If you came to West Maui, and didn't go chocolate tasting at Ku'ia, did you really visit Maui?…read more I mean, I had an amazing time on my vacation in Ka'anapali - but this was the absolute foodie highlight, better than any restaurant and a lot more reasonable! We skipped the pricey farm tour (we did coffee farm tours last year and are farmed out) and went straight to the chocolate café. They will give you a five piece tasting for free, either a dark, milk, or sugar-free flight. But why would you come here and just take... When you can also give back to folks in Lahaina rebuilding? So we got two free flights, one milk and one dark. My sweetie added on a drink, a pastry, and some very tasty chocolate and salted caramel gelato. I went with a make your own alcohol pairing, which was so much fun and very reasonable. For about $17, I got a shot of coconut rum with two chocolate pairings and a shot of premium Martiniquan JM volcanic rhum Agricole with another two chocolate pairings. And then I still had my free five pieces. What an amazing taste adventure, for cheaper than the price of a cocktail at a hotel bar or even a locally owned foodie place? I don't want to mess up your tasting - so you pick your favorites! But I normally don't like rhum agricole - and the pairings were such an amazing flavor adventure. Honestly, this is my number one recommendation in West Maui. Give the folks some business and have an amazing time! Oh, and they have jazz on Sunday nights' but I'm sure it's more crowded than than popping in during the day on a weekday. And also: the second floor tasting room has panoramic views of the ocean and around Lahaina. Check them out!

We booked the Maui Kuʻia Estate Chocolate farm tour and tasting as a family activity; me, my wife,…read moreand our two boys and I honestly enjoyed this WAY more than I expected to. It starts at their building in Lahaina, which has a little café/coffee shop, plenty of chocolate for sale, and a rooftop experience that looked interesting but we didn't get to try. By the time we finished the tour, the kids had reached the "we have successfully experienced enough things today" portion of the vacation. Fair enough. From there, you take a fun little ride out to the cacao farm, and that's where this became much more than "let's go eat some chocolate." Our guide, Andrew (I'm about 95% sure I'm remembering his name correctly!), was fantastic. He seemed genuinely interested in cacao, the process, the company, and what they are doing there. That makes such a difference. He talked about how cacao is grown and processed, the history behind Kuʻia, and a little about founder Dr. Gunars Valkirs and his rather fascinating path to chocolate. Then, of course, there was the tasting. Lots and lots of little squares of chocolate. This is educational work I was willing to undertake. Unfortunately, I can't tell you which particular varieties were my favorites because apparently I was too busy eating them to take adequate scientific notes. What I can tell you is that there really wasn't one I disliked. What surprised me most was how much flavor there could be in chocolate that wasn't buried under a mountain of sugar. The differences and complexity of the cacao actually came through, and it made me think about chocolate completely differently. The chocolate sample they gave us back at the counter was also fantastic, as was the coffee drink we ordered. My only regret is that we didn't buy more chocolate before leaving. Be warned, though: apparently this tour has side effects. I went in expecting a fun Maui family activity where we'd learn a few things and eat some chocolate. I left wondering about cacao varieties, fermentation, processing, climate, chemistry and several other questions that absolutely nobody in my family asked me to investigate. It's been a few weeks and I'm still going down the rabbit hole. Five stars. Great guide, fascinating process, excellent chocolate, fun for the family, and potentially hazardous to anyone predisposed to acquiring new interests while on vacation.

We are on the Island of Maui and have done many types of tours in many different places but when I…read moreread about The Maui Chocolate Tour they had me at CHOCOLATE! You can cover a work boot in chocolate and I would eat it, I am not ashamed to say that I am a "Chocaholic" as well as a "Chocosaurus". We met up at their factory located In Lāhainā, fabulous store and open air seating area above their factory. Great modern design and decor and fully operated on solar and Tesla back up battery's. Staff is very friendly and helpful, but the gem of the operation is "Rissi" our guide. He was so knowledgeable of the operation and spoke so well of the growing process I could have listened to him all day and never got bored. He also integrated great things in about growing up on the island, the culture and his family background. Well done "Rissi" I wanna hang out with you. I learned so much about the plants, the natural growing methods Maui Chocolate uses and the process of refining Cocoa into chocolate. The tasting after the orchard tour was in a tree house above the orchards offering beautiful views of the orchard, views of Molokai and Lanai. Once you have tasted Maui Chocolate you won't eat anything else, you shouldn't because you are eating pure coco with only natural ingredients prepared the Maui Chocolate way. Do the tour, whether it's the factory tour or the orchard tour (I am a freak about gardening and growing) so I wanted to learn more about the trees and methods and I truly learned a lot about their natural growing methods. What really hit the heart most was Maui Chocolate donates 100% of it profits to charity, works with the community and also works with other countries on growing methods. Well done Maui Chocolate, you offer more than just chocolate goodness with your huge heart. And thank you "Rissi" for sharing your culture and history while taking care of business. Mahallo Nui Loa Bravissimo

