Spring for the deluxe tour. At the end instead of having to decide what you want you get a great variety. 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. read more

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a must-stop three hour tour for chocoholics if visiting the island of Kauai. 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. read more

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We didn't have much time on Kauai but we were able to manage squeezing in this 3 hour chocolate tasting and botanical garden tour. No regrets. A rough overview of what you get is a ton of chocolate tasting, a decent amount of tropical fruit tasting, a small amount of walking to see some of the interesting plants on part of the 46 acre farm, and a tour guide who will go through all of the above as well as the history behind Lydgate Farms. Our tour guide, Sheri, was fantastic. Very nice, entertaining, and knowledgeable. She presented a lot information in an approachable way. I can tell you I know a lot more about chocolate and other topics like vanilla farming. Highlights for me included: - tasting a white pineapple and fruit from a fresh cacao pod for the first time. - seeing cacao trees, vanilla beans, and all sorts of other interesting plants. - trying all sorts of different kinds of chocolate and eating 20+ pieces. A few watchouts. Liberally use bug spray and try not to miss any spots. Our family got a few bites in the areas we missed. Another thing - the website only allows a certain number of children per time slot, so if you get in late, you might need to pay the adult price for a child, which is unfortunate. read more

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If you are a chocolate lover, this tour is absolutely worth adding to your Kauai itinerary. My wife and I discovered Lydgate Farms while planning our honeymoon and exploring Kauai on Google Maps. It was not originally part of our plans, but as soon as we found it, we knew we had to book it, and we are so glad we did. Nestled in the hills of Kauai, the farm feels peaceful, secluded, and incredibly beautiful. From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel welcome. Our tour guide, Mason, was fantastic. He was funny, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about both the farm and the chocolate making process. He shared interesting facts throughout the tour and kept the experience engaging from start to finish. As people who genuinely love chocolate, we found it fascinating to learn how chocolate is made, from the cacao tree all the way to the finished product. Not only was the tour educational, but it also gave us a greater appreciation for the amount of work and care that goes into every piece of chocolate. If you enjoy chocolate, local agriculture, or simply want a unique experience while visiting Kauai, I would highly recommend making time for Lydgate Farms. read more

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Our tour guide Jenna was amazing. You might think you won't get enough samples to account for the price of the tour but you definitely will. Chocolate, fruit, tea and more! And you can always ask for seconds if you want. So much knowledge about the chocolate making process and about the foliage and trees on the island. Seeing the farm was amazing. The honey tasted great. And the chocolate eating experience was wonderful. Worth every dollar we spent to go! read more

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Looking for a unique activity near Kapa'a, we found the Bee & Honey tour at Lydgate Farms. The tour includes an introduction to the process of beekeeping, a tour of the apiary, and a honey tasting - fresh out of the hive! Before visiting the hives, you are outfitted with a full beekeeping suit and veil. I highly recommend drinking lots of water beforehand and bringing a water bottle, as the suits get warm quickly. For the tasting, you will try the farm's 4 types of honey, and even eat some fresh honeycomb. Roni and McKenna were knowledgeable guides who answered our group's many questions about bees and the honey collecting process. After this tour, I would definitely love to visit again for the chocolate tour! read more

Lydgate Farms - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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We did both the chocolate tour and the honey bee experience. Both were wonderful experiences. For the former the chocolate education , tour and tastings were educational and really demonstrated what good chocolate both tastes like and how it's derived. LF has award winning chocolates and it's clear why. The honey bee experience was also incredible. Being taught about how bees work as a community to make honey and the ways we as humans have been able to work within this system. It was neat how we suited up for the experience, and learned so much from the hosts Alexa and Jessica. Great experience. read more

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Very cool experience! I was able to try fruits that I never have. It was chocolate at the very end which was yummy. All the people who worked there were super nice. read more

