Beautiful look out point. You cannot go down into the valley unless its guided. The view point gives a wide view of the valley and it is stunning.

Please respect the locals who live down in the valley and DO NOT try to drive down there. Honor the road closed sign. The view from the public lookout is spectacular! Mahalo!!

WORTH VISITING this place….. Absolutely Stunning VIEWS…. It offers stunning views of Waipio Valley, including its dramatic cliffs, lush vegetation, and the sea stretching out to the west.

Great view. Lookout only now. We have driven down in the valley in 2015 and earlier. Only locals now can go down. I get it, they are tired of all the tourists. Still a great view to stop by.

Breathtaking and idyllic view of the valley. Mesmerized by this view and wants me to sit down and watch this all day with a cup of coffee. The sound of waves on the black sand beach and the greenery patches on the mountains and breezy air. What a view. I’m flattered and must visit.

Tied with seeing a volcano erupt for the most beautiful thing I saw while visiting Hawai’i. Short but steep walk down stairs to get to the viewing platform but well worth it.

Absolutely stunning lookout and definitely a must see when visiting the Big Island! The valley itself is closed to the public unless you pay for a tour, so make sure you schedule that beforehand if you want to go down into the valley

This is an elusive place. Like many other reviewers, we weren't able to find the falls. First, if you enter this place in Google Maps, the directions will take you down Mud Lane (the name itself is a hint...), then a left turn on Cane Haul Road. What the directions do not specify is that: (1) Mud Lane turns into a downward, unpaved road only passable with a high-clearance vehicle for the last 2.5 miles (right after the sign that reads "END COUNTY ROAD"); (2) Cane Haul Road is barred by a barrier after 100 yards, then it's overgrown with vegetation that makes it unwalkable, not to mention the "Private Property - No Trespassing" signs. As an alternative, I suggest stopping 0.8 miles after the pavement ends. You'll find a broken-down, turquoise car wreck there, and a gate. Although the gate has a warning sign next to it cautioning you that "native species are at risk," and that "trespassing may spread Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death disease," you could bring clean shoes and walk the nearly straight forest road that leads you to the Lalakea Stream. It's about 1.5 miles east-west, fairly flat, through a eucalyptus forest (uncharacteristic of Hawaii landscape). When the road makes a right turn, you'll find some trails to the left leading to the stream, some swim holes, and a series of small waterfalls (Waiholoa Falls, surely not as impressive as the Hi'ilawe Falls), but a good place to refresh yourself (see my photos). The road seems to continue, and perhaps leads to the proverbial Falls, but we chose not to go any farther.

Couldn't get to the falls. It's down a private road with zero signs that say private property/private road. Do not take Cane Haul Road to get here. You will need to find a different route. I haven't found one yet... but just don't take Cane Haul Road because you will NEVER get to the falls. You just end up on some property with zero no trespassing signs. It's just got a locked gate at some point down the road. A road that you have to do a 78 million point turn to turn around on. It's a skinny one lane road with some drops on the sides. So be careful if you choose to go down this road. You WILL have to turn around and leave at some point if you do attempt this road. It totally feels like a Hills Have Eyes type of road anyways. Like I said.... find a different route. I will post an update if/when I find an actual road to the falls.

wade the water, it’s a hike to the falls 📸Tim

Road is closed by way of Mud road. We found out the hard way and had to back track. There is no cell signal and it is only even possible by Jeep.

Google, your instructions were completely wrong. NOTE: There is no way to view this waterfall without crossing PRIVATE PROPERTY. In addition Mud Lane is only partially paved and would be considered “off-roading” at best.

This waterfall is the best in Hawaii! As others have noted, the "trail" does go through private property and it's not cool to trespass, but the river is public :) Be careful and leave no trace!

The falls themselves are inaccessible, but since they are about 1,450 feet high, you don't have to be close to view them. Be aware that the only way to gain access to the base of the falls requires one to go through private land, and doing so without permission is both uncool and illegal. The black sand beach is worth spending several hours! The road leading to both is no joke. It requires a high-clearance 4x4. No, your AWD sedan will NOT make it. I would give my own Subie Outback only a 50/50 chance. Plan for a half hour to get down, with some skill and an extra set of eyes in the passenger seat. It's one-lane with a few wide-ish spots, suspension-stressing holes and rocks, and a LOT of opportunities to lose paint or a fender. But if you have the equipment or are in good enough shape to handle this very difficult hike, its worth every moment.

