Spring for the deluxe tour. At the end instead of having to decide what you want you get a great…read morevariety. Our tour guide Sherry was amazing, great energy. Expected to have my husband pass me his dark chocolate as normally it's not his thing but he tried it and I'm sad to say he kept eating all the chocolate. If you're looking for a good intro to fine chocolate and eco tourism this is it.

a must-stop three hour tour for chocoholics if visiting the island of Kauai…read more Like coffee, the cacao plant grows in the tropical belt with Hawaii being the only state in the Union that can grow it. Thus, taking a chocolate tour (and sampling chocolate) became something my wife wanted to do during our visit to Kauai. I booked it on the first day on the island, with cost being $140 per person via Viator, and was able to reserve spots for the following day at 11:00. It's well set-up with clear signs pointing you to the farm (need to pass by other houses through a small residential area). Guides will tell you where to park your car...we intentionally came only 10 minutes before the start and were some of the last ones to arrive. Our tour was fully filled with a maximum of 25 guests. The property is hilly, and the tour does involve a bit of walking, with 3 separate sitting areas where we sampled different foods. In our initial gathering spot, we met Mason (our primary guide). He later told us that he was going into civics. His charismatic personality and willingness to help others, really serves his guests well during the tour and his future (in politics, I'm assuming). We learned a lot about the farm, and had access to bathrooms, natural bug spray (mosquitos definitely bite here) with a place to wash hands, and distribution of umbrellas (for the occasional shower and protection from the sun). Got to sample an apple banana and cocoa tea while learning about the history of the farm. There was so much information, I had to take notes on my smartphone...apologies if I looked like I was not paying attention. In addition to the 3968 cacao trees on the farm (46 acres), other products are grown and raised to supplement the viability of the main crop: apple bananas whose leaves are used the cacao fermentation process; honey from the 50 hives to pollinate the cacao (the parasitic destructor mites that have devastated honey bee hives across the world have not yet made it to Kauai...makes me appreciate the Hawaiian agricultural controls); the vanilla plant vines that are hand pollinated to produce such rare extract that the public can't buy it. We walked to the second spot, passing by various plants and crops. There we sampled unusual tropical fruit (rambutan, soursop, and white pineapple), chocolate covered macadamia nuts (grown in Hawaii), and different honeys. Made me love mac nuts again. The final spot was to taste the chocolate bars. We sampled 5 of theirs (70% dark, 70% with sea salt, 75% with rum, 78% reserve, 50% milk with coffee/nibs), 3 Valrhona, and 1 Hershey. Mason gave a demonstration by hand of how cocoa liquor is made from the fermented seeds (this part is done by machine at a plant in Oahu...their plan is to do future expansion in Kauai so they can emphatically state that it is a completely Kauai product). The 70% dark 1/8 lb bars are $18, and I ended up buying quite a few to give as gifts (Mason didn't buy this explanation). We tried one bar when we got home, and can confirm how creamy and sweet they are (no bitterness). Other tidbits: -- chocolate is a fruit, not a bean or vegetable. -- Only Hawaii can grow it in U.S. -- Grafting is common for consistency -- Chocolate is purple. Black means there were moldy shells. No mold here, so discarded shells can be made into tea -- Most macadamia nuts sold in Hawaii are grown in Australia, and only packaged in Hawaii. -- White chocolate is real chocolate, just using cocoa butter only. -- AI will tell you dark chocolate is bitter cause raw cocoa is earthy (i.e. bitter). Instead, Mason proposed that it was because mass production causes uneven, incomplete fermentation. Smaller batches = careful watching = less bitterness. This was a revelation to me. -- the owner is a fifth generation farmer in Kauai, with him recently changing the name of his farm to his family name. -- At the 2023 Cacao of Excellence Awards held in Europe, Lydgate won the top prize (gold medal) for the Asia & Pacific region, along with six others in the same region, including 2 others from Hawaii. They had previously been named Top 50 in the world multiple times. -- Because they are such a popular tour, there are multiple time slots and days available. The most important thing to note about the quality of the chocolate: cacao plants bear fruit all year round, with Lydgate farms picking and fermenting by hand when it is the right time (as opposed to bigger operations where they combine ripe and unripe fruit all together for the sake of efficiency). Even for a layman like me, it was a convincing argument on why their dark chocolate is premium, costly, and has no bitterness (even at 70%). The major awards that they have received is just confirmation of this fact. And the tour being 3 hours long in such a small area...the time went by really fast.

