August 21st, 2010
My Favorite Things to do on Maui
Two years ago I posted a page on my blog with the ten best things to do on Maui. Obviously times change, so below is my updated version.
Maui, the “Magic Isle,” has been voted the “Best Pacific Island” by readers of the Conde Nast Traveler magazine for 16 years in a row, and it’s easy to see why. Maui has something for everyone - whether you’re looking to sip Mai Tais on a beautiful white sand beach, hike into a dormant volcano, snorkel with green sea turtles, or play a round or two on one of the island’s championship golf courses, Maui has it all.
**Go snorkeling with the turtles**
There are several places on the island that you can wade right in off the beach for a great snorkeling experience, however, there are some great snorkeling tours that bring you to the best spots and include a continental breakfast and full lunch. I would recommend Trilogy Catamarans. The Discover Molokini Excursion takes you to the tiny island of Molokini, off the southern coast and only accessible by boat, and home to some of the most unusual and beautiful fish in the Pacific. The cruise departs daily from Maalaea Harbor at either 6:30 am or 8:00 am. If you’re staying in the Kaanapali Resort area, Trilogy also offers an excellent Discover Kaanapali Snorkel Sail that leaves right from Kaanapali Beach at Whaler’s Village. This tour leaves every morning at 8:00 am. Both tours include continental breakfast with Mom’s homemade cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, and The Captain’s Blend coffee, a BBQ lunch, snacks and sodas (BYOB), all snorkel equipment, and two snorkel sights where you’ll spot all sorts of fish and probably plenty of green sea turtles as well. Both tours are $117 for adults, $88 for teens, and $59 for children 3-15.
**Spend a day or evening in Old Lahaina Town**
Maui has a lot of great tropical little towns. A visit to Old Lahaina Town is a must. This old whaling town is a great place to spend a couple hours checking out the shops, restaurants, galleries, and there are a lot of places here to book discounted activities as well. Lahaina is a short 5-minute drive from the Kaanapali Resort Area, and several of the hotels also offer complimentary shuttle service.
While in Lahaina Town, if you really want to spoil yourself, the Feast at Lele is a gourmet feast combined with Polynesian entertainment. Unlike the more traditional luaus, the Feast at Lele includes a sit-down five-course gourmet dinner which the island-inspired menu created by world class chefs and served to you at a private table reserved for your party. For $115/person ($83 for children), you’ll receive a fresh flower lei greeting, open bar throughout the evening, a mouthwatering meal, with each course accompanied by Polynesian entertainment from the islands of Hawai’i, Aotearoa, Tahiti, and Samoa.
**See the sunrise or sunset at Haleakala Crater**
A visit to Maui wouldn’t be complete without visiting Haleakala Crater, the world’s largest resting volcano. If you can get up early enough, sunrise is absolutely spectacular - you really feel like you’re on the moon! If not sunrise, sunset is amazing as well and less crowded, which I actually prefer. To see Haleakala, you can either drive up to the top on your own or go as part of a tour. Haleakala is cold at the top (after all, the crater rises to over 10,000 ft!), so be sure to bring a sweatshirt of jacket with you, and if you’re driving, plan on spending at least two hours in the Park to drive up to the Summit and back to the entrance, and longer if you plan on hiking or attending any of the natural/cultural history programs. If you’re interested in hiking or walking throughout the park, there are 27 miles of trails that range from 1/4 mile to over 11 miles. There is a $10 per vehicle charge to enter the park, which is valid for seven days. Daily tours also go to Haleakala daily that will pick you up right at your hotel. If you really want an adventure, you can bike down the western slopes of the crater on the Haleakala Super Sunrise Safari Bike Tour, enjoying stunning view as you passing through eucalpytus forests and the upcountry community of Kula with its beautiful lavender farms and Jacaranda tree lined roadways. The tour operates daily with a hotel pick-up time of 2-2:30 am, and returns at approximately 11:30 am and includes a coach tour of Haleakala National Park, a tour of the House of the Sun Visitor Center at the crater’s rim and a rest stop at Sunrise Market and Flower Farm. Prices are $185/person. If waking up in the middle of the night isn’t your style, on Mondays and Thursdays, you can still bike down the crater on the Haleakala Bike and Winery Tour. For $150, this tour includes continental breakfast and a lunch stop (cost not included) at a Winery with free wine tasting.
**Drive the Road to Hana**
The famous Road to Hana is one of the most scenic and breathtaking drives in the world. However, I wouldn’t recommend taking children on this trip and if you have any chance of getting carsick - it’s not worth it. The road is probably the curviest road in the world! If you do the drive to Hana and back, you’ll want to plan a whole day for it because the trip, with all the stops and curves takes about three hours each way, plus the time you actually spend in the small, sleepy town of Hana. You’ll want to stop in a small town right at the beginning of the Hana Highway on the north shore called Paia. You can’t miss it. In Paia, there are several cute little funky places to pick up picnic lunches or stock up at the natural foods store, and they have several brochures available all over the town which will map out the Road to Hana and list various places to stop and sites to see on the way.
