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    Home » Travel » Pacific

    Dole Plantation: The Whole Pineapple Experience (Oahu, Hawaii)

    July 23, 2015 • Updated: February 2, 2022 • by Renée • This post may contain affiliate links.

    The Dole Plantation: The Complete Pineapple Experience | The Good Hearted Woman

    Pineapple is no longer the lifeline of Hawaii’s agricultural industry that it once was, but you can still get the whole Pineapple Experience with a visit to the Dole Plantation, just an hour or so north of Honolulu. 

    Couple with small pineapple posing in front of Pineapple Express small-guage train.

    The Dole Plantation is about as touristy as it gets, but it is also a lot of fun. We took a ride on the The Pineapple Express, which carries visitors through a through a working plantation of pineapple and other crops, featuring fields in all stages of growth, from planting to harvest.

    We also managed to make our way through "The World's Largest Maze" - it took us just under an hour, which I learned is about average. The maze stretches over three acres and includes nearly two and one-half miles of paths crafted from 14,000 colorful Hawaiian plants. (I'm pretty sure that the Corn Maize on Portland's Sauvie's island is bigger, but who am I to dispute the folks at Guinness World Records?)

    Collage: Signs around Dole Plantation: Pineapple Maze, growing pineapple, side view of train.

    Our stroll through Dole Plantation’s eight different educational gardens gave us a glimpse at a wide variety of beautiful and useful tropical plants. The Bromeliad Garden was particularly striking.

    Q: What is a pineapple?

    a. The hanging fruit of the pineapple tree.
    b. The underground root of a spiky-leafed plant.
    c. The fruit of a terrestrial bromeliad flower stalk.

    This is tough for me to admit, but until I went to the Dole Plantation, I had no idea how pineapples grew. I was humbly reminded of the time, while taking a class on curriculum development in college, I learned about how some inner-city children needed to be taught that carrots came from the ground and milk came from cows. I was incredulous: who doesn’t know that?

    I’m sure small children in Hawaii would think the same thing of me and my ignorance about pineapple cultivation.

    Tip: Sections of the Dole Plantation offer very little int he way of shade, and the exposure can be brutal on hot days. Be sure you are prepared for the sun! 

    red and green bromeliad flower stalk in the sunlight.

    Check out our pineapple recipes, including old-fashioned Sunshine Salad, Pineapple Wheat Berry Salad, and our award-winning Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside-Down Cake!

    Koi pond covered with lilypads. Large koi in foreground.

    On the grounds, we found a large pond that held some serious looking koi. Local artisans were on hand as well.

    Bearded man wearing Hawaiian shirt, sitting on ground and carving.

    Our last stop started with a brisk walk through the Dole Plantation Store, which has more pineapple-related stuff for sale than I ever imagined could possibly existed. We headed straight for the Plantation Grille - for cup of their a world-famous Dole Whip! So, so, so good, especially on a hot day!

    Close-up of small serving of Dole Whip.

    Pineapple Recipes

    • 4-Ingredient Pineapple Ice Cream (Dole Whip Recipe)
    • Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
    • Pineapple Wheat Berry Salad
    • Grammi's Carrot Pineapple Jello Salad (Sunshine Salad)

    For more recipes and cozy living tips, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all of the latest updates.

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won't cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

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    4-Ingredient Pineapple Ice Cream (Dole Whip Recipe) »
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    About Renée

    Renée is writer, music maker, artist, and storyteller. In her spare time, you can find her writing love songs about cowboys, exploring the moss-covered nooks and crannies of the Pacific Northwest, and making music with her talented singer-husband.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emily says

      July 23, 2015 at 8:50 pm

      Now I want some fresh pineapple. We went on the macadamia nut tour in 1986 when I was 10 years old, it was a tram with an experience like Epcot, now I'll have to try the Dole tour.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        July 24, 2015 at 11:50 am

        The train ride was fun, but there was one weird moment: when we rode through the fields and all the workers stopped and waved at us like they hadn't seen humans in a month of Sundays, instead of 20 minutes before on the last train that went through.

        Reply
    2. Pech says

      July 23, 2015 at 7:10 pm

      I soooo want that bowl of Dole Whip

      Reply
    3. Jen says

      July 23, 2015 at 6:05 pm

      We worked on a farm in Hawaii for about two months. Until then, I had no idea they grew that way either!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        July 24, 2015 at 11:52 am

        You create such great adventures for yourself, Jen. I love your blog!

        Reply
    4. Jenni says

      July 23, 2015 at 4:39 pm

      Ha! I would have been right there with you on not knowing that Pineapples grew that way! Go figure. This looks like an amazing experience and I loved all the photos. Thank you for sharing. Can't wait to see tomorrow's recipe!

      Reply
    5. Ali says

      July 23, 2015 at 1:44 pm

      Such a fun adventure and the dole whip looks awesome!

      Reply
    6. Melinda says

      July 23, 2015 at 10:00 am

      The last and (only) time I was in Hawaii, I was 4 years old--so I don't remember much, But I vaguely remember visiting the Dole Pineapple Plantation. I LOVE pineapple...the fresher, the better!

      Reply
    7. Marlynn [UrbanBlissLife] says

      July 23, 2015 at 9:35 am

      Fun! I picked my first pineapple during my last trip to Hawaii and still find it so fascinating that they grow that way. Can't wait for tomorrow's recipe!

      Reply
    8. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

      July 23, 2015 at 8:33 am

      Oohhh - Can't wait for tomorrow's recipe! Yum 🙂

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        July 23, 2015 at 8:36 am

        It's so good, Erin! I'm very excited to share it!!

        Reply

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