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!

Kamananui Orchard…read more This was one of the stops on our island tour, and it ended up being such a fun little experience! We got to sample some unique local coffee and pick up some to enjoy during the rest of our trip. The macadamia nuts were incredible--so much flavor in every bite! It was also really cool seeing the coffee beans and macadamias still growing on the trees and learning a little about how they're grown. A great stop if you're touring Oʻahu and want to experience some of the island's local agriculture beyond the beaches.

We always have a great time at the annual Pumpkin Festival at Aloun Farms!…read more This year, they had great rides from E.K. Fernandez, including a Ferris Wheel! We had a blast. They also had the free hayride, entertainment, the pumpkin patch, sunflower patch, pony rides, and more! I love that they partner with organizations for great giveaways. My hubby won 2 RT airline tickets to anywhere Southwest flies on the mainland by winning a watermelon eating contest! Woop woop! They also had really cute staged areas for photo taking, tons of food vendors, a farmer's market, etc. You can't go wrong when there's something for everyone to do. Highly recommend checking this place out for Halloween time. Bring boots and plenty of water and sunscreen - it's hot out there, but always fun.

We went to Aloun Farms for the Fall Festival this year and overall had a nice time! It was great…read morethat the event was dog friendly. We brought our pup along and she loved exploring. The decorations were cute and festive, and the staff we interacted with were all friendly and welcoming. It was definitely crowded and a bit overwhelming, so we only stayed for about an hour. It was also really hot, which made it tough for both us and our dog. We walked around, grabbed some food, checked out the sunflowers and pumpkin patch, and then stopped by the farmers market store before heading out. The store service was quick, but one moment stood out. A young boy was trying his best to help us and do the math for our items when another staff member suddenly took over and told him, "You're going to the side. You're way too slow." It felt a little uncomfortable to witness, since the boy was clearly trying his best. I understand things can get busy, but it just didn't feel right to scold him in front of customers. Despite that, the festival itself was fun, the food and produce were great, and it's always nice to see local families and pets enjoying the day. We'll probably go again, maybe earlier in the morning next time when it's less crowded and cooler.

Organic fruits and veggies for a sustainable North Shore! Waihuena Farm grows everything using…read morestrict organic practices, but is too small scale for the expensive organic certification process. You can speak to the farm owner and workers and even tour the place to see this for yourself. Farm stand is open on site Mondays 2-5pm and CSA subscriptions are available for weekly and bi-weekly pickups. There is a paypal feature for pre-ordering at Waihuenafarm.com/csa-farm-baskets. Cash accepted on site on Mondays 2-5. Also some produce is sold at the Sunset Beach Elementary Farmers' Market Saturday mornings. CSA shares for $25 are the absolute best deal you can get on same day harvested organic food out here. Eggs too!

Excellent fruits and vegetables fresh from the garden. If you can get bananas, they are the best I…read morehave had in my life! Super friendly service too!

I love Wahiawa Botanical Garden. I grow and collect plants of my own but seeing them growing…read morenaturally in the wild is very inspiring and awe-inducing to see them thrive at that level in nature. I especially love seeing the monsteras crawling on the trees, and the tall bamboo garden. The cherry blossom trees here are also my favorite place to visit when it is spring in Hawaii :). This place is one of the locations where you can view cherry blossoms. I don't usually frequent this area since it's a bit out of the way but the views and beautiful plants are worth it! Definitely bring walking shoes because this was actually a work out...Felt like I was in Jurassic Park - I was having fun jumping on rocks and stuff but I decided not to go too deep into the jungle of this botanical garden this time because I didn't want to get my shoes *dirty* I am very particular on keeping my shoes looking good... LOL

We visited the botanical garden today as a family, but unfortunately, it was below our…read moreexpectations. It is nice that the entrance is free, but the garden was not as well maintained as we had hoped. There was not a lot of area to explore, and the experience felt more like a walk through a forest rather than a traditional botanical garden. That being said, it can still be a peaceful place to relax, enjoy a quiet coffee, read a book, or simply spend some time away from the city. It is a nice spot for unwinding, but it may not be the best choice if you are looking for a well-developed botanical garden experience.

One flower. That was it. Jamie W and I saw just one flower in the entire botanical garden (Photo…read more3). Even though we saw a sign identifying this place in front of the parking lot, we really couldn't tell where the garden began. By the time we saw Waikahalulu Falls (Photo 10), we finally realized we were in the middle of it. Even though there was an abundance of native plants, none of them were identified as such, so we frankly didn't learn anything. We just made our way to the picnic grounds next to the waterfall and then exited. To be honest, we only stopped here strolling from the original Liliha Bakery in Kalihi to Chinatown, so we didn't have any expectations coming here. Inconveniently, the public restrooms were boarded up. Admission is free. RELATED - Exploring Hawaii? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/wLtaaLUEVq

This was one of the stop on our tour In Honolulu , we were here for about 45mins…read more Liliokalani Botanical Garden is a very beautiful it is free to enter also free parking as well, there are some benches along the grass and paved paths, lots of trees and flowers,a water stream, a bridge. I saw a family fishing in one of the ponds, she stated to that there are fish in that dirty pond, I wish that there signs leading you to the waterfall. The highlight for me here was getting some sample from a live paper tree.

