Tropical Farms: The Macadamia Nut Farm Outlet

After driving by it many times over the years we finally visited Tropical Farms, the Macadamia Nut Farm Outlet near the town of Ka'a'awa.  It's a beautiful spot with lots of trees and a country feel.  There were chickens wandering around behind the store and our girl loved running around with them.

There was also a basket of macadamia nuts still in their shell that you could crack open yourself using a stump and rock there.  That was a hit with the kids, and we all enjoyed eating the opened nuts.

Inside they have free coffee and lots of samples of macadamia nuts, both plain and flavored.  They have a nice selection of edible and non-edible souvenirs for sale, and we bought a few things to send to friends and a few to eat ourselves.

Tour buses stop here so it can get a little crowded inside when a couple buses are there at the same time, but that didn't bother us.  The shop has an open air feel to it and you can tell they've put time and energy into decorating and maintaining it.

To see the rest of the grounds, including a fish pond and several movie sets, we went on the Ali'i Tour they offer, but that deserves its own blog post, so check back later for that.  UPDATE: Here's the link to my Ali'i Tour blog post.

Do it yourself on Oahu
Location:  49-227 Kamehameha Hwy #A, Kaneohe, HI  96744
Directions:
• From Kaneohe, head NW on the Kahekili Hwy.  After the juncture with the 830 (where the Hygenic Market is on the corner) this will become the Kamehameha Hwy. and you will continue on it for just under 5 miles.  The turn for Tropical Farms will be on your right.  It is tucked in the trees and is off the road a little bit but is marked with a sign.  If by chance you get to Kualoa Regional Park or Kualoa Ranch you have gone too far.
• If you are coming SE on the Kamehameha Hwy from the north shore, Tropical Farms will be on your left, shortly after you pass Kualoa Ranch and Kualoa Regional Park.
Parking:  Free parking right out front in their parking lot.
Hours:  9:30am to 5pm daily
Cost:  Free entrance, free coffee and free macadamia nut samples.  Numerous items available for purchase.  The Ali'i Tour (which I will be blogging about soon) has a separate fee.
Other:  This makes a great pit stop for kids since you can get snacks and they have nice clean bathrooms too.
On the web:  Tropical Farms of Hawaii, A.K.A. The Mac Nut Farm