A letter from first time visitors who contacted me for information and shared their experience with me.

We had a perfect time. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Everything we did was fantastic. There wasn't a thing we didn't love.
The zip-line was a kick-and-a-half and very unique.
The road to Hana was fantastic. Our favorite parts of the Hana trip were the hike through the arboretum with it's amazing trees and flowers especially the rainbow eucalyptus trees, the 4 mile hike through the bamboo forest and up to the Waimoku waterfall at the end (an essential place to visit when going to Maui) and the black sand beach and surrounding lava formations (another essential place to visit). Taking good hiking boots is a must, which we had, for seeing many of the best sights. We left Lahiana at 7:30 am and returned the same way at 9:30pm, eating dinner in Hana on the way back. It was fabulous and driving the road at night on the return was no problem at all.

We ended up taking 2 trips with Maui Adventure Cruises. The snorkel/dolphin tour and the 2 hour whale watching tour. There was not enough whale watching with the snorkel tour to satisfy us high desert folk. Both were great. We also saw lots of whales from the balcony of our hotel room and from the road to and from Lahiana!

We had a very successful snorkel experience just walking into the ocean off the beach at Black Rock by the Sheraton Hotel. We swam out around the tip and to the back side of the rocks and saw a terrific assortment of fish with great clarity and perfect depth. We drove down to the "turtle town" beach in Makena but the waves were too rough and the visibility was nil. We were told early morning is best.

Our favorite shopping place was Whalers Village and our own Hyatt Regency Hotel was terrific too. We didn't like the Old Lahiana Cannery or the Lahiana Front Street as well. We did a ton of shopping, we couldn't resist the great made in Hawaii clothes, jewelery, etc., etc.

The Feast at Lele was fantastic and we loved the different foods and dances just as you said we would. We were blessed to get front row seats.

We spent a day driving to the Iao Needle which was a must see in Maui--amazingly striking. OImage via Wikipedian from there we drove the entire top circle of Maui. We didn't have any trouble with the road, #10, which was sometimes one lane and we took several hikes down to get better views of the volcanic cliffs and of course to the blow-hole. The views were absolutely breathtaking and there was a fabulous artisans gift shop on that side of the island with better prices. Good hiking boots were a must, once again.

We also went to the Maui Ocean Center which is first rate and we went to Pa'ia to hang out for awhile and eat dinner (the pizza at that pizza place on the main street was fab) before our flight home. The shopping there is nice, but the shops close way too early, most at 5:00pm.

Thanks so much for all the help you gave us in planning our trip to paradise!
Cheers,
Kris and Ed

WEST MAUI SIGHTS

Everyone who coImage by supercake via Flickrmes to Maui tries the drive around the top of West Maui over towards the little village of Kahakuloa to the other side where the highway ends in Wailuku. I have put together a few places to stop along the way.... please drive very carefully as the highway is very, very narrow in some places with no gaurd rails and high up on the cliffs. Still one of the best places to get banana bread served warm, with a napkin and a knife as well as homemade coconut candy.


SLAUGHTERHOUSE BEACH
Just after mile marker #32

Stone steps down lead you to a private beach area perfect for lying in the sun and building sand castles.


HONOLUA BAY
Just after mile marker #33
Terrific for snorkeling in the summer and outrageous waves in the winter, perfect for advanced surfers.







PUNALAU BEACH
7/10's of a mile past mile marker #34
This is the last sand beach on the West side of the island.... very nice for laying out and collecting shells and building sandcastles.

NAKALELE BLOWHOLE
1/2 mile past the #38 milemarker
About 1200 feet from the road and 205 feet down towards the ocean. BE CAREFUL. Do not stand to close to the hole as there are no railings keeping you back.. and the water comes up fiercely. Best if you watch from afar.

**Just after mile marker #42 the road changes from state to county so the mile markers will begin again at mile marker #16. From this point on the road becomes narrow with pullouts along the side so you can get out of the way of traffic coming towards you. There is not alot of traffic but enough so that you may have to back up to a pull out at least once. But before you turn around make sure you continue on to the Olivine Pools where the road is still fine.

OLIVINE POOLS
Just before mile marker #16


Hike down towards the ocean to natural lava swimming pools on the edge of a lava shelf. Wear comfortable hiking shoes down to the pools as parts of the walk down can be rocky and steep.

Maui is diverse and its natural beauty is stunning. But, nature also has a dangerous side to it - especially for the uninitiated. Before going to the beach and swimming in the ocean, make sure you do a few things (that you might not normally plan on doing before say, going to a public beach in Florida...) The Pacific Ocean is much more dynamic than the Atlantic Ocean. Additionally, the Hawaiian Islands are one of the most isolated land masses on earth, more than 3,000 miles from the closest large body of land. These islands are subject to the powerful Trade Winds and because of the rapid drop-offs, shallow reefs, and irregular shorelines, can host large waves and strong currents.

Check the weather and ocean report for the day you plan on going to the beach. Pay particular attention to the winds, surface conditions, and any weather advisories or warnings (such as small-craft advisories, large ocean swells, or storms.) Once arriving at the beach, scan the area and check for potential hazards.

