My wife and I scheduled this amazing tea journey while visiting the big island, what an amazing experience. The steward of this beautiful land, Taka is not only a tea Master, but also a kind, generous and wise soul. We were lead through the farm on a totally immersive tour that involved all of our five senses. We learned so much about tea and left with so much gratitude. The Senchado tea ceremony was the highlight of the tour, served by a true Zen practitioner. I highly recommend this tour if you're looking for a heart-opening experience and enjoy tea. read more

We greatly enjoyed the entire experience. Both walking thru the tea plants and participating in the tea ceremony. All was very well done and informative. Would highly recommend booking. read more

Such an amazing tranquil and immersive experience! BEST EXPERIENCE IN KONA HAWAII! If you love Tea , nature and Zen. It truly encompasses the magic of tea and the tradition of the tea ceremony! This is Kona's best hidden Gem. As a Certified Tea Master and educator I can truly say that this garden captured the magic and the special qualities of the experience of Tea! read more

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Kimberly and Taka were such gracious host during our tour. I had called Kimberly ahead of time to let her know we'd be a couple minutes late due to traffic, and she was so nice and understanding to not stress and to take our time! Once we arrived, Kimberly greeted us while Taka was getting ready for the tour. We met Naomi (I believe) with the cutest cat of theirs. Kimberly gave us a little tour of their home garden in the front while we waited a couple of minutes. Once Taka was ready, we followed his guidance down to the farm. Taka is so knowledgable and passionate about tea. And having him and his daughter walk us through the farm, it felt like we've been there before. As we were walking through the farm Taka explained about each plant, and which part of the plant is made for black and green tea. We ended up walking pass their fruit trees, and we were allowed to try some of their fruit and it was phenomenal!! They were so generous that we even took a couple of the clementines home! As we wrapped around the farm, to circle back to the tea room. I'm pretty sure Taka built the tea ceremony room himself, and let me just say, the minute you walk into the room, you feel zen and calm. It was so serene. We finished the tour with a very calming tea ceremony. I believe it was a traditional Japanese Sencha tea ceremony. I could be wrong, but it was still very beautiful to watch the art of the ceremony. You could feel Taka's passion and love of representing and instructing you through the process of the tea ceremony to fully grasp and understand how to taste the tea, all the while the meaning behind it all. And it was nice to see his daughter help out during the ceremony. She's a wonderful young lady, that is very interested, devoted and passionate about the knowledge of the farm, just like her father!! Taka, Kimberly and Naomi, were such gracious hosts and I'm so honored and glad I found this gem of the place in Honoka'a. It was truly a wonderful and educational time, that I believe everyone needs to visit and experience read more

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We did this tour with our parents and children (ages 16, 13, and 11). Everyone loved it! Our 2 youngest kids said it was the best tour they have ever taken. It was really a special experience and a highlight of our trip. Thank you! read more

Very educational on tea...like a wine/vineyard tour and tasting but tea! Loved the all organic approach.

We had an excellent time at Mauna Kea Tea! The amount of information that Taka shared with us and the passion their whole family has for the work that they do is amazing and wonderful to experience. I highely recommend visiting the farm and guarantee you will learn something new! read more

In a word, magical. The two hours we spent there were like walking through a poem of the senses. By the time we left we felt like we'd spent the day at a spa, the experience was somehow relaxing and invigorating. This place is a vibe; nature, good energy, knowledge, and hard work culminating in something incredibly special. Kimberly gave us a warm welcome when we got out of our car and told us Taka would be ready to start the tour soon and their daughter introduced us to the farm cats when we walked through the front garden. It was so sweet and charming, we knew we were in for a great time. We learned so much about tea and very much appreciated Taka's approach to showing us around the farm and to the tea preparation. The tea and the treats were superb. The mochi was especially delicious and Taka also allowed us to graze on some of the fruits growing around the farm. The thimbleberries were definitely a treat. We wish we could have spent the whole day there. read more

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My wife and I visited Mauna Kea Tea in March. We live in Waimea, about 20 minutes away. It can get a little confusing to find the place but Kimberly was able to get us there with great directions over the phone. What a wonderful experience! This is a family-run tea farm and we were greeted by Kimberly and her young daughter. It was lightly raining so we didn't spend too much time out in the fields but that's ok. Once we entered the house, we knew we were in for something special. We tried several teas in a beautifully rustic setting. Nothing was rushed, everything was relaxed and not at all pretentious. We purchased several teas and absolutely love the Green Tea with Ginger & Turmeric and Cacao. The Cacao is absolutely spectacular - I've never tasted a tea like that before. My go-to now is the Green Tea which I brew with a French Press and chill for Iced Tea. Absolutely perfect! I think it's very important to interact with those who have a singular passion and are committed to producing the finest product possible. Mauna Kea Tea is a shining example of that and not to be missed! read more