**Relax on a sunset dinner or cocktail cruise**
A cruise off the West Coast of Maui is a breathtaking experience - with lush mountains and craters to one side and the islands of Molokai and Lana’i to the other. During Whale Season from December to April, you’ll also be able to spot plenty of humpback whales playing in the water around you. The Teralani offers sunset cocktail and dinner cruises onboard a deluxe catamaran that conveniently departs right from Kaanapali Beach. The 2.5 hour sunset dinner cruise is $85/person and includes a buffet dinner as well as assorted desserts, soft drinks & tropical juices, champagne, wine, premium beers, and cocktails.
**Educate yourself on Hawaii’s marine life at the Maui Ocean Center**
Open daily from 9 - 5 pm in Maalaea Harbor Village, the Maui Ocean Center is three acres of marine park and the largest tropical reef aquarium in the western hemisphere, dedicated to the understanding, wonder, and preservation of Hawaii’s marine plants and animals. Here you’ll find exhibits on thousands of fish, sharks, turltes, stingrays, and other marine animals that are only found in the waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands. There are also presentations by marine naturalists and biologists, as well as two restaurants and a gift shop. Admission is $26 for adults and $19 for children 3 -12 and may be purchased in advance or at the door.
**See the island by helicopter**
Seeing the island from the air offers a unique perspective on Maui’s diverse and beautiful terrain. Helicopter tours with Sunshine Helicopters start as low as $165/person and go up to $450/person, depending on the duration of the flight and your seating. Tours like the “Circle Island Deluxe” (starting at $239/person for a 65-minute flight) allow you to explore all of the Valley Isle, including the West Maui Mountains with Honokohau Falls, Haleakala Crater, Kaupo and Ko’olau Gaps, the taro field of Ke’anae, fabulous coastline waterfalls, the world famous Ho’okipa windsurfing beach, and the Hana Rain Forest (the largest tropical rain forest in the US) which extends for over 180 square miles along Maui’s northern coast. The Paniolo Horseback Combo for $315/person combines a 30-minute flight over the West Maui Mountains with a horseback ride through the mountains to the waterfalls at Waihee Valley, as well as a Hawaiian cowboy-style open pit BBQ lunch.
**Kayak and Hike through the rainforest to a waterfall**
Maui is filled with rainforest and waterfalls, and if you’re an “outdoorsy” person (like myself), you’ll have a fantastic time exploring the contrasting terrain. Hike Maui offers guided hiking tours for all fitness levels. I recommend the Combination Kayak, Snorkel & Waterfalls Hike, which has a little bit of it all. For $160/person, you’ll receive roundtrip transportation from your hotel, lunch, and snacks, as you spend 2.5 hours kayaking along the rugged sea cliffs of West Maui, snorkel with fish and turtles, hike for a mile through the rainforest, and swim in two waterfalls and pools.
**Enjoy breathtaking views as you zip through the forest canopy**
Kapalua Adventures offers zipline tours that will take your breath away! Each tour starts with a 20-minute adventure in the bio-fueled 4WD Unimog excursion where you’ll arrive at the Mountain Outpost observation deck, located 1,400 feet above sea level and over pineapple fields, offering sweeping views of Maui. The most popular tour is the Upper Mountain Loop and Swing, for $207/person. In this 5-hour tour, you’ll zip across the valley and then ascend up the mountain via a zipper lifter to the edges of Pu’u Kukui Preserve, where your zipping adventure begins high in the trees. The first two zip lines prepare you for the third, which is the longest line on the course at 2,300 feet in length. You’ll start high in the tree tops, fly over valleys and a secret waterfall, and arrive at a scenic bluff with amazing views of the Kapalua coast line and the island of Molokai. The fourth and final zip, the Giant Swing, is a short walk and will take your breath away. You’ll be pulled up by the group to a maximum height of 40 feet and then self-released down and across the valley to absorb the thrill of free fall while enjoying breathtaking views of West Maui and the island of Lanai. In the middle of the tour, you’ll refuel with a picnic lunch from the Adventure Center Cafe.
**Attend a Hawaiian luau**
In all honesty, a “traditional” luau really doesn’t exist. Luaus now are simply a tourist attraction and don’t reflect modern Hawaiian culture. However, with that said, luaus are fun and a great way to experience traditional Hawaiian foods, music, and hula. Maui offers a wide assortment of luaus, usually starting at about $85/person. You’ll receive an Aloha lei greeting, open bar throughout the evening, arts & crafts demonstrations, Hawaiian music, a traditional Imu presentation with the roasting of the pig, a buffet dinner, and an authentic Hula show.
**Enjoy life at one of Maui’s many beautiful beaches**
Need I say more? Maui has more miles of gorgeous and swimmable beaches than any other island in Hawaii, and you’ll sure to find several spots where you can relax, play, or just enjoy being alive.
I hope that helps a little! This list, however, doesn’t even come close to skimming the surface of what’s available on Maui.
If you have any questions about any other activities that you’re interested in, or if you’d like to book anything listed above, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I would love to chat with you about this wonderful island!
Abby Lapointe
Hawaii Aloha Travel
1-800-843-8771 ext. 23
abby@hawaii-aloha.com



