Maui 2008

My girlfriend and I recently went to Maui and it was amazing. Of course I took hundreds of photos, and will post a couple here.

I will probably add to this post to provide better details, but it is hard to sum up a vacation in a single post.

We rented a VW Vanagon (1989) when we got in and drove that thing all around by the end of our 4 day rental/
Aloha Campers
Driving that around helps you Not feel like a typical tourist in one of the 8 types of popular rental cars. Let’s just say, there is a little more respect for locals anywhere you go. That was not the only benefit. It had rotating bucket seats in the front. The rear seat folded down into a bed. There were button-in screens for the tail-gate and sliding door. The top opened up and had screened windows for the upper bunk, also known as the penthouse of the VDub. Curtains for all of the windows, a propane powered stove with 2 burners, a sink, and they had it stocked with a variety of dishware, pans, silverware. The only thing that didn’t work was the mini fridge, but you could still store stuff in there and they provided a cooler. You can even rent other gear like chairs and camping goods.

It had a little 4 cylinder, and it only was sluggish on some of the really steep hills in the upper NW, I mean a road that would typically not even exist in most mountain towns in Colorado. It helped its mpg though, about 18-23 mpg I’d say. That thing rocked for sure though. Plus, there are not many roads where you can go faster than 55mph anyways, and I don’t go that fast on vacation.

First, we hit up the Northwest part of the island after checking out the Lao Needle, which is a simple hike to a beautiful area where the Lao Needle mountain peaks through, a popular pointed peak within the volcanic hills just west of Kahalui. We actually hiked up past the main stopping shelter at the top of the trail. You can see a little path behind the railings that goes up higher, a great hike to take you up further and get you a little more isolated. A nice small dirt trail through some more brush and trees, there were even some delicious strawberry guava hanging from the trees, just asking to be eaten. We definitely partook in some fruitful feast and it was refreshing. The seeds are hard, but can be eaten as well.

We drove all through Lahaina, Ka’anapali and all around back to Kahalui. If you think the road to Hana is crazy, this road makes that look like a freeway. There are sections where it’s not only a single lane, but there are no turn-offs to pass-by. If you’re the uphill driver (as in upper position not direction of driving), you are the one who has to back up a curvy small road with a cliff on one edge. Some are not aware of this and drive down a hill as they see someone else coming down the other side about to approach the uphill section. A local told me that he and another driver were forced to scrape one another and take up the damages with insurance.

We visited several snorkel spots in this nortwestern area of Maui like Honolua Bay, a marine sanctuary that was awesome. We also visited one of the best ranked beaches in the world. D.T. Fleming Beach Park, which is quite impressive and amazing. A great place to play in the water, lay in the sun, chill, body surf, boogie board, whatever. Although it was fantastic, it still was crowded a bit, and we were able to hit up some other remote spots that were just as great or even better. I do recommend this beach though for sure.

On the way down there are a few hikes, the Ridge Hike near a boyscout camp area, is amazing. The first part is a cement ramp, steep ramp, but after that it goes into the forest with pines on one side, and I think they were eucalyptus on the other. It will actually overlook the Valley Hike just a couple miles further down, which cost $6 per person if you choose to do that one.

We drove down to La Perouse Bay in the south near the lava fields. We hit up Big Beach along the way of course, which is a big sandy beach. Based on the size of the parking lot, many people hit this up, but it wasn’t too crowded when we went.

The southern area is a little out of this world. Fields and forest all around, then rivers of dried lava chunks everywhere. The is a little cove with snorkeling, but alot of the other areas we closed for environmental rehab.

We stayed down near this area one night and set the alarm clock for 3:00am to hit the drive up to Haleakala Crater to catch the sunrise. After driving a long steep inclined road loaded with switchbacks and almost humbles Loveland Pass, we finally reached the summit. It takes much longer because you are practically coming from sea level. You can see the clouds from below, within and then above during this drive. The freezing 20ºF temperatures, 40+mph gusts, were not comfortable, but were well worth it. We eventually grabbed our sleeping bags for warmth while we sat outside near the railing at the lookout point, as the sun slowly peaked over the clouds, which you are looking down upon from this 10,000 feet elevation.

The edges of the cloud become radiated with light, giving silver lining a whole new identity. You can look back west and see the island from above… a breath taking sight for sure, as you see clouds, beaches, sugar cane fields, and towns which appear to be minuscule. It is strange to look down and know that there are 80º beaches waiting for you as you are clinching your teach for warmth. There are bicycle tours that take you tot he top for a fun, long downhill. You will need clothing for all weather conditions here, and you will probably switch your layers on the way down.

