Thank you Berndt and Dan for a unforgettable stay! From initial booking, to email contact prior to arrival, to our teary departure, the two of you were nothing but helpful, courteous, hospitable and really showed us the Aloha spirit.
Staying/visiting the Hamakua Chocolate Farm was an experience we’ve never encountered nor will ever forget. Driving up the long road to their stunning home/workspace/grounds, we were in awe the moment we arrived and respect the detail and beauty they put into every inch of their 6 acres of land.
Where do I start?
Location -
The farm is conveniently located about a 10-minute drive from Hilo as well as 10 minutes from the beautiful Bioreserve & Garden. We used this location as our home base to visit the southeast part of the island. Its about 50 minutes from Volcano National Park. The farm is in a very quiet area with nothing but lush trees, plants and the ocean, as far as the eye can see. The hosts do advise arriving before the sun goes down as their road is not marked and it gets very dark there – we followed their advice and did a day time drive by to familiarize ourselves – good thing we did as at night, the road is pitch black and you will miss the turn.
Lodgings –
The room we booked was modern, clean, and had its own ensuite private bathroom. As a note, there is no air conditioning (but there is a ceiling fan) as the listing mentions but there is no need for AC as its really breezy and almost chilly with the windows open (but oh so refreshing!). As a warning, the shower is a bit tight in space as it’s a stand up with arced doors that close together. If you’re not a petite person, this may seem a bit odd as you may keep banging into the doors while you bathe. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand soap, toilet paper, and towels are provided and ample. There is a closet to hang your things – inside had beach items to borrow (and you can ask to borrow other items if not in the closet) as well as a table and chairs to sit on your private lanai. The lanai overlooks all of the land and you could not only see the stream that flows alongside their land but the ocean. Gorgeous. The bed is a queen size bed and is very comfortable. A bit of warning – at night the sound of coqui frogs bathe the night air, and the birds sing to the morning sun – if this is bothersome, the hosts have earplugs available for your use at the bedside table. The sounds didn’t bother us but it may be too much for others. Another note – there are blinds in the windows in the front of the room (in the bathroom and by the door that the others walk by) but the windows facing the farmland do not have blinds. I woke up with the sunrise which was beautiful but if you prefer to sleep in, bring an eye mask. Another note for some people – its Hawaii, there are bugs and there are geckos. And they get into the room. I as a city gal was a bit unnerved when I saw a pretty big gecko on the wall in my room but Dan dropped some knowledge on me and let me know geckos are harmless and actually help eat bugs like mosquitoes, so they’re good to have around. They’re also seen as good luck so I chilled out after that.
There is an outdoor dining area that we had our breakfast daily. The hosts let us use their chocolate-making kitchen as our own during our stay. There wasn’t a cooktop but there was a microwave, toaster, coffee/tea maker (they provide complimentary coffee/tea each morning), and a fridge to store our stuff. For our needs, that was good enough. The hosts lent us ice packs for us to take for our day’s journey as well.
The Farm –
The Hamakua Chocolate Farm is a working farm so we were able to see a bit of how the magic happens – or at least smell the chocolate-making happening. Berndt and Dan not only grow cacao to make chocolate, but they also grow herbs and other ingredients for their chocolate. One of a kind! They let us sample some of the chocolates they made and we tried some combinations that we’ve never heard or seen before (Buddha’s Hand, Li Hing Mui, etc) – delicious! We definitely purchased some chocolate bars to take home to the mainland. Sadly we did not have time to take their guided tour of the farm but they let us walk the grounds and explore for ourselves. Their land was beautiful and so serene – I saw flowers and plants I had never seen in my life. If you visit, definitely walk the suspension bridge and check out their treehouse. So cool! Another cool note is that their home is 100% powered by solar energy so we thought that was really great.
The Hosts (Berndt & Dan) –
Could not have asked for nicer hosts. We bombarded them with questions and their suggestions the moment we booked the room and upon arrival and they were a plethora of knowledge from places to eat to places to visit to off the beaten path things we had no idea about. If only we had more time, we would have done it all.
When we return to the Big Island, we would no doubt stay at the Hamakua Chocolate Farm again. Mahalo Berndt & Dan! – Best, Michelle & Erek