Kualoa Ranch

Lonely Planet review

Rarely is such a touristy attraction located in such a stunning location. Kualoa Ranch has a range of activities, from horseback riding to narrated nature tours, on its scenic property. Tour groups, especially Japanese, make up the bulk of visitors. Part of the prehistoric-looking landscape was used as a backdrop for the TV show Lost, and movies such as Jurassic Park, and George of the Jungle.

Daily tours take visitors deep into the Ka'a'awa Valley where these scenes were shot.

Back in 1850 Kamehameha III leased about 625 acres of this land for around US$1300 to Dr Judd, a missionary doctor who became one of the king's advisers. Judd planted the land with sugarcane, built flumes to transport it and imported Chinese laborers to work the fields. You can still see the remains of the mill's stone stack, and a bit of the crumbling walls, half a mile north of the beach park alongside the road.