We've fallen in love with Mauna Kea Tea. I've purchased many of their teas, and each one has been exceptional. We just finished enjoying the mild, fruity Orthodox Black Tea-it was absolutely lovely. Our love for Mauna Kea's teas inspired us to create a tea room in our home. Now, hosting tea parties with our son and daughter-in-law has become a cherished tradition. What began as a cup of tea has grown into a whole experience. Thank you, Mauna Kea, for producing such wonderfully clean, flavorful tea.

What an amazing experience! I booked a tour for my whole family while we were visiting the island. The property is so beautiful & it is so peaceful and wonderful just to be there. Taka & Kimberly are such wonderful people and fabulous hosts. We all learned so much about the tea growing process, how it’s processed and the addition of the Japanese style tea ceremony was such a top notch addition to the tour. We loved trying all the fresh fruit growing around the property too! If you want to learn more about tea, and have a blissful experience doing so I would highly recommend booking a tour here! We also all were able to purchase some of their teas to take home with us, such a wonderful souvenir of Hawai’i!

My daughter and I had a wonderful experience. So glad we booked it. The property is beautiful and you can feel the love with which Taka and his family care for this land. The tea ceremony at the end was lovely and left us with a serene feeling and appreciation for the land. Highly recommend 🫖

Our family of three had the pleasure of touring the Mauna Kea Tea farm, nestled at a serene 2000 ft. elevation on the slope of the Muana Kea. We were greeted with a warm welcome by Kimberly and Naomi. We were then introduced to the adorable 7-day old Dolly the lamb, and even got to feed her a bottle of milk (Oh how I miss holding little Dolly!) The farm, with its rows of tea plants and various fruit trees, created a picturesque and tranquil setting. Our guide, Taka, shared with us a wealth of knowledge about the art of cultivating tea. The Japanese tea ceremony in a wooden tea house was a graceful finale that we thoroughly enjoyed. At the end of the tour, we had the opportunity to purchase some tea from their shop to bring home. My favorite was the Orchid Dew green tea. Meeting the owners, Taka and Kimberly, and their welcoming family, who exuded genuine hospitality, really enhanced our visit. Thank you Taka, Kimberly, and Naomi for providing such a splendid tour—undeniably one of the highlights of our trip to the Big Island of Hawaii.

Taka took us on an amazing tour of his family’s tea farm and property where we learned much about tea plants, how they are prepared, and how that preparation determines what kind of tea it is. It was absolutely fascinating and Taka was extremely knowledgeable. We also enjoyed meeting the sheep and trying a variety of fruits growing on the property. After a lovely walk through nature, Taka held a tea ceremony where we enjoyed several different green teas grown on the farm. The tea was delicious and it was a very meditative experience. Of course, I couldn’t leave without buying a few bags of tea leaves to take home myself. I highly recommend taking part in a tour at Mauna Kea Tea!

This tea experience was fantastic, hosted beautifully and highly recommended. As an extra treat we picked delicious juicy citrus fruits as we ambled through the plantation. The owner, our tea guide for the afternoon was knowledgeable and so kind, made us feel very welcome. The tea is excellent 👌

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!

Chocolate lovers rejoice! A truly ambrosial variety of cacaos and chocolates is being grown and formulated on a small, lush farm above Honoka’a Town. The farm’s proprietor and chocolatier, Mike Pollard, brings both his family’s farming history and scientific rigor (he has been an aerospace engineer) to the making of extraordinary chocolates. We urge you to sign up for a Cacao Farm Tour, led by Mike, and learn about the growing of cacao and the contributions of cacao varieties and terroir, the ingredients and what to look for in a premium chocolate, the chemistry of chocolate, its health benefits and, most important, how to taste chocolate (like a fine wine, premium chocolate’s flavors trigger different sensations an they make contact with different locations on your palate and tongue). You’ll compare and discuss samples before caravanning into town to visit the processing operation, where you’ll see where the cacao nibs are ground, cane sugar is added, and the chocolate is tempered and sealed. Two days after our tour, we are still afloat on a cloud of our new-found appreciation for premium-quality chocolate. We have Mike Pollard and his Honoka’a Chocolate VIP Cacao Farm Tour and Chocolate Tasting to thank for this enlightened state.

We did the 2 hour chocolate farm and tasting tour and I think it just wasn't the tour for us. It felt too long and a bit all over the place. The presenter seemed knowledgeable, but information wasn't presented in a consise way so at times it was hard to follow. I did really enjoy tasting the Cacao seed.

