"Maui Madness" Maui by M0B1US

After O'ahu we flew out to Maui for a few days and then onto the Big Island, before returning back to O'ahu for a few days...

The only Hawai’ian island named after a god, Maui certainly lives up to this pedigree considering its reputation as the perfect tropical paradise. Even the Hawaiians themselves say, ‘Maui no ka oi’ ("Maui is the best"). Legend has it that Maui caused the birth of the Hawaiian Islands when he pulled the islands up from the bottom of the ocean with his magic fishhook.

Maui is made up of two volcanoes whose eruptions slowly merged in the middle to form the narrow neck of land that joins them together, the western volcano is far older and heavily eroded into tall jagged spires such as the majestic Iao Needle, and deep jungle clad valleys.

Haleakala on the other hand is a shield volcano whose vast mass imposes its presence on more than three quarters of the island. It is here that you can make the pre dawn pilgrimage to watch the sunrise in the ‘House of the Sun. Here you can gaze in awe at it’s lunar landscape or marvel at the Silversword, in its only habitat in the World.

Upcountry Maui is a district of cool climates and sleepy rural towns like the rustic old cowboy town of Makawao with its thriving craft scene. Upcountry also is home to the tedeschi Winery – one of only two in all Hawai’i.

For the adventurous, there is the winding coastal road to Hana that passes dozens of waterfalls on it’s route to the wild and undeveloped side of the island. On the way is Paia, a surfer’s town and jumping off point for Hookipa Beach – one of the premier surf spots in the World.

Other watersports include the incomparable opportunities for Humpback whale watching in Ma’alea Bay. These visitors winter in the warm protected Hawaiian waters to mate and calve. Their sheer size is amazing, some being as big as a bus and weighing many tons!

Another fantastic attraction in the bay is the semi submerged crater of Molokini where many of Hawai’i’s 600+ species of fish can be swum with in its calm waters.

With so much to do, Maui will surely have you coming back for more!

10,023ft sure does give you a whole lotta view!

The great thing about Maui that really differs from Oahu is that it really is possible to escape from the tourist crowds and really experience something akin to a quiet relaxing holiday. As far as I can tell, it’s the more adventurous, or more affluent tourists that actually make it as far as Maui, compared to staying in Oahu.

The two main tourist areas here are the two west facing coasts taking in the sweep of major developments centred on Kaanapali and Kihei, I could quite happily never venture into either of these areas and not be at a loss. That said, by far the majority of visitors will end up in these very areas and their facilities are excellent, especially for families. I ended up staying in Kahului, which although nothing to write home about, was very reasonably priced for accommodation and had plenty of cheap places to buy food or eat. Another advantage was that being centrally located, no destination on the island proved to be too far away.

For a bit of Maui culture, I would definitely recommend the Old Lahaina Lu’au however it is so popular that it is actually booked weeks in advance – so get booking now! We had to settle for the Maui Marriott Lu’au, which was still excellent but considered second best.

Now, one of the most amazing things you can do on Maui is to go on a whale watch and see these awesome beasts in the wild. In my opinion the best place to do this is Ma’alaea Bay from where the Pacific Whale Foundation (http://www.pacificwhale.org/index.html) sails. These guys are not for profit and plough the proceeds straight back into the whale's protection.

A good Maui website is www.maui.net

Lahaina Waterfront

While Oahu has one of the best bus networks of anywhere in the US, Maui is completely devoid of any public transport at all.

TransHawai’ian (808-877-0380) runs a shuttle service from the airport to Lahaina and Kaanapali every 30 minutes. Cars are the only way to really take in the true majesty of this most diverse of islands with something for everyone.

As much of the island is very mountainous, most of the road system is single lane and traffic jams can happen particularly during the ‘rush hour’ (yes, even the locals have to work!). In the valley this can get particularly bad and it is important to avoid highways 311 & 380 even if it means having to endure lying on the beach for another hour or two!

Maui is home to two of the World’s most spectacular drives: The Road to Hana, (Hwy 360) is a wild cliffhugger, twisting and bucking it’s way deep into lush rainforest clad valleys before winding it’s way back onto the rugged coastline. Allow at least 4 hours and set out early, also be aware that unless you book into the limited accommodation options at Hana, you will also have to negotiate the same route back with many others which could be very tiring.

The other amazing drive is taking Hwy 377 for the long climb 10,023ft up to Haleakala’s summit, this is reputedly the steepest road in the World and the vistas are stunning as you wend your way ever higher.
This journey is usually taken in the wee hours before dawn in the daily pilgrimage to welcome the rising of the sun, which provides the serpentine sight of dozens of car lights snaking their way upwards.

One particularly enticing travel alternative is being driven up to see the sunrise and then bike all the way downhill without ever having to pedal once! http://www.bikemaui.com/

One place where you will have to leave the car however is in Lahaina, a picturesque old whaling town where the pedestrian rules the streets and taking the car anywhere other than the nearest car park presents a real headache.

• Pros:Whale Watching, Haleakala - House of Awesome Sunrises
• Cons:Traffic Jams, Not enough time!
• In a nutshell:‘Maui no ka oi'