I spent some time exploring Maui a couple of years ago with my favorite travel companion, my wife. We'd already enjoyed Kauai, and the big island of Hawaii, but we had heard so much about Maui, we had to go. This year, we had arranged to visit Oahu for my birthday in May, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, that has been put on hold. Instead, I thought I would share photos of Maui to remind me of what we're missing. And we're missing a lot.
For this trip, we purchased a package deal with Hawaiian Airlines - airfare, condo in Kihei, and rental car. It was a great deal, and an incredibly memorable experience. We love a lot of history and nature on our trips, and we certainly weren't disappointed with Maui. A lot of folks just lie on the beach - which is fine - but we tend to pack a lot into our trips, so we were up early, usually with a breakfast of fresh pineapple and other local treats, then off to snorkel early in the day when the water is the calmest, and then off for the day, driving the north coast, the road to Hana, the road after Hana, hiking Haleakala National Park, exploring Lahaina's history, tracking down petroglyphs, chasing the best seafood, plate lunches, cocktails, and, of course, more snorkeling.
Where to begin? How about in and around Kihei, which has a heavy concentration of tourist lodging, but some sweet stretches of beach, decent shopping, great grocery stores (poke heaven!), and some prized food trucks. It's a great base for exploring the island, with day trips possible in every direction. We loved it, and it was budget-friendly. We had a condo on the third floor of a well-kept building, one block from the beach, with great views, fresh air, and plenty to do within walking distance.
In and around Kihei
One of our favorite things about Hawaii is the natural beauty and wildlife - on land, and in the sea. A short drive north of Kihei is the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge. It's a great place to take a walk on the boardwalk that takes you through beautiful wetlands filled with a variety of waterfowl, from the endangered Ae'o - the Hawaiian stilt, to the 'Auku'u - the black-crowned night heron. The Refuge preserves nesting, feeding, and resting habitat for endangered species, and provides human visitors with an excellent opportunity to do some relaxing bird watching, stroll the boardwalk and the beach, and enjoy some beautiful views on all sides. Morning and late afternoon/evening are the best times to visit, but really, anytime you're passing by, it's worth a stop.
Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
Of course, you can stop there on your way to Lahaina, but as you head northwest on the Honoapiilani Highway, we made a detour, much of it on a dirt road, to visit the Olowalu Petroglyphs. Visiting Hawaii isn't worthwhile, in my opinion, if you don't try to learn something about the people to whom these islands truly belong - the native Hawaiians. Maui provides a number of opportunities to connect more with Hawaiian culture, both historically, and with contemporary culture. While the Olowalu site has degraded over time, it was inventoried and is said to contain about 70 petroglyphs, though only a handful are easily found. Still, this gives us a glimpse back to pre-European contact Hawaii, with figures of men and women, children, animals, boats, and more. The cliff they were carved on lies along the trail between the beautiful Olawalu Valley and the Iao Valley. We'll visit the Iao Valley, and it's bloody history, later.
Olowalu Petroglyphs
Back on the Honoapiiliani Highway, we make sure to take the left into town and avoid the Lahaina Bypass. The bypass is good if you're headed north and have explored Lahaina to your heart's content, but Lahaina is one of my must-stop places on Maui.
Once, Lele (meaning "relentless sun" in Hawaiian) was the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom in the early 19th century. Then Lahaina, as it became known, ended up as a whaling town during the mid-19th century. Up to 1,500 sailors from as many as 400 ships took leave in Lahaina, including Herman Melville. Whalers would hunt whales in the Arctic, and then, after months of freezing temperatures, hard work, and long, long days at sea, they would arrive in Lahaina. Their elation at leaving the Artic for Maui, was turned to song in the old sailing song, "Rolling Down to Old Maui," a song I've sung many times.
Once more we sail with a northerly gale Towards our island home. Our mainmast sprung, our whaling done, And we ain't got far to roam. Six hellish months have passed away On the cold Kamchatka Sea, But now we're bound from the Arctic ground Rolling down to Old Maui.
