Waking up the morning of my 9 a.m. tour at Hi Honey Farm I felt like a kid waking up on a school day knowing a field trip was the only thing on the agenda.

Good night’s sleep? Check.

Light breakfast? Check.

Sunny weather? Check.

With our eagerness and excitement in tow, my friend and I were off toward Oʻahu’s iconic North Shore. We got to the end of Snake Road near Thompson’s Corner in Waialua and caught sight of a bright yellow gate with the cutest honey bee sign that read “Local Honey & Apiary Tours.” Once our guide welcomed us in, we parked and walked a short distance on a gravel road. We were more than ready to see what the buzz was about.

Before starting the 1.5-hour tour, we settled into the common lānai area for quick intros and housekeeping rules. We signed waivers and went over dress requirements. (You need to wear socks and closed-toe shoes and wearing little to no perfume.) A porta-potty was available on-site.

Our guide started off with showing us the various plants growing on the property, including pineapple, banana, jackfruit and hibiscus. It’s a sweet haven for bees to collect nectar from.

We headed back to the lānai where we got a mini lesson on the basic hive hierarchy (queen, workers and drones), history of beekeeping and how important bees are to our ecosystem. Our guide made the experience really engaging using colorful visual diagrams that even kids can follow along with. As someone who loved nature documentaries growing up, I was like the kid on the field trip asking all the questions. Did you know that the oldest edible honey ever found was over 5,000 years old? Talk about longevity!

On the tour, you’ll learn about honeybees and beekeeping.
Photo: Courtesy of Hi Honey Farm

Finally, it was time to meet the bees. Our guide helped us slip on the essential protective attire: suit, gloves and hooded mesh veil. After triple-checking that all zippers were zipped and no parts of our skin was exposed, we walked the short distance over to the bee boxes where all of the colonies are kept. The closer we got, the louder the buzzing became, amplifying the vibrations and reminding us were now in their territory.

Our guide removed one of the frames that stores the raw honeycomb and handed it to me for closer inspection. Admittedly, at first it was unnerving being very up close and personal with so many bees—there could be up to 80,000 bees per colony!—but I got used to it. I’ve watched a couple honey bee documentaries before but this raw (honey) footage was simply fascinating.

You get to interact with the farm’s bees on the tour.
Photo: Abby Sadoy

Finding the queen was task No. 1. She continuously migrates between frames ,but we were lucky to find her on the second one we removed. She’s easily camouflaged among her thousands of worker bees but she can be spotted by her abdomen. (It’s a lot more elongated.) Next was witnessing a couple of the 2,000 new bees that get birthed every single day. We sang a quick “Happy Birthday” greeting to each one that hatched. Astoundingly, the honey bee instinct kicked in instantly and off they were joining fellow worker bees in their respective duties. After about a good half hour with the bees, we headed back to the lānai. I was excited I was now able to check “Be a beekeeper for a day” off my summer bucket list.

A unique part of this tour is getting to be a beekeeper for part of it.
Photo: Courtesy of Hi Honey Farm

The last part was arguably everyone’s favorite: tasting 10 of the seasonal varieties of honey, which is never pasteurized or filtered. We had direct samples of ʻōhiʻa lehua, macadamia, christmas berry, eucalyptus, wildflowers, hibiscus, and cacao—each of them with a unique richness and smoothness. We also had slices of avocado topped with bee pollen and the farm’s Hot Hawaiian Honey, as well as vanilla ice cream drizzled with its matcha and pineapple honey. Before we left, we got a chance to pick up a couple jars at its adorable Bee Bus, a black-and-yellow-painted-truck-turned-mini-shop.

The variety of honey available at the farm’s shop.
Photo: Courtesy of Hi Honey Farm

I’ve visited the North Shore many times but this was by far one of the most memorable tours I’ve had in the area. The foodie and nature lover in me would gladly do it all over again.

Avoid getting stung? Check.

Taste organic honey? Check.

Witness how honey bees impact the world? Check.

Here are some tips when you visit the farm:

• Bring water. They provide you with bottled water when you first arrive, but it’s good to bring your own if you get dehydrated quickly.
• Don’t worry about taking photos while you’re in your suit. The guide will be taking photos throughout the tour and provide them at the end.
• Tie it back. If you have long hair, put it in a low bun before putting on the hooded veil to keep it in place without obstructing your view.
• Avoid it if you’re allergic. If you have a bee sting allergy, this tour is not for you.
• Shop at the farm—or later. Products are found online or at any Foodland grocery store.
• Take the bus. If you don’t have access to a car, you can take public transportation. The farm’s entrance is near a bus stop on Kaukonahua Road.