As nature enthusiasts, we seek out experiences where we can enjoy the outdoors as a family.  We also particularly love it when we can combine learning about the flora and fauna of an area with a little bit of culture.  When planning our recent trip to Kauai (visited November 2018), we learned about Na ‘Āina Kai Botanical Gardens and Sculpture Park through The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook.

Knowing about the beauty and history of the garden and property, we knew it was just the type of outing our active family would enjoy. Yes, of course there were many plans of pool enjoyment and beach adventures.  However, it’s nice to balance out the water side fun with unique opportunities to learn about the island on a deeper level.

Na ‘Āina Kai, or “Lands by the Sea” is made up of over 260 acres, and is located on the north end of Kauai.  It opened to the public in 2000, but began it’s cultivation in the late 1970s when Joyce and Ed Doty, retirees from northern California, purchased their first piece of land.  Joyce Doty, the visionary behind the garden and sculpture park saw the space as fluid and constantly evolving.  As her creativity was sparked, more ideas were implemented.

7 tours are available depending on group needs, interest, and time.  Of course, we chose the family tour, which is about 2 hours, and includes:

• Tour of the formal gardens led by a docent
• Time to linger along the Ka’ula lagoon, plus koi fish feeding
• Walk through the Poinciana Maze
• Free play in the Children’s Garden

In a nutshell, we were very impressed with our tour of Na ‘Āina Kai.  As I hope you’ll see from our photos, the gardens are gorgeous and so inspiring!  We’re so glad we visited, and know that we’ll be back during a future visit to Kauai.  To give you an idea of what it was like to tour the garden and sculpture park with kids, I summarized our highlights!

Na ‘Āina Kai Botanical Gardens and

Sculpture Park with Kids

Caring and Attentive Guides (who love children!)

Our docent did a wonderful job of keeping the kids interested and engaged.  Touring fancy gardens where you are getting to see someone’s actual residential property is tricky with young children!  Our guide set appropriate limits, talked with each child, used their names, and answered questions.  At the start of the tour, the kids were given a special bag (with their name on it) so that they could collect any fallen treasures found throughout the garden tour. Our kids saw this as “treasure hunt”, and felt much more invested in the tour because it it!

Information for All Levels

Our docent did a nice job of including information about the garden and sculptures that was at both kid and adult level.  Also, the organization as a whole sets the tours up well to ensure that their size is not overwhelming giving plenty of opportunity to ask follow-up questions.

Culture, History, and Nature Lessons

We weren’t just looking at flowers, trees, and plants! There was cultural aspects of Hawaiian life, history of the island, current events, and of course interesting information about the garden’s founders sprinkled in throughout the tour.

Well-Timed

As you can see from the overview above, there was a lot to cover in the 2-hour tour.  However, we never felt rushed.  On the flip side, we weren’t bored to tears either! Our docent managed the time well, and ensured that the kids had PLENTY of time to explore the children’s garden.

Surprises to Look Forward to throughout the Tour

A built in banyan tree swing, feeding of koi fish, walking through a maze, sculptures to sit “with”, a tea room, and a hidden rainbow were just a handful of the fun surprises that unfolded for the kids.  These highlights kept the kids moving, interested, and involved with the tour.

Children’s Garden

When we first walked through the rainbow gate, and into the fountain and “splash pad” area of the garden, I was impressed.  I was content, and figured the kids would get the chance to play in the water, and walk around gecko maze.  I was wrong.

The garden just kept going with more and more for the kids to play and interact with! There is a tropical jungle with bridges to run over, a navajo compound, log cabins, covered wagons, and the favorite of our children, the airplane fashioned from a large barrel.  We had to head to lunch after about 30 minutes of playing, but we could have easily stayed longer, and many other families did.

Notes on Na ‘Āina Kai Botanical Gardens and

Sculpture Park with Kids:

• Bring a swim suit or change of clothes for the children’s garden.
• There is no restaurant on the property, just a few snacks in the gift shop, so if you are visiting around eating hours, pack a picnic.
• Strollers are allowed on the grounds, but know that there will be spots where you have to “abandon” them due to stairs or other obstacles.  My advice, use a front or back carrier for greater convenience and ease.
• There are no self-guided tour options.  Gardens are only view-able by guided tour.
• Plan ahead! There are no tours on Saturdays, Sundays & Mondays
• Na ‘Āina Kai Botanical Gardens and Sculpture Park info:
  • 4101 Wailapa Road Kilauea, Hawaii 96754

    Phone: (808) 828-0525

Have you visited botanical gardens with kids? You can read about our visit to Phoenix’ Desert Botanical Garden. We’d love to hear about your experience! More Kauai with kids here.

Special thanks to Na ‘Āina Kai Botanical Gardens and Sculpture Park for providing us with a complimentary tour in exchange for our honest review. 

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