Parks and Playgrounds

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There is no doubt that a good park where children have a playground is alway a must while on vacation.  Children have their needs too when they are looking to get away and relax.  This playground, located in Kihei along the beach has not only a playground but a skatepark, an outdoor rollerskating rink, beach volleyball courts, tennis and basketball courts.  They also have lots of pinic areas spread throughout the park.

Our favorite thing to do in Kihei, is to hit the park and have a picnic.  There are plenty of great cafes and shops to pick up a great basket of good food.  Morning, noon or sunset, there is no bad time to hang out in this park.

The state of the parks and playgrounds in Maui is pretty good.  They are located in every little community or town.  Haiku has a big one, located near Giggle hill.  Kahului has several spread throughout the city.   Since there are no big amusement parks or other parks similar to that in Maui these parks are in pretty good condition and relatively new.  They are normally packed with children who are getting their yayas out.

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Tours for The Whole Family

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The best tour to take is a Maui tour with Valley Isle Excursions. There are many tours you can take on Maui but this one will appeal to children the most.  It’s a long day but here are some great benefits for different age groups.

Infants and Children

Our Maui guides are safe, courteous and definitely love kids.   They will make any accommodation you need to be sure the entire family has a great time.   Children can sit and their own seat and relax, this is so much more comfortable then being in a car.  They have great seats that sit them up higher then others so they can see really well out of huge windows.  No one is driving in the family so everyone can hang out with the children or sit together without having them confined to a backseat car seat.   You can get in and out of the van comfortably so the child can easily be taken outside as often as you want without any hassle.

Older Children

Many of the same points still apply but here are a few other.  It’s a rainforest adventure, they are going into where the dinosaurs of the movie Jurassic Park live.   Some of the scenes from the movies were shot out here in Hawaii and opening (most incredible, dramatic) sequences of the first movie was filmed along Maui’s northern coast where the road to Hana is.  During the tour they can hike into a cave, sit on black sand beach, watch a blow-hole, go swimming in a crystal clear mountain pool and jump off a waterfall.

There are so many possibilities, the entire day is open to you and your Maui guide can help plan the best day possible for the entire family from infants to Grandma and Grandpa.

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Museums, Cultural & Historical Places

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Compared to New York City or many of the other cities in the world, the number of museums here on Maui is pretty small.  What is located here on Maui is focused on items and topics directly relating to Maui or Hawaiian culture.

The Alexander and Baldwin Sugar Museum focuses on the islands link with these families and what their sugar plantations have done to change the face of the islands.  ,

The Baldwin House and Lahaina Restoration Foundation in Lahaina has a lot of great pieces and presentations.  They take you back to the time when Hawaii was ruled from Lahaina, the missionaries did their work and the whalers ruled the seas.

Whalers Village Museum gives a full account of the dramatic effect the whaling industry had on the Hawaiian culture in the past few centuries.  Being one of the most isolated island chains in the world in terms of distance it is a winter home to thousands of humpback whales.  This was and still is their breeding grounds.  Their numbers are greatly reduced since that time but they are slowly improving again.

The Maui Arts and Cultural Center in Kahului is full of Maui and Hawaii art history.  The best part of this is the shows on Hawaiian culture that is constantly happening here.  They also have a wide variety of benefits and shows for the entire family.

These are not huge museums and nothing there is incredibly dramatic when compared to some of the museums in cities around the world but if you are looking to learn more about Maui, Hawaii or experience Hawaiian culture at it’s finest then our Museums are the place to go.

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Sporting Events

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Let’s focus on the land sports here as we know there are plenty of water sports to be had on Maui.  To me sports consist of a few things, a ball and a field, course or court of some sort.  Beyond the basic basketball, soccer, tennis, football, baseball, volleyball and cricket, there are a lot of other sports you can enjoy on Maui.  There are always tournaments for every sport going on each weekend during their season.  Check out some of the up and coming MLB players at the stadium in Kahului.   You might find some pro or olympic Volleyball champions practicing on some of the beaches.  If it’s the right time of year and you can jump a flight to hit the NFL Pro Bowl in January.

Golf is a big sport here in Maui with plenty of private and public golf courses.  There are PGA and LPGA tournaments happening year-around.  You will find plenty of celebrities enjoying a round of golf in Maui or hopeless amateurs.   The pricing for golf at some of the public golf courses are very competitive to those found on the mainland and the views are spectacular.

For those of you into adult recreational pickup soccer, games can be found on most nights and weekend afternoons. Under the lights on Tuesday / Thursday in Makawao and other nights down in Kihei.  Big games happen in Kahului in the afternoons on Saturday and Sunday.  Bring your boots and you will fit right in.

