Kahanu Garden, National Tropical Botanical Garden

One of my favorite hidden gems on the road to Hana. A peaceful sanctuary- with beautiful grounds, kind staff and super clean bathrooms. Views of the ocean are incredible. Don’t miss them on your way out… the last opening towards the sea on the self guided tour is one not to be missed!

This is a hidden gem with a few surprises up its sleeve. Lots of educational pieces about Hawaiian flora and culture. But also because the grounds are somewhat spread out, there are numerous little zones to find and appreciate. Also apparently they do plant giveaways on the regular so if you live on the island you might come up on some cool native plants.

Nice place but rather boring and can hardly be called a garden (unless you like lots of grass). Honestly there is very little to see here. If it were free, that's one thing. But at $18 a person, it's a total letdown. The pictures I'm posting looks good, and yet, just say no!

This place is super cool! It’s 1 mile past the Lava Tube tourist attraction on a semi-rough road. Come here to learn more about the largest heiau in Maui and all the Hawaiian trees.

The road to the garden is a bit rough and is best suited to a SUV type of vehicle. Although we did see sedans at the visitor parking. If for no other reason the $10.00 per person admission is worth it just to use the restrooms at the visitor parking. There is a water cooler on the lanai. We did the self guided tour and all of the placards matched up with the supplied guidebook. It took us about 35 minutes to complete the tour route. Remember the words of wisdom, "The coconuts when they fall are silent killers, so don't go walking under the coconut trees." 😉 We saw a buncha coconuts lying on the ground to add credence to the warning.

Beautiful place, interesting history, and amazing views. People in the visitor center were very friendly and the bathrooms were nice. The road turns a bit bumpy toward the end, but we did it in our rental Mustang and were fine.

This was a really nice garden to walk through. Informative signs regarding plants and Hawaiian culture. A

You expect much more from a botanical garden, but after visiting you realize that the original native plants from Maui were just a few compared with the present amazing vegetation. Unfortunately the biggest polinezian ancient temple it is not open for the public. You can see only part of the exterior wall.

Well I honestly can't believe we have lived here nearly 20 years and this was my first visit. How we passed this by all these years is beyond me. What an amazing place this is. So much information and the property is immaculate. I was overwhelmed with the beauty here. The self walking tour was so informative. There is a visitor center and gift area. Picnic tables near the restrooms . Just a great place to visit.

Nice, pleasant and easy stroll through this working plantation. It's especially nice to stroll barefoot along the grass if so inclined. Beautiful specimens of fruit and vegatation unique to the Islands. Lots of palm trees with ample warnings to avoid walking under. A falling coconut can easily kill you! The day we visited they were harvesting bread fruit in the grove near the entrance. Nice. We thought the price was fair and the views along the ocean are spectacular. I say "Give 'em a whirl." Just watch overhead!

If you're Polynesian and grew up in the mainland (like me) COME HERE!! This place will humble you as you learn about the ways our ancestors lived many years ago. This place took my breath away. We went to the Pi'ilanihale Heiau which has a powerful energy I can't explain. As the description next to it says, come quietly and reflect upon those who came before us. It's a great reminder for someone, like me, who feels disconnected from the culture at times. It's huge and it rains on this side of the island. Bring a rain jacket and even some rain boots. It's wet over here! It's also huge, so plan to be here for at least an hour. There is so much to look at and learn about Polynesian ways of living, much of which have sustained the test of time. This is roots!! *Also for folks complaining about the admission price: the money supports the upkeep and conservation of these very important cultural plants. To this day, they still hold significance to Pacific Islander cultures. If seeing a "bunch of plants" isn't your thing then I don't recommend going. However, if you realize that these crops fed and sustained an entire group of people for generations, then you will have a greater appreciation for it. You get what you put in here.

