Near the end of our recent family vacation on Maui, we made a visit to  Maui Tropical Plantation in the Maikapū Valley among the West Maui Mountains. It sits on a former sugarcane plantation and mill and now is a working farm that raises over 40 different crops and hundreds of native plants and botanicals, with over 1,500 acres of farmland. It offers the opportunity to experience another aspect of the diverse landscapes and history of the island, with the 60 acres immediately around the plantation complex hosting a restaurant, coffee roasting house, tropical gardens, shops offering artisan goods, a farm stand store and even two zip line experiences!

The complex is marked by a towering windmill, making it easy to spot from the highway.  The grounds are shaded by tall old trees and lush foliage and spotted with small, low-slung buildings and water features.   Scattered around the landscape (and even in the lagoon) are the sometimes massive pieces of machinery   recovered from now-defunct sugar mills that once were major economic drivers on the island. We were there to take the 40-minute guided tram ride around the property to get a close-up look at some of the unique crops grown there, but the grounds are free and open to the public to explore, dine and shop. The plantation is also a popular wedding and events menu, and it occasionally also hosts outdoor concerts. Personally, I would have liked to try out the zip line tour, but that will have to be for another visit!

We boarded the open tram cars (with canopies to protect us from the sun) and began our loop around the property, passing fields of pineapple   and sugarcane and rows of palm and banana trees. We stopped and got out to view a demonstration of husking and opening a coconut . . . a rather arduous and lengthy process. Our guide/driver provided lots of interesting information about the different kinds of coconuts and how best to process and use the water, milk and meat from them. This same stop allowed us to examine the sculptures of artists who display their work and offer workshops on the grounds.

The farm here produces all manner of crops including papayas, mangos, guava, taro, avocados, macadamia nuts, coffee, bananas and star fruit. We also observed lots of tropical flowers and plants, too, like this red ginger, and June was particularly fascinated by the jackfruit tree   and its sizable fruit.   Our only complaint was that the sound system on the tram really underperformed, and we felt we missed a lot of what our guide was sharing.

After the tour we strolled around the Kuma Farms Farm Market Stand, which offers local produce, fruit and herbs as well as all sorts of products from breads and pastries to fruit, honey and jams. The Mill House Roasting Company, producing small batches of craft coffee beans, is on site, and you can watch the process through large windows. Be warned that everything is much more expensive than on the mainland, but the quality is excellent.

That afternoon we just enjoyed beach time at the sheltered lagoon and beach directly in front of our condo. We were delighted to discover that several sea turtles had taken shelter from the ocean waves directly behind the breakwater,   giving us the chance to observe these sometimes massive specimens from a close (but respectful) distance.

The next day we had plans for several stops in Lahaina. We started our day at Whalers Village Shopping Mall in Ka‘anapali. It has a nice mix of high-end and national brand stores as well as local specialty shops. I especially loved all the beautiful handcrafted furniture, leather goods and jewelry at the Martin & MacArthur store, and we picked up some obligatory souvenirs at Hilo Hattie’s, too. What was nice for our group is that the open-air mall offers entertainment for the little ones on the lower level, with a unique multi-story climbing structure and a sizable splash pad for cooling off. Before we left, we walked out to the ocean side of the mall, with benches and a nice walkway offering views of all sorts of watercraft and across the water to Lana‘i. 

We just had time before our lunch reservations to visit Maui Ku‘ia Estate Chocolate. Visitors can enjoy a tour of the on-island estate and learn about the whole process of creating fine chocolate, from the trees to the final product, but we opted for just a quick tasting at their in-town store and café. Each couple purchased the $10, nine-piece tasting flight (plus a few dessert goodies and bars to take home), where we could choose the nine varieties we wanted to try. Ku‘ia produces estate-grown chocolates, made from beans grown on Maui, as well as chocolates made from beans sourced from around the world. There are dark, milk and dark milk chocolates, some boasting added flavors like mango or cappuccino. It was a nice way to get an overview of their products (and all were delicious!), and a bonus was that we learned that 100 percent of net profits from weekend tours and tastings are donated to local nonprofit organizations.

With our hearts and our tastebuds happy, we made our way to Star Noodle for lunch, a treat we’d been looking forward to all week. More on that next week!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor