Lavaloha Chocolate Farm

Click here to watch a video of the tour I took.

Lavaloha Chocolate Farm is nestled up the mountain from Hilo on the slopes of Mauna Kea volcano. Visit there website here for a full history of the farm or to book a tour. I recently took a tour of the farm, and I was very impressed.

The shuttles that you tour the farm in are easy to board and dismount, so those who are elderly or need mobility aids should have no trouble. The tour is not wheelchair accessible, but the shop is.

My tour guide -Jessica- was extreme knowledgeable about cacao and the chocolate-making process. She shared a variety of farm history, information about chocolate, and fun facts about the Hawaiian Islands. I was impressed with her, and I appreciated her speaking in a loud, clear voice since I have hearing loss. She was a wonderful guide.

The tour consists of going to see the orchard, trying unprocessed cacao fruit, seeing how beans are dried, and enjoying samples of different types of chocolate in the tasting lounge. There was also a video detailing exactly how they process the beans once they are dried, as the process of turning cacao into chocolate is laborious.

The tour then finishes at the gift shop, which has a variety of Hawaiian products in addition to chocolate.

For me, the most impressive aspect was learning about the off-grid sustainable farm itself, and about how they contribute to the community at large. In my travels to some places -like Cancun for example- I have been disappointed to find that the companies running tours pollute the environment, or that they are owned by a foreign investor who doesn’t give back to the community. Lavaloha Farms is a sustainable project with mindful intentions towards giving back tot he community and the environment. From their pollinator garden to their land-share program with local farmers, you can spend money there without feeling any guilt.

I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Hawaii Island.