I came here April 1, 2023 at 12pm - I was thinking about going to explore the garden, but I decided that it wasn't good timing as I was traveling road to Hana alone for hours, so I wanted to go find a place with some phone service to check-in with my family. The worker was extremely rude, unexpectedly, and took it very very personal. She said many things such as: "I find this disturbing," "I hope you find aloha in your heart," and "I believe in karma, so what goes around will come back for you." She was throwing all kinds of mean words around, all because I didn't want to see the garden. She was very pushy to get me to pay entry fee; She doesn't give you any time to think about it. On another note, the price to do this is $20! There were lots of people at the visitors center, but I noticed that no one ended up actually purchasing entry into the garden; it seems like everyone left due to the cost or something. The trail is not marked by any means, and for $20 I think it should be. Very easy to get lost if doing it by yourself!! Please hold this woman accountable, I know it's common for people to come in and end up leaving or changing their mind, but the staff CANNOT take this personally!! Leaves a bad image on the company and can completely ruin someone's day over something so small!

This place had very few visitors while I was there, which I find terribly sad. It's a beautiful way to spend a couple hours learning about the local plants and history as well as seeing some beautiful views. The very reasonable admission charge includes a color, 36-page catalogue that explains the plants and tells a bit about the Pi'Ilanihale Heiau -- a roughly 800 year old native Hawaiian religious site, apparently the largest such structure in all of Hawaii. In my fantasy world there would be a visitor center where you could learn more and talk to guides, but -- although beautifully maintained -- this is clearly a pretty minimalist operation and I imagine there's no budget for more elaborate facilities. Definitely worth a visit.

Absolutely breathtaking! I am so glad my husband and I came. We were a little disappointed with our earlier stop at the lava tubes ($12.50 per person and we only stayed 5 min. Not much else to see except the same old lava rocks lol) I highly recommend coming here. You should definitely call ahead of time to see if they're open, the stream tends to overflow and you won't be able to drive through it.

Taking a self-guided tour of the garden is a really beautiful way to pass an hour or two, just don't come looking for colorful flowers. Instead expect cinematic ocean views and to learn more about the canoe plants of ancient Hawaii. Highlights include an outrigger canoe (which you can sit in and imagine what it might have been like to sail for thousands of miles in such a vessel), the Piilanihale Heiau which is believed to be the biggest ancient temple in Hawaii and well marked plant life like baobab, `ōhi (mountain apple), noni (Indian mulberry, whose fruit smells like blue cheese), 'ulu (breadfruit) and screw pine. Over numerous trips to Hawaii, my knowledge of native and canoe plants has grown enough that I can now point some of them out and name them. Kahanu Garden definitely helped develop that base of knowledge.

Complete tourist trap Nothing to look at other than unaccessible ruins and mowed grass If you're looking to waste 10 bucks per person this is a great place to do it. If you were considering stopping here please roll down the window and let your money fly out, it will save you plenty of time.

Nice garden, spacious, along the Road to Hana. Biggest collection of breadfruit tree in the world. The aroma of the breadfruit tree is probably the highlight here.

Very disappointed in this place. Feels like a scam for the $10 entry fee. There is very little to look at as most of this "botanical garden" is mowed grass. You cannot get a good view of the temple ruins. I recognize that it is considered a sacred place but they are charging for the entry and then having that structure completely inaccessible by growing thick plants around it. There are some small raised beds that appear to be mostly overtaken by weeds. I would recommend skipping this place. We also visited the Ali'i lavender farm and for $3 and a yelp check in, you get a free lavender tea to stroll the garden with. That one is completely worth it.

This place seems to be fairly skipped over on the road to Hana by many, which is a shame because it really is a gem of a place. If you're looking for a flowery botanic garden, this really isn't the place for that, although they do have a few flowering plants. But, if you're looking for a quiet excursion from the road to Hana, giant palm trees, Hawaiian ruins, a beautiful view of the coast line and some history, this is a spectacular place to go. Beware of the many botanic gardens along the road that seem to be people's gardens...look for the Hana red marker just after you cross the old washed out bridge. The entrance fee is $10 per person which seemed a little high, but all in all it was relaxing and serene. It is a self guided tour, and they prefer you not eat outside of your car because of trash concerns. Remember, this is a site of a temple and burial grounds. Anyways, if you have an hour to spare, this is a great treat for history buffs, botanic buffs and those who want some spectacular photos.