I really wasn't sure what to expect when we drove up and saw what looks to be somebody's private house. It makes sense though, because that's what it is - albeit a family home that just happens to have several acres of tea for their back yard. You absolutely have to make an appointment if you want a tour or a tasting. This isn't a store or a tourist destination. You're coming to this guy's private house, the tastings are done in a room inside his house and hand prepared by him, and the fields of tea are his back yard. However, if he has time to see you and give you a tour, it's a pretty amazing experience. He showed us the different varieties of tea they've planted, and picked off some young leaves for us to eat right off the plants. He was very knowledgeable and did a great job answering our questions. We then retired back up to the house to the small parlor where he has a table for doing tastings. He had four green teas and an oolong, and took the time to chat with us about the teas and the business of making tea while brewing cup after cup. He would even brew the same teas with different temperatures of water and with different steep durations to demonstrate how the brewing methods affected the taste. All in all, he spent nearly an hour just talking to the two of us and making us at least a dozen small cups of tea. Truth be told, I'm more of a black tea drinker, although I'm fond of oolong from time to time and like green tea with meals. Even though this wasn't exactly the kind of tea I normally make just for drinking, I still had a wonderful time and feel like I learned a lot. read more

Came here about two months back while I was visiting for a tour. I've always considered myself a tea fan, but I learned so much from touring the tea fields and doing the tasting. All of the teas that I purchased were much better quality than anything I'd tried before. I also learned some tips on how to care for my tea plant that I have back home in California. Awesome tour, thanks Mauna Kea Tea!!! read more

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This was a huge highlight of our Hawaii trip! I called Kimberly on Monday night and she was able to fit our group of 7 in for a private tour the next morning. This farm is a family business and she has young children, so reservations are absolutely necessary. Kimberly was knowledgeable and so patient with all of our questions. All of us loved tea tasting and enjoyed hearing about the different ways to make tea. Kimberly and her family have really created a wonderful experience for visitors. This is a must see! read more

Mauna Kea Tea - Tasting fun! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Honokaa, Hawaii

This was a great tea experience. My boyfriend and I were so fascinated with the close-to nature feel of the tea growing practice. One can really appreciate the quality of green tea, even if you are like us and not a habitual green tea drinker. The property had breath taking slopes of rows and rows of tea. The tea tasting was authentic and the snacks really hit the spot! If you have a passion for tea and/or sustainable farming this is a definite must! read more

Drove around to find this out of the way place... our GPS were giving all sorts of direction...stupid magellan! Anyhow..DON'T COME HERE! Not welcoming anymore, doesn't even look like a plantation..just someone's house and hardly a place to turn the van around. We came and was told they will see visitors by appointment only!! Wow, what a waste of time! Asked if they had tea to sell. No, they only sell to businesses...omg. IT'S NOT A "Green Tea Lover's Fantasy".... trust me. read more

GREEN TEA LOVER'S FANTASY!! Some of the best tea I've ever tasted - all grown organically and hand-picked with love by this adorable family!! I'M IN LOVE!! I had a wonderful time touring the grounds, and learned a LOT about the tea making process! A MUST-DO FOR ANYONE VISITING THE BIG ISLAND WHO DRINKS TEA! read more

I enjoyed the farm tour very much. Kayla was informative, friendly and generous with her time. Tasting the 6 teas was a great way to get oriented on the specialties of the farm. read more