Had a great tour with Mel as our guide. We learned a lot about cacao farming and about other local plants and fruit - all conveyed in an entertaining way! We wish we had discovered that white pineapple exists before our next to last day on Kauai. The tour had a little (hilly) walking but not much. Several stops in chairs on canopied decks, which was perfect for the unpredictable weather. So many good things to taste from beginning to the end of the tour, including real white chocolate (made from cocoa butter rather than vegetable oil) - yum! The chocolate and other treats are pricey but after learning what goes into the farming and manufacture of them we could see why. Couldn't resist bringing a back home. Highly recommend if you're in the area. read more

Absolutely amazing tour. Ours lasted a little over three hours and included chocolate, fruit, honey, and macadamia nut tastings. Very generous servings of all. Our guide Jenna was wonderful and very knowledgeable about the farm and chocolate in general. The farm used to be a botanical garden so we learned many things about native/invasive Hawaiian plants in addition to the cacao trees. Super cool to see vanilla plants, too!! Very expensive products in the gift shop, but the quality of all of them is extremely high. read more

Lydgate Farms - Cacao tree - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Jasmine and Toni were amazing. They greeted us so kindly and Jasmine took us on for a quick and informative tasting. Jasmine was very sweet and explained each chocolate and history with us and each one got better and better. read more

Lydgate Farms - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Was fortunate enough to try the chocolate tasting at the farm back in June 2024. After coming back, we recommended to family who were going to Kauai in August 2024. They said the tasting was moved from the farm to tasting room set up in Kapaa so that's where they went. If the tasting room offers the same level of tasting as they did at the farm, definitely go try it out in Kapaa! So generous to sample many different kinds of chocolates from bars to the mac nuts, and some other competitor chocolates which opens your eyes to how good Lydgate farms chocolates are, lol. This farm was tricky to find, as the phone lost connection when getting near the area. Luckily having an idea of where road was going before connection got lost helped find the right place. I can see why they moved the tasting to Kapaa, it'll be much easier for people to go tasting there, sell more chocolates, and free up the farm lots for those doing the tours. Smart business decision. These chocolates are pricey, but you get what you pay for. They can be generous with the tastings, because they know you will love it and have to buy it, lol. It's like the free samples at costco, but instead of a 10% success rate for those, it'll be a near 100% sale at Lydgate:) Wife ended up grabbing several tubes for us and family. I did have to agree, the fresh mac nuts in these chocolates was like no other I've tasted. Tasted so fresh toasted light, like no other mac nuts. Really can't beat the best chocolate covering best mac nuts... It was a privilege to have had the tasting at the farm, since it allowed us to see the chocolate trees and fruits in the parking lot. That alone was a great learning experience! It also made us have to try the cacao nectar pops they had made from the flesh of the cacao fruits. On a hot day, it was an incredible treat, so refreshing! A bit melted on my hand so I thought I better wash my hands, but surprisingly it wasn't even sticky!?! Asked the friendly host Ms. Brook if there's any sugar in these bars, she said they put just a little bit to help it be a frozen bar or something. Amazing treat! Hope they have these bars at the Kapaa tasting room too. read more

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Absolutely one of THE best things we have ever done in our numerous visits to Kaua'i. While not really a good activity for younger kids, this 3-hour tasting tour provides so much great information about chocolate farming, production and other culinary secrets. Our FANTASTIC HOST, Mason was so engaging and passionate about chocolate and the farm, and provided a steady steam of humor, information and science. We've visited chocolate farms in Ecuador and spice farms in Tahiti and Tanzania and none of those visits could hold a candle to Lydgate. Their artisanal chocolates are so superior (in fact recently awarded one of the best in the world at the Paris "chocolate Olympics") and you get to taste lots of it during the visit while touring the property, learning about native plants and other crops like vanilla. In between you are seated in open-air, shaded "classrooms" getting schooled on chocolate. The three hours absolutely flies by-especially with Mason. While the cost seemed high when I booked, I was very well satisfied with the value when it was over-you do a lot of tasting. Afterwards the shop is open and you can purchase items direct to take home, or for $30, have it shipped home. We ended up buying $200 of chocolate we liked it so well. So spread the word, this is a MUST DO for adults and teens. read more