We then did some camping near Olowalu on the southern side of the western “head of the woman.” There is a variety of beach parks and areas near the beach where you can pull off and hang out. It can get pretty crowded here on the weekends, as it is a great area to spend at the beach. This is where we encountered sand. A rear-wheel drive VW bus will not handle sand that’s for sure. It was dark and after 9:00pm, when I drove off of the road to catch a camp spot near the beach. The ground appeared as if it was dirt, but it wasn’t. Road-side assistance to the rescue. Luckily a tow-truck was headed that direction and got us out in about 30 minutes in the night. We found a spot with solid dirt a few hundred feet down. So, watch out, there are some spots with sand which are right off the side of the road.

After that little excursion, we decided we would do this “Road to Hana.” All I can say is BEAUTIFUL! We did the touristy thing and got the CD which is great, there is a small booth near the McDonald’s in Kahalui. It is a nice guide to the waterfalls, beaches, and other scenic areas on the way which you may miss. It also contains good history and education about the islands as well. We also used the Maui Revealed book which is on eof the best travel books I have used. Both reference mile markers and landmarks, so you should never miss anything even if you cannot pronounce the foreign names.

On the way there you will be exposed to rain forests, jungles, bamboo forests, waterfalls, black sand beaches, flowers and many botanical sites, water caves, sacred cascading pools, beautiful volcanic cliffs and coast line, it is simply just amazing. A lot of these sites are just right off the side of the road and easily seen. Careful though, the road is very narrow in many places, and the bridges are usually near the waterfalls, but the bridges are one lane and you must be alert for alternating traffic.

As for the road, it use to be much worse, including partially paved sections and potholes, but the State help fund rebuilding and expanding the road, so it is in much better condition now. Even rental car companies still restrict driving their vehicles in some areas and roads due to the conditions. The main hazards on the Hana hwy, are the narrow sections and bridges and blind curves.

It’s about a 50+ mile trip which takes about 3 hours due to the stops and small, curvy road where you average about 15-20mph for the majority of the later stretch. Be aware of the locals and let them pass when needed. There are many locals that travel the Hana hwy daily for work and they are used to the conditions, and with the tourists and locals, traffics can build quickly.

We camped about 10 miles past Hana at the state park, which is actually the other side of Haleakala where we watched the sunrise a couple days prior – so our park pass was still valid. You cannot drive all the around back to La Perouse Bay, because of an earthquake which destroyed the road several years ago.

It was late when we got in, yet we still made the small hike to the Seven Sacred Pools, and people were swimming still, but we just got our feet wet. It was a beautiful swimming area though, with cascading waterfalls from pool to pool. Various levels of water, beautiful cliffs and a view of the canyon out towards the ocean. Jungle of amazing trees and flowers all on the upper edges.

Below is a tree that grows all around the island, but this one was awesome! This tree was near the campsite area after Hana, about another 15 minutes to the state park and the Seven Sacred Pools.

Click here to visit my Flickr account for more photos

After that, we headed back to Kihei and found a great inexpensive little cottage near Cove Park which had a kitchen, living room and bedroom, not to mention BBQ grills and a little patio. You could check the surf from the window, see the locals hanging out in Cove Park playing horseshoes and chilling.

The waters near Kihei are great with a lot of small breaks just 30 to 50 yards offshore. Kamaole Park is an area here where many learn to surf, including me as it was my second time ever. It is a cool town which isn’t so ritzy. Nice local people, good restaurants and bars, surf shops, and marketplaces. Just a little bit more south, Charley Young beach is waiting for you. A great beach and it was never too crowded, not too much surfing there, but Boogie boards were everywhere.

We spent the rest of our trip down here, hit up a Luau at the Waliea Marriot just a few miles south. Wailea and Makena are gorgeous areas, where most of the large resorts are and many World class golf courses all around. Awesome houses throughout this area as well, but it does have that exclusive community feeling about it. The Marriot has an amazing half moon infinity pool by the way.

After chilling in Kihei, we went back up to Lahaina and Ka’anapali area. Lahaina has the largest Banyon tree in the world by the way, it takes up a whole square block! Unfortunately, my camera was dead and I couldn’t take any photos myself. Banyon trees grow really large, because they have vine-like branches that grow downward, and then penetrate the ground and become another trunk and set of roots for the tree.

This photo is not mine – thanks to whoever took it:

Lahaina is a nice little town full of art galleries and great shops. Volcom, Quicksilver and other top brand clothing shops. Peter Lik’s photo gallery was SO AMAZING! He does such beautiful work, and the prints on high quality metallic embedded paper, make his photos appear as they were true windows to the most beautiful places in the world.