Hunting for wild pigs, skateboarding or rollerblading, biking, hiking and other types of sports are available in great quantities.  There are so many sporting options to keep you busy that your vacation will go buy quickly.

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Watching Movies

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Going to the movies is easy on Maui.  A cinema is never far away.   There are three in Kahului including the one at the Castle Theatre at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center.  The movies played at the MACC are not the mainstream ones you find elsewhere and usually have won awards at international festivals.  These movies focus on culture, arts, environment or social issues.  This theatre is also the center of Maui’s international Film Festival that takes place each year.

The other Kahului theaters are located at the Malls, Maui mall and Queen Ka’ahumanu Center.   There are two cinemas in Lahaina on Front street and one in Kihei that play the mainstream, big release Hollywood generated movies.

Everyone enjoys movies and a vacation is not complete without going out to see at least one or watching them in your hotel or condo in the evenings.   There are many places to rent movies all over the towns, pick up cheap ones with your Costco membership or because most places have a good internet connection, hook up your laptop and watch them thru Hulu or netflix.

There is definitely not a shortage of good movie watching while on Maui.

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Shows & Concerts

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The big names in entertainment love to come to Hawaii.  Even though the market is much smaller, everyone loves Hawaii and in particular Maui. Many of the biggest names in entertainment love Maui so much they made it their home.   Check out concerts of local performers and you may be treated by a special guest appearance of people like Willie Nelson or Aerosmith’s lead vocalist, Steve Tyler.

Most of the big shows take place either at the stadium in Kahului or in the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, Castle Theatre.  Sometimes the events get so popular that shows are spread over multiple nights so everyone has a chance to enjoy the entertainment from great seats.

We particularly enjoy watching local artists likeJake Shimabukuro.  This Ukelele virtuoso can play anything on that little instrument.  From classical to rock and roll, you won’t ever be disappointed.  Sometimes he hosts a concert backed by Maui’s orchestra which is a real treat.

Check out the schedules at the MACC for upcoming shows.

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The Maui Bus Tour

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This is the only thing that is not free on the list.  The other things are free if you have the equipment and situated in the right spot to experience them.  Taking a bus tour is a great way to get around and see parts of the island.  It’s not the fancy bus tour that Valley Isle Excursions offers, although they do give a good deal for all that you see and do, not to mention the great meals and free drinks.

A bus tour is the most economical way to see the island and get around to different places.  Using the public transportation system and riding that around the island will give you the opportunity to see Maui beyond the beach.  Catch the bus as it travels through the towns of Kahului, Wailuku, Paia, Lahaina, Pukalani and Kihei to name just a few.  The bus can take you to all the major tourist attractions so you won’t miss a thing and the cost of riding the bus for your entire two week vacation is much less then what you would pay for a rental car for a day.

Check out the bus schedules and plan your days.  It’s also great as you will always have a designated driver too but be aware, they don’t have late routes so your day have to end a bit earlier if you are relying on the bus.

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People Watching

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There are not too many places to take in some good people watching on Maui.  It’s nothing like Venice, California where the freek show is on full display on the boardwalk.  There are small pockets of it, so after a short time you will be seeing the same thing over and over again.

Some of the best spot to people watch in Maui normally include a place in the sand or under a banyan tree.

In Lahaina, under the banyan tree, you can sit in the cool comfort of it’s shade and watch the tourists go by.  This gets a bit borning after awhile but in most cases there is always someone who is doing something interesting that captures your gaze for a while.

Of course the prime spot to people watch is down at the beach.  On many of the popular beaches there is always something going on for you to watch in a relaxed daze. With the backdrop of the ocean and the sound of the waves crashing, this is one free pasttime that just can’t be beat.

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Doing Beach Things

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There is nothing less expensive to do in Maui then go to the beach.  All you need is a towel and you are good to go.  There are no entrance fees or certain equipment you should have.  Heck, even on some beaches you don’t even need a swimsuit.  Lazying around in the sun on a beach is about the only thing left in life that is free, at least on Maui.

Depending on where you are on the island, there is not even the need to get into a vehicle to have a great beach.  With so many miles of great beaches, the one right outside the condo or hotel room is perfect for you.

On the beach, there are plenty of things to do besides laying on the a towel, soaking up the glorious sun rays.   There is paddle ball, beach volleyball, a type of bocci ball game, sandcastle building, picnicking, read a good book, meditating, exercise and whale watching if it’s the right time of year.  Also the best place to watch a great sunset is on the beach too.

