Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Thanks to the nearby break PK's, this tiny beach gets some major action with snorkelers
and surfers. Located almost adjacent to Lawaʻi Rd (beside the iconic restaurant), it's not
especially scenic or sandy. But during calm surf, the waters are rich snorkeling turf.
There are restrooms, a shower and a smidge of public parking across the street.
Sights
Note that you can't see any beaches from Poʻipu Rd (all you see are condos and parking
lots). To reach the beaches, you must turn
makai
(seaward) on side streets, such as
Hoʻowili Rd (Poʻipu Beach Park) and Kapili Rd (Sheraton Beach).
National Tropical Botanical Garden
GARDENS
(NTBG; 742-2623;
www.ntbg.org
;
4425 Lawaʻi Rd; guided tour adult/child $45/20, self-guided
tour $15/7.50; 8:30am-5pm)
If you're interested in plants and their preservation, a visit
to these gardens is an education. The gardens are not just stunningly beautiful, they are
also sanctuaries for native plants and living laboratories for staff scientists and interna-
tional experts.
Of the two Poʻipu gardens, the 80-acre
Allerton Garden
is the showy star, but it re-
quires a pricey guided tour. Tour guides are generally knowledgeable and enthusiastic,
leisurely guiding groups (up to 20) through meticulously landscaped grounds. Highlights
include otherworldly Moreton Bay fig trees (seen in Jurassic Park), golden bamboo
groves, a pristine lagoon and valley walls blanketed with purple bougainvillea during
summer. The artificial statuary and water ele-ments somehow blend into the landscape.
The adjacent
McBryde Garden
is less manicured and fancy than Allerton Garden,
showcasing palms, flowering and spice trees, orchids and rare native species, plus a
pretty stream and waterfall. For budget travelers, the self-guided tour allows you to
wander in the vast grounds without watching the clock.
Moir Gardens
GARDENS
(
742-6411; 2253 Poʻipu Rd, Kiahuna Plantation; sunrise-sunset)
If cacti are your
fancy, this modest garden on the grounds of the Kiahuna Plantation condo is worth a
look-see. It's a low-key, approachable collection of mature cacti and succulents, inter-
spersed with winding paths, a lily pond and colorful shocks of remarkable orchids.
The gardens, established in the 1930s, were originally the estate of Hector Moir, man-
ager of Koloa Sugar Plantation, and Alexandra 'Sandie' Knudsen Moir. The Moirs were
avid gardeners who switched from flowering plants to drought-tolerant ones that could