Here is a photo by Peter Lik.
I highly recommend visiting one of his galleries. The web images do not do his skills justice:

Great surf spots all the way there, you can see them from the road. They can get a little crowded, but even watching them was great. It is just so inspiring to see people along the coast-line surfing. Such a long rooted, classical board sport, which still captures the old and young groms. A non discriminating activity, which is a great work out, brings you close to mother nature, and is addicting and exhilarating. To be able to ride one of nature’s strongest forces like water and waves, is something you cannot put into words. Coming from my snowboard and skate background, I have a HUGE respect for surfing. The terrain is unpredictable at times and is constantly changing. Reading the winds, the tide, surf, and others, makes surfing a board sport that is on its own level. Props to all of those who surf!

As you go a little further north, you can check out Ka’anapali and the resorts up there. There is a great snorkel and cliff jumping spot near the Sheraton Hotel called Black rock. I didn’t see any signs for it myself, but just lookout for the big hotels. You will have to either park really far away, or pay to park at a hotel lot. The Sheraton charged $2.00/20 minutes in their garage. This place can definitely get hectic and busy. It was the busiest beach I had seen the whole trip! kids jumping off the cliff, and the snorkeling was cool. Saw plenty fish, even though there was a grip of people.

Apparently, there is a great snorkel spot back near Olowalu at mile marker 14, but we did not hit it up. We saw some people on the way out, and the waters look great for snorkeling, but the way back the waves got a little choppy and the water conditions did not look tempting.

Some travel info:

Geography
In the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of the United States.
Google Map

Country
U.S.
Currency: U.S. dollars (lots of them)

Maui Transportation
Maui is small – but a car is recommended to really get around and enjoy
They do have a bus system which covers a lot of the populated areas of the island. Maui Bus
Some adventures provide travel arrangements
Shuttles can save money to and from airport
Bus goes to and from airport, Kahalui, and is $1 each way, but there is a transfer and is about 45 min trip from Kihei to Kahalui Airport by bus. 15 minutes if you drove yourself.

Clothing
It is fairly warm the majority of the time, and rains are frequent, but short. I didn’t use any rain coat.
Some areas like Haleakala can be freezing, windy and snowy
Aqua socks, wet suit booties, are good for some snorkeling or surfing due to lava rock and coral on the sea floor.
Rash Guard for surfing helps the nipples and back from sunburn.
Sandals are known as slippers and they rule!
Bring shoes for hikes.

Food
Expensive, yet you can find some smaller bars/restaurants without the glamor and high prices. But in general, most food is expensive since it has to be imported and this is a tourist economy.
Beer and Liquor drinks are in the range of $5 – $10 at most mid-level bars
Groceries are a good way to go if you have a place to prepare them. Some groceries like dairy, orange juice can be very expensive due to importing.

Entertainment
Can be expensive, but there are many things you can do without guides.
Check with the local event booths for discounts or look online. You can save a lot!
Check out books like Maui Revealed for details
Try camping! Some places require a permit from the state department (on government hours)

Surf Board rentals
about $15/ 2 hours or $20/ day. Some offer $70 – $80/week.

Accommodations
Seasonal pricing varies.
The lowest we could find was about $100/night during August at the Best Western in Kihei. Some of the lowest prices for the larger resorts were in the $350/night range.
I used Hotels.com

Fuel
$4.67/gallon unleaded during August 2008
$21.00/20lb Propane tank refill as of August 2008

Safety Tips
As with any place, do not leave valuables in cars!
Acknowledge locals and be considerate
Be aware of the town/areas you are in
Be aware of sand, even on the sides of roads
Sun block/Aloe to prevent/treat sun burn
When snorkeling, be aware of urchins and rocks
Try not to stand out or attract with bling
Careful driving on narrow roads, honk your horn around blind corners

Communication
WiFi is available in several places and hotels
Cell coverage is normal throughout most of the city areas
Not much in Hana

Shopping
Convenient stores (ABC, 7-11)
Drug stores (Long’s Drugs)
Grocery stores like Safeway and Foodland
Wal-Mart
Home Depot
K-Mart
Radio-Shack
Malls
Boutiques and high-end (Fendi, Gucci, Coach, etc.)

Thanks for reading my post on Maui!

Click here to visit my Flickr account for more photos

Good media for travel references:
Maui Revealed
Camping Hawaii
Road to Hana CD
(I’m not sponsoring any of these, just linking to the resources, because they are great!)