Actually, the store and couple displays were nice to stop at for a few minutes, and there is free admission. The store has a good selection and decent prices, and a free coffee sample. I was able to buy some freshly grown rambutans, which I had not had since a visit last year to Thailand. They were only 20 cents each, and I was able to show my friends how to open and eat them, so that was fun. The salt water taffy was also quite yummy! There is a nursery to walk through, a few small gardens, and three small huts presenting briefly the histories of sugar cane, coffee, and pineapple in the area. There is a restaurant on site but I did not go into it or check out what their hours are.

The part that disappointed me was that I had thought that a stroll through the 60-acre plantation would also be free. In reality, you are only allowed back into the plantation part on a tram ride, which cost $9.50 per adult, $3.50 per child. I don’t think that I got a good value on this one. There are better places to see traditional and native plants growing, such as Kahanu Garden in Hana, or maybe the Hawaii Nature Center or the Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens County Park on the road to Iao Needle State Park. Also, there are more in-depth plantation tours of pineapple and sugar cane plantations where I think you would learn more about the actually processing.

The Maui Tropical Plantaton tour was just a tram ride through with the guide pointing out the different plants and maybe giving a fact or two about each. The plantation includes the 14 most popular fruit and flower crops in Hawaii, including papaya, guava, mango, coffee, taro, and macadamia nuts. There was a short stop partway through the tour so that the guide could give a demonstation on how the husk and open a coconut that was somewhat entertaining.

If you are itching for a stop on your way to Iao Needle, or driving the Kahekili Highway, maybe drop in for the free parts of the plantation, but I recommend to skip the tram ride.

Maui Tropical Plantation is open daily 9am-5pm.