Hāmākua Chocolate Farm

Matt Andres

2024-03

I very enthusiastically leave a 5 star review and would give it more stars if I could. I really wanted to see an operating chocolate farm would give it great reviews just on that, but this tour goes far beyond that with a fabulous tropical garden that has so many interesting and beautiful flowers, trees, fruits and spices to see and experience. Have you ever seen a cinnamon or clove tree? I have…now. The chocolate tour was awesome, but the tropical garden was icing on the cake. Dan and Berndt were great tour guides and are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about their creation (cacao farm and tropical garden). I HIGHLY recommend anyone in the area or across the island to make time to come see this place, totally worth the time and money.

Theresa_ SoCalRealty

2024-04

Hamakua Chocolate Farm in Hilo, Hawaii, offers a delightful and immersive experience for chocolate lovers and nature enthusiasts alike. Nestled in the lush surroundings of the Hamakua Coast, this farm provides visitors with a unique opportunity to learn about the art of chocolate making from bean to bar. The farm tour allows guests to witness the entire chocolate-making process, from harvesting cacao pods to roasting and grinding the beans.Visitors can also enjoy tastings of the farm's delectable chocolate creations, made with locally sourced ingredients for a true taste of Hawaii. The picturesque setting of the farm, with its sweeping views of the ocean and verdant landscape, adds to the overall charm of the experience. Whether you're a chocolate connoisseur or simply curious about the journey from cacao bean to chocolate bar, a visit to Hamakua Chocolate Farm promises to be a memorable and educational adventure.

Kirsten Heaps

2024-01

My partner and I took a tour of the farm. The owners are super charismatic and knowledgeable. I loved seeing all their plants! The chocolate tasting at the end was also incredible 🙌🏼 10/10 would recommend. It was a highlight of our visit.

Tom Weeks

2023-12

Fantastic day. The chocolate was amazing, but we learned so much more! The owners are incredibly knowledgeable and love introducing guests to the flowers and plants of their farm. The smell and sniff tests of various tropical plants were fun!

Mark Bednarczyk

2024-01

Absolutely the most delicious chocolate in the world. If you like chocolate or cocoa this is the place. Organic, grown on the farm, just 2 ingredients and great owners with an awesome dog.We visited and bought several flavors. Amazing experience and chocolate. The best chocolate in the world.

May Lai

2023-06

Wonderful establishment. Even on the days that don’t have formal tours, you can get a tasting and enjoy the great view. They grow their own cacao, coffee beans, even their own vanilla.Many exotic plants/ flowers in the garden as well.Many interesting variety / flavors of chocolate as well.

Anne Steuer

2023-09

This is no ordinary tour. The guys go above and beyond to extend the aloha spirit. The gardens and orchards are stunning. Their knowledge about chocolate and plants is very extensive. The tastings were great and it was quite a large offering of things to taste. I felt like they invited us right into their home and were so welcoming. To me this is a must do. Thanks Dan and Berndt for being such warm and wonderful hosts during the tour. You are doing incredible things!

Rebecca Jarvis

2024-04

I didn’t know what to expect but was so impressed with this tour! Great for plant enthusiasts, I saw so many gorgeous plants!

Eric Zabelny

2023-07

What a complete surprise that blew my wife and I away. Chocolate was the draw but we left with such an appreciation for the passion and hardwork of these guys. The grounds are incredible, I could have stayed for days in the paradise that has been created. My love for white chocolate has forever been tainted by Dan's explanation but my love for dark chocolate has been set at a new all time high. I even bought a t-shirt which is remarkable as i never wear branded clothes. So happy we came here!

Nina Feger

2023-05

This tour is absolutely fantastic! These guys have built themselves a paradise, the scenery is gorgeous! They are really knowledgeable, passions and friendly. You learn a lot not only about cacao and chocolate making but also a lot about tropical plants. We had a wonderful time. It’s worth every penny!

Christian Smedberg

2023-05

This is SO MUCH More than a chocolate farm. The property is really a small botanical garden with a farm on it. The tour was informative and beautiful. We were able to taste various spices and fruits from the property.The chocolate was excellent.I highly recommend doing a tour here.

