Doing the Real Noni Farm Tour: Fascinating Fruit and Horticulture on Kauai

Agritourism is one of our favorite things to do when we are on any island in Hawaii. The Real Noni farm in Kilauea on Kauai is it fascinating and very different sort of farm visit you can add to your trip. Noni fruit is a very unique agricultural product and it’s well known in the health community for its incredible antioxidant properties. I wasn’t sure how any of us would feel about touring the Real Noni Farm, but it actually really held all of our attention and we had a wonderful visit.

Are you into bleu cheese? Have you ever tried noni fruit before actually? If not, you simply have to plan to do the Real Noni Farm tour. I think you will love it and it might even change your life (read on to see what I’m talking about). We’ve got the full scoop on what to expect and how to add this to your time on Kauai. If you have any additional questions or want to share your own experience here, please leave a comment or send us a note. We are always happy to share more of us and help others plan an awesome Aloha trip to the island of Kauai.

Why Visit the Real Noni Farm on Kauai

I had no idea that both noni fruit and learning about the Real Noni Farm’s agricultural process would be so cool and interesting. Visiting wasn’t just a sales pitch to get people to buy noni fruit products, but it was a full on lesson in both health and agronomy. When you’re on the tour you’ll hear all about the process of building out the farm complex and how they worked to establish their prime crop, the noni fruit, but then there’s more to it than that. We do a lot of agritourism and this is one of the most unique places we’ve been anywhere.

A huge part of what they do and how they do it at the Real Noni Farm is due to the complexity of this strange food. It’s a sensitive food and although it’s loaded with health benefits, the fruit itself is precarious. I’m not going to share the full story of how they make products from the noni fruit, but it’s really unique.

For our kids, a big highlight was actually learning about the agronomy of healthy soil. Yes, worm farming and the science of worms was a driving factor behind our kids’ rave reviews of visiting the Real Noni Farm. I’m an avid gardener and I learned a lot about soil development, worms, compost and everything that goes into thoughtful farming. Truly, this might be the most educational activity we’ve done on Kauai.

Tips for Visiting the Noni Farm

You need to reserve your tour of the Real Noni Farm in advance, and because the owners are courteous people, they do wait for stragglers, so be prompt. The tour is free and it’s great for people looking for a health focused activity and also who love to keep their brains active on vacation. Our tour group was around 20 people and it was awesome to see how different families and individuals engaged with the tour.

As you’re plotting out your day here on Kauai, keep in mind that the Real Noni Farm tour takes about two and a half hours. You’ll start at the welcome center for the farm and do a bit of sitting and listening, then walking through the gardens, and then everyone gets in their vehicles to drive up into the noni grove. You do get to taste fresh noni fruit, you can try the fruit leather, and you can sample the different lotions and salves they make, all in the noni grove! When you’re done, head to the Kilauea Point Lighthouse and wildlife refuge or to Hanalei to enjoy the rest of the day.

Because it can be so hot and sunny, they do provide umbrellas for guests to use for shade. You don’t want to hang out under the noni trees, because they smell like bleu cheese and it’s pretty unpleasant. There is a shelter for part of the tour as well. Bring your own water with you since it is a long tour, and ask all the questions you can think of!

Being Prepared for the Noni Farm Tour

Being Prepared for the Real Noni Farm Tour: Arrive on time and ready to learn at the Real Noni Farm. If you’re not deeply interested in agritourism or learning about the science of food and health, you may be bored you’ll still learn something, so get into that mindset before your tour begins. Wear walking shoes and a hat, and be ready to have a nice stroll. If you’re visiting the Real Noni Farm with kids, be sure that everyone has had a snack before the tour starts, and that everyone has a water bottle. You don’t need fancy camera gear for this farm tour, as you’re very much immersed in the noni grove and gardens, so just showing up ready to learn is totally fine.

Getting to the Real Noni Farm

Located just outside of the town of Kilauea, the Real Noni Farm is off the beaten path. Yes, you’ll be on a dirt road, but it’s not bad. The neighborhood is peppered with farms and ultimately the road leads to the parking area to hike down to Larsen’s Beach, which is gorgeous.

Parking is limited at the Real Noni Farm, but there is enough for everyone who books the tour. Somebody will guide you to make enough room for everyone, and then midway through the tour when you head to the noni grove you’ll have plenty of parking up top too. Even though you go all over the farm, this is a good tour for people who don’t do a lot of walking but want to have a unique experience on Kauai.