I am going to be spending a few days in Maui at the end of this month. What are the must see things to do there?
There are loads of acitivities there. Whale watching and snorkeling are fun.
A few things I particularly enjoyed, but which require some planning, are:
-
cycling down Haleakala crater: you are awoken at your hotel and some ungodly hour like 2am and driven in a minivan with around 10 other people to the top of the island’s dormant volcano. You watch the sun rise in the freezing cold, don a shell suit and helmet, then hop on a bicycle and ride to the bottom. The ride itself is no effort; in fact you only have to pedal for 100 metres or so on the whole 35-mile trip. As you come to lower altitude you remove the layers of clothing until you reach normal temps at the bottom.
-
helicopter ride over Haleakala and the jungle: the surface of Haleakala looks like a moonscape and the jungle is impressive, with loads of thick vegetation and remote waterfalls.
-
road to Hana: hire a jeep and drive round the island. Hana itself is a disappointment, but it’s the getting there, through beautiful scenery, that’s the point of the trip.
Oh that Maui. I thought you were talking about this guy.
I second the helicopter ride. It is just breathtaking. I also liked snorkeling at Turtle Town. You get to be right in the water with the giant turtles.
If you do take the “road to Hana” tour, ask the tour companies if Gary Tam is working for them—he’s a terrific tour guide, takes you to non-tourist places along the way, like his family’s graveyard, and the painted eucalyptus trees.
Hana itself is a truck-stop with a nail in it. It’s the “road” that’s the sight.
I was thinking about a helicopter tour. It was fun when I did it at Uluru. Several people have mentioned the drive to Hana, I may have to give it a try. And I would love to do some whale watching. It was a blast when I did it in MA a couple of years ago.
Lok
You are going at a great time to see the whales. And there are lots of them in the channel between Maui and Lanai. Here’s the deal, if you’re ever going out on the water, you will see whales. So for instance, if you’re going to go snorkel Molokini crater, don’t also sign up for a separate “whale watching” trip, as you will see them on the ride to/from Molokini. You can also see them from shore as you drive along the coast.
For snorkelling, I would recommend a place called Olowalu. It is south of Lahaina, and isn’t well marked. Your best bet is to stop into a Maui Dive shop (they’re all over) and pick up a free snorkelling guide. I snorkelled all over that island, and Olowalu was even better than Molokini (which has been “snorkelled out” if you ask me).
Advice on doing the road to Hana: leave early (both going and coming back). It is only a two lane road, and it is a popular thing to do. So that means it can get really crowded, and it can be miserable when you’re just creeping along.
I also did the bike ride down Haleakala, and it was pretty fun. But they do pick you up at O’dark :30, so that can be kind of a drag. The sunrise was spectacular, and we could see Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the big island from the top. But it was cold up there, so although it seems counter-intuitive for Hawaii, bring at least a sweatshirt or something.
go to Cupie’s drive in for lunch. It’s in Kahului on Kamehameha AVE X-street Lono.
That would be the first thing I would do there.
Hikes around Haleakala crater are interesting. The view from there can be great (or nil, depending on the weather). Warm clothing a must for sunrise viewing - wear everything you brought.
The drive to Hana is heavily hyped, but still very worthwhile - for best results, pack a lunch and start at the crack of dawn. I’d recommend continuing south from Hana to the nearly deserted south coast. Despite what lots of people, guide books and car rental outfits tell you, the road surface is not a problem - 2WD vehicles can easily do it (or could as of March 2003). It is damn narrow and funky in places - which is part of the appeal.
Ditto for the road on the north side of West Maui Mountain - great views and short hikes down to where waves crash on rocks. But watch out for vandals who rob parked cars.
Humpback whales should be visible from many oceanside lookout points. The best seemed to be the one a few miles SW of Ma’alaea on the way to Lahina. Good binoculars are worthwhile for this.
Ho’okipa beach is a good place to watch some serious windsurfing and kiteboarding. 'Iao Valley is rather tame, but interesting.
The area from Kahului south past Wailea is a drag - way too much traffic and crowding. There are some decent places to eat, but not many of them are bargains.
I’d recommend the guidebook Maui Revealed.
I was on Maui just a couple of weeks ago. I’ll second Xema’s recommendation of Maui Revealed. There’s lots of good info. I did hear a rumor that the book is unpopular with some of the locals, because the authors sometimes recommend crossing private property to get to certain sites.
If you’re in the Lahaina/Kapalua area, check out the Nakalele Blowhole. That place, and the whale-watching boat ride, were my favorite parts of the trip.
If getting up at 3am to see the Haleakala sunrise doesn’t appeal to you, consider going up to see the sunset instead. The ranger at the park visitor’s center said it’s much less crowded at that time and the view can be just as nice. IMO the sunrise wasn’t so great, but maybe I was there on a bad day.
I drove the coast south of Hana in a minivan. It’s got unpaved stretches, but nothing impossible. It was worth it to see a part of the island that most people don’t.
