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.

The cutest local honey producer! The honey tasting was lovely and the staff were really…read moreinformative. The flavor of this honey is out of this world, if I lived on the big island I would buy up so much of their honey! Lots of cute little gift items and gift sets. The vanilla ice cream was very sweet with good flavor. The bees in a hive at the very end of the store were something interesting to look at. Great stop great product reasonably priced, other stores on the island sell this product but at a marked up price, here you are going right to the source! Super cute and charming honey production facility.

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

Kealakekua Ranch Center is the only and biggest center up mauka. Located right off the highway on…read morepart of a 12,000 acre ranch, this center has been the gathering place for people in the area since it opened back in 1973. Through that time there have been many stores that have come and gone, but the mainstays have been Ace Hardware and Choicemart (the old Sure Save). Besides these two stores, there are restaurants (Chinese, Thai, local vegan), a church, a dentist, a spa, and a pharmacy. There is a ton of parking and you will never not have a spot. There is also a nice green area adjacent to the parking lot, where you can sit down and enjoy a meal you just bought. Throughout the year, there are various events held here in the massive green area above the center. Today was a free Christmas community event that had free games, hula, free food, and free pictures with Santa. It was a really great event and it is very generous of the local family owned center to put on events like this.

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.

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.

The coffee samples were flowing, and I really enjoyed trying so many…read more The free tour was so informative and our tour guide Deshawn was fun, kind, and made a real effort to make the tour a great experience for everyone involved. The farm has so many fruit trees, beyond coffee! We even tried Surinam cherries, fresh peppercorns, and jabuticaba. I highly recommend checking this place out for the great coffee, educational tour, and kind staff!

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.

The Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary has a truly special history as a multi-generational reforestation…read moreproject, and that profound energy is palpable the moment you step into its lush, misty trails. At a transitional point in my life after some major changes, I discovered their Forest Bathing (Shinrin-Yoku) experience. As a first-timer, I was blown away--it felt deeply spiritual and cleansing, with guided invitations to slow down, breathe in the cool forest air, listen to the birds and rustling leaves, and connect mindfully with the ancient trees and vibrant ecosystem. I highly recommend this for anyone seeking personal growth, healing, or simply a reset amid life's junctors. Our guide, Bri, was exceptional--knowledgeable, intuitive, and truly essential to unlocking the full magic of the experience. Request her if you can! For visitors to Hawai'i, don't miss this hidden gem on the uplands of the Big Island. It's a serene contrast to the beaches, showcasing the island's diverse, restorative natural side. As a lucky Holualoa resident, I'm excited to explore more offerings, especially the Sound Bath Meditation Journey, tree-planting volunteer opportunities, and Bri's new Exploring Within: A Music & Movement Journey in Nature. p.s. make sure you use their natural mosquito spray before heading out!

I loved everything about this tour and our tour guide Daniel was amazing. He was so knowledgeable…read moreabout the cloud forest and able to point out different species of trees and the overall history of the called forest along our tour. This place is definitely up in the clouds and gets really cold. There are a variety of tours that are offered and I ended up taking a hike and a sound bath. The hike was about a mile long and it looped around the cloud forest, so there's no way you can get lost. They are still actively working to plant trees and they have volunteer opportunities on the weekends for locals which I think it's a great option. This is such a peaceful and amazing way to learn about the history of the island along with ways to protect the trees and other plants that are being planted there. In addition to the hiking, there is also birdwatching and there's also a sound bath that is offered. I ended up doing the sound bath and it was just absolutely amazing, and it was really amazing right after the hike. I highly recommend both of these activities and to try to do them back to back. Both are such a relax and experience and it's also helping to reclaim the natural Kona world from deforestation.

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!

This area of Hawaii Island has a plethora of coffee farms. If you're interested to learn the…read morehistory of how coffee came to Hawaii in the first place, this is worth your time. It's still a working coffee farm so you'll see bushes growing all over. It's a living history farm in that the docents are hands on and show you how the coffee growing and packing was done in the 1800s. They also have two donkeys, which were the primary method of transit for beans to the coast. There's a fee to get in with discounts for members and students.

This was absolutely charming. Visiting the Kona Coffee Living History Farm was an absolute delight!…read moreThe staff are incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about sharing the history and process of Kona coffee. Walking through the farm feels like stepping back in time, with authentic demonstrations of traditional coffee farming techniques and beautiful, lush grounds. The gift shop on the property is fantastic--well-curated, full of unique Kona coffee products, local crafts, and souvenirs that make perfect gifts or keepsakes. Whether you're a coffee lover or just enjoy learning about Hawaiian culture, this farm is a must-visit!