Naʻalehu Market

As we drove into Naʻalehu I spotted the tents ahead… Farmer’s Market!

Na'alehu Market
The Na’alehu Market, open on Wednesdays
We had no idea that the town boasted a regular market, it was just chance that we were visiting on a Wednesday. The market was a pleasant surprise, we were looking to buy a few things… Snacks to keep in the cooler for the trip were on the list. Fresh fruit? An excellent option. Even better, island markets often offer odd tropical fruit, unknowns to explore, new things that become part of the adventure of travel.

The Naʻalehu Market occurs on Wednesdays, with tents set up in the Ace Hardware parking lot, right along the main highway. Better yet, the Punaluʻu Bakery is right next door. You can park between them and pick up a few baked goods to go with the market offerings.

Selling
A good saleswoman does not give up, she almost had this non-coffee drinker buying Kaʻu coffee!
The produce was quite nice, the area offers excellent growing conditions, it showed in the quality of the produce. The usual apple bananas, papaya and pineapples were available, along with more unusual tropical fare. Soursops caught my eye… I have a newly planted tree just starting to bear fruit. It was nice to see a ripe soursop ready to eat, I need to learn how to harvest these odd fruit. Some nice green beans and garlic were added to the cooler, supplies for the kitchen at home.

Among the folks selling fruit and veggies there was also some jewelery, carved sandalwood, jams and jellies, and framed photography. It was a surprisingly good selection for a tiny town in the most remote corner of the island. I chatted with the photographer for a while, talking about the merits of canvas versus metal prints. The scent of sandalwood incense filled the air, creating an exotic atmosphere.

Markets offer a good opportunity while exploring the island. So much of what makes Hawaiʻi special comes to these events, ready to be sampled and taken home.

Akatsuka Orchid Gardens

Some tourist traps are worth wandering into.

Akatsuka Orchid Gardens
The showroom at Akatsuka Orchid Gardens
Akatsuka Orchid Gardens is a business that caters to serious gardeners and casual tourists. An oddly diverse clientele, but a seemingly successful business model. Located on Highway 11 halfway between Hilo and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The tour buses shuttling visitors between the cruise ships and the volcano often stop here, as do many tourists traveling the usual island loop.

It is worth the stop. Upon entering you are greeted by a profusion of spectacular blooms. Even with no intent to buy you can enjoy the many spectacular blooms. Orchids are utterly amazing in the variety of flower shapes in an array of intense colors.

Akatsuka Orchid Gardens Greenhouse
The main greenhouse at Akatsuka Orchid Gardens
Ever popular Cattleya and Dendrobiums make up the bulk of the offerings. But there are other families represented among the bewildering display of flowers.

There is no charge to enter the main showroom to view the many orchids for sale. Many spectacular blooms are simply on display. For a fee they offer a growing operation tour, probably a must for an orchidphile, but the cost was a little steep, $35 per person.

All of the plants for sale are pre-inspected and come with export paperwork. Better yet, you can have your order shipped home to avoid the trouble of passing through the various agricultural inspections. The staff has the shipping procedure down to an art, packaging the delicate plants just so and holding the order so it will arrive after you are home from your vacation.

As long as the gardens are not swarming with tourists, just look for the tour buses, I would recommend stopping. If my home on the dry side were a little more orchid friendly I would probably have dropped a few dollars, it was tempting.