Senator Fong’s Plantation and Gardens

A unique spot for a private event. Good space in a covered area with the types of amenities that are appreciated– electricity, bathrooms, a giant area to create a makeshift kitchen or set up tables and chairs and have a banquet. Beautiful gardens surround the area. Ample parking. A well kept lawn right next to the covered pavilion. I only met 1 staff perish and she was super nice.
The only cons are the mosquitos and the bathrooms are a bit shabby.

Hiram Leong Fong (Chinese: 鄺友良; pinyin: Kuàng Yuliáng; Cantonese Yale: Kwong3 Yau5 Leung4), born Yau Leong Fong[1] (October 15, 1906 — August 18, 2004), was an American businessman and politician from Hawaii. He is most notable for his service as Republican United States Senator from 1959 to 1977, and for being the first Asian American and Chinese American to be elected as such. In 1964, Fong became the first Asian American to run for his party’s nomination for President of the United States. As of 2012, he is the only Republican to ever hold a Senate seat from Hawaii and the only Asian American to actively seek the Presidential nomination of the Republican Party. He would be followed by Patsy Mink, also from Hawaii, who sought the nomination of the Democratic Party in 1972.
Wikipedia
Once I read about this place I had to go. The first time we drove to the Plantation we were helped by a friendly lady who was on the phone when we arrived. She told us to come back for their tour at 1:00 PM on the specified day. We arrived early in anticipation of viewing such a lovely place. Only to be told the person (s) that does the tour was ill and to come back, again. Well, we’d already been in Oahu for about nine out of our ten day vacation at this point. So we left feeling very disappointed, knowing we missed out.
Took a bunch of pictures in the parking lot. Hopefully next time we visit the stars will be aligned properly and we will finally see Senator Fong’s Plantation and Gardens. Looking forward to it.

It is a shame that Senator Fong’s gardens are such a hidden gem of Oahu. I was the only visitor for the afternoon tour. This is a large garden, over 700 acres of unkempt tropical forests, lush with green foliage and wild with tangling vines, groves of lychee (over 300 lychee trees), and fruit trees of all kinds (limes, longan, starfruit, coconut, banana, pomelo, mangoes, and more). The guide was very generous and allowed me to pick and sample several varieties of lychee. One variety was extremely fragrant and tasted like roses and potent lychee candies with a refreshing tartness. These were the best lychees I have tasted. My guide told me that they sell some of their crop to Tamashiro Market. Also, the lychee bark makes great wood for smoking meats. If you visit the gardens, do so in June, which is the peak of the lychee season.
There are a lot of mosquitoes and I brought a fan-​circulating repellent, but the folks at the front gate also provided me with some spray-​on repellent, which I sprayed on my clothes. Very generous!

A must see! Out of the way but simply full of untouched beauty and nature! The two ladies working today were amazingly knowledgeable and kind! Very accommodating to children. Patient with my 7 yr old in the lei making class. I would recommend this site to anyone who enjoys the Hawaiian culture. I learned so much and enjoyed a great family day. The tour was private as they were not busy at all on a Sunday. One tip: take bug spray and anything else you can think to fend off Mosquitos! The tour lady was very sweet to break open a lemon and offer it to my daughter for her bug bites. Turns out lemon juice makes the itch go away!

This botanic treasure is a labor of love between family members and their few dedicated workers. I was the only one on their Sunday 1 pm tour, which I thought was really sad, but the tour guide, Joan, didn’t blink an eye and she gave a great 80 minute tour. Facilities are a bit run down but well-​kept. You will see lots of trees and plants here not always seen elsewhere and you can touch everything, try some of the fruit. Some of the views midway through the property are amazing. Worth the time and money. Definitely wear big spray and something other than flip flops.

An impressive hidden gem on the Windward side that most Oahu travel guides and magazines probably don’t talk about often. Admission may be pricey at $ 14.50, though I did get a discount for being a AAA member! Tours are every day except Saturdays and are only at 10:30 AM and 1 PM, lasting about 90 minutes.
Patsy, my tour guide was practically a walking encyclopedia of botany and history of the location. Very friendly, nice, warm and knowledgeable. She touched and smelled plants as she explained and even invited us to touch and smell the plants, something that a lot of organizations won’t often let you do. Lots of beautiful and unique plants and trees along the tour, plus spectacular views of the Windward Side. I happened to be the only one on a Tuesday afternoon tour, and was getting attacked by mosquitos left and right while we went through the forest area. She really helped by swinging a branch shielding me from those annoying bugs.
Great plantation and garden and I hope more and more visitors will discover this beautiful location soon!

This is a great out of the way place to visit when you’re there. You get to go back into the forest and walk through the lush jungle and the tour guides are excellent! They explain everything to you, all of the different blossoms and where they are from and so on. Well worth every penny and a great out of the way, lesser known place to check out. Toward the end of the tour we walked across a burm that gave some spectacular views of Kaneohe Bay and surrounding area as well. Beautiful way to spend an afternoon — great memories.

Rustic, friendly. I really like this place, but the tour is way too expensive. They should bring the charge way down and they may get way more visitors.
Look at Rae D’s review for more info.

