National Tropical Botanical Garden Unveils New Waterfall and Cultural Tour

National Tropical Botanical Garden Unveils New Waterfall and Cultural Tour

National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) has launched a new tour at the McBryde Garden, allowing guests to visit a previously inaccessible area of the property.

The new Wailele (Waterfall) Tour explores a section of the tropical forest within the Lāwaʻi Valley rife with unique jungle plants, as well as a hidden oasis and waterfall previously frequented by Queen Emma in the 1800’s.

Guests will learn about the history of the valley from the home of Hawaiian royalty through the sugar cane plantation days to its current status as a safe haven for exotic and endangered plants. Afterwards guests will explore the Canoe Garden and learn which plants the ancient Polynesian voyagers brought with them when sailing across the sea to settle Hawaii. The tour teaches the importance of breadfruit, taro farming, and the kava plant to the Hawaiian lifestyle from the cover of a traditional thatched hale (Hawaiian structure). Visitors can interact with the 8’ star compass and discover how the ancient Hawaiian navigators voyaged from Polynesia using ocean currents and star constellations as their guide.

To book a tour or to learn more information, visit NTBG.org/gardens/tours or call (808) 742-2623.

National Tropical Botanical Garden (www.ntbg.org) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental institution with nearly 2,000 acres of gardens and preserves in Hawai‘i and Florida. NTBG is supported primarily through donations and grants.