Come chocolatouring with me!
Aloha everyone:
Chocolatours are small customized group tours for chocolate lovers. Taste the world of chocolate and come chocolatouring with me!
join me on a chocolate tour
| I thought we’d start with Hawaii as it is the ultimate chocolate destination: 1) They grow tremendous-tasting cacao on the islands of Hawaii, which in turn is made into fantastic small batch single origin chocolate. And for the most past, this chocolate is not exported, so you’ve got to go there to get it. We will get to see the cacao growing, learn how the cacao is harvested, processed, and made into Hawaiian grown and made chocolate.  We’ll see how cocoa beans are dried in the sun before being ground, processed, and made into chocolate. 2) There are a number of excellent bean-to-bar chocolate makers, as well as some very talented chocolatiers and confectioners who are doing some great stuff with Hawaiian chocolate. We’ll be visiting Manoa Chocolate and Madre Chocolate in Kailua, and the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory, and Big Island Candies on the Big Island.  I really loved the Breakfast Bar from Manoa Chocolate. Can’t wait to taste their new offerings!  The Triple Cacao Bar from Madre Chocolate is one of my favourites. Looking forward to tasting it and what’s new during our visit to Oahu. 3) Hawaii is beautiful and romantic and I can think of no better place to be during Valentine Week 2018 than to be on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii. All it takes to claim your spot on the tour is a down payment of $450 Canadian (or the equivalent in your currency.) It will be a small group of chocolate loving enthusiasts who just want to experience Hawaii in a completely different way together. Please join us! It will be amazing.  The Big Island of Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places on earth with its incredible vistas, black sand beaches and rugged terrain. Let me know if you have any questions or comments about the contents of the tour. Or where you might like to go on a chocolate tour. Please note the 2018 Chocolate Tour to Hawaii has been postponed as my husband is ill and I am unable to be away from home for that period of time. We will reschedule at a future date, so be sure to subscribe to the site to receive updates! Mahalo.
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Hi Doreen. Wow does this sound fabulous! Wish I was free to attend. I’m sure you’ll all have tons of fun and lots of scrumptious chocolate.
Hi Susan: I do indeed think it will be an awesome trip. Thx for helping me spread the word.
doreen recently posted…growing the Chocolatour brand
Would love to because it looks like a fantastic trip. Instead I’m writing a major essay for university. It’s really interesting but a chocolate tour would be much more relaxing.
Hi Catarina. Sorry you can’t join us! wishing you luck with your essay. Cheers!
Congratulations Doreen. You just keep moving on up in the chocolate world. But this has to be one of the best – Hawaii and chocolate. Pretty hard to beat that combination. Hope you have the ‘bestest’ of times.
Many thanks, Lenie. It is only with the support of friends and supporters like you that I have been able to make it this far. May the journey never end, as I’m certainly enjoying it! Wish you could join us to Hawaii. 🙂
Looks a great opportunity for the chocolate lovers out there.
I was intrigued by the National Geographic link, and now have set my sights on trying that almost local chocolate from Cicada when next in Sydney!
Chris, Cicada is definitely a delicious brand of chocolate to try. You have some excellent there in Australia. I hope to immerse myself in it within the next two years, as it will be a featured country in Volume III of Chocolatour. 🙂
Your opening statement made me smile “join me on a chocolate tour”. I am right behind you Doreen!
Ever since a child, I have wanted to visit Hawaii. I had visions of beaches, palm trees, exotic food and drink – not forgetting tutus and flowers on the head. It is still on my “go to” list after all these years.
Ho Phoenicia: Don’t be behind me. Be beside me! It would be amazing to meet up with you in Hawaii in February. 🙂
Hawaii and chocolate- what a winning combo. Wish it was in my budget!
I wish so, too, Billie! It would be great to meet up!
Santa Fe has great chocolate! Come visit!
I would love to, Billie! Coincidentally, I don’t believe I’ve tried ANY chocolate from Santa Fe. Do you have a favourite you’d like to recommend?
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…women’s cocoa cooperatives of the Dominican Republic
Wow! Sounds like its going to be a trip full of Aloha’s and Ahhhhhhhh’s as all those sumptuous delights are sucked and savoured – what a brilliant combination and such a treat all round 🙂
Thanks, Linda. Definitely looking forward to it. Please help spread the word to any chocolate lovers you know who love travel. Cheers!
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…women’s cocoa cooperatives of the Dominican Republic
As I said before, I love the niche you have chosen. Chocolate tours in Hawaii would be the tops!
I’m definitely looking forward to leading the inaugural small group chocolate tour to Hawaii, Carol. I’m sure it will be one delicious journey! 🙂
Doreen I am so happy for you … and for anyone lucky enough to join you! I’ve been to both of the locations you mentioned (many times!) and everyone is in for a real treat.
Thanks, Marty! I absolutely never get tired of visiting the Hawaiian Islands and love each of the ones I’ve visited. This chocolate tour should be amazing. I hope we get an enthusiastic group to join me. 🙂
This sounds like a fantastic tour. I’m sure it was fun to arrange and will be even more fun to lead and will be lots of fun for the participants.
