Punakea Palms is a coconut farm nestled into the foothills of the picturesque West Maui Mountains. A 35 minute drive from Kihei along the most incredible coastline. The Pali Highway will take you through winding curves as you venture toward Lahaina. Around each corner the view is more spectacular leaving you with anticipation of what will appear around the next bend. The views; ocean that is never ending, mountains that need exploring, and a luscious tree tunnel that passes Leodas Kitchen and Pie Shop (we will visit Leodas another time).
Upon arriving at Punakea Palms, you realize by attending the tour you have in fact been invited into someones home.
You are greeted by Kai; shorts, t-shirt, slippahs, lauhala hat and a gracious smile. The adventure begins…. Kai guides you through the coconut grove on foot. He teaches you about the life cycle of the coconut tree, the vast uses of every part of the tree from shelter, textiles, food and survival, and shares his story of how the farm evolved. While you hang on to his every word, anticipation grows; when do we get to try the coconut?
Kai cuts down coconuts in varying stages of maturity; breaking open just enough of the first coconut to fit a bamboo straw inside. The coconut water; chilled from the morning shadows the mountains cast on the farm, was delicious! As we sat on the lawn; still glistening with the morning dew, we moved on to open more mature coconuts to sample the meat in its gelatinous stage as well as the ripest stage that we are all most familiar with. We finished the tour by gathering at the farms outdoor kitchen; the family dining table made of local harvested wood holds much history and exhibits many imperfections. I imagine the beautification of this table to be created by tools held in the hands of guests from around the world while they gather and share the bounty of coconuts. Lastly, Kai teaches us how to make coconut milk; farm to table in its purest form.
While there is a monetary cost in attending this tour, you simply can’t put a price on the experience. At Go Rent A Car Maui we strive to not only provide our guests with the most positive rental car experience, we provide you with a budget friendly and reliable vehicle. By choosing Go Rent A Car Maui your savings can be up to 50% off the price of a rental car elsewhere, leaving you with money to spend on experiences. After all, the beauty of coming to Maui is creating lifelong memories.
What to bring: sunscreen. bottled water. hat. sunglasses. closed toe shoes. desire to learn.
Link to the farm’s website:
