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    Lavaloha

    4.9 (278 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Sorting the beans.

    This was a highlight of our trip to Hilo. The chocolate is amazing. We ended up getting 10 bars of chocolate. We really enjoyed the tour. Our guide was awesome. So knowledgeable and really let us be hands on. You have to try the raw cacao bean with its sweet fruit.

    Beautiful views!

    We loved our time at the farm. Courtney was a knowledgeable and friendly guide. The views were just stunning. Very glad we booked this tour.

    Giftshop - soaps etc
    Jessie W.

    Our Farm Tour exceeded expectations! How we wish every tour guide in the world were like Jess -- soo friendly & upbeat, rattles off facts as if from a script but never batting an eye. We arrived 5min late to our 3:15pm tour and felt super apologetic to the other 5 guests for having to wait, but Jess didn't make us feel bad at all. We loved learning about the relatively young farm and about cacao as a plant. Jess cut open a pod for us to teach taste the beans. I found the beans bitter but the pulp so delicious -- that I then ate through a whole half-pod on my own! Then we went over the whole chocolate production process, which was very cool. And the samples -- nothing to say except absolutely delicious! Especially the liquid 70% -- wish I could take that home! Of course we ended up buying quite a bit from the gift shop, but gotta support that local business, right?!

    Tree in the farm on the tour
    Brian M.

    Awesome!! Yes it's a drive up the mountain, yes it's a little off the beaten path but extremely worth every second and mile driven. The tour was the best tour on the big island of Hawaii. Our tour guide was so friendly, informative and entertaining. Jess was our guide and I will do it again the next time we are in Hawaii. Jess made the tour and was so interactive and knowledgeable. Fun and extremely good chocolate. Forever a fan of Lavaloha! It's a must do and must tour when you visit the big island. Must go back and we will. The souvenir shop is so much fun as well. If I could I would have bought 3 of everything. They do ship and that may break me. You have to try the 70% dark chocolate with sea salt, wow! I was not a dark chocolate fan but their dark chocolate I am.

    View from porch
    Stephanie D.

    Such a GREAT tour Absolutely FANTASTIC!! We were a party of 6 ranging in age from 18-68. Loved it. Lacy was so kind and informative. We were fascinated by the tree to product tour. The property is beautiful with an amazing view of Hilo. The temps are a little cooler, so the porch is a perfect spot. Highly recommend for all ages. I would go again. Oh - the chocolate is DELICIOUS too.

    Mai L.

    Chocolate farm where the chocolate is grown and processed there. Most surprising thing for me is to try cacao nectar juice with hint of lychee and lime together. Very refreshing and yummy.

    Cocoa tree
    Jane R.

    Came from Kona side to do the tour. Well worth 1 hr 45 minutes excursion to see countryside and dramatic change in climate-Hilo gets the most rain in US! Great tour includes eating the cocoa fruit strait from tree, eating the naturally dried cocoa bean, to tasting several dark, white and milk chocolate. Definitely best chocolate I've ever had-the orange chocolate is my personal favorite and hubby liked the salted dark

    Cacao beans drying
    Ricky M.

    The tour of the chocolate farm was very interesting and enjoyable. It was cool to learn about how they grow and make their chocolates. And you even get to sample some of their chocolates. I would recommend this tour to anyone. Also, the view overlooking the farm, Hilo and the Pacific Ocean is incredible.

    Michele M.

    My family and I took this tour and had a great time. The tour guide was friendly and seemed to enjoy teaching you about where chocolate comes from. We enjoyed eating from the cacao and found it interesting how floral it tasted. The property is beautiful. I would definitely recommend visiting if your considering a chocolate tour during your visit

    This has been an amazing experience. Didn't even know we had this amazing chocolate farm here on our island. Learning about the different trees and how they make chocolate. And WOW. The taste of it was phenomenal. Their gift shop yessss best experience ever. Jess was an amazing tour guide very knowledgeable. She made our experience the best. Thank you Jess

    Cindy G.

    Enjoyed the Lavaloha Tour in Hilo! Thanks Jess for taking us on a fun and informational adventure. Enjoyed the chocolate sampling and the assortment was delicious! Will surely recommend this tour to our Ohana and friends. Simply worth taking seeing the beautiful and bountiful Chocolate trees of Hilo. Mahalo nui loa, until we meet again.

    Izzy was a great host. Telling us interesting facts and history. The chocolate was very good.

    Inside the cacao. We got to sample!
    moejoe r.

    Jessica took us around the farm and she was an extra fast talker so make a point to keep your ears open!! Plenty of sampling along the tour.

    Got to taste the beans

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    1 month ago

    Good job and very well shared information. This is a fun event to do for all including kids.

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    Jess S.

    Mahalo for your 5-star feedback and for taking the time to visit us!

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    26 days ago

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    5 months ago

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    Jess S.

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    6 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    Jess S.

    Mahalo for taking the time to visit our farm!

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    3 months ago

    Excellent tour with the guide describing the history of chocolate and how the farm processes pods into chocolate! Highly recommend!

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    Jess S.

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    4 months ago

    Very good tour. Reasonably priced and learned a lot. Their chocolate was quite tasty. Jess was a great guide for our group

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    7 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    Jess S.