I found HouLau on yelp after looking into chocolate farm tours on the island. With the 5 star…read morereview and the economical price, my husband and I decided to book. What a fabulous experience! There was only one other couple on the tour, which lasted nearly four hours. Howard and Sally gave us the full story of how they came to be chocolate farmers, took us on the tour of the property, we picked our own ripe pods, then opened them to taste the matrix. They then took us into the building where the chocolate is made, showing us the step-by-step process. Both are great communicators, with a gentle mannerism and easy humor. The final part of the tour included a tasting, with the option to buy some of the chocolate, the amazing brownies that Sally makes, homemade vanilla and also the local honey. We both left very inspired by Howard and Sally's story and dedication. If you are inclined to take a chocolate farm tour, HouLau is highly recommended for a personalized and memorable tour.

I loved this place. Howard and Sally were awesome! They treated my gf and I like we were long time…read morefriends, showed us their whole process from picking cacao pods to roasting beans and pouring the chocolate molds. They gave us more than a chocolate tour by giving us their interesting family history and how they learned to make chocolate. Not only was the chocolate great but they also make the best brownies (not this kind lol!) Email them on their website to schedule a visit and learn about these great people.

I really enjoyed the tour given by Willow explaining the Canoe Foods brought in and the five…read morevertical layers of farming. The dinner was exquisite and the best example of whole food eating I've seen. No packages were opened to prepare this meal! And the landscape and ambiance were fantastic; very romantic. We also enjoyed partaking in the lei making and buying home grown souvenirs. Great experience!

The food and setting were lovely. This is more of an event space than an actual farm, though they…read moredo source their ingredients locally. The farm tour- at least with the guide we had- was a wander through a small organic garden with a guide describing some plants that might be exotic if you're from the mainland- it's pleasant and interesting. There's no serious description of agriculture on Hawaii or why Hawaii has to import food or what might be done about it. There was no asking for questions, and a maybe 30% disinformation content. I'd suggest the owners list on the menu for the day where each item comes from- clearly that's what their clientele is interested in? Some of this might have been covered in the 4 minute meet with the chef, but I didn't retain it. It would be fun to know what all the ingredients are. Any last minute unforeseen swaps could then be discussed before the meal, since the visitors are interested in sustainable Ag we'd be interested in its unpredictability too.

Very interesting farm, the owner was very nice. Showed us around the farm and helped us pick some…read moregood fruits. Took the time to explained the fruits and their names, some of them we do not know them in English or Vietnamese. Recommend for those who wants to experience the all you can pick farm!

We had such a fun time visiting the farm. The owner is a great host and is very passionate about…read morehis fruits. We got mangoes, star apples, chempedak (a special jackfruit unique to his farm), papayas, bananas. We especially love the Alfonso Gold mangoes, they are very fragrant and sweet. All the fruits are really delicious. Our only regret is not finding this place earlier in our vacation so we can make multiple trips for fresh fruits. If you do go, text or call ahead of time so you can get GPS to parking area and the gate code or you won't be able to get in.

Late review: July 2025 prices…read more Goat feed - $6 Goat milk gelato x 2 - $6.28 Lychee flavor, Size: Keiki Mango flavor, Size: Keiki Lemon bar - $4.19 Friendly staff, happy goats, free parking, credit cards accepted, no extra cc fees, wash stations available Yelp limits how many photos are posted with my review, but there should be 52 photos/videos.

Very first time here, came on a field trip. Definitely a hands on experience for children and…read moreadults. Feeding, milking and petting these goats was very fun and educational experience for the adults and children. Sweet Land Farm started in 2010 and sits on 86 acres. Very peaceful, spacious and gorgeous view of the mountains. Great venue to celebrate weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, graduation and any other special occasions. There's a covered pavilion and ample parking. How Sweet Land Farm got its name.. The land was originally pineapple fields and that's how Sweet Land Farm got its name. Sweet Land Farm produces four types of goat cheese: Chèvre, Gouda, Tomme & Feta. Which supplies local restaurants, stores and hotels with its goat cheeses & caramel. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and pleasant to talk with. I wish I got his name. At the end of our tour the adults were given Gouda & Chèvre cheese and crackers. The children goat gelato. I had a fun experience being at Sweet Land Farm and I'll definitely be back one day!

