Feb 11, 2026
Great experience - When we booked I wasn't sure what to expect. Jason and Nicky meet us at the road. The experience they put on was great. It's a great mix of their story how they got started and the bananas of course. I won't spoil the tour, BUT I will say try the tea at the end of the tour its better then you would think! Wear some good shoes as the terrain is exposed lava rock. When we come back to the big island we will definitely be visiting again.
Review provided by Viator
Dec 30, 2025
Really unique experience - This was a really fun, unique experience. Jason and Nicki are warm, unique hosts. It's impossible to speak about this tour without mentioning them because they really are part of the tour. They are two very unique people who are living "off the grid" on a plot of jungle, where they are DIY-ing everything. They showed us some wild art, banana trees as well as many, many other plants and crops. I got to cut down a bunch of bananas, and taste banana tea as well as some apple bananas (they eat them more like a vegetable than a fruit (unripened), which makes them healthier - definitely an acquired taste!). It was super fascinating hearing their tales of building this place from scratch, seeing their "Gilligan's Island" style shower. They really should have their own reality show. My only suggestion for the future would be to have some ripe apple bananas for sale. But we found some at a farmstead nearby and tried them that way. In some ways, we appreciated this experience even more than the beautiful grounds of the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden (which I also recommend) because having Nikki and and Jason answer all our questions and give us all kinds of information about the plants and crops and lava rocks and nearby volcano made it a very informative, fun experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 1, 2025
Amazing experience!... - Amazing experience! Unique and frankly quite different from what I was expecting. Great for curious kids of any age!
Review provided by Viator
Jun 16, 2025
Toured the property with the owners who clearly love what they are building and growing. - Fun for the family to explore and share this little slice of paradise with the hosts, and their chicken! We enjoyed the tour and the tea, thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 24, 2025
Better than your ordinary Bananas! - Jason and Nicky were very welcoming and personable. They are self made farmers who care deeply about their land and all of its offerings. They were knowledgeable in the cultivating and growing of the bananas. We are so grateful that we chose them for our last tour on our vacation. We highly recommend this tour for anyone who loves nature and everything it offers. It was like sitting down to visit with old friends you hadn’t seen in a long time.
Review provided by Viator
Mar 8, 2025
A Warm Artistic Venture in the Jungle - Paradise Unplugged is run by a warm, welcoming couple who give a hands on tour of the artistic home they are building in the middle of the rainforest. They are a wealth of information about the plants that surround them that they are propagating. This is the opposite of the typical corporate tour. I highly recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 27, 2025
Great experience - I had an amazing experience on this tour in Big Island! The hosts were incredibly kind and welcoming. I really appreciated that they were willing to accommodate solo guests, which made this adventure even more special. The tour itself was packed with fun and unique activities—I got to plant a banana tree and try many other hands-on experiences that made me feel truly connected to the island. Highly recommend this tour for anyone looking for an authentic and unforgettable experience in Hawaii!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 19, 2024
one of the best things to do on the big island! - What an AMAZING experience! J and nicki are some of the kindest people you’ll meet on the big island, and that’s saying something. They knew so much of the history behind the land and hearing them talk about it was inspiring. We were welcomed in with open arms immediately.
Their story and vision were remarkable. Find out for yourself from them!!
The experience of being able to briefly contribute to their incredible homestead was a once in a lifetime kind of thing. It is not an easy way of life to be living this closely with the land - on an active volcano!
Our banana plant is there now, go see her for yourself, she is named Anna. Say hi to J and nicki for us! (they have an airb&b as well, you can stay with them and experience for yourself what it’s like to live off grid!)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 18, 2024
Taking care of your land - Make sure you know where to go and leave half an hour for getting lost.
We got there fine and started early. Make sure you wear good shoes for walking on lava rocks. Josh and Nikki were very accommodating and knew alot about the land. An interesting adventure into self survival. Not a commercialize banana plantation, you walk!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 16, 2025
I would not pay for this again - This is a scam. There are not big bunches of bananas as advertised just Jason and Nikki who are very nice people and if they were not so nice I would ask my money back. Jason and Nikki show you around thier half acre of mostly lava and give you a tour of their very small lava digs. They are really nice people but this is way overrated and really not something anyone should pay for. Thanks Jason and Nikki for your hospitality we enjoyed your company but the tour is not as advertised but we wish you well
Review provided by Tripadvisor