The North Shore Sanctuaries
Where Art and Nature Converge: Dreams Made Real
Written by a Local Expert
Leilani AkoThe North Shore Sanctuaries: Where Art and Nature Converge
Leaving the institutional legacy of the South Shore, our journey now takes us to the legendary North Shore. It's famous for its dramatic cliffs and lush, rain-fed landscapes. The gardens here tell a different kind of story. One of intense, personal passion.
These are not places born of congressional charters or royal history. They're born of the dreams of modern couples who saw a patch of land and envisioned a paradise. In Poipu, you walk through history. On the North Shore, you walk through someone's dream.
These gardens are born from the boundless creativity and dedication of ordinary people with extraordinary vision.
Na ʻĀina Kai: A Sprawling Kingdom of Sculpture and Surprise
The Story of Unstoppable Vision
The story of Na ʻĀina Kai ("Lands by the Sea") is a testament to the power of a "retirement" project gone wonderfully wild. In 1979, Joyce and Ed Doty bought their first 12-acre lot on what was then flat, unremarkable pastureland.
What began as a personal landscaping project grew, and grew, and grew. Fueled by Joyce's boundless creativity and Ed's contracting skills, their vision expanded. They survived Hurricane Iwa and Hurricane Iniki. These events only deepened their commitment to their Kauai home.
Today, that initial parcel has blossomed into a magnificent 240-acre botanical garden, sculpture park, and hardwood plantation. It's a national treasure born from the hands-on work of two determined dreamers. They established a non-profit foundation in 1999 and opened their extraordinary creation to the public in 2000.
What makes Na ʻĀina Kai special isn't just its size or scope. It's the deeply personal nature of everything you see. This isn't a garden designed by committee or created by institutional mandate. Every sculpture placement, every pathway curve, every themed area reflects the individual passions and whims of its creators.
Joyce's artistic vision is everywhere, but it's not precious or pretentious. It's playful, surprising, and often delightfully absurd. This is a place where a serious discussion of native plant conservation can happen right next to a bronze sculpture of Sasquatch striding through the forest.
Exploring the Grounds - An Artistic Wonderland
A visit to Na ʻĀina Kai is an adventure in art and whimsy. The gardens are home to one of the largest collections of bronze sculptures in the United States. Over 200 life-size and larger-than-life pieces are thoughtfully integrated into the landscape.
You might round a corner to find a whimsical, oversized frog pondering life in a take on Rodin's "The Thinker." Or you might encounter an eight-foot-tall Sasquatch striding through the forest.
The garden is a collection of diverse and imaginative themed areas:
Art & Sculpture
Beyond individual pieces, entire areas are dedicated to artistic and cultural expression. The stunning Hawaiian Ahupua'a display illustrates the traditional land division from mountains to sea. A Navajo Compound complete with hogans and sculptures modeled after living Navajo people shows the garden's commitment to honoring indigenous cultures beyond Hawaii.
The integration of art with landscape here is masterful. Sculptures don't just sit on the land; they emerge from it. They interact with plants, water features, and pathways to create scenes that feel both planned and spontaneous.
Mazes and Water Features
The Poinciana Maze, designed by Joyce herself, is a delightful picture maze made from over 2,400 mock-orange plants. It's not just about finding your way through; it's about the journey itself. The pathways create patterns that are beautiful from above, and the experience of being inside the maze is both challenging and meditative.
The sprawling Ka'ula Lagoon features cascading waterfalls and a dramatic fountain of bronze tropicbirds taking flight. The water features here aren't just decorative. They create microclimates that support different types of plants and provide habitat for wildlife.
"Under the Rainbow" Children's Garden
This makes Na ʻĀina Kai a premier destination for families. It's a world of pure imagination. You'll find a 16-foot-tall Jack and the Beanstalk fountain, a gecko-shaped hedge maze, a treehouse, tunnels, slides, and a kid-sized railroad.
This area recognizes something important: gardens aren't just for adults. Children experience wonder differently than adults, and this section of the garden is designed specifically to engage young imaginations. It's educational without being preachy, fun without being chaotic.
The attention to detail in the children's area is remarkable. The scale is right for kids. The plants chosen are sturdy enough to withstand enthusiastic young explorers. The pathways are designed for little legs, and there are plenty of places for parents to sit and watch while kids explore safely.
Some critics say Na 'Āina Kai isn't a 'pure' Hawaiian garden. They're missing the point. This place isn't about botanical purity; it's about the pure, unbridled joy of its creators. It's a garden of stories and surprises. My advice? Get "The Ride" tour to appreciate the sheer scale of it all. You'll round a corner and find a family of bronze bears having a picnic. It's a place that never stops making you smile.
Tours & Visitor Intel
Understanding the tour options is key to experiencing Na ʻĀina Kai. Most of the grounds are accessible only by guided tour. Reservations are required for nearly all tours and must be made by calling them directly at (808) 828-0525.
The Stroll
A 1.5 to 2-hour walking tour focusing on the Formal Gardens, including the maze and lagoon.
