A trip to Hawaii will inevitably include the three s’s: swimming, surfing, and sun tanning. But, there is more to the Aloha State than just powder-soft sand beaches and cobalt blue waters. Natural wonders abound in the island paradise and there is a place that showcases many of them in a centralized area, but surprisingly not very many visitors know about it. Many tourist travel to the island of Oahu and visit the traditional attractions such as Pearl Harbor, Waikiki, Ala Moana, Diamond Head, and the North Shore. They end up leaving without ever having the chance to view, photograph or taste some of the state’s rare and exotic natural species. I hope to change that.
Allow me to introduce you to the Lyon Arboretum located not far from downtown Honolulu. You won’t find a description of it in your hotel room’s visitor’s guide; it won’t be listed in the brochures available at the airport; and it is unlikely that your cab driver will recommend it as a must-see attraction. The Lyon Arboretum is a well-kept secret and a cultural treat.
It is also an ideal spot for visiting families to get a crash course in Hawaii horticulture. The arboretum allows you to take a free-guided tour of the grounds or explore them on your own. If you are visiting from out of state I would opt for the guided tour, which usually begins at the sandalwood trees. Arboretum guides share a bit of history about the Chinese trade and how sandalwood was harvested to make furniture.
Then it’s on to the tea plants and calabash trees draped in vanilla vines. Tour guides are schooled to provide unusual facts such as: “Green and black tea come from the same plant; black tea comes from older plants and has more caffeine; and vanilla is expensive because it is pollinated by hand.”
If the tea plants aren’t enough to satisfy your cravings, don’t fret. The arboretum actually encourages visitors to sniff, touch and taste the spectacular specimens. You can smell the allspice leaves, bite into a strawberry guava and munch joboticaba berries, while your guide shows you how the plants are incorporated into daily life.
Don’t forget to bring your camera, you’ll want to document the unusual and exotic floral and fauna like ginger plants, bird of paradise (a type of flower), and nutmeg encased in mace. The spice garden is actually one of the most popular attractions at the Lyon Arboretum, which spans more than 190 acres of rainforest. In addition, the arboretum houses a children’s garden, a Hawaiian ethnobotany garden, a pond stocked with fish, turtles and frogs, fern valleys and a trail to Aihualama Falls. Unfortunately, the arboretum is also home to some unwanted residents—mosquitoes. So, don’t forget your insect repellant.