Elaine & Bernard
Things To Do
Haleakalā National Park
This park houses the dormant Haleakala Volcano that forms the majority of Maui. There are wonderful day and multi-day hikes from the summit and the landscapes here are unreal! We did a 13 mile hike that took us from desert landscape, to what looked like the moon, and ended in the rainforest. We also loved the popular sunrise at the 10,000 foot summit, which you now need reservations for.
Road to Hana
This is a popular scenic drive from Paia to Hana on the northeast side of the island. This winding road has many popular and secret sites, from small waterfalls to white sandy beaches. We loved all the places we stopped using the “Road to Hana Maui” app from Gypsy Guide ($4.99) but we particularly loved the Garden of Eden Arboretum, Ke’anahe Arboretum, Hana Lava Tubes, and Wai’anapanapa State Park. If you have the time, we really recommend the few stops beyond Hana. The Seven Sacred Pools at Ohe’o and Pipiwai trail through bamboo forests that lead to Waimoku Falls offer the tropical, lush, contrasting side of Haleakala National Park.
Lahaina
This historic whaling port-town is filled with art, restaurants, and entertainment. Stroll through the popular shops and restaurants of Front Street, check out historic museums and landmarks, the enormous Banyan tree, the harbor, and walk the small, quiet streets, too.
Old Lahaina Luau
Some of the top luaus in Maui are around Lahaina and we loved our experience at Old Lahaina Luau. We enjoyed the demonstrations, food, performances, and beautiful sunset location.
Beaches
There are plenty of beaches throughout most of the coast of Maui, ranging from pristine, white sand to rocky, black lava beaches. Our favorite for lounging was Makena State Park, a short drive just south of Wailea. It’s fairly wide from sand to shore but also long, making this popular beach feel like there aren’t many people there. Being a state park and not a developed resort beach, it doesn’t have much for facilities. There are no showers, a few port-a-potties and picnic tables, and a couple of food trucks.
Snorkeling
The best spots are on the west coast, north of Lahaina, and the south coast, south of Wailea. There are certainly many tours that do snorkel trips but you can also buy your own gear and venture on your own. We did a snorkeling tour to the crater of Molokini off the south side. The water was fairly calm and some of the clearest we’ve ever seen. There is plenty of coral but the downside is it’s fairly deep and harder to get close to marine life unless you’re close to the crater where waves are stronger. Also, the marine life isn’t overly abundant. Some other snorkel spots have more, if that is what you’re looking for.