Step Into the Beauty of Hakalau!
In the botanical gardens at Botanical World Adventures, there are several distinct garden areas, each with its own special charm. Most of the landscaped gardens are near the entrance, while Kamaee Falls and a wilder section of the rainforest are a short drive or walk up the road. Read on to learn more about the different sections of our amazing gardens!
Rainbow Walk
Adjacent to the garden entrance is the Rainbow Walk, in which you can view a profusion of tropical trees, shrubs and perennial plants and even a cactus garden. More than a quarter mile of paved pathways wind through the acres of plants in the Rainbow Walk, but visitors are encouraged to meander off the walkways for a closer look or to take pictures.
In this area, you can see blooming anthuriums, azaleas, bougainvillea, bromeliads, crinums, gingers, heliconias, hibiscus and many other tropical flowering perennials, ferns, shrubs and trees.
Many varieties of orchids festoon the plants in the Rainbow Walk or cling to the Orchid Wall with new blooms popping out almost every day. Orchids may be near your feet on a stump, peeping out from a pile of logs or hiding on a low-growing bush. They’re in almost every tree, living anywhere from a few feet off the ground to high in the canopy. The orchids come in almost every color from white to almost black. Many are very fragrant and one even smells like chocolate! See cattleyas, dendrobiums, phalaenopsis, vandas and other species often with several varieties on the same tree.
The Arboretum
Across from the Rainbow Walk is the Arboretum. This section is bordered by a twin row of gigantic Norfolk Island pines and a driveway lined with majestic Royal Palms and the Hanapueo Stream. It covers several acres and includes large numbers of trees that produce flowers, fruits and nuts. These include abiu, several species of bananas, Brazilian cherries, breadfruit, cashew, cinnamon, citrus, jack fruit, longan, lychee, macadamia, miracle fruit, ohia, palms of many types, papaya, paradise nuts and sapote to name just a few.
Large areas of grass and hand-decorated tables set in amongst the trees allow you to relax and enjoy views of the gardens or the ocean while eating your picnic lunch or just relaxing on the greensward. During the winter, you can watch humpback whales playing in the ocean while you enjoy your picnic.
World-Class Maze
Adjacent to the Rainbow Walk is our World Class Maze, the world’s second largest permanently planted maze. Fun for the whole family, it covers an area larger than the size of a football field. It consists of thousands of mock orange bushes planted in a regular array of hedge work.
With lots of false turns and only one correct path, this maze is fun for young and old alike. The hedge is kept to a height of five feet, so as to allow adults to see over the hedges if necessary, but still allow everyone to wander the paths to find their way to the only correct exit.
Rainforest Trail
By driving or walking a short distance up the road, guests can access the Rainforest Trail. The first several hundred yards of the trail is on a wide paved walkway which is handicapped accessible.
The Rainforest Trail winds along the Hanapueo Stream. A few hundred yards along the trail, a secondary stream joins, which arises from the Kawailani Springs. The trail is bordered and overhung with tall trees, wild bananas, heliconias, ferns, flowering vines, and many other tropical plants.
An unpaved extension to the trail continues for a mile through areas which include plants such as cinnamon, coffee, guava, tea, and many types of palms. This section of the trail also allows visitors to view other guests enjoying the Zip Isle zip line.
