Immediately after landing in Maui, we grabbed our luggage and headed to Hali’imaile. Where? Why? Hali’imaile is the only place in the United States where you can take a tour of a working pineapple plantation, besides breakfast this morning had eluded me. Noshing on pineapple sounded good, but at this point so did the crumbled bag of honey roasted peanuts at the bottom of my carry on.
We arrived at our meeting spot, Hali’imaile General Store, forty-five minutes early.
Haliimaile General Store, which is nestled amongst the pineapple fields, features regional Hawaiian cuisine and though my mind was telling me to hold off to eat pineapple, my belly was saying “feed-me-now”. That damn stomach can be pretty persuasive.
We were the first ones in the restaurant and when I told the server we were going on the pineapple tour, she said they don’t recommend trying to rush a meal there beforehand because the eatery is an experience in itself. I’m a bad listener, so I ordered the Chinese chicken salad ($14) with baby corn, mango, curried coconut, cashews. I enjoyed my meal immensely and quickly
Just next door our chariot awaited. There’s nothing like discreet transportation.
About the Maui Gold Pineapple Tour in Hali’imaile, Hawaii
About a dozen of us boarded the Maui Gold Tour bus and started our adventure at Hali’imaile Pineapple Plantation.
The trek began along Pineapple Row Road. That is not the real name of the road, I made it up. I am very creative.
The planters were out in the field today, giving life to a whopping 31,000 plants per acre. Just watching them made my back hurt.
The fruit was also being picked, using a seamless system. It takes 18 months to grow a pineapple and only one day to pick 75 tons.
The pineapple got its name because it looks like a pine cone and tastes like an apple.
Time to sample and see for myself.
Our guide proceeded to pluck, cut and feed us the bounty at different levels of ripeness. This WILL NOT taste like any pineapple you have ever purchased at the local grocery store. It was sweet, juicy and tasted like a pina colada…and I didn’t want to sampling to stop.
My hands were sticky and sweet juice was dripping from my chin, but I still held out my palm for another piece.
We did manage to stop gorging for 30 seconds to take this touristy photo. But, for the record, pineapple thoughts invaded my mind for every second.
Included in our $65, we each got to take a pineapple home to enjoy later. The instructions were to twist the crown off, don’t cut it and put it upside down in the refrigerator so the juices distribute. Then plant the crown to sprout a new growth.
Maybe I can grow my own Maui pineapple?
If there is such a thing as eating too much pineapple, I have encountered it. Pineapple gluttony. Have you ever been to a pineapple plantation?
Traveling Soon? Use my Favorite Resources for Booking Your Trip!
Book Your Flight
Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine, because it checks dozens of airlines so you can easily find the best fare deals. You can also select ‘cheapest month’ to find the lowest fares for your destination (I use this all the time!).
Book Your Accommodations
I use both Booking.com and Expedia for hotels, because each offers a couple different hotel choices and I like to compare the reviews on each one. If you have a group or are looking for more of a home atmosphere, head over to VRBO or AirBNB that has houses, apartments and even just a room for rent in every price range.
Book Your Rental Car
If love the freedom to explore like I do, driving from place to place is the best option! I always book with Discover Cars for the best prices and top brand options.
Book Some Fun Tours!
Viator and Get Your Guide are my go-to search engines for cool bucket list experiences! Each one can have different tours, so check both—why limit yourself, right?
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel can be unpredictable. Whether it’s a last-minute cancellation, an injury, or (ugh) theft, things happen. That’s why I recommend never leaving the country without travel insurance. Here are my faves: Safety Wing and World Nomads.
Get Packing & Travel Essentials Ready
Check out the Bucket List Journey Amazon Store to find all my favorite travel essentials. Everything from Packing cubes, to travel adapters and toiletry containers to walking shoes.
*Lastly, check travel.state.gov for visa requirements and safety information.
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I worked at Maui pineapple company through youth developmental enterprises from 1986 -1989 my gang set a record in 1989 for the most pineapple picked by a single gang in a day my experience there was one of the best in my life
That’s awesome! How many pineapples did you pick that day?