On the way to Hana,we came across this Garden (now it is located on a path not much traveled probably by tourist) but if you ever find yourself on the way to Hana or returning, do yourself a favor and stop by. There is a small fee, but let me tell you, you will not regret it at all. Once I checked in, I was greeted my such a beautiful soul, gave us information and a history listen I will always cherish. Place is beautiful, you can seriously loose time here, but it is worth it. The grounds are well kept, and the views are just simply amazing, trust me, Maui is Awesome, but this section is lovely. It makes you feel how it must have felt before visitors arrived on the island. This place has Great History. I am glad I saw this with my own eyes. I hope to be back some day to continue enjoying this heavenly place on earth.

We were all alone in this 300 acre ethnobotanical garden on a day when people were literally standing in line to visit the black sand beach at Wai'anapanapa State Park. At one end of the park are the remains of the largest heiau in Hawaii, built more than 700 years ago. Surrounding it are fine examples of all the plants that have sustained humans on the Hawaiian islands for centuries. Walk across the sweeping manicured lawn and through a coconut grove to stand on an outcropping of lava above the churning ocean. A strong refreshing breeze blows off the ocean to provide a comfortable rest spot. From that vantage point you can look north and south and see almost no evidence of modern civilization, a rare experience on Maui. The park is at the very end of the access road, so don't be distracted by the assortment of signs advertising other gardens along the way. For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kahanu_Garden

Gardens are not generally my thing but you'd have to work to not appreciate the majesty of this place. If you visit Kauai, you might also try the Allerton Garden, a sister member of the National Tropical Botanical Garden and equally impressive in a completely different way.

As a gardener myself, I couldn't not go to one of the many gardens available to visit on the Hana Highway. We were on our way to the Lava Tubes when we discovered Kahanu, and opted to visit the garden instead. We're happy we did! My fiance and I got there early enough to be one of three couples taking the self-guided tour. Even when the tour buses showed up, we still felt solitude among the incredible plant life since the gardens are huge. Although the big selling point is the ancient temple of Piilanihale Heiau, you might be disappointed when you see how far back it is an inaccessible to visitors. That didn't break the trip, though; we were more amazed by the quiet warmth from walking along and getting history lessons via plant life. However, I wouldn't bring the whole family here, not only because kids may lose interest and/or try to destroy the plant life, but also because of the coconut trees. We heard a coconut drop from its tree with a sickening thud in an area that wasn't gated from visitors. This could be disastrous for kids who just spent hours in the car and want to run about the garden in this area. My suggestion for Kahanu would be to at least clear the coconuts from areas that tourists must inevitably walk through, or create new, safer pathways. (Side note: Although this didn't affect my review, I lost my film camera there and tried to contact the gardens. They haven't responded to my voicemail so please, if you're a staff member reading this, let me know if you have it! I'll happily pay shipping to get it back)

The trail is well maintained and beautiful. Heiau is Breath taking! Need to have appreciation for the cultural significance of this place. The aunty at the front is very knowledgeable and sweet.

This is a special place. Visiting this location has increased my knowledge and respect for the Hawaiian culture and the unique biodiversity of Hawaii. It really is a treasure.

Beautiful location, guidebook is really useful. I love this place! Not much shade (an important thing with an infant) but absolutely gorgeous. I wish that there had been more information on the history of the archaeological remnants but truly worth a visit!

This is a truly beautiful experience. Worth the time to wander around a little bit on your travels through Hana. Very pretty.

Maybe you need to be a hardcore botanist to appreciate this place. Not beng one, I thought this place was a waste of time. Sure, it's pretty, but it pales in comparison to other places along the road to Hana. Having paid $20 to walk around and not see much, I asked if "Kahanu" was Hawaiian for "ripoff."

If you only have 1 full day to do the road to Hana, skip it. I felt it was over priced $10 per person. I was disappointed by all of the foliage growing in front of the ruins. The ruins were the main reason I wanted to stop here, but the foliage is so dense and tall, the only way you can see the ruins is from really far back (take like 30 huge steps back). I understand they don't want people climbing on the ruins, but planting huge trees in front of it is absurd. The turnoff is also a pretty inconvenient drive especially if you are trying to get all the way to the seven sacred pools before sunset!