Iao Valley, Botanical Garden & Lavender Farm

View a watershed battle site in a verdant valley as a prelude to strolling through a botanical garden and seeing how locally grown lavender is infused into a plethora of products. Iao Valley State Park now covers a mountainous area where King Kamehameha I won the Battle of Kepaniwai in 1790 and united the Hawaiian Islands. The volcanic pinnacle known as the Iao Needle soars above the rainforest there. Similarly, the massive shield volcano Haleakala provides a gorgeous setting for the Kula Botanical Garden. As you meander its garden paths, you may pass koi ponds, walk through a covered bridge and enjoy the soothing sounds of waterfalls. A flourishing lavender farm nearby offers an equally tranquil experience. While exploring on your own, you can take in the sweeping views of Maui’s central valley and see how lavender is grown and used in products such as soaps, essential oils, jelly and candles.

Disclaimer: The description below will apply from August 4,2022 through February 13, 2023

Travel with a style and comfort in a luxury Mercedes Sprinter van with a highly trained, professional and knowledgeable chauffeurs. On the Ocean Vodka Distillery, Kula Botanical Garden & Lavender Farm Tour you’ll enjoy three spectacular places in Maui upcountry in just one day. Start with the Ocean Vodka Distillery and Farm. On this visit you learn about how the vodka is made from the sugar cane by using a mineral water and other fascinating facts including tasting the vodka at the end of the tour. Areas covered in this tour are: Sustainable farming practices with its abundant fields of sugar cane; Green manufacturing processes in its 6,000 square foot solar-powered warehouse and bottling center; Organic spirits production using 60-foot column still distillation; and local history of sugar cane farming with species identification. The state-of-the-art Ocean Vodka Organic Farm and Distillery utilizes solar panels to power 100% of the operations of the distillery and facility. The sugar cane is organically farmed on the rich, volcanic soils without the use of synthetic pesticides or herbicides, and mature sugar cane stalks are hand-harvested for processing. The Martini Garden, a garden designed specifically for martini lovers, highlights fresh, local ingredients such as Kula lavender, local citrus, passion fruit, pineapple and strawberries. The tour includes a sampling with take-home souvenir OCEAN Organic Vodka shot glass for those 21 and over. The next stop is the Kula Botanical Garden located on the slopes of Haleakala, encompassing 8 acres of colorful and unique plants, amazing rock formations, a covered bridge, waterfalls, koi pond, aviary and new attractions including the carved tiki exhibit. The garden has hundreds of varieties of plants for you to enjoy and photograph. Plants are labeled with their botanical name, common name, and country of origin. Included in the garden is a collection of native Hawaiian plants. You might especially will enjoy the Jackson Chameleon exhibit, native Nene geese, and Aviary. Kula Botanical Garden also features a gift shop with made-in-Hawaii items and items of botanical interest. They also offer snacks for sale, restrooms, and a comfortable deck with a beautiful view where will enjoy a picnic style lunch. The last but not least stop is the Lavender farm, where you get to go on a self-guided walking tour with breathtaking views. Every tour with stunning views, panoramic out-of-this-world landscapes, birds-eye views of the Maui central valley, you will learn about the flora and fauna that exist nowhere else in the world.

HIGHLIGHTS

• See the site of the 1790 battle that led to the unification of the Hawaiian Islands.
• Stroll the winding paths at the Kula Botanical Garden.
• Explore a lavender farm and marvel at the array of products made with the flowering plant.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.