Dawn M

2023-05

Doing this tour was a last minute decision and I HIGHLY recommend it. We learned lots about the chocolate making process AND got to tour this tropical paradise. We learned about the many plants, fruit and spices they grow. This is a cool hands on experience where we got to touch/feel/smell/taste along the way. There is a cool bridge that leads to a tree house that towers above the farm which was a cool surprise with fantastic views. These guys are highly knowledgeable, personable and passionate and this experience was worth every penny. This is truly a gem and the chocolate was delicious.

Daniel Sowards

2023-05

When I tell you this tour is INCREDIBLE, believe me. The owners have created a truly special experience, and you can feel their love and interest in the topic of farming from start to finish. Easily the best farm tour I've ever experienced.The tour goes through everything from the uniqueness of farming cocao in Hawai'i, to processing the pods, and into the techniques of actually making a chocolate bar.Their chocolate is fantastic, so be sure to pick up a few (dozen) bars to take home to friends and family.GREAT JOB!

Peopleperker

2024-02

Chocolate is my drug of choice. The chocolate grown and sold at Hamakua Chocolate Farm is the purest and most flavorful. Every engaging detail of growth and production is explained by the thoughtful owners. The experience also includes a tour of their beautiful sloped, rivered property. Touching, tasting and seeing this exotic collection of plants was a life experience I’ll long remember. The world view of one owner and his visiting mom is also a treasure I take away from the experience.

Jessica Tai

2023-05

Prioritize this tour in your trip!!We went in expecting an ordinary chocolate farm tour and left with life inspiration and pure awe. From a lot of jungle covered land, this couple, as retirement, hand-planted and curated this beautiful botanical garden complete with fruits and spices from soursop to cardamom to rows of cacao trees. Their chocolate is infused with the flavors of their extensive garden and made in small batches. It was an absolute honor to tour their estate, complete with a beautiful treehouse. Highly recommend for anyone visiting the Big Island!!

linda nance

2023-07

Awesome tour. Such a delight to hear about how they got started n the chocolate business & get to sample the fruits of their labor. Best tour we went on while on the big island ❤️

Ashley Dell

2023-09

We did the tour and tasting and it was worth every penny! Excellent way to see the process and experience different plants and herbs too. We would do this again.

Nastia Nemro

2021-05

This was the most interesting cacao farm tour! Two guides are incredibly knowledgeable and have the brightest personalities. I appreciate their approach to chocolate making. I had so much positive experience and fun with them. I am recommending this place to all of my friends.Thank you guys for the experience and a special thank you for a taste of cacao fruit juice 🙌🏻

Aurelia Baca

2024-03

We really enjoyed our experience at Hamakua Chocolate farm! The owners were very passionate about the life the created and they seemed to enjoy sharing what they created with everyone. It was a great way to spend our last day in Hawaii. Enjoyed getting to meet such great people.

Raine Sim

2022-05

A beautiful and relaxing experience at the Cacao Farm. We stayed at the property for the weekend and explored the botanical garden, met the new Alpacas - Li Hing Mui, and enjoyed their delicious handcrafted chocolate. It was great to spend the evening on the balcony listening to the rain and coqui frogs. The suspension bridge to the tree house provides a great view to the incredible garden. The owners are so kind and friendly. We look forward to visiting again!

Sally Smith

2022-05

This was one of the coolest experiences that we had on the island. I loved learning not only about how cacao is grown, but also about many other types of plants growing on the farm. Definitely recommend! (and remember to use bug spray)

Niraj Pendharkar

2022-05

Delectable 🍫, friendly owners, and super delicious treats over an informative conversation. Always wanted to tour a Cacao farm, and Dan was completely booked, bit he offered us a short overview of his farm and the entire process. Besides, what a location, on top of the hill! Dan has it going on with his Cacao farm. Our trip was a visual, and an edible treat, a must see if you are on this side of the island.

Robyn McCullough

2022-05

Definitely one of my most memorable experiences here on The Big Island. I was fascinated throughout the entire tour. We also learned about SO many other plants in addition to the cacao that they grow and use in their chocolate. I loved being able to see the entire process and the tasting at the end was amazing!!! So many unique flavors that you wont find anywhere else. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Highly recommend!!

Alejandro Rico

2021-05

This is a very special place to stay. We enjoyed a lot waking up to the sunrise from the room balcony and walking through the chocolate farm property in the morning (tree house included). It's right on road 19 so excellent location to visit the Hilo side. Berndt and Dan gave us great pointers for restaurants and things to do and were a delight to talk to. We also liked the chocolate tasting. Highly recommended!

