Dole Plantation: Dole Whip & Koi Fish

I have been craving Dole Whip for awhile now and so on Sunday we made the Dole Plantation our first stop on the way to the North Shore.  We didn't spend any time exploring the store or looking at pineapple plants but went directly to the back of the main building and got in line for some Dole Whip.


If you've never had Dole Whip you should add it to your list of things to eat in your lifetime.  The best way to describe it is pineapple soft-serve and it's delicious.  I've heard you can get it in Waikiki but we've always purchased ours at the Pineapple Plantation.  It is also available at Disneyland and Disney World.  (When we ate it at Disney World it was in the Magic Kingdom next to Tarzan's Tree House.  It's probably in the same location at Disneyland.)


With the most important thing out of the way we headed to the Koi Pond.  For 50 cents you can get a handful of koi food to feed the fish.  Our kids love doing this, although our girl wanted to be picked up after she got splashed by a flopping fish or two. In their enthusiasm to get the food the fish often are out of the water along the wall or on top of other fish.  It's quite the sight.

There are a number of other fun things to do at Dole Plantation (see do it yourself below) but we were ready to go to Sunset Beach so we headed back through the pineapple garden to our car.  

Do it yourself on Oahu

Location:  Dole Plantation is located at 64-1550 Kamehameha Hwy, Wahiawa 96786

Directions:  Take the H-2 north.  From here there are a couple ways you can go.  I think the most straight forward is to take the Wahiawa Exit and drive north through town.  A few miles past Wahiawa you'll see the Dole Plantation on the right.

Hours:  The visitor's center is open from 9:30am to 5pm every day but Christmas.  The Plantation Grille is open from 10:30am to 4:30pm and is also closed on Christmas.

Cost:  Admission is free but there are charges for the various activities.

Things to do:  Besides eating Dole Whip and feeding the Koi fish other kid-friendly activities include a train ride and the world's largest maze.  We've done both and I would recommend both, though on hot days I hear the maze can be a bit miserable since it is all in the sun.  Check out the Dole Plantation's website for more details on these activities, including cost.

Other:  The gift shop is large and carries a nice variety of items.  They also have pineapple cutting demonstrations inside at various time during the day.

My Tips:  Take quarters for the koi food dispenser.  Take advantage of their restrooms.  This year's Entertainment Book had coupons for Dole Whip.  Maybe next year's book will too.  Have fun!