love and curiosity. Breakfast was great with our morning visits from the green anole. In the shower, hot water came after the suggested four minute waiting period and my daughters and I all showered in succession with no break of warmth. We played chess and read tarot cards. We cuddled with their animals and watched the exotic birds dance in the trees. I didn't want to be around the rich, resort crowd. In fact, I loathe them. I wanted to be in the jungle, sleeping in my clothes, relaxing in my den. There is a place I love in Joshua Tree called Hicksville I faithfully visit any chance I get. I feel the same way about Dragonfly Ranch.

This place is a favorite place for everyone in my family--the environment is so unique, beautiful,…read moreand peaceful! Barbara and her team are lovely to be around and make you feel like you are a part of their community for a few days, rather than just "guests." The amenities are wonderful, the beds super comfortable, and the atmosphere is one of pure peace and belonging. Add to that the beautiful symphony of singing frogs, wind chimes, and rainforest sounds and it is about as perfect as you can imagine. We loved having access to the outdoor communal kitchen--with all the amenities that a great cook could want, and it was a welcome treat to enter the new year with a centering walk around the illuminarium maze, letting go of the things that have stopped serving us and embracing our intentions for the year to come. I can't recommend this enough as an out-of-the-ordinary Big Island experience.

Super experience. We learned a ton from the guided tour, and the cloud forest was breathtaking…read more This is a must if you're visiting the big island! We wanted to do the sound bath but couldn't fit it in, sadly.

Our family of 4 did the 1.5 hour tour. Heather our guide was great and she was very knowledgeable…read more Definitely recommend to addd to your list of things to do if you have time.

I was looking forward to the Keauhou Farmer's Market while on my visit. I wasn't very busy when we…read moregot there on a Saturday morning about 10:00. Like most Farmer's Market, the prices here are a little on the high side. What liked was that there are a lot of produce stands here, as there should be at farmer's markets. The local grown Kona coffees were delicious as Kona coffee should be. Then I came to a stall that had 3 pineapples already priced with stickers. I was shocked that the largest one was priced at $32. Then, I bought my granddaughter a popsicle made with mayo juice for only $2. There were 3 fruit flavors available and it seems that the only ingredient in these popsicles is freshly made fruit juice and no other additives. Very delicious. I ended up buying a tank top for $20.

The Keauhou Farmers Market is not huge but has a great variety of local fruits and vegetables and…read morebaked goods. They even have live music and a place to sit a while and enjoy the local vibe.

I say LDT a few years ago! Fabulous performance and great latin beats. I honestly had no idea they…read morewere based on the Big Island! Don't miss their performances, Loved them! They get the audience moving!

Leche De Tigre performed during the cocktail hour for our wedding at Puakea Ranch on the Big Island…read moreand it was absolutely fantastic. They are really great, laid back and so much fun. I really wanted people to dance right after the ceremony, and you bet so many did. Thank you so much!