Of course there is also all the swimming and bodysurfing too which is always fun.

In most cases you can spend your entire holiday on the beach and not spend a dime for any other entertainment or activities whatsoever.

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Road to Hana

If you love to do day hikes then Maui is the place for you.  One of the most popular and mostly free Maui activities is hiking.  You wouldn’t believe the spectacular and This is by far the best thing to do in Maui.  It’s an exciting day filled with all sorts of classic Maui activities and sights.  Checking out the huge waterfalls, the rugged coast, the rainforest, the colorful flowers, the small villages as well as taking a dip at a classic swimming spot enjoyed for many thousands of years by the Hawaiians.  This is a day you will not forget and will want to do more then once.

The route takes you from Kahului through little towns of Maui’s Northern coast.   Many tours stop in towns like Paia but the folks at Valley Isle Excursions believe that you should spend a bit more time there.  They wet your appetite to come back and see that one.   It’s a great spot to catch a pizza at Flatbread.  They use local and organic ingredients in their creations.  The specials are always very tasty.

The Road to Hana tour from there becomes a tropical wilderness as the road winds through hundreds of gullies over tens of bridges and past waterfalls of various sizes.   Since there is so much to see and experience they stop at only the best or most convenient places along the trip.  There are times when you would want to stop to check out a specific place but trust the guides they will take you to the best spots.

Some of the main stops on a Road to Hana Tour by Valley Isle Excursions are:

  • Maui Waterfalls

    • There are hundreds of waterfalls along this part of Maui.  Depending on the amount of rain over the past couple days they will be either gushing, torrent of water or barely a trickle.  There are trade-offs in dealing with the rain on this side of the island.  So if you get a nice clear sunny day, you can see a long way up the coasts but the waterfalls will be smaller.

  • Keanae Peninsula

    • This area is beautiful with it’s rugged coastline.  This is the most exposed point on the north coast of Maui.  It has been subject to a tsunami almost 50 years ago as it’s only a few feet above the ocean.   There are no sandy beaches here as this is a result of a lava flow many, many years ago.  It has been made habitable by Hawaiian’s years ago through the hard work of transporting good soils down here to create taro fields.

  • Waianapanapa Black Sand Beach

    • The black sand beach and blowhole at Waianapanapa state park are just two of the features to see.  There are caves, graves and a wide variety of plants to see.  Take your time and enjoy this beautiful spot where the blackness of the rocks, the green of the plants and the blue of the ocean contrast with such stark colors that you wonder if your are really seeing it.

  • Wailua Falls

    • This beautiful waterfall just past Hana is just off the road.  You can enjoy the view and the mist by standing on the bridge.  You won’t find this scene anywhere else in Hawaii or the world.

  • Hana Town Sightseeing

    • The town of Hana is quite small and there are a few places of note, like the bay and the hotel.  This sleepy little village is home to many celebrities and hawaiians for many years as this is one of the best examples of a relatively untouched Hawaiian lifestyle.

  • Hana Ranchlands

    • The Hana ranch is huge and is spread over many thousands of acres.  The road cuts through this ranch at many stages and is quite a change from the dense rainforest earlier on in the journey.

  • Charles Lindbergh’s Memorial at Pala Pala Hoo mau Church

    • This classic american hero, the man who flew across the atlantic non-stop and alone first is buried here.  Hana was his home and he loved this place more then anywhere else in the world.  By the time you reach here you will understand why he never wanted to leave.

  • Swimming at the Pools of Oheo at Haleakala National Park

    • Few tour companies are allowed to stop in the park.  This is by far one of the best stops in Hana.  The Seven Sacred Pools are here, examples of Hawaiian architecture.  Huge waterfalls, bamboo forests and amazing plant life are found in the park.  Stopping here can rejuvenate you for the rest of the journey back around Haleakala as you make your way from Hana.

  • Surfing Overlook at Hookipa Park

    • This park is a stop just after Paia.  It’s a place where the worlds best windsurfers come to compete and practice.  Their colorful sails dot the ocean doing jumps and flips over the waves.  If you look carefully right below the cliffs you might see many of the turtles bobbing in the water feeding off of the seaweed that dot the coral reef just a few feet below the surface.

  • Tedeschi Winery

    • The winery is the last major stop on the Road to Hana Tour.  After a day of exploring and sightseeing, enjoying a sweet glass of pineapple wine will make you feel very good.  Grab a bottle to enjoy later with your meal.  You might want to get a few.  The grounds are beautiful and have lots of history so be sure to check out their little museum attached to the wine tasting room.

 

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