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MAUI

Hawaii | USA

300C FEATURE DESTINATION: Maui, Hawaii

The island of MAUI , the second largest in the Hawaiian chain, is Oahu’s fastest-growing rival, attracting roughly a third of all visitors to the state. Some would say that things have gone too far. What were once remote, unspoiled beaches, around Kaanapali and Kihei for example, have been swamped by sprawling resorts, and Lahaina , once “whaling capital of the world,” is now little more than just another tourist trap.

On the other hand, the crowds come to Maui for the good reason that it’s still beautiful. This is probably the best equipped of all the islands for activity holidays – whale-watching, windsurfing, diving, sailing, snorkeling and cycling. Temperatures along the coast can be searing, especially at Lahaina, but it’s always possible to escape to somewhere cooler. Upcountry Maui , on the slopes of the mighty Haleakala volcano, is a delight, well away from the bustle; Makawao and Paia here make good alternative hangouts, although they’re short on accommodation. Finally, the waterfalls and ravines along the tortuous road out west to Hana outclass anything on Oahu.

MAUI ACTIVITIES

Promotional handouts and free newspapers advertise a wide range of tours and activities; agencies along Front Street in Lahaina can offer cut-rate deals.

Molokini

Maui’s best-known snorkeling and diving spot is the tiny crescent of Molokini poking above the sea, all that’s left of a once-great volcano. There’s no beach, or landfall of any kind, but you do see a lot of fish, including deep-water species. Countless cruises leave early each morning (to avoid the worst of the heat) from Maalea Harbor; snorkelers can pay anything from $45 to $100 for a morning trip, and from $30 for a shorter afternoon jaunt. Vessels range from the forty-passenger Blue Dolphin (tel 808/622-0075) up to the 150-seater Prince Kuhio (tel 808/242-8777).

Downhill cycle rides

One of Maui’s more unusual opportunities is to be taken by van to the top of Haleakala , watch the sun rise, and then ride a bicycle 39 miles down to Paia by the sea – without pedaling once. Serious cyclists may find the slow pace of the trip frustrating; complete novices or the unfit shouldn’t try; the in-betweens will think it’s great. Companies running trips for around $80 (including pickups) include Haleakala Bike Co (tel 808/572-2200) and Maui Downhill (tel 808/871-2155).

EXPLORE MAUI

Kahului and Wailuku

Almost half of Maui’s 120,000 inhabitants – the workers who keep this fantasy island going – live in the twin towns of KAHULUI and WAILUKU , to the north of the “neck” connecting its two mountainous sections. The land here can be so flat you fear the waves will wash right over it. Kahului is the main commercial center; Wailuku, if not aesthetically pleasing, is one of the few towns on Maui that feels like a genuine community, and with its budget hotels and restaurants – and the stunning Iao Needle nearby – makes a good central base.

There’s no sightseeing to speak of in either Kahului or Wailuku, though you may well become familiar with both while shopping for food and other necessities, better value here than elsewhere on the island. Market Street in Wailuku contains several interesting curio and souvenir shops, and commands a view across to Haleakala.

Wailuku’s Main Street heads straight into the West Maui Mountains , stopping three miles in at Iao Needle , a stunning 1200ft pinnacle of green-clad lava. It stands, head usually in the clouds, at the intersection of two lush valleys; you can’t climb the needle itself, but hiking trails lead off in all directions, and as few visitors follow them for any distance you can soon be alone in the wilderness. Kamehameha won control of Maui here in 1790, in a battle determined by a cannonade directed by two European gunners.

Kihei and Weilea

Maui’s other main resort area is south of Kahului, across the isthmus. The long strip of hotels, malls and condos begins at KIHEI , with the road heavily built up on both sides, but thins out beyond the manicured lawns of WAILEA , near some superb beaches. Paluea Beach is ideal for families, while Little Beach , reached by a trail from cactus-lined Makena (or Big) Beach , is famous for (illegal) nudism. Beyond that, the main road deterioriates to become a rough one-lane track with minimal visibility, and which peters out altogether just before La Pérouse Bay . Once a significant population center, the beach here is good for snorkeling, and dolphins regularly come to play with swimmers, though you’re forbidden to encourage them.

Few of the accommodation options are geared toward budget travelers; Wailana Inn , 14 Wailana Place (tel 808/874-3131 or 1-800/399-3885, ; $75-100), is a good-value motel-style building, while Maui Vista , 2191 S Kihei Rd (tel 808/879-7966 or 1-800/535-008, ; $100-130), is a bit more luxurious. For food , the Pacific Café Maui , 1279 S Kihei Rd (tel 808/879-0069), offers some great Pacific Rim concoctions, while Kihei Caffe , 1945 S Kihei Rd (tel 808/878-2230), has smoothies and inexpensive snacks.

Road to Hana

The rains that fall on Haleakala cascade down Maui’s long windward flank, covering it in thick, jungle-like vegetation. Convicts in the 1920s hacked out a road along the coast that has become a major tourist attraction in its own right, twisting tortuously in and out of gorges, past innumerable waterfalls and over more than fifty tiny one-lane bridges. All year round, and especially in June, the route is ablaze with color, from orchids, rainbow eucalyptus and orange-blossomed African tulip trees.

