Maui Island Holidays & Accommodation
Hawaii Islands, USA, North America
Maui is a gorgeous gem among the Hawaiian Islands. There are numerous resorts to stay in, and many facilities to make visitors' stay convenient and easy. Whether you're interested in chartering a sail boat, hiking Haleakala, or cruising the Hana Highway, you will find plenty of welcoming distractions on this beautiful island. Like all the Hawaiian Islands, Maui is volcanic in origin. On the picturesque Hana highway you can see beautiful black volcanic sand beaches and tropiucal waterfalls. Things to do on Maui include absorbing the charm of the seaside town of Lahaina, walking the extinct craters of Haleakala National Park, and playing on the beaches or golf courses of Kaanapali.
Maui Island Holidays Planner
Approximately 48 miles long and 26 miles wide, Maui is a beautiful and scenic island. This is where the humpback whale winters before it returns to Alaska during the warmer months. Herman Melville, author of that classic American novel of Moby Dick, took leave in Lahaina while he served on a whaling ship in the 19th century.
One of the classic things you can do for an authentic Hawaiian experience is attend a luau. In Lahaina, the island's historic whaling town, there are a variety of operators who offer a great encounter with this traditional Hawaiian feast. You will have the chance to experience traditional Hawaiian music, cuisine, and island crafts, often in a beautiful island setting during a spectacular island sunset.
Although not as famous as Oahu, Maui also has some great spots for surf. For more experienced surfers, there are beaches like Slaughterhouse, Ho'okipa, and Sand Box; but for beginners, people wanting lessons may want to contact their hotel concierge to arrange lessons at the nearest beach with an easier surf.
What Maui is perhaps most known for is its great diving opportunities, and there are two marine conservation areas to explore, including one at Molokini where divers can explore a partially submerged volcanic crater. For those who have always wanted to try diving, they can get certification with numerous outfits. It is a great place to explore the marine environment, and there are award winning dive sites like the Lana'i Cathedrals.
At the beaches of Kaanapali with their white sand and clear water, there are numerous resorts as well as a whaling museum to explore. Every evening there is a ceremony at Puu Kekaa, or Black Rock, where a cliff diver will light a torch along the cliff and dive off the cliff in a re-enactment of a feat by the endeared King Kahekili.
At the picturesque town of Lahaina, which was once the capital of the Hawaiian kingdom, you can explore the historic district, which is over 55 acres in size. Here, there are heritage buildings that mark the area's past in whaling, protestant missionaries, and immigrant plantation life. You may also want to walk the Lahaina Historic Trail to get a real feel for the overall history of the area.
One of the most notable features of Maui is the Hana Highway; this 68 mile winding highway has 59 bridges, the majority of which have only a single lane. This scenic highway offers vistas of rainforests, falls like Wailua falls and ocean beaches, all of which are accessible to the public. Also near the highway is Haleakala National Park, where you can explore the dormant Haleakala volcano at over 10 000 feet. This 30 000 acre park descends to sea level through thick jungle, and at the entrance you can find the tiered Pools of Oheo, and perhaps take a cooling swim.