You should also know that gas and food are high-priced on Maui. Before you go, you might want to get a Costco membership card. The money you save buying food there, rather than at the supermarkets, will probably pay for the membership.
I am ordering Maui Revealed from Amazon. And writing everything down. I will not be able to fit it all in, but I will have to do what I can. If nothing else, I can always go back some time. 
Lok
If you want to do a bike trip down Haleakala, I recommend “Aloha Bike Tours” (www.mauibike.com), which is a tiny outfit run by a very nice guy and his wife (who makes you lunch at the winery at the end). Most of the tours start as high as they can on the mountain, which means you start out in the state park at the top, so they’re required to make you wear full face helmets and ride in packs with pace vehicles. Aloha Bike Tours, on the other hand, starts out a little lower, so you get to wear regular (comfortable) biking safety gear, and you get to ride at your own pace. Not to mention that riding from the very top, you might have to go through some pretty miserable weather.
Going to the top is definitely worth a second trip when you can spend more time looking around. Standing at 10,000 feet looking straight down a huge slope to the ocean, sometimes with clouds in between, is pretty dang impressive.
I also like the swinging bridges hike, which is kind of hard to find. You’re supposed to get a permit to park at the trailhead (phone number on the linked page), and I’ve done that once, but I’ve also gone without and been ok. The real thing to be aware of is not to leave anything in your car, and don’t even lock your car. The parking area is covered with little piles of broken car window glass, because the local hoodlums won’t hesitate to break your window to find out if anything good is inside. So if you leave your car unlocked, they’ll check it out, decide there’s nothing to take, and otherwise leave you alone.
And last, I really enjoyed snorkeling in the Ahihi Marine Preserve south of Kihei. Good snorkeling, and not crowded at all. A little isolated, so the warning about car breakins apply.
My uncle, an MD, spent a couple years working in the (state?) medical examiner’s office. He says white folks should under no circumstances go wandering unescorted in pineapple fields.
If you drive the road to Hana yourself, before setting out, look in the local dive rental shops for the audio cassette ‘Road to Hana’. Its a self guided tour tape. We enjoyed it. See the botanical gardens and, if you’re into this sort of thing, Charles Lindbergh’s grave just past Hana at the church(where the paved road ends).
Umm, and visit a different beach everyday! Have fun.
– another vote for “Maui Revealed.”
– if you rent a car, make it a convertible. This had a MAJOR impact on our enjoyment of the scenery.
– I would suggest ignoring the dire warnings about driving on the southeast and south side of the island on the Hana Road. We did just fine in our Mustang. The unpaved portion is packed solid and isn’t very long; just drive slower due to poor sightlines.
– if you want to snorkel, I recommend the outfit that leaves from the Maui Prince hotel early in the morning and goes to Molokini, a tiny crescent-shaped island right off Maui near the Prince. Their ads claim they are the first tour boat to get to Molokini, and they are correct. (All the other boats come from West Maui, which is much farther away.) We went out to Molokini and snorkeled for over an hour, and by the time we were getting ready to leave, six other boats had just arrived.
– if you go sea kayaking, watch out for a 40-ish blond guy with a large scar on his face. If he’s your tour guide, don’t go. He led our tour and three boats, including ours, got washed into the rocks in South Maui because he led us the wrong way. He did a faceplant on the rocks and ended up in the hospital with 40 stitches. Later we found out that he had a reputation for wandering too close to the rocks.
Three words - Mama’s Fish House
Sunset at Mama’s is definitely not to be missed. But you shouldn’t just walk in, you’ll be waiting for hours. You should make your reservations even before you go - it’s that crazy, but totally worth it. The fish is so fresh - the menus give a little detail about the day’s catch, even down to the fisherman who caught it!
Another very romantic dinner spot is at the Four Season’s in Wailea - I don’t remember the name of the restaurant (the Italian one), but it’s outdoor seating and about 10 yards from the beach. Be sure to get one of the tables closest to the beach. Just imagine gentle sea breeze, fragrant flowers, warm torchlight, good food…
The swinging bridges hike is really cool, and off the beaten path (or at least it was four years ago). There used to be some rope swings at the end of the path, I don’t know if they’re still there.
Here is where I would insert the part about being envious of you going at the end of this month, but my sister is getting married there in April. I mean, she is my sister, I suppose I should make the sacrifice and attend her wedding… 
Malden, I would like to give snorkeling a try, but I am blind without my glasses and I don’t wear contacts, so no underwater for me. But I am looking at the drive around the island.
im_trouble, romantic is not an issue, since I am traveling alone. But be sure to let your sister know what a sacrifice you are making for her.
Does anyone know how long the drive around the island takes? I am trying to figure out how to spend my evenings. I want to go to a luau, probably Old Lahaina, since it seems to be highly recommended. But I need to figure out what day to do what.
Lok
I want to go to Maui and I love out of the way places to stay in a natural setting. Does Hana qualify? I need more information on Hana.
I can’t answer that just yet. You will have to wait for a couple of weeks. But maybe someone else here can.
Lok
So no information on how long it takes to drive around the island via Hana? Anybody?
Lok