We loved our visit to Lavaloha! It was great for kids--interesting, and not too long or too short…read more Plus, there's the chocolate tasting, and you get to support a small business, which is wonderful. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone visiting the Big Island

Amazing!!! My family and I did the chocolate tour and they were so knowledgeable and caring about…read morewhat they do. I'd recommend anyone to take the time and go out. I'm not a big chocolate person, but I've learned so much from them and appreciate the work that goes into making tasty chocolate!

The OK Farm tour is a great way to learn about post sugarcane agriculture in Hawaii. Cassie was…read moreour tour guide and was very informative of the OK Farm history teaching us about all the crops growing on the farm. The in season fruit and macnuts were a nice treat as we overlooked the best view of Rainbow Falls!

One of the most interesting, informative tours I've ever been on. If you're a foodie or like to…read morecook this is a great place to visit! Ala and Cassie were great tour guides, driving us on a tour bus and stopping a few times to show us different fruit crops, but my favorite was spice road. Tasting, smelling and learning about the harvesting process. Don't misunderstand this was not at all a boring tour, it was just enough information and then we would move on while sipping seltzers,beer, and trying unusual fruits of the island not to mention snacking on macadamia nuts by some beautiful waterfalls. They also have a store where they sell some of their products and produce.

When I'm in Hilo, I always love visiting Big Island candies. It's always fun seeing the factory…read moreprocess and seeing the cookies dipped, but what I enjoy most is the complimentary samples. This place is a piece of heaven. Those cookies, brownies and rocky road are things I dream of. I do prefer dark chocolate over milk, but milk chocolate stuff is really yummy too. Who am I kidding if only milk chocolate dipped cookies in front of me I'd totally take them. The packaging is also beautiful, but if you just want cookies for you or to make goodie bags save a little money and get the bagged cookies vs boxed ones. And if you have any product questions, make sure to ask the friendly staff.

Bigger of an operation now compared to back when I was growing up in Hilo. But they have always…read morekept the fact that you can walk in and see the workers hand dipping cookies and whatnot. They've not changed much besides having newer items here and there. They've classic chocolate dipped shortbread cookies are always a winner. Best part about visiting is that you get samples of their products if you just ask kindly! The staff are always so friendly and helpful. I wish they would bring back the Peanut Butter Crunch Bars!

Very friendly, video they showed us was so informative explaining the entire growth harvest and…read morefinal delicious products Staff greeting us couldn't have been sweeter, just like their chocolates

We had a great tour with Bob, the owner. It was interesting to hear the process from pod to…read morefinished product. The tour is less than an hour which I imagine is to give you time to purchase.

This was one of my favorite moments from our recent visit to Hawaii. I swear that we were…read moreliterally treated like ohana. Leslie and her small staff were so kind and welcoming. There is something to be said about the view and the fantastic coffee!!!! Wow was it top tier! It feels like a custom tropical treehouse. We sat around her concrete table as we sipped sample after sample of award winning Kona coffee. On the TV we watched a live feed of the volcano. It was such a genuine experience all the way through. She took the time to walk us around the farm and explain the entire process. So much effort goes into making such a delicious cup of coffee. This place is highly recommended. It has extremely limited hours so be sure to be mindful of that .

A fantastic and personal tasting and tour that was so gratifying and wonderful. Leslie and Etsi…read morewere wonderful and really made us feel like old friends! We were served several tastings of the coffee (7 or 8 small cups) and every cup was delicious! My favorite was the SL34 and I purchased a purchased a pound and half of it. After the tastings, we were taken on a tour around the farm and processing areas and it was so great to see Leslie treat the workers with love and respect. It was genuinely the best coffee farm we had been to...and we've been to several! The view is beautiful as well. The hours are extremely limited so make sure to make plan to come.

