Kauai Botanical Gardens

[slip]

We're planning on visiting one of the gardens on Kauai in December. Let me
Know your favorite and how long we should plan for the visit. I'm sure we'll be
Filling up an SD card.

 

[WalnutBaron]

I'd recommend the Kauai Botanical Gardens near Princeville. The interesting thing about this attraction is that it's privately-owned and maintained by a dedicated family of California expats who have lived on Kauai for the past ten years or so.

The gardens are incredibly diverse, and the tours are outstanding. Ours included a mid-tour sampling of gourmet chocolates, including chocolate made by the owner from cacao trees on the property.

Highly recommended!

 

[artringwald]

This garden tour includes an eleven-course dark chocolate tasting. We haven't done it yet, but it's on our list for our next trip.

http://www.steelgrass.org/chocolate/index.html

 

[Dollie]

These are the gardens we enjoy while on Kauai:

Allerton National Tropical Botanical Gardens - Visitor's Center is across the road from Spouting Horn blowhole, Po’ipu; 2 ½ hour guided tour; need reservations; beautiful rich lush gardens, many scenes from the Jurassic Park movies were shot here; some history of Queen Emma, and Mr. Allerton. Also did the “behind the scenes” tour.

Kauai’s Hindu Monastery- on Kaholalele road off Kuamo’o Road (RT 580) on way to Opeka’a Falls; best if done via one of their tours, check web for dates and time; gardens and temple; Note: no shorts, no tank tops, etc on anyone

Limahuli National Tropical Botanical Garden - west of Hanalei; can walk through yourself or take guided tour (reservations needed); walked it ourselves; very interesting; more a Hawaiian cultural & history garden;

McBryde National Tropical Botanical Gardens - Visitor's Center is across the road from Spouting Horn blowhole, Po’ipu (same as Allerton); self-walk or guided tour call for reservations.

Na `Aina Kai Botanical Gardens & Sculpture Park - 4101 Wailapa Road, Kilauea; make tour reservations; did the formal and informal gardens (longer tour);

 

[cowboy]

My wife just did the tour at the Allerton Gardens and just raved about how beautiful it was. She liked it better than the gardens on the Big Island which were fantastic.

 

[slip]

Thanks for the suggestions. We're leaning toward Allerton. How far in advance
Would we need to make reservations?

 

[artringwald]

We waited until a day or two in advance to make sure the weather was going to be good, and didn't have any trouble getting the time we wanted.

 

[hgjames]

My favorite is the Limahuli garden. It's in a beautiful location and it's self guided so you can spend as little or as much time as you want. It's easy to fit into a north shore trip even if you're staying south. Afterwards you can go for a swim at tunnels beach or Ke'e. At McBryde they drop you off and pick you up an hour or two later so it's a little more restrictive, including having to wait for the bus to take you down..

 

[TAG]

Sunset tour at NTBG

Last time we were on Kauai we did the sunset tour at the National Tropical Botanical Garden on the south side. Fabulous! We were just a small group, maybe 12. You get to walk down through the gardens to the Allerton house. There we had pupus and watched the sun set. After sunset, there is a bus that picks you up and drops you off at the visitor center. Highly recommended!

 

[vbk]

Kauai Gardens

If you are on the North, then definitely Lumahuli and if you are on the South do the 3.5hr Discovery tour of Allerton and McBryde. The Discovery tour gives you a guided (via tram with many stops) tour (hopefully your guide will be Bob) of both gardens and nursery. Worth every penny.

Best,
Val