KAHAKULOA VILLAGE
Between mile marker #15 and #14 (narrow road)
In this village you will find Panini Pua Kea Fruit Stand that has handmade coconut candy. You will also find the "best" banana bread at Julie's, a small bright green stand on the left side on your way out of the village, just as the road starts to ascend up out of the valley. Be sure to view the active Taro Fields that come down underneath and along side of her stand. It is very interesting and a food source for the community. As you head away from this darling little village you will continue on a still winding and narrow road all the way around to Wailuku. From there another stop at the Iao valley might be fun, but that is for another day.

Whales

Image via Wikipedia

• One of the most popular Maui sights from December to April

Image via WikipediaMany tourists make their travel plans so that they are able to visit Maui during the time when the humpback whales are here. The whales arrive in the Hawaiian islands in December and leave Maui in April every year, so peak whale season is really January through March.

Humpback whales migrate from Alaska, where they spend the summer eating and storing energy as blubber. They swim thousands of miles to the Hawaiian island chain, where there is no food for them to eat, just so that their calves have a safe and sheltered ocean where they can learn to swim. The newborn humpback whale must breathe every three minutes. Because they are born without any body fat, the parents must assist newborn calves in getting to the surface. This is much easier to do in the 300 foot deep ocean around the Hawaiian islands instead of in the open ocean which is much deeper.

Mother and baby whale are often seen around Maui swimming together and accompanied by a male escort, who protects the female from other male suitors. Competition pods are seen around Maui quite often. This is usually comprised of one female whale and multiple male whales who perform spectacular breeching feats and compete for the attention of the female whale. These whale activities make the Hawaiian islands a spectacular place to whale watch, you wouldn't see anything as amazing at their summer home in Alaska.

Bring bincoculars to the beach to whale waImage via Wikipediatch there. In fact, if you are an avid whale watcher you can bring your binoculars everywhere with you. You will see people pulled over on the side of the road watching whales that are swimming just offshore. You will often see "spouts" of water and this is a sign that there is a whale nearby. If you are out in the open ocean in a kayak, or in a boat which has cut the motor, you can even hear the whales blowing and look for them that way. You will almost surely see whales anytime you are on a boat around Maui during whale season.

Please respect these gentle giants as they are endangered and, even so, they are still hunted by a few countries in the world. U.S. Coast Guard regulations state that all people must stay 100 yards away from the whales at all times and they issue fines for violation. Most boat captains will approach the whales within a safe distance then cut the motor. Because the whales are curious about us too, they often swim up to the side of the boat to get a good look at us. This is allowed if the whale approaches you but you are never allowed to approach the whale.

Snorkeling in Maui

• The funnest and safest way to swim with the fishes

Snorkeling is an excellent vacation activity both on and around Maui. Things that affect how much you enjoy snorkeling are the fit of the mask and fins, the quality of the snorkel, and the tranquility and visibility of the water. The mask fits well if you can hold it up to your face, inhale through your nose, and get the mask to stick. Fins made of soft rubber tend to rub less against the skin. Good snorkels have a reservoir at the bottom of the tube below your mouth (where it makes the U shape) to catch water that goes in. Some snorkels come with a wave guard which can prevent salt water intake as well. Generally, if there are white-caps on the water it won't be good for snorkeling. There are lots of great places on and around Maui to snorkel.

MOLOKINI is a crescent-shaped island off the coast of Maui that can be reached by boat or kayak. Molokini is a wildlife preserve and is a protected area, so people are not allowed on shore. The reef here is a unique ecosystem and a very popular snorkel destination. Reef sharks, which are very small, are often seen here as well.

LANA'I is a destination island with a few very high-end resorts and beautiful beaches. Snorkeling trips from Maui often frequent popular Lanai'i snorkel sites, some of which have large coral formations with beautiful swimmable channels.

OLUWALU is very shallow and calm and a great place to teach kids to snorkel, however the reef offshore has been largely destroyed. The better snorkeling at Oluwalu is when it is approached by boat.
Image by Rtoodetoo via Flickr
TURTLE REEF is often included in snorkel sails but can be reached from the shore by the Maui Prince Hotel in Makena. The snorkeling here is great but you must be a good swimmer because the reef is a ways off shore. There are lots of turtles here, like the name suggests

ULUA is a good beach with great snorkeling offshore to the right side, Turtles are very commonly seen here also. Reef-safe sunscreen is provided free at the information desk.

HONOLUA BAY has great snorkeling with huge coral formations, eels, reef sharks, sting rays, turtles at the point off to the right hand side, and an amazing quantity of fish. There are rocks instead of sand here and water shoes would be a good idea, although it's not terrible without them.

AHIHI has good snorkeling but it only starts getting good pretty far off shore so again you should be a strong swimmer. Turtles are commonly seen here, and the red and black sea urchins make the coral landscape spectacular.

AIRPORT BEACH has plentiful coral and a very diverse selection of fish. This beach is located in Kaanapali by the new Westin Ocean Villas. If you go to the public beach park the best snorkeling is to the right. Turtles are common here too.

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