Adventure & Beauty Combined

The Worldly Collection: Botanical World Adventures

This is where you bring the whole ʻohana. It's less of a quiet stroll and more of an adventure park built into a garden. I love the sheer scale of it—and watching the kids get hopelessly lost in that giant hedge maze is always a good laugh. It's pure fun.

Located just a bit further up the Hamakua Coast from Hilo, Botanical World Adventures offers a completely different kind of garden experience. This place is built around the idea of family fun and adventure, using the botanical garden as a stunning backdrop for a variety of activities. It's a clever blend of horticulture and eco-tourism, designed to appeal to a wide audience, from serious plant lovers to thrill-seeking families.

The main draw for many families is the massive, world-class hedge maze. Covering an area larger than a football field, it's made from thousands of mock orange bushes and is a fantastic challenge for kids and adults alike. The garden itself is divided into several distinct areas that support its "Worldly Collection" feel. The "Rainbow Walk" is a vibrant explosion of color, featuring a huge variety of tropical flowering plants from around the globe, like hibiscus, gingers, and bromeliads, as well as a large and fragrant orchid collection. Across from it, "The Arboretum" showcases an impressive international collection of fruit and nut trees, including exotic species like lychee, longan, and breadfruit from Asia and South America.

But the "adventure" part of the name is what truly sets it apart. You can take an eight-line zipline tour that sends you flying through the rainforest canopy and over the breathtaking Kamaeʻe Falls. Or, for a more grounded but equally fun experience, you can explore the gardens on a guided Segway tour. The Rainforest Trail offers a more traditional walking experience, with a paved path that winds along a beautiful stream and leads to viewpoints of several waterfalls. This multi-faceted approach ensures there's something for every energy level and interest.

The Forever Beautiful: Nani Mau Gardens

Nani Mau means 'forever beautiful,' and it feels just like that—a classic garden party that's always ready for a celebration. It's more structured, with these incredible displays of orchids that just pop with color. You can feel it's a place designed for making memories.

Nani Mau Gardens has a more formal, manicured feel than the other Hilo gardens. Its 22 acres are beautifully landscaped with paved pathways, an anthurium grove, a Japanese-style bell tower, and a hibiscus garden, all designed with an artistic, curated touch. Its history is a story of transformation. It was founded in 1972 on what was once a simple 22-acre papaya patch.

The garden is particularly famous for its specialized collections. It boasts one of the world's most significant collections of specific orchid varieties, including Paphiopedilum and Phalaenopsis, making it a must-see for orchid lovers. The tropical fruit orchards are another major highlight. This focus on specific plant families gives it a distinct character.

However, to truly understand Nani Mau, it's important to know that it is one of Hilo's premier event venues. The pristine lawns, beautiful gazebos, and covered lanais like the "Orchid Lanai" are perfectly designed to host weddings, parties, and corporate functions. This primary function as a venue for celebrations influences its entire atmosphere. The garden is meticulously maintained to be a perfect, photo-ready backdrop for life's special moments. Recently, the garden has expanded its offerings to include cultural experiences and on-site dining, including a Shabu Shabu hot pot restaurant, making it a complete destination for a celebratory outing.