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It was great - highly recommended- family friendly too- not too cost prohibitive either

Excellent chocolate tour with a tropical fruit tasting and a wonderful tour guide, Henry! The three hours flew by and were an excellent combo of learning and eating. The grounds are beautiful, parking was easy, and the staff was friendly. Nice bathroom on property as well for guest use. We loved the honey roasted and chocolate covered macadamia nuts! read more

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We just did the sampling at the store and left with about $130 of chocolate. They include an insulated bad with ice that keeps your chocolate cool for 3 hours. It was fun, and I learned a bit about chocolate and what makes Lydgate chocolate special. That worked well for us. Staff members were friendly and even a bit funny. They had us tell them what we tasted in each chocolate and which ones we liked the best. We were in and out within 20-30 minutes and that was with some loitering. Tip: Do this on your last day so you don't spend a lot of time trying to keep your chocolate cool. It makes for a great gift! read more

This was one of our last stops on Kauai, but it was by far one of our favorites! We had read about the tour online, and ultimately decided not to book it because of the price. Fast forward to our time on Kauai, and we were in town where they had their tasting room. We walked in, talked with the chocolate associates and were sold! We booked the tour for a few days later. Our tour guide was Jess and she was incredible! Very knowledgeable and clearly excited about the work that she does on the farm. It was really cool to see all of the fruit trees on the farm and getting to try fruit that we don't have back on the mainland. Then came the chocolate! Every bite was delicious and so fun! I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Kauai! read more

Lydgate Farms - opening the cacao fruit - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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We were so stoked to be able to do a tour to learn about bees! Makenna and Brooke did a fantastic job teaching us all about bees but also were able to answer all of the questions the group had. They made sure the group was safe during the tour but had fun. We got some amazing honey to take home, a few samples of different types of honey, and a yummy banana and cocoa nib plate. I was sad they didn't have the cocoa nibs for sale. I think they could easily expand this program and do dinners with wine and cheese pairings. I would also love to see the tour be lengthened a bit more to accommodate more time to learn about bees! read more

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Our tour guide Mason was amazing. The walking tour was outstanding and peppered with lots of chocolate, fruit and a great peek at what it takes to grow chocolate. It really is a must visit on the island. read more

A tour of Lydgate Farms is a must if you're visiting the island of Kauai, especially for those of you that are foodies. While the price might seem a bit steep for some, it is totally worth it. After the 3 hour tour you will have a newfound appreciation for chocolate, fruit, honey, and nature. Our tour guide Henry was fantastic. He was extremely knowledgable, charismatic, and just a great vibe. We toured the farm on foot and I would highly recommend wearing long pants and sleeves. I practically doused myself in their bug spray and was still a dessert for the mosquitoes. Throughout the walk, we were encouraged to try the fresh fruits and plants that were being pointed out by Henry. The last part of the tour ends with the tasting where we are presented with numerous samples of fruit, chocolate, and honey. I had such a memorable time here and would definitely recommend anyone pondering the idea to just book it! read more

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Came here for the honeybee tour and wow- just wow. This tour is so well run for just starting out in January 2025. This regenerative and organic farm is truly a haven for the honeybees. We learned so much from our tour guides Jess and Alex. Did you know the temperature of the smoke for the bees matters quite a bit? They do and they use burlap for the coolest smoke possible. We suited up, had a little smoking ceremony to mask our scent and went out to the hives. It sure was sweaty but who doesn't love a good detox? The bees were buzzing all around and we learned all about the heirarchy of the hives, the bees role and how they create honey. We got to hold the frame with all the bees for pictures and witness the bees scatter when Jess shook the frame to get them all off. We then went inside a structure after picking some cherries from a tree and got to enjoy the freshest honey ever. The honey tasting was so fun and you can really taste the difference compared to regular run of the mill honey (we got to taste that too!) Jess and Alex were excellent story tellers that kept our attention the entire time. We left the tour with so much awe and inspiration to educate others on the importance of bees. We were so glad that we decided to do this tour as the people that work here are so inspiring and it really lit a fire in our hearts. Thank you, Lydgate Farms, for all you do! read more

Lydgate Farms - Tasting plate - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Extremely informational and delicious! Beautiful place. We had a great time with the tastings!