What a fun chocolate tour located on the North Shore. I actually had never heard of this local…read morecacao farm, but my husband found it as an activity to do when his parents were visiting from the mainland. You can sign up online for the tour, which includes seeing the cacao trees, and how they grow the different types of cacao, harvest it, process it, and turn it into a local chocolate for Manoa chocolate company. It's actually very fascinating, but quite a long process, which is why most chocolate companies don't make their chocolate from scratch. At the end of the tour, you have a chance to sample some of their finished Manoa chocolate products, such a treat!

Super fun and educational. Katie was an excellent tour guide and very knowledgeable, answering all…read moreour questions and letting us explore and try so many different types of chocolate from all stages of the chocolate harvesting process and different flavors. Even got to enjoy some chocolate tea! Definitely a must-do activity, especially if you like dark chocolate!

We attended both the farm tour and lei-making sunset class. Both were fun experiences which allowed…read moreus to see a working farm run by a family. Everyone was very kind and friendly ... and the views of ocean, land, and sunset are awesome.

Tour was great! Everyone was so friendly. The flowers are so beautiful and smell amazing!!! Had a…read moregreat time!

I grew up in Wahiawa and spent a good part of my childhood outdoors. One memorable activity for me…read morewas being able to work in the Loi Patch. Something about pulling weeds knee deep in cool mud is so peaceful to me! I brought my boyfriend to Na Mea Kupono farm on a Saturday workday at 9am. We volunteered our time that morning and got a free workout! Kuuipo, Uncle Steve and Bevy (?) made us feel like family right away and the other student volunteers were just as awesome to work with as well. If you want an authentic Hawaii experience you should definitely check out Na Mea Kupono. The people who work here love and respect the land, know the history of the island, and appreciate the bounty the loi provides. When you visit here you can't help but feel accomplished and satisfied. And a little bit dirty. Bonus--Don't forget to grab some Huli Huli chicken at Malama Market as your reward for your hard work! Worth it!

Unbelievably beautiful place. The Lo'i patch is truly amazing, and they have so much knowledge and…read morecare for the land with such aloha. This place is magical.

This was a highlight of our visit to the North Shore... Visit them. Help support the local…read morecommunity and the bees. The owner, our host (Ash), and Samir were all wonderful! Did you know: Female bees dominate the hive, making up more than 95% of the population. They are the only ones who work, sting, and populate. #girlbosses

We drove up to the honey farm, expecting a store where we could buy local products and support…read moretheir business, but the gate was closed, and the person who answered the phone said that their honey is available in some markets, or at the fruit stand in the front if it's open, but they do not sell it separate from their farm tours. So do not drive up there expecting to buy any honey products. I think they could make a lot of money selling different honey products. At least someone answered the phone.

For a little under $200, me and my husband had the best morning celebrating our first anniversary…read moreat Hanai Hives. We allotted enough time to head up to the North Shore and it was easy to find this location thanks to the clear directions in email. I've wanted to learn more about the bees for a long time and what better way than to put on a get a private tour where you get to suit up and get a fab lesson from Katie and team on the ins and outs of the bees working hard at making honey. Our tour was about 2 hours long. We were in awe of how hard the beekeepers and the bees here work. We even got to see another bee robbing another bee on site! And saw how to get the beetles out of there! I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to get the right sized suit. And they are super nice about taking photos for you!!! The tour ended with a honey tasting and charcuterie board with mint infused iced water! Then we were off to the gift shop which had all the flavors available for tasting -- we loved the hot honey. This TOUR IS A MUST and it is so easy to schedule through their website as they have so much availability 6 days a week.

We loved every minute of this private tour! Katie and her team are wonderful people and incredibly…read moreknowledgeable about bees. It was like we made a new friend! You will be immersed into the bee keeping experience without a doubt. Every aspect of bee keeping was shared and if we lived on Oahu, we would Hanai a hive too! Booking this tour will give you a memorable and unique island experience. The honey sample at the end was so delicious we bought some to take home.