I intend to record a ukulele version of the song now that I have actually been to Lahaina and understand just how happy it would make me to return - whether I went whaling first, or not.
Lahaina now is a seaside town of art galleries, restaurants, shopping, shave ice, museums, and a base for fun activities on the water. The whalers would still love it, though they'd probably wind up in jail now - they weren't always the most respectful or appreciative guests. The town is on the National Register of Historic Places, as it should be, and you can conduct your own walking tour of the historic town, while enjoying all its modern amenities. Over 50 acres of historic Lahaina have been preserved, and you can walk the Lahaina Historic Trail to see the U.S. Seamen's Hospital, Hala Paahao (the Lahaina Prison), the Pioneer Inn, Maui's incredible banyan tree,
We caught the Baldwin Home Museum, the Plantation Museum, the Banyan Tree, and the Hale Pa'ahao Old Prison, among other stops, Together they provided a fascinating glimpse into Lahaina's past, from it's days as capital, through World War II. One favorite was the Wo Hiing Museum, a Chinese temple on Front Street. Lahaina's Chinese community formed the Wo Hing Society in the early 1900s, which built this temple and social hall in 1912. It is now an excellent small museum. We were lucky enough to stumble onto an impromptu solo guzheng (like the Japanese koto) concert in the social hall upstairs. It was supposed to be rehearsal for a later performance, but the friendly museum staff allowed us to enjoy it.
There's so much history to see in Lahaina that you can easily spend more than a full day exploring it all. While it seems many visitors shop and dine and enjoy the recreational opportunities based in Lahaina, if you leave the historical experiences out of your visit, I think you're only skimming the surface. The best place to begin your exploration is online at the site for the Lahaina Restoration Foundation. You can find maps and information for all of the historical sites in and around Lahaina there.
Lahaina
From Lahaina, we continued north on the Honoapiilani Highway to Ka'anapali on the northwestern coast of Maui. Here, large tony resorts, golf courses, and long stretches of beautiful beaches await. Unlike many travel writers who cater to everything luxury, I'm not an enormous fan of heavily developed upscale beaches. I much prefer that lonely stretch of road up ahead with its hidden coves, rugged coastline, and lush hillsides - the place where the highway turns into kind of a two lane road, filled with hairpin curves and breathtaking sights. Folks will talk about the Road to Hana, which is wonderful, but this north shore drive is also excellent.
First stop was Honolua Bay, part of the Honolua-Mokuleia Bay Marine Life Conservation District. There, we walked through the trees to the bay, where we snorkeled for hours. While snorkeling boat expeditions anchor in the mouth of the bay, and snorkelers swim out from the shore, the bay is large enough to let you enjoy yourself without feeling cramped. A truly delightful place - very difficult to leave. But on we (eventually) went.
We stopped off at the Nakalele Blowhole, which wasn't doing much (tide must have been out) when we arrived. But there was a coconut truck there, so we indulged in some fresh coconut milk straight from the coconut, and then had the coconut meat to enjoy. Refreshing! In Kahakkuloa Village, we stopped for Julia's Banana Bread - reputed to be the best banana bread on Maui (yeah, banana bread's definitely a thing here, and you can get it any way you want, from plain to fried). Whether it's the best banana bread on Maui, I can't say, as I am not the world's authority on banana bread. It was superb, however, and a delightful stop. You can order Julia's products, including her delicious guava jam and passion fruit butter online HERE. It's not cheap, but it's so good. Oh my!
The Kahekili Highway, as the winding two-lane (sometimes down to one lane) road along the north shore is known, is stunningly beautiful, but make sure to pay attention to the road. Traffic is supposed to be one way only for stretches of the drive, but that's not always the case, and the blind curves and potential for disaster help keep the excitement level high. I don't recommend this drive for the more timid driver, and this definitely is not a road to speed on either. Take your time, enjoy the view, and forget that some folks refer to it as "the trail of death and enlightenment." Soon, you'll find yourself winding your way back into civilization, arriving at Paukukalo, where you'll head south, and then turn back westward into the mountains to visit Iao Valley State Park.
North Shore