I popped my head in just to see if they had a brochure on the tour. Tina called from behind the counter to join her the free tasting she was about to start and I was so glad I did. I sampled Dark, Milk, coffee bean and macadamia nut coated, and honey glazed. I'm not a huge chocolate guy at all but I think I learned that's because most cases we know as chocolate only has 10% actual chocolate. This makes sense because this chocolate was outstanding. The Mac Nut coated in toffee and sea salt then covered in milk chocolate was next level! At the End of the Day we were leaving before we could take a tour but if you're in Kapa'a and need a sweet treat, drop by and see Tina and understand why you've been eating candy not chocolate. read more

After having loved our Chocolate Farm Tour when we were here 2 years ago, we were all ready to do it again when we were pleasantly surprised to see a new tour: Inside the Hive. We were so happy there were 2 spots (out of 14) left for us to grab yesterday on this most amazing tour with Makena and Brooke. Both so knowledgeable and patient with all the guests and questions. Truly a don't miss experience while on Kauai .. .the tasting and harvesting of honey was incredible! Get Ready to Bee Amazed !! AND BEE EDUCATED by a team of extremely passionate bee keepers. Thank you !! read more

Lydgate Farms - After a deep dive in the hive, it's time to BEE amazed with the taste of freshly harvested honey ! - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Brooke, our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable. We learned how the different cocoa beans are fermented and harvested. Brooke showed us how the pods are harvested, opened up, and the seeds extracted for processing. She was thorough in explaining the difference in the quality and quantity of cocoa in chocolate, as well as showing and allowing us to taste the differences. Also the different fruits and honey produced and grown on the farm was sampled. Brooke make the tour well worthwhile. We have a greater appreciation now for cocoa and its production. read more

Lydgate Farms - Cocoa beans being extracted from its pods. - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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This was an incredibly informative experience. Jess was bubbly and fun. I learned more about chocolate than I thought possible. The gardens are beautiful and full of plants unique to Kauai. They added in some fruit tasting which added a layer to the experience that we didn't expect. Definitely worth a visit if you have the time. read more

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The tour was an excellent experience. Our guide Mason was the best of the best as he is an agriculture expert. The delux adult option was worth the money. I don't want to ruin the experience for anyone looking to take the tour but the deluxe was worth the extra money. There is a bit of a hike back up hill for those hard of walking. read more

Lydgate Farms - Tour guide Mason in front of several Cocoa trees. This guy is extremely knowledgeable and hilarious. - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Stopped by on our last day in Kauai. Went to the drive up gift shop. Did not plan for it to be a whole experience. We tasted many full size pieces of chocolate and got so much information from our host. The whole process took about 20-30 minutes. We ended up buying the Aloha package and got 3 bars, 2 tubes and 1 opc packed up in a cooler with a little ice pack. This was the perfect way to end our Kauai vacation. The chocolates were amazing. We absolutely love dark chocolate so we were very impressed by there 70% bars. Everyone who works here is super sweet and genuinely happy! The farm itself was a little hard to find, the signs are not very easy on the eyes, we did drive right past it the first time. Definitely worth the stop though! read more

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Bee Keeper Tour! THIS IS A MUST! My wife Libby and I just went on the tour this morning. It was: Memorable A great learning opportunity AFun exchange Delicious Easy and laid back No stress, no long walks or hikes Just a pleasant walk through the gardens to the honey house and hive boxes filled with sugar bees and their airstrip and staging workplace and housing. Pretty cool to wear the professional bee keeper suit with a built-in headpiece and veil. Learning everything about the smoke gun and use. Pretty fascinating and detailed anotomical summary of the lifecycle of the honey bee and the hive and eco system. Jackson, the bee keeper is like the bee whisperer. Such an incredible mutual respect and admiration he and the "ladies" have for each other. He calls the bees ladies. He literally talks to the lady bees and greets them with love. Jackson is articulate but not in a snobby, textbook way... his passion comes through every word and thought. Nothing was scripted. He is a story teller that has a free flow of info and he's wide open and flexible to deviate his direction when questions were asked and posed. Brooke was kind, helpful and literally a worker bee. Look forward to seeing her grow in her new roles. What a blessing! Highly recommend to anyone visiting. Any age and demographic will enjoy this experience. Craig & Libby John's read more

