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Favorite Things to do on Maui

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Special Places on Maui

Haleakala National Park

The great crater of Haleaka is a grand sight. Most visitors drive a long ways to get there then just stop to look over the edge then go away. To get the scale of the place you have to hike down into it. All the hikes there are ambitious, especially coming back up. The summit is over 9000 ft so it takes your breath away. Inside the crater is the quietist place I have ever been. Many people come for the sunrise, which is very, very early and can be very, very cold. The sunset can be better, with far fewer crowds. Note: it takes about three hours to drive to the summit from Lahaina.

At the far eastern end of the Island is the Kipahulu district of the Park. It is where the famous pools of Ohe'o Gulch are located and the enjoyable Pipiwai Trail starts, taking one through a splendid bamboo forest to Waimoku Falls. This area is a very long drive, about four hours, from most visitor accomodations on West Maui. It's much easier to get to if you're staying in Hana (below).

The town of Hana (3 hours from Kahului down the infamous Hana Hawaii - very curvy, but scenic road).

Going to Hana is all about experiencing the drive there. If you don't want to take the long drive back in the same day there are a variety of accommodations around there. The town has an upscale hotel, some condos for rent and a broker that rents some local houses and a hostel. We've stayed in several of these but non stand out except for Waianapanapa State Park Cabins (next). If you want to visit the Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park (above) staying in Hana saves a lot of tiresome driving in one day. Plus, the small town gets very quiet after all the day tourists have left.

Waianapanapa State Park Cabins

The best bargain on the Island, but you have to put up with geckos and the insects they go for. Superb location on the rainy side of the Island, 3 miles from Hana. Sublime view of rugged coast and rain forest. A black sand beach is nearby but it is usually not good swimming. An hour's drive from the Seven Pools area. Very inexpensive. Cabins sleep up to six each. Cabins are rustic and need some maintenance. Kitchens are barely equipped - missing utensils and marginal cooking pans. These are an inexpensive way to stay in Hana, a very quaint town, removed from the great tourist hubbub; however, during midday the tourist vans come through.
There is a great 3 mile hike from here to the town of Hana along the ancient Hawaiian trail.

Napili Bay

There are several resorts in the Napili Bay area ranging from high end hotels to time share rentals. We've stayed in a few but don't have any specific favorites. The beach on this adjacent bays offer great swimming opportunities. In the past snorkeling was great but in 2010 we visited and brown algea covered all the coral. The view to Molokai is beautiful. This is a quieter local than the Lahaina area.