Cost: About $45
The Ride
A 3-hour tour on a covered, open-air cart that provides a great overview of the Formal Gardens and the Wild Forest Garden. This is ideal for seeing the full scope of the property, especially for those with limited mobility.
Cost: About $60
Self-Guided Walking Tour
This more limited option is only available on Thursdays, covers the Formal Gardens.
Cost: About $20
Specialty Tours
The gardens also offer a Waimakai Walk (a 2.5-hour hike to the beach) and a seasonal Bird Tour from December to April.
Contact for pricing
For Families: While most tours are for ages 13 and up, the gardens offer a dedicated Family Tour. They also have monthly "Splash & Play" days in the Children's Garden for just $10 per person. Call ahead to check availability.
The tour guides at Na ʻĀina Kai are particularly knowledgeable about both the artistic and horticultural aspects of the garden. They can tell you not just what you're looking at, but why Joyce and Ed made the choices they did. They share stories about the creation process, the challenges overcome, and the ongoing evolution of this remarkable place.
ℹ️ Na ʻĀina Kai
- Location: Kilauea North
- Duration: 1.5-3 hours
- Price: $20-$70
- Size: 240 acres
- Booking: (808) 828-0525
🎒 What to Bring
- Comfortable shoes
- Water bottle
- Camera
- Sunscreen
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Princeville Botanical Gardens: A Family-Grown Taste of Paradise
The Vision of a Passion Project
In contrast to the sprawling estate of Na ʻĀina Kai, our next stop is an intimate, 9-acre paradise born from a family's hobby. Princeville Botanical Gardens was started in 2001 by Bill and Lucinda Robertson on a piece of former cattle land strangled by invasive species.
With the help of their son Jason and master gardener Michael Wise, they painstakingly fought back the jungle. They revitalized the tired soil with organic compost and cultivated a thriving, healthy ecosystem. Their dedication to organic and sustainable practices is at the heart of this garden's story.
It is a living testament to how a small, passionate team can transform and heal the land. But more than that, it's a testament to the power of family working together toward a common vision. Each family member brought different skills and passions to the project, and that collaborative spirit is evident throughout the garden.
The Robertsons didn't just want to create a beautiful space. They wanted to create a space that would educate visitors about sustainable agriculture, the importance of biodiversity, and the incredible flavors that can be coaxed from the land when it's treated with respect.
Exploring the Grounds - A Sensory Journey
The experience at Princeville Botanical Gardens is uniquely sensory. It's centered around their famous Gourmet Chocolate & Fruit Tasting Tour. This isn't a garden tour with a snack at the end. The tasting is woven into the very fabric of the journey.
The 3-hour walking tour guides you through lush valleys and terraces. You'll see a diverse collection of native and canoe plants, potent medicinals, and rare flowers. The guides share a wealth of information about the plants' origins and uses.
But the true highlights are the moments of taste. You'll sample an array of seasonal tropical fruits picked fresh from the trees. You'll taste raw, unprocessed honey from the garden's own on-site beehives. The flavors are revelatory, especially if you're used to store-bought versions of these fruits.
Tasting a star fruit that was picked moments ago teaches you something about freshness that no description could convey. Experiencing the floral complexity of raw honey that reflects the specific plants the bees have been visiting creates a connection between taste and place that's profound.
The tour culminates in a visit to their sacred cacao grove. Here you learn how chocolate is grown, harvested, and processed. This is followed by a delightful outdoor tasting session. You sample not only their own homegrown organic chocolate but also a curated selection of gourmet, single-origin chocolates from around the world.
The chocolate tasting is educational in the best possible way. You learn about terroir in chocolate, how different growing conditions affect flavor, and why mass-produced chocolate tastes so different from these carefully crafted versions. But you learn it while eating some of the best chocolate you've ever had.
The guides don't just tell you about the plants; they help you taste your way through the garden's ecosystem. You might sample different varieties of banana, each with its own distinct flavor profile. You might taste herbs and spices that are familiar in name but completely new in their fresh form.
This isn't just a garden tour with a snack at the end; the tasting is the tour. The moment you taste a piece of raw cacao from the pod while standing in the grove where it grew is a revelation. It connects you to the process and the land in a delicious, unforgettable way. Don't eat a big breakfast before you go!
Tours & Visitor Intel
The only way to visit Princeville Botanical Gardens is on their guided tour. Self-guided exploration is not available.
Chocolate & Garden Tour
This is their signature 3-hour guided walking tour.
Cost: About $126 per person
Inclusions: The tour price includes all fruit, honey, and chocolate tastings, as well as the use of walking sticks, umbrellas, and organic bug spray.
Requirements: This is a walking tour on varied terrain that includes stairs, hills, and loose gravel paths. A moderate level of physical fitness is a must, and it is not suitable for wheelchairs or walkers. Good walking shoes are essential. Bookings are required and can be made online.
The relatively high cost of this tour reflects the intimate nature of the experience and the quality of what's included. This isn't a mass-market tour; it's a carefully curated experience that combines education, exercise, and some of the best flavors you'll encounter on the island.
The small group sizes mean you can ask questions, get personal attention from the guides, and really engage with the material. It's the kind of experience that stays with you long after you've returned home.