Nani Mau Gardens

Nani Mau offers 20 acres of tropical plants from Hawaii and all over the world.

Nani Mau Gardens has a somewhat antiseptic and artificial feel to it, not unlike Disneyland, which is why we are not in a hurry to return. While we love Disney, we were hoping for something a little more tropical and jungle-like at Nani Mau. Instead, we found something which is, granted, very beautiful, but a bit contrived with its paved roads and overly neat flower beds. In many ways, Nani Mau looks a lot like some of the "tourist traps" built in Florida in the 1950s.

Having said all that, Nani Mau is not without its virtues. The collection of orchids is worth seeing, and the 6 acre annual garden is fabulous. On the other hand, the Japanese Garden close by the parking lot is a disappointment because it is rather small and not well maintained. It will only take 30 seconds to visit the Japanese garden, but we recommend you pass on it if you are in a hurry.

The admission cost is $7.50 plus a $5 tram ride. We recommend that you skip the tram ride because the gardens are not all that large, they are very easy to walk through, and the garden brochure is very informative. Plus, if you are on foot, you can get closer to the various plants.

If you want something more jungle-like (as we did) we recommend you visit the lush gardens at Onomea Bay or the free nature walk at Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Visitor Center.

Getting There
Nani Mau is located at 421 Makalika Street in Hilo, The Big Island of Hawaii. Follow Route 130 for four miles south of Hilo town center until you see a sign for the Gardens. Call 808-959-3541 for more information.

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