TL;DR Travels

Your TL;DR Travel Guide for What to Do on Maui

1. The History Behind the Maui Tropical Plantation
2. The Logistics
   1. At a Glance
3. What to do at the Maui Tropical Plantation
   1. Tour the plantation
   2. Zipline
   3. Eat
   4. The County Market X Kumu Farms X Maui Oma Coffee Roasters
4. From the blog

Hello everyone! ‘Tis the season for travel. Continuing on with our series on things to do in Maui, today I wanted to talk about another beautiful eco-tourist destination in Hawai’i. When travelling, especially in a place with well-preserved natural beauty like Hawai’i, I especially enjoy visiting attractions that support the local environment and economy.

Before heading over to the Maui Pineapple Tour, we stopped over at the Maui Tropical Plantation to check out the plant life and pick-up some snacks from the shop. The entire experience was relaxing, with tons of plant life, shops, and snacks to keep me occupied.

---

The History Behind the Maui Tropical Plantation

Located on the Central-side of the West-Central border in Maui, Waikapu is a charming and small community on the island with less than 3,500 residents. Once the heart of the sugarcane industry in Maui, Waikapu is known for its lush and fertile lands. However, even before the sugarcane industry took over, Waikapu was known for its agricultural scene, with sugar and coffee production appearing as early as the 1800s (Engledow, 2009).

Back to top

---

The Logistics

With a centralized location, the Maui Tropical Plantation is an easy stop-off for visitors on the island. It’s especially ideal for folks looking to enjoy a meal in a historically-relevant and beautiful location OR families that may want to splinter off from each other and enjoy various activities.

Now, the main thing that stood out to me while on the tour is they truly are trying to support the local businesses. Typically, as a tourist, when I visit an attraction, I usually expect one company to be behind that experience.

That’s not the case with the Tropical Plantation – you’ll actually encounter a collection of local businesses. They’re intertwined, showcasing the various produce while featuring various local artisans. I was very aware that the goal was to encourage consumers to spend money on one of the various companies – however, instead of feeling like I was walking through a (beautiful) commercial, I was impressed by the sense of community and interdependence each individual artist or company showed. It was a bit like going through a co-op where these separate entities maintained a large amount of respect for one another. For a full break-down of the various businesses on the plantation, head over to Homey Hawaii.

Back to top

---

What to do at the Maui Tropical Plantation

So what do these various businesses have to offer guests? And what sort of things can you do at the plantation?

Tour the plantation

Hours: 10AM-4PM (Tuesday-Sunday; closed Monday)
Price: $25 (13+); $12.50 (3-12); infants ride free
Wheelchair accessible
Reservations: Tickets must be booked prior to arrival. Purchase tickets online here.

There is one stop where guests depart the train to watch a coconut husking demonstration. If you love relaxed guided tours, then you’ll probably enjoy this. However, if you prefer something a bit more exciting or in-depth, you may want to save on the ticket fee and put it towards another tour or experience on the island. You can walk around the front area of the farm and check-out the various signs and plants instead.

Should you go on the tram tour, I recommend bringing some sunglasses and a mask (in case the dust bothers you!).

Zipline

Hours: Varies
Price: $149
Reservations: Learn more or book your reservation online here.

Located around the plantation are several zip-line stops. Now, Maui has some AMAZING zip-line destinations – this one is geared more towards kids, so don’t expect to go gliding down the mountainside. That being said, Trip Advisor averages this activity at 5.0 out of 1,650 reviews. The 5-line tour runs for 2.5 hours and costs around $149.

Eat

After years of working at major hotel chains and kitchens, owners Michael and Dana Pastula decided to apply their expertise and open their own catering and restaurant businesses. Since then CAFE O’LEI has received rave reviews, averaging 4 stars and over 500 reviews on yelp. While the food (which runs on the pricier end) does have a ton of satisfied customers, most people truly fall in love with the eatery’s atmosphere. With outdoor seating and top-tier customer service, guests can soak in the beautiful views – a feast for the stomach and the eyes.

The County Market X Kumu Farms X Maui Oma Coffee Roasters

While here, you can also wander outside the Country Market where other vendors and local artisans have set-up shop.

Back to top

---

With so much to do during your time in Maui, you may want to know what the best destinations are for your travel itinerary. Personally, I did enjoy my time at the Maui Tropical Plantation, but ultimately I think it depends on your traveling style and expectations.

If you are expecting a high-energy, adrenaline-filled experience, you may want to skip the plantation and use that time for another activity. However, the plantation does excel at the food scene, making it the perfect stop for those wanting to purchase local snacks, farm-to-table meals, local coffee beans, and more. If you love more ecotourist destinations and want to support various farmers and vendors, then the Plantation is the perfect one-stop shop. It’s also ideal for folks that need more relaxed travel items on the itinerary or those looking to be in nature but can’t commit to a more intense experience for various reasons.

Have you been to the Maui Tropical Plantation? What was your experience like?