I recently went on the Maui Chocolate Tour and despite the pouring rain during the first half I had…read morean absolute blast! The experience was both educational and delicious from start to finish. We got to see the entire process of how chocolate is made from the cacao plant all the way to the final product. It was fascinating to learn about each stage and our guide made it easy to understand while keeping things fun and engaging. I also learned so much about dark chocolate which I never used to enjoy until now! During the tasting I sampled a variety of unique flavors coffee, guava, mango, and even sugar-free and each one was incredible in its own way. The quality and freshness were unmatched. I was so impressed that after returning home I ordered two shipments from Maui Chocolate because I just couldn't get enough. A quick tip: arrive a little early for your tour. I ran a bit late but was still able to join (thankfully!) and I noticed they run right on schedule. Overall this tour was a highlight of my Maui trip -- fun, flavorful, and full of learning. Highly recommend it to anyone visiting the island rain or shine!

While on our babymoon in Maui, I booked a pineapple tour for my husband and I. I have always been…read morecurious about the fruit, it's history, and it's cultivation, and I am very glad that we took this tour. It was an honor to see how this small farm is maintaining the heritage and history after the large corporations have abandoned the islands. The pineapple they grow is absolutely delicious and I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about it. Our tour guide was Brian, and he was extremely funny and engaging throughout. We took a short ride from the general store, which is where you check in, up to the farm to see the various stages of growth. We learned how the pineapples are harvested and I have a newfound respect for the amount of work it takes to grow a single pineapple. The highlight for me was learning how to properly cut a pineapple, which I thought would be no easy feat, but once you know how to do it, it is extremely simple. Sampling the pineapple out in the Maui sunshine was the cherry on top. I highly recommend coming to take this tour and if not, at least stopping by the store to purchase some fresh pineapple or other pineapple related products.

As an incentive planner for groups, I am always looking for ideal and unique experiences for…read moreclients. On this last trip, I bought tour passes for me and my family. I usually do nto allow free or comp passes to get a good idea of typical service of a tour or activity, and this was the same. At first arrival, we were greeted by a friendly front desk staff that checked us in. They had some cool merch and some photo op areas while you waited for the guide. They had a makeshift, yet inoperable bar, where you could order some items, however, none were really made fresh or made by hand except their infused water. Everything else was already pre-packed and sold a premium, even above the grocery store premiums, so that was a let down. I wish they had not been promoting it if it was not ready for custom or craft cocktails and pours. It was a big tease. The guide came to get us and was high energy. He took us to the processing area where they clean/package the pineapples. It was unique in its own Hawaiian way, but we only stood in the area of their marketing banners and were told "we need to get moving as there is another group." We saw no packing, no movement or other. We didn't get to really look around and see the cool things within the packaging plant. That was a let down as well. They had a massive facility and we only saw a small portion of it for those who like to geek out with "how it's made" type businesses. We were then rushed on to a rickety shuttle bus and taken to various parts of the field down the street. We did get to see the workers harvest and we got to experience a plantation tasting with some more history. That was a cool experience not many get to do in the field. We made another stop and took more photos and then it was done. The tour itself was maybe an hour with another 10-20mins inside the shuttle just creeping along the uneven, winding dirt tracks in the field. That's expected. Overall it was a good tour, however, the 3-star rating mainly comes from the elements that I remember not being good. First, the price, this was an extremely overpriced tour. This should be more of a $25-$35 price point. I would not pay $90+ for another tour like this, even with the "free" pineapple. I did it for the family, but I would NOT do it for a group. This was not a luxury or elevated experience that was worthy of that price point. Second, the tour guide, although friendly, he was so rushed and kept moving us quickly as to get through the tour as soon as he could. He was not in it, you can tell he was kind of fake, but he was a local as he was trying to teach some words and spoke in native tongues as well. Not a bad guy, but doesn't seem his heart was in it. Third, requesting tips. I can't stand when guides request tips and place signs asking for tips on activities and tours. This is tacky and had a negative impact on my experience. Fourth, not having the bar open to have a true custom experience, but then trying to sell Arizona tea at a premium price with a tip jar just made it more unappealing especially when it was just a tease with taps that didn't work. Fifth, there were other groups there on top of each other. It seems they try and stack groups B2B as some are from online sales, some from DMC, some from private guides, Viator or other avenues like the pairing options. It was obvious they really try to supplement the farm with tours, and the guide stated that. There are not hundreds of people on site at once as they are good about rotating the groups quickly and there's not much else to do, so everyone leaves as soon as they're done, but you get that feeling while on the tour itself. Again, all staff were nice, but not sure who trained them to ask for tips. Seems to be an island thing as most other tours asked for the same...but not much anywhere else in the world. Overall, it was rushed. We didn't get to see the packing process or other parts of the plant as I was hoping for. They need updated signage as some of it just looks old. The guide was in a hurry. These things just weighed more heavily on the shorter and abbreviated experience we had in the field. Based on my experience, I didn't see anyone really buy a pineapple in the 30 mins before and 30 mins after (shopping) the tour. I felt like this was more of a $90+ pineapple with a free tour as an afterthought. I was hoping for more as there are limited options and usually the only tour on the island is the best. This was not the case this time around. I would pass on this unless you just really must see a plantation and having a slice in the field...if not, you're better off just buying the pineapple and grabbing lunch next door. The tour just wasn't unique enough to justify the price. Wear closed toe shoes ideally, crocs are fine. Dress for the weather.

This mango farm tour is awesome! The couple running it are so sweet and know so much, too. It was…read morereally awesome to learn how their mango farm works -- as someone interested in gardening, and especially curious about exploring the "food forest" permaculture side of growing food, it was really educational. She taught us the different plant groups that feed each other, and what order to plant to get the most productivity (and safety! We learned that papaya makes a good windbreak for smaller and more delicate plants, and agave makes a good firebreak!). I wish I lived in Maui because I'd be planting mangoes, papayas, bananas, coffee, and cocoa, RIGHT away. It was wild finding out how fast and tall papaya trees grow! These plants don't grow well in Seattle, but we are still going to take what we learned and see how we can apply similar features for our own food forest. I appreciated the very real perspectives about what works - as well as pitfalls and challenges with their food forest / mango farm. The tour was really interesting and fun, and we even had a resident cat named Tyson who took the tour with us! SO CUTE! The view there was beautiful, and though our tour group was tiny, I could see this being a fun activity for kids and families, too. Enough safe space for little folx to run around safely, and so much is stackable. She let us try mango (and wild mangos), ice cream beans (what an experience!), fresh coffee, and more. So good! They said they are going to do dinner parties here and I look forward to coming back to the Maui mango farm when we visit next time. Hopefully we'll have some good photos to show off of the garden upgrades that they've inspired. We really wanted to do something to support the Lahaina community (without being a disaster tourist, either), so visiting a regenerative farm seemed like an awesome choice, and I'm very glad we went. Bonus: since Olowalu was on our way back, we got a spectacular sunset, too.

We had to sign a waiver for this tour beforehand so my idea about this trip was pick all you can…read moreeat mango. "Do we need a hazmat?"We were joking around. "What are the odds of having concussion due to the high velocity of mango falling on your head?!?!" We were greeted by a very nice couple and served a very refreshing glass of lemongrass and cardamom leaf tea to start to hear about regenerative farming. It was invigorating and soothing at the same time. It was especially helpful for me to get over the mild cold during this trip. The walk was very easy and informative and we wore tennis shoes but it could have been easily done with flip flops or sandals. At the end, we were served delicious box of star fruit, papaya, and different mango samples . Also, we were given some recommendations on good local eats, cafes, and bakeries and some or then we spent time ourselves to find!! They are planning on serving dinner as well in the future mango farm tours so be on the lookout!!!

The crew on our Trilogy sunset dinner cruise--Kayden, Kevin, Michelle, and Captain Kukii--did an…read moreamazing job making the evening unforgettable. The level of service exceeded our expectations from beginning to end. Everyone was friendly, attentive, and made us feel incredibly well taken care of throughout the cruise. The four-course meal was stellar and much better than we expected from food served on a boat. Everything was fresh, beautifully prepared, and delicious. Between the incredible crew, exceptional service, wonderful food, beautiful ocean views, and Maui sunset, this was the perfect way to end our time in Maui. We couldn't have asked for a better final evening on the island.

What an adventure! We couldn't be happier with our experience on Trilogy IV. Captain Zech, Kanani &…read moreKenzie were just fun to talk with and took phenomenal care of us. I would 100% recommend taking this trip while you are in Maui. It is an experience you will never forget. We started to trip with cinnamon rolls and they provided really great gluten free muffin for me. Then made sure to always provide GF food options for me throughout the day. Snorkeling was fun and accessible because they had prescription masks available, which is a must if you cannot/do not wear contacts and want actually see the ocean life. We had a plenty of time to float and observe the fish. Lunch was delish and they prepared some tasty gluten free noodles JUST for me. On the way back, one of our daughters helped hoist the sail and we were able to catch the wind of a bit. We also had the good fortune of observing a pod of Hawaiian spinner dolphins on the way to and back from Lana'i. Book this trip! It is SO worth it!!!