Dale Austin

2024-03

World class chocolate farm in a beautiful location with insightful and engaging tour led by Dan and Berndt. And yes, you get to taste their chocolate and they have quite a range of flavors. Highly recommended!

Chelsea Keys

2020-05

I can’t rave enough about fiancé and I’s experience staying at the Hamakua farm through Air Bnb. We’d start our day waking up to a beautiful sunrise that could been seen from our bed as we looked out the giant widows. Each day we’d venture out and find ourselves back at the chocolate farm because we loved exploring the grounds, taking in the views, and relaxing on the patio. We even did the chocolate tour and we were so happy we did! I had no idea how much work goes into making pure, delicious chocolate. Dan and Berndt are so welcoming and it was such a pleasure to experience the beauty and all the work they have put in to make the chocolate farm a beautiful escape. Everything from papaya and rainbow eucalyptus trees to cardamom and allspice herbs, 🌿 all so amazing. So much exploring and it won’t disappoint. Check out the farm, stay if you can, and enjoy meeting Dan & Berndt!

Emma Hon

2021-05

This is by far the most diverse and interesting farm tour I’ve ever been to! The tour is branded as a chocolate farm tour, but it’s really a cocoa + vanilla + coffee bean + botanical garden + spices + treehouse + riverside + black bamboo + white pineapple + crazy camouflage trees with the name that I can’t remember ...etc. tour. Dan and Berndt own this huge property and are both so passionate and knowledgeable about every single exotic plant they have. They introduced at least 10+ plants, explained the growing process, showed us the chocolate-making process from bean to a chocolate bar, and let us taste not only the fresh cocoa products but also different types of fruits from their passion projects along the way. We also got a bunch of leaves to crush and smell. The craziest one is cinnamon! We got our own leaf to chew and taste the cinnamon straight from the wood!!!The chocolate tasting is very sanitary that we got our own cute bamboo thongs to take the chocolate. I also like the cacao juice a lot! The amenities are pretty awesome! The bathrooms are clean and they provided sunscreen and bug spray for guests. Don’t feel shy to use them!! I sprayed my shoes thinking it is enough but was attacked by a swamp of mosquitos during the tour (had to make Berndt run back and get the bug spray for us SORRY AND THANK U!) In short, they are very considerate and provided everything we need to do this tour comfortably! The tour is also a bit of a hike with a few safety precaution (e.g. they have an electric fence for boar; you need to walk through a wobbly bridge to climb up the tree house with both hands), so make sure that you talk to Dan and Berndt about your health condition before you confirm the tour so you don’t get hurt!Personally, I’m so amazed that they are able to manage everything. A botanical garden + farm + mini factory + Airbnb...it’s so labor intensive and organized by pretty much just the two of them. The whole farm runs very systematically (aka pay attention to the name and the position of the spices plants; they cut out the middle of the bamboo bush so you can step in, look up, and enjoy the view), which is incredibly cool and satisfying for me! I wish I have more pictures to show but my phone died half way!In conclusion, you will definitely enjoy your stay or tour here. It's pricy but definitely worth it!

Dathan D.

2022-05

TLDR: Farm to Chocolate with Passion for the Earth; make a reservationPros: Dan is passionate about his craft and the earth and it shows. The diversity of plant life and education that comes along with the tour is great. His chocolate is more expensive than your average fare, but the quality of the craft shows.Cons: Reservation in advance with limited availability;

Ara Cho

2020-05

I included this place as one of the places to go to during my trip to big island with my mom, and it was the best decision ever!!! As the other review accurately describes, the place is gorgeous, the tour is very informative, there are so many exotic plants and fruits, and they are super knowledgeable, kind, and friendly. We even got to try the cacao fruit juice (didn’t even know such thing existed!!!!), and another exotic fruit juice that I don’t even remember the name of. I don’t usually leave reviews, but I had to for this one. I highly recommend including this place on your travel plan if you are visiting big island:) it was also my mom’s favorite activity on the big island. Very memorable place/activity!:)

Jasmine Ding

2022-05

I stayed for 3 nights at this stunning property near Hilo, it was a dream! The cocoa farm is absolutely mind blowing with everything from coffee to papaya, giant Banyan trees to massive bamboo! The rooms are spotless, highly recommended!