The usual day’s excursion is roughly fifty miles (three hours) each way from Paia, to Oheo Gulch just past Hana. Don’t attempt it if it’s raining; in good weather, this road of hairpin turns, while not too difficult, is not recommended for the potentially carsick.

Upcountry Maui

Hawaii is not always a land tarnished by civilization. Central Maui , in the nineteenth century “a dreary expanse of sand and shifting sandhills, with a dismal growth ? of thornless thistles,” is now a pastoral idyll, thanks to an ingenious system of irrigation channels.

The highway to the top of Haleakala rises higher, at a faster rate, than any road on earth. Starting in rich meadows, it climbs past purple-blossoming jacaranda, firs and eucalyptus to reach open ranching land, and then ascends in huge curves to the volcanic desert and the crater itself.

West Maui

Despite the guaranteed sunshine that draws the vacationers, you can feel somewhat cut off if you choose to stay on Maui’s west coast , while the prices are higher, and the long drive around is worsened by heavy traffic. The hotels and shopping centers are concentrated in the two main resorts, Lahaina and Kaanapali , although development has sensibly been restricted to the makai (oceanward) side of the Honoapiilani Highway, leaving the inland hills and valleys untouched except by drifting rainbows.

Copyright Rough Guides Ltd as trustee for its authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved.The Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. Maui Information

Time Zone:
Hawaii

Getting Around:
Visitors to Maui will likely arrive by plane at one of the island’s three airports (Hana, Kahului and Kapalua), though it’s possible to sail to the island if you have the time. Once on Maui, most visitors choose to rent a car. Hawaii’s drivers are safe and courteous, and there are several well-marked major roads on Maui to make navigating relatively easy. Still, some steep and winding roads will require an extra cautious hand behind the wheel, and rental companies refuse to allow their cars on some of the unpaved, bumpy dirt roads, where a four-wheel-drive vehicle is the only safe choice. Some visitors choose to charter an airplane or helicopter to tour the island’s more remote, but breathtaking, regions.

Weather:
All the Hawaiian islands boast pleasant year-round temperatures and lots of sunshine, so it’s tough to pick a bad time of year to visit Maui. During winter months, the temperature averages 80 degrees, increasing closer to 90 degrees in the hottest part of the summer, but trade winds usually keep the temperature comfortable. Rainfall increases slightly as the temperature drops in winter; much of Maui’s rainfall occurs on the north coast and in the remote interiors of the mountains. Since the island was formed by active volcanoes, its landscape encompasses 11 different climate zones and your weather will be dictated by local patterns and where you happen to be on the island.

Maui Attractions & Things To Do

Haleakala National Park
Haleakala Crater Road, Makawao
808-572-9306
Haleakala’s steaming plume beckons from miles away. It’s not difficult to imagine the demigod Maui capturing the sun and holding it captive here in the “House of the Sun” (as Polynesian lore dictates), demanding more hours of sunlight for islanders. Haleakala is a breathtaking spot, a 10,023-foot-tall dormant volcano whose lava formed most of East Maui. The cinder cone-covered crater floor measures more than 24 square miles, and is a 3,000-foot drop from its upper rim. More than one million people visit Haleakala annually.

Maui Ocean Center
192 Ma’alaea Road, Ma’alaea
808-270-7000
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Admission Charged
As an island, Maui enjoys a special link to the sea. The Maui Ocean Center explores that link; indoor and outdoor displays at the aquarium feature 2,000 sharks, fishes and other sea creatures as well as vast displays on Hawaii’s black lava shores and colorful coral.

Maui Tropical Plantation
1670 Honopi’ilani Highway, Waikapu
800-451-6805
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
Admission Charged
A tram ride transports tourists through this lush region of the island as a narrator tells of its rich agricultural heritage. The 120-acre plantation encompasses more than 60 acres of pineapple, sugar cane, mangoes, guavas, papaya, ginger and coffee, and also showcases dozens of varieties of tropical orchids.

Sea World
191 North Kihei Road, Kihei
808-879-8860
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. daily
Admission Charged
A two-hour boat ride takes visitors to see Hawaii’s most impressive residents – its whales. On most trips, boats are able to get so close that observers can see the barnacles on the whales’ backs, and may get sprayed by the splash as their great tales slap the water’s surface. You can also expect to hear the whales as they converse with each other in their clicking, singing “language.”

Whalers Village Museum
Kaanapali Beach, Lahaina
This museum, in the heart of Lahaina, documents the sleepy port city’s evolution to a whaling boomtown. Home to an impressive collection of whaling memorabilia, the museum shows what life was like between 1825 and 1860 for the men who led the harsh whaling life aboard tiny boats chasing 45-ton quarry. The exhibit includes harpoons, sea chests and a re-creation of the typical six-man crew’s quarters. Films about whales and whaling history are shown throughout the day.

