The Lagoon at Maui Tropical Plantation

by Tamara Rice of The Rice Paper

It may not be the best plantation on the island, but the Maui Tropical Plantation in Hawaii is a good enough distraction for an hour or two before you head out to the real attraction of the island: the beaches.

When we did our own little walking tour of the the Maui Tropical Plantation–it’s completely free to wander around–we were able to enjoy a little wildlife and an amazing view of the mountains beyond. The 60-acre plantation not only has a few ducks and caged monkeys, they have a coffee tasting room (you can’t skip this part), a restaurant (which didn’t appear to be open during our visit) and a shop (with prices set just a tad higher than in nearby towns).

A Bit of Wildlife at the Maui Tropical Plantation

In fact, for those who can’t get to Maui, but want to check out the goodies at the Maui Tropical Plantation, you can buy some items on line.

For those who would prefer to be guided on their tour of the plantation (and driven around in a little tram), there is a special tour, which costs $14 for adults and $5 for children. Maybe if you need a longer distraction and prefer to get the details while sitting down, this would be the way to go.

The highlight of our tour–besides the coffee tasting–was probably the little green lizard we caught on the path and stared at for a good ten minutes before letting him go.

Sure, we have plenty of lizards back home, but this was an exotic lizard and he was green (bright green!).

You just have to appreciate the little things. Even in Hawaii.

The Glorious Grounds of the Plantation

Photos by Tamara Rice and Robert aka Bob (Flickr.com)