It's basically by Manoa Falls hike and it's in a jungle. Like basically we in the jungle…read more Surrounded by plants it definitely feels like you have escaped into a different world. I appreciate the fact that they hold plant sales here twice a year because usually this place is blocked off from the public until they open it up just for this.

Truly in awe of how lush and gorgeous this arboretum is. It doesn't look like much from the…read moreoutside, but once you make it inside, it's like a whole different world. The Lyon Arboretum has the most vibrant plants and some of the most fabulous views that I've seen within Hawaii. My friend and I visited the arboretum after hiking nearby Manoa Falls. The arboretum is actually located within Manoa Falls Park, and the entrance is located just before the beginning of the Manoa Falls hike. We hadn't planned on visiting, but we decided to check it out since it was so close. Best decision that we could have made! While we really enjoyed the hike to Manoa Falls, we both enjoyed the hike through the arboretum so much more. Entrance into the arboretum is free with a reservation, but it's just a nominal fee of $5 if you stop by same day. We paid the fee at the visitor's center and were given trail maps to follow along our journey through the greenery. The visitor's center also has other maps and souvenirs for purchase. There are actually quite a few trails that run through here. We started our hike off without looking at the maps but then realized that we kind of needed them. That's when we realized that we couldn't find them. It's not a huge arboretum, but it is easy to get lost depending on how and how deep that you decide to go in. Would highly recommend that you use the trail map if you're planning a longer hike. We ended up hiking up to Aihualama Falls which weren't as grand as Manoa Falls, but it was still really beautiful and secluded. The hike to Aihualama Falls was also extremely gorgeous! We were practically surrounded by beautiful flowers during most of our hike. We literally stopped just to smell and admire them. We found the most vibrant orchids, roses, tropical wildflowers, succulents, and so much more. The gardens are so amazing here. The great lawn is so impressive! I was actually kind of bummed that I didn't bring my lunch because the lawn is the PERFECT place to sit out and have a picnic! We saw a few people relaxing out on the lawn and enjoying themselves, but it was so empty and secluded. Plus, the view of the mountains from the lawn is ridiculous! A spot that I could definitely see myself chillin' at all damn day. It was so lovely. We hadn't planned on doing any long or strenuous hikes here, so we just went with the flow. I will say that you can really get your hike on here. I think we ended up doing 3 or 4 miles from, but we weren't really prepared for the inclines through the forest since we had originally planned to only hike Manoa Falls. Make sure to bring plenty of water, snacks, sunscreen and bug spray. We were there in the early afternoon but it was already super warm, and many parts of the arboretum are exposed. Also, the bugs can be quite aggressive in certain areas. Nothing that a little bug spray can't handle though. All in all, I'm extremely impressed. I would definitely come back to this arboretum to partake in a more extensive hike and for a picnic.

What the matcha…read more.. Yes hearing that Fishcake in Kaka'ako is having their Matcha Fest after the last one was just beyond insanely fun you know I was excited to see who will be stirring up some yummy sips and treats this latest March and they sure did not disappoint. The first was back in December 2025 and you know as an official Matcha lover since forever what a dream idea to assemble various small local biz to a single spot and showcase all things matcha theme...gah! With local crafties like Green Times, Kynd Tea, Aloha Matcha, Ta.Ma.Da Sweets, Mashio Project, As You Like, Moku Matcha, I am Tanukis just to name a few. As line forms long before the event started it was just one spot that I had would have a chance and it was Moku Matcha which served several but it was the Black Sesame Matcha which sounded very calming and with no added sweetener the black sesame totally came through and what a treat along with their smooth matcha it was a very elegant sip. Right beside them I just couldn't resist items from I am Tanukis who what the load of matcha products as this woman owned and run designer crafted all these cute graphics that I just had to have and why not to brighten my spot along with stickers and notes I even received a gift with purchase. A crafter myself I simply do love and appreciate all that they do and to make it something of their own using the product that I love and that many didn't think would even be a possibility to enjoy is mind blowing as the lines forming goes all the way down the block, Matcha Fest success is all done one cup at a time. Thank you!

We have been purchasing 19 day old eggs from Asssgi hatchery for the past two decades, and we…read morehave never, ever been disappointed. Customer service is outstanding, extremely helpful and encouraging . Thank you so much Assagi!

They have been so helpful at educating us on chicken breads and ensuring we will be successful at…read moreraising chicks. Everyone I have talked to are so kind and respectful.