Ever been to a Kona coffee plantation in a cloud forest? Well, here's your chance. This is a…read moresurreal experience as you're literally in the clouds up here at around 3,000-plus feet above the Pacific. It's misty, full of foliage, and just ethereal it seems. Makes you wonder aloud: they really do make coffee up here? Yes, and it's damn good! There is no official designated parking area for this tucked away coffee plantation that sits right off the windy mountain road. So we just parked on the side of the road where everyone else did. Everything is so organized here, and when you walk in, the staff greets you with a smile. It really feels like you're about to enter an amusement park. There's a nice little merch shop right at the entrance. Out in front, they offer free coffee tastings of their light, medium, and dark roasts. Took a swig of their light stuff and wow...super smooth, with very low acidity. Right off the bat you can tell this is high-quality coffee. They offer a free 15-minute tour of their small coffee processing area. Yes, you should do it. Ann was our tour guide for the afternoon and she gave us a brief, but thorough presentation of the history of the coffee plant on the island - where it came from, how it got here up in the clouds, and how they process it, step by step. I learned through her presentation that they handpick their beans here, most of which are as few as 100 yards away from the road. This really isn't a big plantation, so they yield and process small batches. And all those batches end up right in the merch shop. The prices are expensive, but worth it. There is also a self-guided tour that costs $10 per group. You fill out a waiver first, and then head down the path out back that leads you in this really cool, but short, trail that winds down to this large patio overlooking the coffee trees. Also on the trail over to the side, you can see these large lava tubes. A real treat. So yeah, I'd recommend coming to this spot FIRST if you plan on visiting a coffee plantation here on the Big Island. Have fun!

We enjoyed the tour at Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation. It was a nice, short, and informative…read moreexperience where we learned about the coffee-growing and roasting process. The coffee samples were a great bonus, and we ended up purchasing two bags of coffee beans to take home. The staff was friendly, and the tour was easy to follow without feeling too long. A worthwhile stop for coffee lovers visiting the Big Island.

Big Island Abalone has been on our list of to-do's for a while and we finally booked the farm tour…read morewhen we knew we would run errands in Kona. This place is close to the airport and very easy to find. Our guide Carlos was awesome - very knowledgeable and funny. We learned a lot in the one hour tour. We also got to sample seaweed, sea grapes and abalone at the end of the tour. We went to the food truck afterwards. Service was quick and the staff were really nice. We ordered 1/4 lb of the garlic butter abalone and 1/4 lb of the chilli garlic abalone. Both were great. Sounds expensive but I will say that we had abalone in a similar proportion in Monterey and paid more than double what we did at Big Island Abalone. We already have plans to stop at the food truck again on our way through Kona later this well. Well worth visiting. A must if you love abalone.

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect on this tour, but it was amazing! Learned so much! It was…read morefun! And my kids are still talking about it the day after. (We were there just yesterday) Held the attention of my 8 & 10 year old! Seriously felt like a well put together fun school field trip. I wish we had something like this on the mainland. Parents - you have to bring your kids. They'll learn a lot & have fun doing it. My kids are still talking about the abalone, the eyes & feel super smart deciphering which abalone are boys or girls. And if you don't have kids, go anyways! I learned a lot. Best part, there's a food truck on the premises to try the abalone + other stuff. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but YOU WILL NEVER HAVE SUCH TENDER ABALONE ANYWHERE ELSE!!! You need to stop by and try something off their menu. Garlic butter was our favorite, but my husband really liked the chili oil. The only thing I wished they offered - a summer camp for kids. I feel with such unique operations (go on the tour and learn about it), it's a great way to learn about sustainability, ecosystems, and more. Maybe someone will read my post and think about it. I'm sure parents would love to have their kids immersed in such a wonderful environment. Props to: Carlos. Thank you so much for our tour. My 10 year old loves marine animals & absolutely loved the tour. She can't wait to share with her teacher and classmates what she learned. If we return to the island in the future, we'll definitely be making another stop.

Had an absolutely amazing time on the farm tour! The guide was very knowledgeable and took her time…read moreanswering everyone's questions about all the different plants. The produce we sampled was all absolutely delicious, especially the blimbi (which tasted like a crunchy lime and is related to star fruit). It was so cool to see so many different kinds of fruits and edible flowers and herbs I'd never heard of before. Make sure you check out the gift shop! The t-shirts are super breathable and perfect for summer weather, and the hat is very comfy too. I still can't believe what a great deal everything was. Easily one of my favorite stops on my trip to Hawaii, and that's saying something!

My husband and I thought this would be a nice relaxing stroll through a garden munching on new…read morefoods-but it was so much more! Our guide Daisy is very knowledgeable and taught us about plants we have never seen before and pointed out different varieties of things that we have at home. Big Island Farms does an excellent job at conservation of their land. We will definitely be back.