A Guide to Dole Plantation in Wahiawa, Hawaii

The “Paradise of the Pacific”, Hawaii, is recognized for their tropical plants and fruits. One of these is the pineapple, which is the most major fruit that is produced in the state. The combination of the tropical climate and the sunny weathers in Hawaii creates the perfect place for them to grow in abundance. You’ve probably picked up a can of pineapples or some other fruit and saw it was made by Dole. Dole is one of the most well known brands for producing fruits and vegetables, especially to be sold in the supermarkets. What makes the Dole Plantation in Hawaii special is that it all started from there.

Background on Dole Plantation

The corporate heritage was started in 1901 by a man named James Dole. James Dole experimented with a number of different crops and decided to work with pineapples when he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii at 22 years old and purchased a government homestead to create a farm for the pineapples. As his farm was growing, so did his company, called Dole, when he created a cannery and packing plant to can these pineapples. He promoted his company and its products through magazines and it became well known and from there, his name of Dole and pineapples became part of a rich history in agriculture.

Do the Pineapple Express

When I went to Hawaii during my trip in this past summer, I knew that I had to visit the famous Dole Plantation since I love the brand and pineapples in general. My friends and I bought tickets, which included most of the attractions found in the plantation. We went through a train called the Pineapple Express to view the grounds that grew Dole’s fruits and other activities that created an interactive experience for the visitors of the plantation.

Do the Pineapple Garden Maze

Part of our tour package deal was to walk the Pineapple Garden Maze, which is known to be the world’s largest maze (according to the Guinness Book of World Records) that stretches for 3 acres and the people that finishes wins a prize and has their name recorded on a sign by the maze. We did the maze but unfortunately, we couldn’t finish it because we had to head back home to make it to our luau. The maze was fun for the time being and it certainly made us feel lost. Another part of the package was to walk around the Plantation Garden Tour but we decided to skip it since we were short of time and you could see it from the Pineapple Express.

Eat at the Plantation Grille

We also ate in the Plantation Grille, the restaurant that is attached within the place. The Plantation Grille offers Hawaiian cuisine such as kalua pork (I ordered this!), loco moco, and teriyaki chicken. It also includes traditional American eats and also note, these platters are served in huge portions. You can not go to the place and not try the famous Dole Whip, which is pineapple flavored soft served ice cream, because it’s such a delicious treat and it so happens to become one of my favorite ice cream flavors. You can have it with pineapple syrup juice to go with it too.

Take a look at their gift store

After touring around majority of the attractions there, don’t forget to take a look into their gift store, which has hundreds of souvenirs to choose from! From ‘Aloha’ shirts to dresses to pineapple stuffed animals to authentic pearl pendents, you might not even walk out of that store with nothing at all.

Anyways, that’s enough of me talking through my visit at the plantation, here are my pictures that I hope you enjoy viewing from what I took that day:

Until next time with my next Hawaiian stories,

Mahalo,

Kapaliele (Gabrielle in Hawaiian)

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