Segway to adventure

Start with a Segway Personal Transporter — that ūber-cool, two-wheeled "people mover." Blend in the beautiful rain forest, waterfalls, streams, plants and flowers of Botanical World Adventures on Hawaii island’s lush Hamakua Coast.

Add a person with an adventurous spirit, and you have the ingredients for a fun outdoor activity that just about everyone can do.

"You don’t have to be athletic or have special skills to operate a Segway," said Phyllis Segawa, operations manager for Botanical World Adventures. "Just gently move the frame and handlebar in the direction you want to go, and the vehicle responds right away. It keeps balanced, essentially becoming an extension of your body by using sensors that recognize your position and the changing terrain."

Sections of Botanical World Adventures ascend the rugged slopes of Mauna Kea, making it difficult for visitors to see everything if they can’t or don’t want to hike. A "glide," a ride on a Segway, takes the effort, but not the excitement, out of such an excursion.

"Two ladies in their mid-70s were on one of the first tours we took out last August," Segawa recalled. "Although mobility was an issue for them and they couldn’t walk far, they really wanted to see as much of the gardens as they could. When they found out we were offering Segway tours, they were thrilled! They turned out to be really good riders, and when they left they had big smiles on their faces."

Four Segway of Hawaii Adventure Tours traverse different routes in the 26-acre Botanical World Adventures’ coastal rain forest and gardens. Participants on the Mamalahoa and Hanapueo tours venture out on dirt trails that run across more than 300 adjoining acres, some of which is former sugar plantation land.

All tours make a stop so participants can taste fresh fruit in season. This time of year, pomelos, oranges, apple bananas and jackfruit (which gives Juicy Fruit gum its flavor) are among the treats in abundance. Ripening soon will be lychee, mango, papaya, star fruit and wild pineapple.

"Visitors from out of state are delighted to see beautiful fruits and flowers that kamaaina often take for granted because they see them every day," Segawa said. "Our guests love seeing and inhaling the sweet aroma of tropical plants growing in their natural habitats. If they’re lucky, they might spot an io (Hawaiian hawk), pueo (Hawaiian owl) or aukuu (black-crowned night heron)."

Green-conscious visitors will be happy to know Segways don’t release any carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. And although electricity is used to charge the vehicles, it produces 14 times less greenhouse gas emissions than driving a car.

Segway novices cruise at up to 6 miles per hour. Experienced, confident tour participants can accelerate up to 12.5 mph — equivalent to the pace of a world-class marathon runner. No matter how fast they are going, their glide is smooth and comfortable because the Segway absorbs the bumps and jolts of traveling on uneven surfaces. In fact, riders often can’t tell when they’re rolling over rocks, roots or holes.

Safety is a top priority. "Our equipment and routes are inspected daily," Segawa said. "Our entire operation is inspected quarterly by representatives of Segway of Hawaii, Hawaii’s only authorized Segway dealer and Segway tour operator. All of our guides are certified according to Segway Authorized Tours standards, and each guide is recertified annually."

Most of the guides grew up on the Hamakua Coast and are knowledgeable about the area’s history, lifestyle, flora and fauna (they include Lanny Neel, a renowned botanist who is Botanical World Adventures’ garden director). Among the plants they are likely to point out are the loulu, which is the only native Hawaiian palm tree, and the awapuhi, a fragrant wild ginger that’s used in Paul Mitchell hair care products.

According to Segawa, a glide is much more than a ride. "Segways make it easy for you to see the vibrant colors of the plants and the rainbows that frequently appear overhead," she said. "You’re out in the open air, so you feel the wind on your face. You taste and touch the bounty of our gardens, and you smell an array of wonderful scents. Your five senses come alive as you develop an amazing, unforgettable bond with nature."

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.