Hike Maui
Kahului
808-879-5270
Hours: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily
Admission Charged
Some of Maui’s most incredible scenery can only be viewed on foot. A guide will lead your group on a four-and-a-half-mile mountain hike to the upper ridges of the West Maui mountains. A picnic lunch, supplied by the outfitter, awaits at the top, but you may already be full if you’ve stopped to sample the wild fruit and berries along the path.

Maui Paraglide
Kula
877-463-5944
Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 pm. daily
Admission Charged
Riding a tandem paraglide (with a flight instructor along), you’ll take a once-in-a-lifetime soar over the Haleakala’s magnificent terrain and hover over its 3,000-foot-deep crater.

Maui Downhill Tours
199 Dairy Road, Kahului
808-871-2155
Hours: 6:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission Charged
After a light, pre-dawn breakfast, the outfitter will drive your group to the summit of Haleakala to watch the sunrise. Then, depending on your skill and adventure level, you’ll take one of five bicycle trips and coast down the volcano past incredible scenery and through the switchbacks toward Pa’ia for a full-day adventure. Those with younger children should be advised that, for safety reasons, children under 12 are not permitted.

Sunshine Helicopter
107 Kahului Airport, Kahului
808-871-0722
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, weather permitting
Admission Charged
Since more than half of the island is inaccessible by car, visitors may choose to take this memorable flight over Haleakala’s crater and the surrounding volcanic landscape.

Maui Family Fun Attractions

Haleakala National Park
Haleakala Crater Road, Makawao
808-572-9306
No child will forget a visit to Haleakala, a 10,023-foot-high dormant volcano. Views from the crater to its 24-square-mile floor will create a lasting impression, as will the park’s hiking and camping opportunities; one trail loops all the way through the volcanic crater.

Maui Ocean Center
192 Ma’alaea Road, Ma’alaea
808-270-7000
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Admission charged.
This 75,000-gallon aquarium allows children to feel as if they are swimming with the 2,000 fishes, sharks and other sea creatures as they view marine habitats from an acrylic tunnel beneath the water’s surface. The Ocean Center features a “Discovery Journey,” in which participants descend from black lava and sandy beaches past underwater coral and rare fish through sea caves and into the depth of the ocean.

Maui Tropical Plantation
1670 Honopi’ilani Highway, Waikapu
800-451-6805
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
Admission charged.
A tram ride transports tourists through this lush region of the island as a narrator tells of its rich agricultural heritage. The 120-acre plantation encompasses more than 60 acres of pineapple, sugar cane, mangoes, guavas, papaya, ginger and coffee, and also showcases dozens of varieties of tropical orchids. After the tram, children will be entertained by Hawaiian hula dancers and demonstrations of native crafts.

Hike Maui
Kahului
808-879-5270
Hours: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily
Admission charged.
Some of Maui’s most incredible scenery can only be viewed on foot. A guide will lead your group on a four-and-a-half-mile mountain hike to the upper ridges of the West Maui mountains; what better way to help a child burn off some excess energy and help establish a bond with nature?

Sea World
191 North Kihei Road, Kihei
808-879-8860
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. daily
Admission charged.
A two-hour boat ride takes visitors to see Hawaii’s most impressive residents – its whales. On most trips, boats are able to get so close that observers can see the barnacles on the whales’ backs, and may get sprayed by the splash as their great tales slap the water’s surface. You can also expect to hear the whales as they converse with each other in their clicking, singing “language.”

Whalers Village Museum
Kaanapali Beach, Lahaina
This museum, in the heart of Lahaina, documents the sleepy port city’s evolution to a whaling boomtown. Home to an impressive collection of whaling memorabilia, the museum shows what life was like between 1825 and 1860 for the men who led the harsh whaling life aboard tiny boats chasing 45-ton quarry. The exhibit includes harpoons, sea chests and a re-creation of the typical six-man crew’s quarters. Films about whales and whaling history are shown throughout the day.

Sunshine Helicopter
107 Kahului Airport, Kahului
808-871-0722
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, weather permitting
Admission charged.
Since more than half of the island is inaccessible by car, visitors may choose to take this memorable flight over Haleakala’s crater and the surrounding volcanic landscape. Children should be equally thrilled at the experience of riding in a helicopter and the magnificence of the view.

Maui Events & Entertainment

January:
Celebration of Whales

March:
Art Maui
Prince Kuhio Day, a local celebration to honor the man who might have been Hawaii’s king had the islands not become part of the United States (March 26)

April:
Buddha Day

May:
Lei Day
Maui Music Festival

June:
King Kamehameha Day, honoring Hawaii’s first king with parades and festivals
Kapalua Wine and Food Symposium
Makawao Rodeo

July-August:
Bon Odori festivals, honoring many islanders’ Japanese ancestors

September:
Taste of Lahaina, a food festival featuring competitions between Maui’s top chefs

September-October:
Aloha Festivals, designed to promote native culture

December:
Na Mele O Maui, featuring arts, crafts and performances by native schoolchildren

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