Takes the chocolate seriously but in a relaxed setting. Informative, especially appreciated learning about cacao growing. Generous tasting. There's just a tiny bit of walking on the farm, but I'd contact them if you have any mobility concerns. Would absolutely recommend - we've taken an intro class on chocolate making, and still found this to be very informative (and delicious - we bought 7 bars to take home!).

What a delightful tour! We were late and the owner graciously let us join the tour in progress. I have been telling everyone about the chocolate and what I learned. Super delicious chocolate as well. Premium experience for us!!!

Loved the tour and tasting - very interesting to learn more about the production and see a cacao tree and pods up close. Tasting the raw bean, roasted nibs, cacao tea, and finished chocolate were a great way to experience the gamut of tastes of the cacao bean. The finished dark chocolates are varied and delicious. Mike is a wonderful tour guide and host.

The tour was a trip to the history of the place, the process of cacao grow and chocolate production, and its history and status in Hawaii. I learned so much in this tour, it was fantastic. Mike was very nice to listen and talk to. During the tasting, he also told us about the features to look for and what he was trying to achieve with each one of the chocolates. The chocolates are from their own beans and from imported beans. He also showed his chocolate "kitchen", and the multiple machines involved, plus his expansion plans. We appreciated the knowledge, ambition and approach to life of Mike. Plus he was very nice to digitally share afterwards the chocolate tasting documents she showed during the tour. It was a good experience overall.

Although the chocolate is delicious and Mike is well informed and dedicated to what he does, this tour is certainly not worth $80 per person ($91 with tax). The tour consists of walking into the cocoa field and learning about cocoa. It was very interesting, but please note that depending on the season you tour, you may not get to see ripe pods and have them opened for you (as I saw others experience in reviews). Of course this is not Mike’s fault but is something to note. You do not get to see any equipment, although Mike will tell you about some equipment he owns. He let us know that we were welcome to go into the shop to purchase more chocolate but did not invite us to see the equipment or outline that as part of the tour. For our tasting we received five small chocolates (I have a picture of them after sampled.). You also get to try cocoa tea, which is neat. We also each got 1 “complimentary” chocolate bar. Overall, a neat way to spend a few hours but I personally feel that $80 plus tax is WAY too expensive for the tour. I would maybe pay $40. Just 15 minutes away you can tour a vanilla farm for $75 and receive a full lunch. *Please see Bethany G’s review for an extremely accurate account of exactly what the tour involves (I didn’t want to just copy and paste).

Felt lucky to stumble on this amazing market on the one Sunday of the month they hold it. They had live music and lots of vendors. Found some delicious vegan food options at the Thai booth, and enjoyed it under a canopy with stunning views. Such a friendly local vibe!

Great ambiance , the food is locally or on site prepared and tastes fantastic. They have a cover Pic-nik area to enjoy the concert as you eat your food. They also have a non cover seating area to enjoy the concert . Kids will have fun to hang out, but the site does not have an amusement park. The site is dog friendly. Bluecan on site for washroom 🚻 but they have a sink with water for regular handwashing. Parking is a decent size, but go slow as you enter the parking lot. The road condition is terrible. I did felt the fissure from the road even if I was driving a Jeep.

INCREDIBLE Outdoor market with amazing vendors! I wish I had taken more photos, this is only one view from picnic area and one vendor. ALL the food was amazing and I loved the selection from fresh ground coffee to jams to origami earrings! Definite must see, there are plants for sale nearby too!

Great fresh organic produce, exotic fruits and vegetables, excellent live entertainment, delicious food vendors. Best Sunday farmers market on the Hamakua Coast by far.

This farmers market and the Hilo farmers market are great places to drink out of a freshly opened coconut or buy souvenirs from local artists.

Delicious food, beautiful location. Highly recommend the Opa sandwich but there were 5 or 6 other great lunch choices. This is my favorite Farmers Market on Big Island.(Sundays only).

Nice assortment of local fruit in season. Various foods prepared smelling delicious.

Started out in the studio watching Hugh blow glass. He keeps a running commentary and is happy to explain what he's doing. The gallery is beautiful and has a super variety of art and glass. Our vase was a Christmas present to ourselves. So worth it.

I was looking for a beautiful original interesting green glass for my bathroom. Little did I know that I could get it in my own hometown! I love it.

Local history museum that has info about rural paniolo life up in honokaa /waimea (very different than Oahu) - staff is super friendly and knows everything about the area. Check out the homemade brass knuckles!

How wonderful to have this establishment to share our area's history and those families that contributed to making this area so special! So Proud to live in a town that treasures it's past and people. 💜