An unforgettable adventure that even a broken toe couldn't ruin!…read more I arrived in Maui completely running on fumes after working two weeks straight as a nurse with zero days off, plus my usual spin classes 5 times a week. I was exhausted but determined. During the excursion, I actually ended up breaking my toe! I chose not to mention it to Henry because I didn't want to slow down the day, which meant I quietly missed out on the option to dive off the waterfalls--but it didn't stop me from having the time of my life. The beauty of booking with Rent A Maui Boy is how naturally the tour caters to all levels of energy and physical capabilities. Even with me resting my foot on the sidelines at times and my husband choosing to sit a few of the other physical activities out, we never felt like we missed a thing. Henry made sure my husband was thoroughly entertained, safe, and comfortable the entire time, while I got the exact restful, scenic recovery I desperately needed from my brutal work stretch. We spent a magical day soaking in the culture and eating fresh treats at local fruit stands. Lunch at a local food truck. Forget your cell phone. Do not need it. Supporting an owner-operated business like Henry's makes all the difference--he provides a flawless, memorable day no matter what includes a memorable video for this amazing day. Highly recommend

I was worried that I had to high of expectations for Henry but he lived up to the hype! Henry…read moreescorted through the Full Day of Road to Hana and helped create memories that will live forever. This trip was specifically for my son who is wheelchair bound and he made sure that everything we did revolved around my son having the time of this life. We learned lots about the area, laughed till we cried and felt like we met our new best friend on Maui. I really wanted to be present with my group so the fact that Henry captured photos and took videos of the day was the main reason I chose him. We received both within a couple days and have shared the video and photos to everyone in our lives. To say this was a magical, amazing experience doesn't sum it up enough but if you are reading this, don't hesitate, BOOK WITH HIM NOW!

This is the only snorkel trip we'll take in Maui. Everything is professionally done from start to…read moreend. We did the Molokini - turtle arches trip and it was great. On our way out saw a group of 3 whales and the boat stopped to enjoy the 10 minute display they put on for us all around the boat. The service on this boat was 5 star. Awesome crew that explained everything and also were great hospitality on the cruise serving food and drinks and helping out. It is the best value you can get on any of the charters. Would highly recommend. It is about a 5-6 hour charter and worth every penny If you want to get out on the water when in Maui. Aloha!

Best way to view south Maui via a dinner cruise. Same time supporting these groups that educate the…read morepassengers on the sea creatures.. turtles, types of fish, dolphins and do forth. Yipping is not mandatory but highly suggested.

Being inside a submarine was never something I thought I would actually do in my life, so when I…read morefound out this was something I could experience while in Hawaii, I absolutely had to get on that ship! It was such a surreal experience being deep down in the blue ocean and looking out the windows at everything happening around you. We saw so many amazing fish and one of the coolest things they explained was how the colours of your clothes actually change the deeper you go. It sounds like such a small thing, but seeing it happen in front of you was really interesting. We also got to see a sunken ship that has become a home for so many fish, and there were even sharks around it. This is definitely one of those Hawaii experiences I would recommend doing. Just make sure you book in advance.

Fantastic trip With the whole family…read moreThe kids could not stop looking at all the amazing fish we saw And I got to kiss my wife at 136 feet below the surface If you're thinking about it, do it

On day 2 of our Maui trip we took this tour, Gigi was our guide ! We had such a great time & happy…read morewe took this tour at the beginning of our trip ! Gigi was so informative on local history, food culture & was fun to be around ! At the end of the day we were smiling with full bellies & lots of memories ! Local resources like this are under utilized on vacations, if you wanna get dialed in on your Maui trip , book with Gigi today ! #mauilife #foodporn #goodvibes

Our evening with Gigi on the Hawai'i Tasting Tours was one of the best parts of our trip to Maui…read more She was organized, friendly, and evidently well-connected with the Lahaina restaurant community. We were able to visit each restaurant at a leisurely pace, and Gigi shared a tremendous amount of knowledge with us regarding Hawaiian culture. The tours book up early.... we booked ours three months out, and dates were limited. If possible, schedule your tour early in your trip so you can have time to return to some of the amazing restaurants we visited. We'd definitely recommend HTT to anyone visiting Maui.