Places to Hang out in West Maui

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Hawaii Aloha Travel > Blog > Places to Hang out in West Maui

On my days off from work, you can usually find me hanging out in the historic Lahaina Town at these following locations. These are all great places to shop, dine, and even relax after the long hour drive in from Central or South Maui. Drive times vary daily in and out of Lahaina town. During the over night/early morning hours it will take about 20 minutes to get in/out of West Maui. Morning/Noon it will take about 45 minutes to an hour to get in/out. Afternoon/Night time plan on 1 hour and 15 minutes to get in/out of West Maui.

My favourite hang out places in Lahaina town and West Maui are at the Lahaina Cannery Mall, Lahaina Gateway Shops, and Front Street. You can find a lot of specialty shops, restaurants, and even get to see free hula shows put on by the local Maui Hula Halaus. Halau (Hah Lau) is a group of hula dancers.

Lahaina Cannery Mall is Maui’s only Fully Air Conditioned and enclosed shopping complex. Great place to be when the elements are not so great. Here you can find a ton of great shops and watch free hula shows.

Lahaina Gateway Shops is one of the largest shopping open air complexes in West Maui. Like at the Lahaina Cannery you get to see free Hula shows and has even more great shops.

Front Street is where the Marti Gras of the Pacific takes place on Halloween. There are a ton of great shops and activity desks around. Don’t forget to be on the look out in the water for whales, dolphins, and honu (ho new) green sea turtle swimming out there. Great place for free whale watches right from the restaurant or shop your shopping in. You may even get to encounter a Monk Seal basking in the sun.

Word from NOAA/State DLNR-Police/County Police: It is a federal offense to go with in 100 yards of the Green Sea Turtles, humpback whales, and Monk Seals. These are endangered species. Please do not go up to them to pet or feed them. If cited you will be fined. You can take good pictures of these animals from 100 yards away. Please do not approach them in any way shape or form. If one swims up to you, please back away to prevent an inconvenient fine if cited. If your out on a rented boat same rules apply. Do not run engines at full power to get away for this may injure or kill the animal so please go a 1/4-1/2 power then once cleared you can go to full power to get away. To Report any violations of people engaging in these offenses on our beaches or out in the water, please contact us at NOAA , State DLNR Police, or the Maui Police Department. Mahalo for your understanding and have a great vacation.

Don’t forget to ride the Sugar Cane Train (Lahaina Ka’anapali and Pacific Railroad). The singing conductor will narrate the history of Old Lahaina town and even sing a lot of Hawaiian songs for you en route to Pu’ukoli’i or Lahaina

You can also go check out Hale Pa’i at the Lahainaluna High School Campus. Just make sure to call the school office before heading up there since it is a high school still operating today.

Lahaina town is the former capitol of the old Kingdom of Hawaii. You can also see all of the buildings that were built in the late 1800s. A majority of them are still standing today.

Remember to take a ton of photos while your in the former capitol of Hawaii. Then after all of this, head on over into Ka’anapali for a swim in the best beaches in West Maui. Hope you find these tips helpful to you on your next Maui vacation. To book with us, please check out https://www.hawaii-aloha.com and speak with an agent today.

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