Hiking Into Nature

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Wandering through bird filled pine forests to a tropical rainforest with waterfalls or a barren moon like crater there are so many landscapes to enjoy.

On Maui is one of the first frisbee golf courses in the state and possibly the country.  For those who are not quite sure about what that exactly is here is a bit of a brief.   This sport is where you go from tee to tee using a frisbee instead of a golfball.  The terrain is not well groomed like a golf course but it’s completely unspoiled nature.  You need to spin that frisbee around tree trunks over high grasses and across gullies.  If you get off the course the hike to get your disc back may take you a good bit of time but it’s always fun.  This course is set high up on the slopes of Haleakala just below the tree line.  You will wander through meadows and bush collecting your discs as you miss throw them or if they bounce off trees.  Bring a picnic and bring the family as kids will love wandering through this forest on a treasure hunt for the discs you are bound to loose or mis-throw.

Check out our little pice on hiking up Iao Valley.  It’s a great place to spend a morning and if you are quite adventurous you can continue up over the pass.  This route brings you out in south Maui above Lahaina.  Expect to spend a good 8 to 10 hours doing this hike.  Although it is not that long, it’s quite trek as the paths are overgrown and the terrain is very steep.  You will be doing some mountain climbing so be prepared for that.

One of the favorites for any serious hiker is the trails coming down the slopes of Haleakala.  There are many different routes depending on your skill level and time.  Starting at the top of the mountain the most spectacular hike is down through the crater and out the Kaupo Gap.  This takes only a couple days if you are quick.  The weather really changes often in Hawaii so be prepared for anything.  Being exposed in the crater on a wet windy days is never that much fun.   The other option through the crater is heading north and venturing down into Keanae but that is not as popular.   Many day hikers skip choose to follow the trails down the “front sides” towards Wailea or Haiku.   In all cases for a good portion of the hikes you will still be above the tree line.

Still in the National park but on the Hana side of the island is a wonderful short hike up the Oheo Gulch.  Following the creek that feeds the Seven Pools (Seven Sacred Pools) will take you past 200′ plus waterfalls, banyan trees and through the dark bamboo forest.  It takes only a few hours to go right to the top but it is well worth it.  Many people believe that if you hike down from the crater you can come out here but scaling down the 400′ waterfall at the end of this trail is not advised.

There are many Maui activities and tours related to hiking.  Many of the hiking turs from Kaanapali take you around the west Maui mountains.  There are very few tourists who venture out that way so it’s perfect for tour companies to provide services out to them.  You rarely meet anyone and the land is unspoiled, as far as Maui goes.

Check out some of the other sites to get more in-depth hiking spots as there are hundreds.  Wander along the Kings trail in Makena, adventure into Polipoli springs in Kula or find some of the ancient rock art above Lahaina.  The big thing now is to hike up through the forest and Zipline down.  It’s fun for most of the family and there are a few locations to do that particular activity on Maui but they are booked weeks ahead so plan early.  There are many hiking books in the local stores that can give you pinpoint directions of where to go, where to park and the difficulty rating of each of the hikes.  There is something for everyone.

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Road to Hana Tour

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We took The Road to Hana Tour with Valley Isle Excursions and I have to say it was great. What a value for the price! Surprisingly there were two main attractions. First, the unparalleled beauty found on The Road to Hana.

Second is the knowledge possessed by your guide. The guides are so familiar with every aspect of Hawaii, Hawaiian culture and are so friendly, they are truly the epitome of “Aloha”. You really feel like they are enjoying their job! It’s so nice to see that their employees are taking the time to really show you the beauty of Maui and making it fit within your vacation budget!

Another thing to consider is the possibility of having an accident while driving the Road to Hana. There are a whole lot of t-shirts that say “I survived the Road To Hana” and they say that for a reason. There are over six hundred turns on the way to Hana. Six hundred!!! How could anyone enjoy their trip if they had to drive it. It would simply exhaust you and you would be advised to stay the night in Hana and then drive back the next day. Now, if you didn’t already know, the little, affordable B&B’s in Hana are usually booked way in advance. Also, expect to spend at least $150 for a decent place to sleep in Hana.

When we drove to Hana by ourselves on a few separate occasions and it was truly a unique adventure each time. The first time we drove to Hana it was raining so hard that we couldn’t get in to swim at the Seven Sacred Pools because of flash flooding. The second time it was so dry that there weren’t any falls at the Seven Sacred Pools or to look at on the way and we weren’t knowledgeable about the other sites so we just went home.

Another time we drove out a Jeep had just landed in the ditch on the opposite side of the road, presumably because the driver was looking at the sights instead of driving, which happens quite often from what I hear. Even during our trip with Valley Isle we saw a good sized rock in the road that had fallen from the side of the cliff directly above the road. I don’t even want to imagine the hassle that could have caused us if it had come down on our car, not to mention possibly killing someone if they were in a convertible or soft top vehicle!

Yep, the Road to Hana is incredibly treacherous, and incredibly beautiful. Valley Isle Excursions really has us hooked. Now and in the future we’ll enjoy the Road to Hana while letting someone else man the wheel and educate us on Maui!

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Lahaina

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Click for Lahaina, Hawaii Forecast

Day or Night there is always something happening in and around Lahaina.  The front street is a bustling place of action.  During the day most of the museums, art galleries, shops, cafes and restaurants are open early.

You can enjoy your day under the banyan tree in the center of town where there is plenty of people watching to be had.  Each day there is something different going on from markets, to events, to presentations, tournament related events and even festivals.

Throughout Lahaina there are plenty of cafes and bars that are open late.  There is something for everyone in your group, from country to hip-hop dance.  Check out the hotel concierge often to see what’s going hot on what days.  There is no club that is going off every night so plan your days and check out things ahead of time to be sure you have a great night out.  Since most people are on vacation, waiting to the weekend to have a great time is not always necessary like in the cities.  Every day can be a party night in Lahaina.

This is the historic capital of the Hawaiian Islands so it has a lot more history. The old buildings, canal setup and unique architecture is a wonderful place to hang out for a day. This is much more of a tourist town then Kihei. There are little museums, galleries and many shops, cafes and restaurants.

The large banyan tree in the centre of town at the waterfront is a great meeting place and a perfect place to do some people watching.

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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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