OVERVIEW

Stroll through the largest Edo-style ornamental garden outside of Japan and enjoy free time browsing the shops and farmer’s market near Hilo Bay. To reach Liliuokalani Gardens, you will travel down Banyan Drive, a sun-dappled street lined with banyan trees that celebrities such as Babe Ruth and Amelia Earhart planted. More botanical treasures await you within the gardens, which is named for Hawaii’s last reigning monarch, Queen Liliuokalani. It opened in 1917 as a tribute to the many Japanese immigrants that worked Hawaii’s sugarcane fields. While meandering through the serene setting, you will notice that nearly every plant is indigenous. They include species such as the rosy trumpet tree and the towering kukui, the national tree of Hawaii. Afterwards, continue to Wailuku State Park where you’ll find picturesque Rainbow Falls. Watch as water from the Wailuku River plunges 80 feet over the lip of the waterfall to cascade into the pool below, often forming a beautiful rainbow effect. Later, you will independently explore the abundant boutiques, art galleries and marketplaces along the waterfront. There will be plenty of time to dine on your own if you wish.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Drive down a beautifully shaded street lined with banyan trees that celebrities planted.
• Meander through Liliuokalani Gardens, a botanical oasis with mostly indigenous plants.
• View breathtaking Rainbow Falls at Wailuku State Park
• Spend time exploring Hilo’s main shopping and dining district along the bay.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Discover how coffee is processed at one of the country’s largest plantations and watch artisans hand-craft oxcarts, which have become a national symbol of Costa Rica. At the family-owned Doka Estate, you will observe the steps involved in producing premium coffee, including the use of the country’s oldest wet mill. The aroma of the roasting beans will whet your appetite for the coffee tasting and traditional lunch that follows. Deeper in the fertile Central Valley, you will find Sarchi, a town synonymous with fine arts and crafts, especially hand-painted oxcarts. Established in 1923, Eloy Alfaro remains the only factory in Costa Rica that still uses water-powered machinery to produce their iconic wooden oxcarts. The guide will elaborate on the production details and how traditional two-wheeled oxcarts were once used to transport crops and even as ambulances. The factory also created the world’s largest oxcart, an enormous two-ton version that you will behold in a nearby square.