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Sugar Plantations of Hawaii

Today visitors from around the world come to Hawaii to enjoy lofty volcanoes, tropical forests, fine sand beaches, and coral reefs. But 150 years ago, people came for work. Sugar plantation owners based in Hawaii imported labor from China, Japan, the Philippines, and elsewhere to feed the world's sugar craving. These new populations had profound effects on Hawaiian society and culture, as well as the fragile ecology of the islands. Immigrant workers introduced new crops to sustain their food and medicinal needs in the new land. You can help archaeologists Janet Six and Jill Gaieski (University of Hawaii and University… more

Sugar Plantations of Hawaii

Today visitors from around the world come to Hawaii to enjoy lofty volcanoes, tropical forests, fine sand beaches, and coral reefs. But 150 years ago, people came for work. Sugar plantation owners based in Hawaii imported labor from China, Japan, the Philippines, and elsewhere to feed the world's sugar craving. These new populations had profound effects on Hawaiian society and… more

Trip at-a-glance

Price: From $2,549* per person
Lodging: all_inclusive
When: July, August
Number of days: 10
Group size: 12

This trip is offered by:

Earthwatch Institute

Call them at 800-776-0188 about this trip and mention you saw it at TravelDragon, or contact them.

Trip details

Your team's study site is dramatically placed at the base of a 4,000-meter volcano, in an undeveloped region on the Island of Hawaii. You will rotate between a variety of tasks that will give you an insider's perspective of cultural evolution on the island. You may be mapping the site one day and conducting oral history surveys in a restored plantation manager's home the next. You will also help catalogue intriguing artifacts from previous excavations. After your day's work you can relax at nearby Punalu`u Beach, a black sand beach where endangered green sea turtles bask and the snorkeling is fine. A side trip to Volcanoes National Park or a reconstructed Hawaiian village and temple on the idyllic southwest Kona coast will round out your experience.

Your team will stay in a picturesque, early 20th-century plantation house, recently converted into a guest house, a 5-minute walk from the excavation site. You will share a comfortable room with one or two of your teammates, and enjoy modern bathroom facilities and hot showers. The plantation house offers a breezy veranda, a dining room, and a fully equipped kitchen. You will help yourself to a la carte breakfasts, featuring local fruits, and assist a local cook in preparing fabulous dinners with a Hawaiian flare.

As an Eons member, you'll get a free, 1 year membership to Earthwatch — a $35 value — when you sign up on any expedition. And members pay $100 less on their expedition contribution — so you save $135! Just put code EONS2007 in the comment field on the signup form, or, if you call, tell the Expedition Coordinator that you found us on Eons.

Earthwatch expedition-related costs may be tax-deductible in the US as volunteer expenses. Please check with your tax adviser.

*TRAVEL INFORMATION DISCLAIMER: Travel product and pricing information are the travel provider’s base estimates, published here as a convenience to TravelDragon users without verification by TravelDragon. Your actual price will vary depending upon length of trip, travel dates, number of traveling guests, transportation (e.g. airfare, rail passes, etc.), and optional service features such as room categories or individualized food requirements. This base price estimate may or may not include all necessary fees, taxes, government-imposed surcharges. Be sure to confirm availability, total price and trip details with the travel provider using the contact information provided here.

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