Laulima Farm, Kipahulu

One of my favorite places on Planet Earth. The vibe is so welcoming. The woman that helped us choose our fruit was knowledgeable and so friendly. We had a fruit platter that she sliced up right in front of us. The fruit was picked from trees in plain sight. The location is perfect, about 3-miles from the National Park Entrance. We had chilled coconut milk, straight out of the coconut— she used a machete to chop it open. Once we drank the milk, she gave it another chop so we could eat the meat inside. Between the coconut milk and the fruit platter, our bellies were full so we set off to hike the bamboo Forrest and the water fall. Once we finished a 4-mile hike, we were ready to eat again. This time we returned for chilled mint tea and popcorn made to order. It was the best popcorn I’ve ever had. Sweet cream butter, coconut oil, sea salt, and some type of seasoning — served up in a giant paper bag. Absolutely wonderful. The construction of the stand was really interesting. Bamboo, bright colors, shutters with a weight and pulley system of rope and stone — all natural — very “Smith Family Robinson”. The woman that served us was running the fruit stand and she said the owner also built the tree house that she lives in. The photos I’ve taken don’t do it Justice. Ordering the fruit platter is a great idea because you get to “try before you buy”. The star fruit, papaya, and some type of super sweet and juicy orange-tangerine type fruit were my favorites. I would stop at Laulima Farm Fruit Stand anytime I visit Maui. The drive is amazing, the ambiance at the stand with the clever bamboo seating areas, zen gardens, and fantastic fruit — it was one of the high points of our trip to Maui. They had a nice local honey sample pack with winter, summer, and macadamia blossom varieties that I recommend. The kindness, the owners story (he’s passed away), and the general nature of the place are exactly what I had hoped Hawaii would be.

We stopped by here on the way to Hana. Small cute shop where locals come visit hanging out. Everything is farm to table, and the fruit plate we had was so so great. I never had many of them in my life! Instantly boosting your sugar level and energy. Coffee was home grown and it was good too. This place is cash only. We were about to bounce to hear it’s cash only because we did’t have enough cash. Then a local guy drinking coffee there insisted he pay for us because he really wanted us to try their coffee and fruits. How touching! We really thank him for his nice offer and for this reason we won’t forget this place! Until we meet again