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    9 months ago

    Really cool experience. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, and I learned a lot about chocolate. Definitely worth it!

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    Jess S.

    Mahalo nui loa for visiting us and leaving us a 5-star review!

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    Jess S.

    Aloha Linda! Mahalo for visiting us and sharing your photos!

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    10 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    7 months ago

    Our guide was amazing. She knew so much and explained everything to us easily! Chicokstd was really yummy! Great little tour I recommend!

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    Jess S.

    Mahalo for visiting us!

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    1 year ago

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    4 years ago

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    Daeus B.

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    10 months ago

    Excellent tour. Wonderful guide. Great chocolate. Hands on experience. Best in the Hawaiian Islands

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    Jess S.

    Mahalo nui loa for visiting us and leaving us a 5-star review!

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    3 years ago

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    Jess S.

    Mahalo nui loa for visiting us!

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Lavaloha

    I live in Maui. I want to purchase Kamaaina tour tickets for my cousin and I. My cousin is not a Hawaii resident. I would like to pay for her ticket as a gift. Is this ok?

    I'm from the main land and I bought the tickets for me and my cousin

    Is Lavaloha open for tours on 9/5/22?

    Aloha and thank you for asking! Yes, we are open on 9/5, the only Holidays we are closed for are New Year's Day, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving and 4th of July. Mahalo!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Lavaloha

    The best part was the tasting of all the chocolates made on site at the farm from the beans we had just seen.

    Mentioned in 84 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Puna Chocolate Company

    4.5(125 reviews)
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    Puna Chocolate Company is one of my favorite local chocolate artisan shops, conveniently located in…read moreDowntown Hilo. Since my time away, they have beautifully renovated the interior to have a sit-down booth area. I love the abundance of nene decor honoring our state bird, along with high quality chocolates made in Hawaii. The store clerk was very knowledgeable and described how each cultivars of chocolate differ in their taste profiles. We had the horchata 50% milk chocolate bar, and I don't have a picture because we devoured it in one sitting! Overall, Puna Chocolate Co. is an elegant, delightful, and elevated experience that rivals big names like Big Island Candies and Dandelion Chocolates in San Francisco. Highly recommend in stopping by!

    I stopped by Puna Chocolate Company for an afternoon coffee and ordered an espresso. It wasn't…read moreterribly busy in the store so my drink was prepared in minutes. The espresso was strong, not overwhelmingly bitter, and had a good consistency to it. While sitting at the bar, I noticed that they had a Day Drink menu with a bunch of coffee and chocolate cocktails, including an espresso martini and a cacao old fashioned. For $14 and $13 respectively, these seemed like very reasonable prices. Definitely something I'll check out on my next visit. On the right side of the store is a gift shop, while the left side has a bunch of seating for patrons. I noticed there were a few people here with their laptops out, so I can only assume it's also a good place to work as well. The store seemed pretty quiet, street parking outside was easy, and the staff I interacted with here was friendly. Puna Chocolate Company is a good rest spot to stop by to escape from the busyness of Downtown Hilo.

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    Big Island Candies - Snack bar.

    Big Island Candies

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    Make sure to check this place out if you're in the area! We stopped by around 8:30 AM and honestly…read moreweren't even sure it was open at first--the building looks pretty dark from the outside because of the tint. But as soon as we walked in, we were warmly greeted by the wonderful staff, and the whole vibe completely changed. Inside, the space is bright, inviting, and thoughtfully set up. We were offered samples of their Kona coffee along with a couple of treats of the day, which was such a nice touch. As you walk around, you can actually watch them making their delicious goodies, which makes the experience even more fun and tempting. The shop was beautifully decorated for the upcoming Easter holiday, and they also had some really lovely gift boxes--perfect if you're looking to bring something home for family or friends. There's also a small area where you can grab drinks (and possibly ice cream too). I ordered a green tea latte, and it was absolutely wonderful. Overall, such a cozy, welcoming spot with great treats and friendly service. Definitely worth stopping by--whether you're craving something sweet or looking to pick up a thoughtful gift!

    I was quite impressed with the operation they have going at Big Island Candies…read more This place is incredible! They offer a large variety of candies that are made right there in the store. You can watch the hard workers diligently making fresh and delicious candies! The store is full of different types of candies wrapped nicely that make the perfect gift.

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    Mahiai Made - Catch our Limited Edition Chocolates, including Golden Milk, Ube, Mamaki and Matcha, Monk Fruit Sweetened White Chocolate, and more!

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    So glad we stumbled upon this little gem during our travels! The owners were so friendly and all…read morethe samples were delicious. Since it was hot and we were traveling by car, we opted for the cacao nibs and THEY ARE INCREDIBLE. We had them on ice cream paired with molten lava cake and I'm still thinking (drooling) about it. Lots of options for gifts and the staff will make great recommendations.

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    Mahiai Made - Items for purchase

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    Mahiai Made - Selecting our chocolates (not a bad souvenir)

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    What they sell

    Two Ladies Kitchen - Getting our mochi fix

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    4.6(1.5k reviews)
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