International Palm Society Biennial Event

Descriptions

A warm aloha along with the sweet flowery tropical air will start off your Hawaiian adventure on the right way. Make your way down to the baggage and out to the curb. Attendees must make their own arrangements for travel to and from Hawaii as well as their first and last airport transfer based on their flight times. We will handle all your other needs.

Please make sure you arrive in time for the first nightʻs social mixer event starting at 6 PM with a banquet dinner that night at 7 PM with the Presidentʻs Welcome at 8 PM.

The next morning after breakfast we will head out to explore the Lyon Arboretum followed by a tour of the Foster Garden. We will enjoy a box lunch at the gardens. We will have a little free time before our second banquet dinner. Guest speaker will be Mike Demotta, Curator of Living Collections at the National Tropical Botanical Garden.

On Tuesday we will prepare to head over to Hilo. Itʻs a short flight so we will have the morning to drive over to Kaneohe on the windward side of Oahu for a visit to Hoʻomaluhia. It has a spectacular backdrop against the Nuʻuanu Pali. Once we land in Hilo, motor coaches will be waiting to transfer us to our oceanfront Hilo hotel. You will have a little bit of time to explore the area, including Coconut Island before our third banquet dinner. Don Hemmes will talk story after dinner about the early days of the Hawaii Island Palm Society, their work creating the palm collection at the Panaewa Rainforest Botanic Garden and Zoo, and the creation of the UH Hilo cycad and palm collections.

The next morning after a hearty breakfast, attendees will head out to the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. Set in the rainforest, at the ocean, and along a stream, there is a lot to see here. Prior to visiting the garden, we will do a little exploration of Hilo and visit the famous Rainbow Falls for some classic pictures. In the afternoon we will visit the beautiful Casa de Las Palmas for lunch and a garden tour. If you love palms and beautiful places, you will not want to miss this stop. You will love it so much, we canʻt promise we will get you back in time for your fourth evening banquet.

Thursday we go to Floribunda Palms and Exotics. With over 850 species planted in the ground, and more are being put in the ground all the time.  The garden is a testament to Jeff and Suchin Marcus’ passion for conservation through cultivation. Enjoy a tour of this garden before enjoying the rest of the day on your own. Lunch and dinner will be on your own. There will be a few local options, including a great option at the neighboring hotel.

Wake up and relax with shoreline activities or venture out to explore more of the popular sites around the island. From Hilo itʻs a short trip to visit an active volcano, or you can head over the mountain to the Kona side and see a completely different landscape. Itʻs your choice. We have 3 tours available for you to participate in.

Volcanoes National Park Tour – Hike throughout the national park and explore lava tubes, active craters, and native forest.

Hamakua Coast Sightseeing Tour – Enjoy a day, walking among the forests of Hawaii along the Hamakua Coast, north of historic Hilo. We will make stops at Akaka Falls for beautiful waterfalls and a stroll along with a variety of other overlooks throughout the day, all the way up to Waipio Valley. Includes a boxed lunch.

Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary and Ouer Garden – Head over to the upper slopes on the Kona side of Big Island to visit two gardens. In a multi-generational effort Norm Bezona has founded the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary a unique and wonderful forest of both native and exotic plants from around the world. We will also stop at the Ouer garden with its magnificent palms and hibiscus hybrids.

Everyone will have dinner on their own and if you choose not to participate in a tour, lunch will be on your own as well.

On the final full day on the island, we will visit two Leilani garden gems. We will enjoy a tour of both The Moani-Lundkvist Palm and The Cindy & Jerry Andersen Hawaiian Gardens. Groups will be spread out through the day so everyone will have a chance to enjoy both gardens and a picnic lunch.

All attendees are invited back for a social hour “Pau Hana” at 6 PM to enjoy a final Farewell banquet and entertainment that evening.

For your final morning in Hawaii, you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast and request a late checkout at that time.

Have a safe flight and we hope that you enjoyed your Hawaiian adventure!