Manoa Chocolate Tour

We stayed in Kona and rented a car to drive over to take this tour in Hilo. It was absolutely worth it. I had never seen a cacao farm, and now I feel like I’ve got such a deeper understanding of the entire cacao-to-chocolate process. Wren and Colin (and Darwin the doggo) are wonderful hosts and docents. They were knowledgeable in the history, science, and practice of all aspects of cacao and answered every question we could think of. The tour itself is laid back yet rich with interactive education. You get to learn about the cacao pods and experience all parts of the plant, including the fruit, seeds, unroasted beans, pulp juice, and finally local chocolate. So much of the tour was delicious and eye opening. They provided so many chocolate samples in the final tasting stage that we actually reached our chocolate limit (not complaining!). If ever I’m on the island again I would like to revisit and see how the farm — and tour — have grown.

My husband and I had a BLAST at Honolii Orchards! We came during the rainy winter season, which really underscored the tropical rainforest environment conducive to growing the cacao. The entire experience was very engaging and fun while simultaneously educating us on all the stages of chocolate production. Ren was an excellent host and explained to us the background and history behind cacao being made into chocolate. They had a wheel diagram where you could try to define what notes you were tasting, which was quite fun. I noticed that when Ren would detail the notes he was tasting in the chocolate, I could actually detect those same notes. It was like a guided tour of sorts. Colin demonstrated how the fruit is extracted from the pods (with a machete!) and let us sample three diffent types of pods. He also informed us of the valuable research and experimenting the farm has been contributing to cacao farming on Hawaii. In addition to taste testing the finished products of local chocolate farms, we also had the pleasure of trying an amazing concoction of tea made from cacao shells mixed with cocoa. It smelled like hot chocolate, but tasted like tea. The icing on the cake was the incomparable juice extracted from the pulp of the fruit itself, made right on this farm. Every aspect of the experience was delightful and delicious! And our hosts were equally passionate as they were knowledgeable about their craft, which made the whole tour even more enjoyable and interesting. The view is stunning, the tasting is incredible, and the lessons are insightful. You'll never look at chocolate the same again- you'll look at it with even more appreciation than ever. I highly, highly recommend this tour!

ABSOLUTELY A MUST VISIT! Wrenn and Colin are both so welcoming, knowledgable and engaging. We had been to chocolate experiences before but this was one of a kind. You really journey through the entire process starting with eating the cacao pulp ending with tasting more chocolate than you can imagine. This is a local family business and is well worth your time. Plus Wrenn’s dog, Darwin is extra cute!

My wife and I had a fantastic time. The farm is beautiful Colin and Wren are extremely knowledgeable and make you feel right at home. We loved the whole experience the farm the chocolate the history and the other fruits grown on the farm. You have to try a banana. Thanks guys for an experience we will never forget.

I have been on a lot of farm tours, this one was top tier. Definitely worth driving out of the way to learn about the history of chocolate and how cacao is grown, harvested, fermented and processed into chocolate. Collin and Wrenn made this a fun, tasty, and educational experience. Their passion and dedication is very apparent, and the chocolate is SO good. I will be doing this again next time I visit and strongly recommend trying out a tour!

One of the most amazing tours I've ever done! We got to walk the orchards, learn tons about the science of cacao, and of course eat SO MUCH CHOCOLATE. Highly recommend making the excursion if you're visiting the Big Island.

~~~ Do not miss this! ~~~ We booked it on a whim, to fill a day, and wasn't even sure if it would be a real cultural and/or Hawaiian experience. But it was both, and very interesting, and a fun way to spend a relaxed day in a beautiful setting. Great people running the tour... welcoming, relaxed, knowledgeable... a lot of these experiences depend on the people doing the hosting, and in this case, Collin and Wren and others there so genuine and easy to learn from and spend a few hours with. Speaking of which... the time goes fast. You will not be bored. Nor will you leave without enough chocolate. I'm so glad I took a chance and booked it!

Our tour of honoli’i cacao orchard and chocolate tasting experience far exceeded our expectations! Collin was so knowledgeable and shared his passion for cacao farming and chocolate making. Wren gave a fascinating presentation on the history of chocolate and both made the chocolate tasting part so delightful. We learned so much. This experience is a hidden Hilo Hawaii gem and if you love chocolate should not be missed!

I totally LOVED the chocolate farm tour! Colin and Wren have made chocolate (my favorite food) into a science! This was an amazing and unforgettable experience! They were both so knowledgeable, and I loved their family history and friendship. They are the best!! We sampled so many delicious and different flavors of chocolate, I was in heaven! They have taken 3 ingredients and made so many delicious flavors of chocolate! The farm is absolutely beautiful, sustainable, and earth friendly, it is amazing and wonderful to learn about their work ethic and they have so much passion for what they do. Two great people who gave us an incredible experience. I will treasure this experience for the rest of my life!! True story! 😃❤️

Very informative, great hosts and great chocolate