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If you're doubting whether to do the tour - just do it! It was worth every penny. Our guide - Samuel, was absolutely fantastic. He was very knowledgeable, witty & made the tour even better than expected. We started out the tour with some cocoa shell tea and fresh fruit, with a little intro into the farm. We walked through the farm and beautifully maintained botanical gardens. Tried multiple types of fresh fruit, and then had an extensive chocolate tasting. It was well shaded, and you sat for maybe 70% of the tour. So even if you are concerned about the physical side, still give it a chance! Overall a great experience, and would highly recommend! read more

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Great tour! I honestly wasn't sure about it since it's pretty expensive, my grandma really wanted to go so we went. I had such a great time and learned so much and now have an appreciation of the chocolate making process. Trying all the tropical fruits was so cool too! The workers were so sweet and knowledgeable. I would strongly recommend going! read more

Lydgate Farms - Cocoa tree - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

An amazing tour! Highly recommend it. I learned so much about cacao and chocolate. Our tour guide, Henry, was incredibly knowledgeable about everything on the farm and clearly passionate about his work. We enjoyed every bit of the tour. The tasting was fantastic, and the property is absolutely stunning with lush tropical greens everywhere! Our kids were as engaged as we were. It's a great family tour and perfect for all ages. Don't miss out! ‍‍‍ read more

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Worth every penny! We learned so much and truly enjoyed our time there. Lots of neat things growing here I wasn't expecting in addition to the cacao. read more

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Educational but interesting if you enjoy chocolate and botany. Guide was enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. The approximately 3 hour tour went bye quickly. Chocolate was good but they are definitely hyping their chocolate and honey. Small samples during the tour, but it would be good for the price per person to get a chocolate bar at the end to take home instead of selling you $18/bar, or lowering the tour price. Use an email address that you don't mind sharing because they sure hit you up with emails right after you leave. read more

Our guide, Brooke, was incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about cacao. Everyone at the farm was very helpful and sweet! This was a highlight of our trip - fun, delicious, and truly educational! Jim and Susan VH from Missouri read more

We took the Bee Tour at Lydgate Farms. McKenna and Jules made our experience incredible! We had the best time and learned sooooo much from these ladies. The passion they had for conservation and for the bees themselves was amazing to watch. The tasting part was absolutely worth the time too! To taste the fresh honey from the hive was soooo yummy! We even got a little jar to take with us! Truly one of our favorite outings we had in Hawaii! Please support this amazing local farm and community! read more

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Highly recommend this tour, especially if the weather is forecasted to be rainy. And especially if you like chocolate! This farm is located above Kapa'a. They offer a 3-hour tour for $135/person. I believe it's free for certain aged kids. No young kids. You get to hear the history of cacao and the development of chocolate as we know it. So much interesting information about chocolate presented in the midst of sampling in-season tropical fruit, macadamia nuts and chocolate. Mel and Maddie gave us a fantastic tour--highly recommend! read more

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We loved our tour with Mel which was extremely informative, fun and tasty! Mel was super knowledgeable and personable and I was delighted to learn so much about chocolate. The samples of chocolate and fruit were delicious. I will definitely recommend this tour to friends visiting Kauai! read more

Lydgate Farms - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Everything was excellent and far exceeded our expectations for this type of an outdoor experience and tour!

My family and I completed the tour on 5/12/2925 9am and we had a wonderful 3 hour tour with Henry, our guide He has wealth of knowledge, very pleasant, and we learned so much from him. Moving forward, I have a different perception of eating my chocolate... I will definitely enjoy every bite read more