This has got to be one of the most underrated, ignored destinations on Oahu. The sad result is the buildings look worn out, the gift shop seems closed, and the tram no longer runs. My partner and I enjoyed looking at the frames on the wall about Senator Fong’s life and accomplishments, but we were bothered by their poor condition.
Why is all of this sad? It could absolutely be one of the most educational places for schoolchildren as well as an ideal place for eco-​tourists. First of all, the personnel here is VERY old-​time Hawaii. They are friendly and accommodating. My partner was nervous about being late to work if we got a late start, so they started our tour early. Before the tour though, they offered us some free mosquito spray! What busine$$ does that anymore?
Our guide was a walking encyclopedia of botany and history of the location. However, that makes her sound cold and efficient. Nothing could be further from the truth! She was warm and tactile. She touched and smelled plants as she explained. She even invited us to touch and smell the plants. Again, what business encourages you to explore? Isn’t «don’t touch» the norm?
Right now, there 4 pieces of fruit – 2 passion fruit, 1 Meyers lemon, and 1 other kind of lemon – in the kitchen. Our guide insisted we take them, much like the unsolicited generosity of a bygone era.
Even more impressive than all of that, the people in this paradise have been good stewards of the land. I bet they could teach schoolchildren conservation in a REAL classroom as well as teach tourists the Native Hawaiian value of taking only what needed. During times of abundant harvest, they could probably attract paying visitors interested in experiences like making jams – from picking the fruit to canning the end product to leaving with a jar of jam. Right now, they offer lei making, but that attracts mostly tourists. I think local people would sign up to make jam. I know I would!
I am praying that Senator Fong has at least one grandchild with the kind of business sense that he had and maybe with a little time on his/​her hands. I am hoping that that grandchild builds this plantation as the late senator built Finance Factors. It is clear that someone has already inherited the senator’s love of the land and has taken excellent care of the many plants, trees and flowers. It’s time to pay more attention to other kinds of green.
I would like nothing better than to review this place in five years and write about how vibrant it is – filled with locals and tourists learning together. I think the Republican senator who worked well with Democrats would smile down on that.

Beautiful place, great location and ample parking. But Planning a party here: be sure to read n REREAD your contract!!! They leave room for them to double book on your event date!!!

If you are looking for a place to observe landscape reminiscent of that which the early Polynesians saw hundreds of years ago, then visit Senator Fong’s Plantation and Gardens on Oahu’s windward side. Here, you can still find forests of kukui, hala, koa, and ohio-​ái, a place were ti and pili grass still cover the slopes and ancient hei’aus lie quietly near streams. Nestled between the majestic Ko’olau Mountains and Kane’ohe Bay in Kahaluu, the 725 acre private estate of Senator Hiram Leong Fong, first Asian American to serve in the U.S. Senate, quietly preserves and promotes ancient Hawaii’s horticultural past. During his years of service, the Senator often retreated to his garden as a place for rest and renewal, its therapeutic effect, he claimed, contributing to his good health and long life (he died in 2004 at the age of 97!). To honor the five presidents that he served during his political tenure, he divided his land into five areas. The Eisenhower Plateau, the Johnson Plateau, the Kennedy Valley, the Nixon Valley, and the Ford Plateau each containing unique collections of tropical fruits, nuts, woods, and flowers. The garden offers a 1 mile guided walking tour through the property that lasts a little over an hour and a half. The very knowledgeable staff will show you a variety of flowering trees and interesting tropical plant life while discussing their significance and native Hawaiian uses. You can see several fruit trees including star fruit, papaya, guava, lemons, limes, and lychee. Depending on the season and availability, your guide may help your children hand pick some fruit for tasting. Our son was quite the connoisseur of lemons following our visit! You may also be taken up through the gardens to take in the view of Kaneohe Bay. In addition to the guided walking tour of the gardens, they offer lei making classes (for an additional fee of $ 6.50) using fresh flowers picked from their gardens. We found Senator Fong’s Plantation and Gardens to be one of the better maintained and colorful gardens on the island. The tour is on a gravel and sometimes paved trail that can be navigated with a sturdy jogging stroller. We would not recommend other types of strollers be used because of some rougher areas of the trail. Alternatives are a back or front baby carrier but keep in mind it is a mile walk, so that may be tiring for you and the children! The tram that is mentioned in their brochure and on several websites has not been running since 2005 so seeing the gardens is only accomplished via the guided walking tour. The gardens are open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with the first tour starting at 10:30 am and the second at 1:00 pm. Groups tend to be small which was a nice feature. The garden is closed on Christmas and New Years Day. The entry fee is a little pricey we felt at $ 14.50 for adults and $ 9.00 for children ages 5 – 12. Children under 3 are free. There is a small kama’aina and military discount available. Also, something not mentioned on any websites that we could find… they only accept cash, no credit or debit cards. There is a small gift shop and restroom facilities at the Visitor’s Center. We found the staff very friendly and knowledgeable. They had a coloring book and crayons at the ready for our son while we waited for our tour to start. A word of caution if you decide to go – be prepared with both rain gear and sun protection as the windward side unpredictably receives a lot of both. Also, probably the most important thing to remember to make your visit enjoyable – is bug spray. There was an abundance of mosquitoes at the gardens. They have a limited amount available at the Visitors Center but we recommend bringing your own! If you are sensitive to bites, we recommend also wearing long pants and sleeves. This is one of the better gardens on the island and we enjoyed the visit. The staff’s knowledge and willingness to let you touch, taste, and smell the various plants and fruits were extremely enjoyable to our son, and made the trip well worth our time.

I havent toured the garden here, but I did get married here.
On a sunny Sunday, me and Marlene got married here on August 20^th. The outdoor photos were spectacular!

This place is AWESOME!!!
If you are into parks and plants, please, please, please visit this place, get their guided tour. A really, really wonderful tour by the people who are connected to the garden on the personal level. The place is huge and wild, you’ll get to hear more than just the plants but about the place itself and the personality of the park, hands on touch, smell, feel, trample. My experience here is a non-​touristy experience which is the best, tho I wish they have at least a magnet to buy :(
Really is an amazing garden, a wonderful drive up to it you get to see all the wild chicken running about, careful not to drive over one, the smell of Chempaka blooming, err you get to also taste fresh lychee from a tree, pick em yourself. I was just so happy being there.
Can’t stop gushing, lol.