Thx, Donna. Wish you could join me! I’m sure it will indeed be fun. 🙂
This is every chocolate lover’s dream tour. And yes, Doreen just tell me when and where and you can count me in. I can imagine a trip to this kind of place will be fun and memorable. Would simply love it. 🙂
Hey, Sandy! The link to where and when is contained in the post. Would love to have you join us. 🙂
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…women’s cocoa cooperatives of the Dominican Republic
That looks fabulous! Good luck with the trip to Hawaii (and hopefully more to come…)
Hopefully, indeed, Karen! I’ve got to get thru this one first. Here’s hoping chocolate lovers will find their way to my page and book the Chocolatour to Hawaii. Please share if you’re willing. 🙂
You know, if you have to write about something and become an expert in it, I think chocolate is an excellent place to start! I’m sure there will be plenty of grownups who would be delighted to indulge in this tour!
Definitely, Jane. this is definitely NOT a tour for young children. 12 and up would be OK, but Chocolatour to the Hawaiian Islands is definitely itended for the refined palate. 🙂
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…women’s cocoa cooperatives of the Dominican Republic
Chocolate + Hawaii = yum in the sun. Good luck with guiding this intriguing chocolate tour of the islands!
Thanks, Carole.
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…women’s cocoa cooperatives of the Dominican Republic
You are the perfect person for this tour! What a delicious idea! I will spread the word!
Thanks, Suzanne! 🙂
I would love to join the tour — for the chocolate and because I’ve never been to Hawaii. Have a great trip!
How I wish you could join us, Jeannette. You were on my wish list. 🙂
Wow-o-wow, what a tour and what a place to go to experience chocolate. Sounds like a dream come true.
It truly will be a “dream-come-true” trip for chocolate lovers, Judy. I really dow feel that Hawaii is noteworthy because it is part of the USA, yet it’s growing amazing cocoa. In the old days, all the chocolate sold in Hawaii was made with imported chocolate couverture (that came from various origins.) Now, Hawaiian-made chocolate has to also disclose whether it is made from Hawaiian-grown cocoa.
Oh boy! How fun to get this pulled together, Doreen! Am so excited for you. Hawaii in February–with chocolate!
Couldn’t be better timing, Rose! 🙂 Imagine spending Valentine Week with a small group of chocolate lovers who love life. I’m really gearing up for it. I SO hope to see your name on the roster!
Hi Doreen. This tour sounds wonderful. Unfortunately I can’t participate, but I will share the info on my social media and I wish you the best!!
Thanks, Grace. I appreciate that. 🙂
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…women’s cocoa cooperatives of the Dominican Republic
How lucky chocoholics will be to follow you in Hawaii! What exciting news!
Thanks, Irene. I am super excited about the Chocolatour to Hawaii and hope we pull together a truly eclectic group. 🙂
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…women’s cocoa cooperatives of the Dominican Republic
Oh how I wish something like this would be available here in India! Hawaii is already one of the best destination in Earth thanks to it’s rich bounty of nature, now the sound of chocolate is making it even more desirable! I wish you all the best and keep us posted about the adventures you have had in the tour!
Hawaii is truly an amazing destination, Tania. For the scenery and natural beauty, the near perfect climate, the relaxed vibe and beautiful people, and now … the artisan chocolate. 🙂
This is a great idea and a great way to visit Hawaii. We didn’t even associate chocolate with Hawaii, but it’s not surprising because it is paradise after all. And what’s paradise without chocolate. We loved you Nat Geo article too.
Thanks for the very kind words. I need all the help I can get in spreading the word about the Chocolatour to the Hawaiian Islands. It’s going to be an amazing trip!
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…women’s cocoa cooperatives of the Dominican Republic
Congrats Doreen! Sounds like it will be a wonderful chocolate adventure. I’ll certainly be sharing this with our food travel friends!
Thanks so much, Sue. I really appreciate you helping spread the word about the chocolate tour to Hawaii. It would be even better if you would join us! 🙂
Good luck with the tour! Hawaii sounds like an out-of-the-way place in terms of chocolate.
We have just sampled some excellent Peruvian chocolate, and, in the Amazon lowlands, we have driven past many farms cultivating the cacao pods. Normal buyers in a supermarket probably never imagine how much manual labor is involved before the cacao is turned into sweet delights.
Absolutely, Juergen. That’s why I write this blog and my books. I want people to realize that producing artisanal chocolate is a very labour-intensive job, especially for those who grow their own cacao. And yes, Hawaii is an unexpected delight when it comes to chocolate. When I was there in 2014, there still wasn’t enough locally grown cacao to satisfy all the needs of the local chocolate makers. But that is changing. Cocoa production is up, and the quality of the Hawaiian-made chocolate has sky-rocketed!
What a wonderful tour; I wish I could join you! What could be better — chocolate and Hawaii!?!!
Thanks, Marilyn. I know it will be wonderful, and hope you will help spread the word to any chocolate lovers you know who like to travel by sharing this link. Many thanks!
Wow that’s amazing wish I would have my work set bit more to join you however I am going to share this with my friends who know they may join
Thank you, Sushmita. If you can’t personally attend, the next best thing is referring friends and associates to the tour with hope they might be interested. Cheers!
Chocolate and Hawaii combined? What could be better? Sounds like a wonderful tour!
Thanks, Patti. I’m hoping we’ll get a good group together. Please help me spread the word. Thx!
Sounds wonderful. I would love to join you 🙂 we recently went to Switzerland and we had an awesome cookie tour and a cheese tasting tour. But I missed a chocolate tour.
Hi Neha. Switzerland is a wonderful place for a chocolate tour! But in February, there’s no place better than Hawaii! 🙂
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…growing cocoa in the Dominican Republic
I am the world’s biggest sweet tooth! I would love to try this tour myself. And of course, I would take home some of those sweets myself!
Awesome! Would love to have you join us! It will be 10 days to remember!
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…growing cocoa in the Dominican Republic