The Dole Plantation on Oahu, Hawaii is a great place to visit if you are on the island. You have the opportunity to taste a delicious cold treat, ride a train, find your way through the Worlds Largest Maze, or relax in the gardens.
Your curiosity will be fed when you visit and your mind will be filled with fun facts about the pineapple. Do they grow on trees or in the ground? Are there different varieties or is there only one kind?
The plantation does grow other items but their staple is the pineapple. Thankfully they have activities you can participate in on the property so your first stop should be the ticket office.
As you enter the plantation, you will see the infamous Dole sign. Follow the sign, through the gift shop, past the Dole Whips (a super yummy sorbet-like treat that you absolutely have to try) to the right, is the ticket counter.
A train ride through the plantation, a maze, and a garden tour are the activities they have to offer. If you want to do all three, there is a discounted package. We only purchased the train ride because we didn’t want to get lost in the Worlds Largest Maze and spend hours in there lost but it did sound like a lot of fun.
Dole Plantation Train Ride
As we got on the train, there was a photographer that takes your picture with the train in the background. As you begin your ride, there is an automated narrator that explains the history of the plantation, the plants you are looking at as you pass and has Hawaiian music for your enjoyment.
The train ride was a hit with the girls. They loved the music, the scenery and riding in the train! Even though it was raining when we went we didn’t get wet because the train has a roof.
Since the train ride was about the only thing my little toddlers wanted to do, we decided to indulge on a Dole Whip after we hopped off the train! A cup was big enough for the whole family and the sweet, savory taste of an soft-serve like ice-cream with fresh pineapple on the bottom was to die for. Needless to say, we scarfed it down.
The girls also loved playing in the giant pineapple that was by the shops. They played ‘smoothie girls’ and charged us $100 for a smoothie. I told them they wouldn’t get any customers at a price like that but they loved every minute of it.
After you enjoy all the activities, check out the shop! They have free demonstrations of how to cut a pineapple. Then you can eat a piece and even have it dipped in a fruit powder but we didn’t like the powder.
You could spend a whole day here of just half a day depending on what activities you are considering. It is definitely worth the time and the sweet indulgence of a Hawaiian, Dole Plantation, Dole Whip.
Clean Eating Pineapple Dole Whip Recipe by Dashing Dish
There are dozens of recipes that come close to the actual Dole Whip Recipe – but this one has got to be one of the closest recipes we have tried. The ladies over at Dashing Dish did an amazing job with this recipe. Be sure to check it out and try it at home if you don’t have the chance to visit O’ahu soon.
