Known as the Garden Isle, it should come as no surprise that Kauai offers some of the world’s most breathtaking garden settings for events. While Oahu is less associated with gardens, it also abounds with venues where groups can learn about and enjoy the rare plant species and landscapes found only in Hawaii.
Garden spots on the two islands run the gamut from Oahu’s Dole Plantation, where plantings include the world’s largest maze, to Kauai’s Allerton Garden, where exotic plant species like giant Moreton Bay fig trees were a backdrop for the Jurassic Park movies. Possibilities for events are equally diverse, ranging from intimate yoga sessions in a tranquil dell to huge gala events with island entertainment amid lagoons and waterfalls.
Oahu
Even in bustling Waikiki, planners will find no shortage of ways to stage events in lush outdoor settings, says Marie Watanabe, director of sales for the Oahu Visitors Bureau. Among the many examples are the Royal Hawaiian Center, where the Helamoa Gardens are a serene oasis of coco palms and flowering red ginger for outdoor events.
“In the middle of Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian Center is not only a popular shopping center, but also stands on sacred land where Hawaiian royalty resided,” she says. “An event there will not only be beautiful, but will bring a sense of place to the program when its history and stories are incorporated into the theme.”
Even the Hawaii Convention Center has outdoor garden possibilities for events, Watanabe says. A new option available to groups of 300 or more is the Hanohano Rooftop Barbeque Under the Stars, which takes place in the center’s 2.5-acre rooftop garden and includes grilling stations and live entertainment with views of the Honolulu skyline.
“The Hawaiian Convention Center is within walking distance of most hotels in Waikiki and truly excels in incorporating the outdoors with the indoors,” Watanabe says.
Not far from Waikiki, Honolulu’s Manoa Valley is a lush, rainforested area that is home to the University of Hawaii’s Lyon Arboretum, a preserve for more than 5,000 tropical plant species. With theme gardens devoted to herbs and spices, bromeliads, native Hawaiian plants and much more, areas of the arboretum can be reserved for private events. Near the arboretum, the Manoa Heritage Center, which offers ancient temple ruins and a garden of native plants on the grounds of a private estate, can be toured by groups of 20 or less.
About a 40-minute drive from Honolulu, Dole Plantation celebrates the history of Hawaiian agriculture with its pineapple fields and eight tropical gardens featuring everything from hibiscus flowers and bromeliads to cacao pods used in local chocolate production. Its signature attraction is the Pineapple Garden Maze, a meandering 3.11-mile path lined with over 14,000 plants. The plantation offers a wide variety of event options for groups, including teambuilding activities at the giant maze.
On Oahu’s North Shore, the Polynesian Cultural Center is one of Hawaii’s most versatile open-air venues for groups of all sizes, with tropical gardens, waterfalls and lagoons built around replicas of South Pacific island villages. Options for groups include luau evenings and teambuilding activities such as outrigger canoe racing and scavenger hunts through the villages, says Seth Casey, senior marketing manager.
It recently debuted the Hukilau Marketplace, which features food purveyors and retail stores reflecting the history and culture of Laie, the town where the cultural center is located. It includes the Laie General Store, which pays homage to three local stores that served residents during the plantation era, and statues of local notables, including Joseph Kekuku, inventor of the Hawaiian steel guitar.
“The Polynesian Cultural Center has always celebrated the cultures of Polynesia, but this is the first time we’ve focused solely on the heritage of our local North Shore community,” Casey says. “We wanted to tell their stories.”
Kauai
Kauai truly lives up to its Garden Isle moniker, with several outstanding botanical sites, including three of the five gardens (the other two are in Maui and Florida) that make up the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG). These are Limahuli Gardens, where landscaping is built around 700-year-old archaeological ruins; Allerton Gardens, considered a masterpiece of garden design with its water features and statues; and McBryde Garden, which has the largest collection of rare and endangered plants in the world, including species brought to Hawaii by Polynesian voyagers over 1,000 years ago.
“We have many ways to accommodate groups of any size up to 350 people,” says Gwen Silva, national sales manager for NTBG. “Usually we offer a way to incorporate an experience of the gardens with some food, including a tour with refreshments or full midday or evening events.”
Among the popular options are sunset tours of the Allerton Gardens to spectacular ocean overlooks followed by an event on the Piko Lawn. At McBryde Gardens, groups can take a walk down the new Biodiversity Trail and then gather in a grove lined with breadfruit trees. McBryde’s Botanical Research Center also offers indoor meeting space with videoconferencing capabilities.
Another treasure is Na Aina Kai Botanical Garden, with its deep fern-draped canyons, hardwood forests, lagoons and streams. Its many event spaces include the Seaside Venue, an oceanfront site equipped with electric power and other facilities accommodating up to 200 guests.
“Na Aina Kai can do a huge variety of events, including theme parties,” says Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kauai Visitors Bureau. “You can literally pick whatever scenery and back drop you wish.”
For gala events for large groups, Kauai’s top venue is Smith’s Tropical Paradise, according to Kanoho. The site features over 30 acres of tropical gardens, bamboo forests and fruit orchards, which visitors can explore on foot or on a narrated tram tour. It’s also the site of popular evening luaus.