Sadly, we are now back on the mainland and suffering from a a major case of post vacation syndrome. Our visit to the Mauna Kea Tea farm was no doubt the highlight of our visit to the Big Island. The beauty and serenity of the farm itself was without comparison, and we thouroughly appreciated learning all about tea (something, that I have to admit I was rather ignorant, except for the fact that I know what I like) and being guided through one of the best samplings in which we have participated. Indeed, in our humble opinion, we feel Taka Ino is a true master of the art of growing and serving tea. Our fondest memories of our visit to the farm involve conversations with Taka about our common passions, including food (especially Michael Pollan's views), horticultural and farming practices, native flora, Japanese culture, nature and life. These were indeed spiritual in nature and meant a great deal to us (since we are both incredibly introverted). We immediately felt a strong connection to Taka and his two wonderful sons. We really appreciate the time that Taka took out of his hectic day to make us feel very welcome and like we were long lost friends. We also regret not having bought more than 1 oz. of the coconut green tea. If Taka's claim that Japanese tea masters would scoff at such a blend, then kudos to him for pushing the boundaries! NB: As per their web site (https://maunakeatea.com/visiting-mauna-kea-tea.html), you must make an appointment for the tea tasting and the tour of the farm ($30/head, which is a steal!). This is very understandable, especially given the time and effort that the Inos go to in making your visit a very positive experience. This merely involved an e-mail exchange with Kimberly a few weeks before our visit to come up with a date and time that worked for everyone. Not a big deal, really... We are already looking forward to our next visit to the Big Island, which will definitely include another visit with Taka and his family. This time, we hope to get to meet Kimberly as well! read more

I read about Taka and Kimberly's organic tea farm about two years ago and was very happy to finally get to visit. It is about a 45-minute drive north of Hilo. The owners are very friendly and give a great informational tour about organic farming and especially about their different varieties of tea and its preparation. After the informational tour Taka prepared several kinds of green and oolong teas for us to sample. The tearoom is really comfortable with an amazing view of the farm. We arranged to visit at 10:30 in the morning, which was a great time to go. The tour plus sampling was $30 per person--an excellent value. To make a nice half-day trip with lunch, we visited the Volcano Island Honey Company shop up the road, and then we went to Tex's Drive-In for lunch. read more

You have to make an appointment for a tea tour and tasting as it takes some time. The owners are very friendly and you can tell that they really care about their work and product. The tea is amazing and I really liked the coconut green tea and island green tea, but their whole line was all around great! If you are a tea lover I highly recommend taking time out of your day and sharing a great experience with this lovely family. We had an amazing time! read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Mauna Kea Tea. We learned everything we could hope to know about the process of growing, picking and processing tea. They make different varieties of green tea. The tour is very casual and we strolled around the grounds as Kimberly gave us information. She answered all of our questions and was very knowledgeable and welcoming. The location is also beautiful. The tea tasting was great as we were able to taste all of their tea varieties and choose our favorites. We would recommend this to any tea lovers, or anyone who wants to know more about small organic farms. You do need to do the tour by appointment, they were very flexible about setting up a date and time. Their driving directions were also easy to follow. read more

What a great learning experience in addition to tasting some amazing tea! The farm & tasting room are great as was the hosts. Thanks Mauna Kea Tea! read more

I highly recommend visiting this beautiful Tea Farm. They were warm and made this tour interesting and fun.

The best tea in Hawaii - all grown organically. It is a wonderful place located near Honokaa up a little in the mountain, hence, the perfect weather for growing tea. I found it quite easy to find. Lovely, just lovely, both the owners and the plantation! read more

What a fantastic afternoon we had at Mauna Kea Tea! The owners, who live on the plantation, were a little under the weather the day we visited, and I was a little afraid they wouldn't be able to accommodate our tour request. But Taka came through, aided by his adorable son, and we learned a great deal about growing and making tea on the big island. We were absolutely charmed by their small scale, family-run operation. The plantation itself is very picturesque: rows of tea hedges cascading down gentle slopes, dotted by an occasional sheep (for weeding). Walking amongst the tea was very relaxing. The best part, however, was the tea tasting we had with Taka, as he patiently and expertly brewed up cup after cup of their different and amazing teas. We felt privileged to have spent an afternoon with him, drinking in a little bit of the big island, one delicious cup at a time. read more

We spent several hours with Kimberly on her and her husband's beautiful farm in Honokaa, which specializes in several kinds of green tea. After viewing the in-ground tea plants and learning about when and how the leaves are harvested, we joined Kimberly in the tasting room to enjoy cups of freshly brewed tea. We sampled 3 green teas, 1 oolong, 1 coconut/green blend and 1 tumeric/ginger/green blend. If you're a tea lover or would like to meet people who are growing their dream into a sustainable business, call to make a reservation to visit. Their teas are for sale in the tea room along with tea accessories and some body products made from tea. read more

This is a lovely family-run tea farm. It is one of our favorite "go to" places when we have guests, to give them a flavor of the agricultural variety that is part of our island culture. It is located in the mountain, hence, the perfect weather for growing tea. The tour is very low-key, and goes well with the slow-paced mindset one needs in order to fully appreciate quality tea. It is very informative and almost zen. We have been there on beautiful sunny days, as well as misty rainy ones. The tour is always interesting. read more