Cruise Diva Goes
Ashore in Hawaii
Sights
to see & things to do
Maui
Roughly
translated, "Maui no ka oi" means Maui is the BEST.
You'll hear this local phrase and soon find yourself nodding in
agreement. Maui has some of Hawaii's most stunning scenery,
beautiful palm-fringed beaches, and friendliest residents. Known as
the 'Valley Isle,' Maui was created by two now-dormant volcanoes and
is the namesake of the demigod Maui.
Diversions
Cruise
ships either dock at Kahului or anchor off Lahaina. Passengers
stepping ashore or tendering in are met by excursion buses and vans.
Automobile rentals are also available and independent tours can be
arranged in advance. Maui is generally thought of in terms of
regions—East, West, South, Central, and Upcountry.
East
Maui & Upcountry
Two favorite island rituals can
only be accomplished if your ship overnights here—viewing the
sunrise at Haleakala and driving the infamous the Road to Hana. Set
off during the dead of night to the summit of Haleakala (where
legend says Maui lassoed the sun to dry his mother's tapa cloths) to
see the sun rise through the clouds in a spectacular burst of gold.
Coming back down the volcano you'll pass through an area so
reminiscent of the surface of the moon that astronauts have trained
there.
Heading
for Hana also means rising early to beat the traffic on a narrow
winding road that contains over 600 curves and fifty one-lane
bridges. Aside from the other motorists, which includes not only
tourists but tractor-trailer trucks as well, the 52-mile drive
through tangled rainforest itself is breathtaking with waterfalls
and calm pools dotting the roadside. "Heavenly" Hana is a
peaceful oasis exemplifying the aloha spirit of old Hawaii. Don't
linger too long as you'll want to be off the road before
nightfall and the drive can take three hours in each direction.
If
you don't have the time for exploring Haleakala and Hana by car,
helicopter sightseeing excursions that provide a glimpse of them are
available.
Central
Maui
The
Iao Valley State Park contains one of Maui's most unusual sights,
the Iao Needle rock formation. Nearby in Wailuku is the Bailey House
Museum, containing artifacts and objects of Hawaiiana on the main
floor and rooms decorated in the missionary-era style upstairs. Also
on the grounds is a building housing Duke Kahanamoku's redwood
surfboard.
West
Maui
Nestled
at the base of the West Maui mountains, Lahaina retains very little
of her earlier days as an important whaling seaport. Even less
remains from pre-nineteenth century times when the alii, or
island chiefs, made the area their playground and King Kamehameha
established Lahaina as the capital of a unified Hawaii in 1802. When
the entire town was named a National Historic Landmark in the
1960's, interest in restoration began to take hold. Baldwin House
Museum, Lahaina's oldest dwelling, appears much as it did in
missionary days when its owner served as the area's physician. Next
door, the Master's Reading Room is the oldest building on Maui and
houses the Lahaina Restoration Foundation but is not open to the
public.
The historic banyan tree that
dominates Courthouse Square was planted as an eight-foot
sapling in 1847 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival
of missionaries. The huge banyan now covers more than two-thirds of
an acre and is nearly impossible to photograph without a very wide
angle or panorama lens.
In
its heyday as a whaling center, Lahaina was host to hundreds of
ships similar to the restored Carthaginian II, an authentic
replica of a nineteenth-century square-rigger. Compare the floating
museum's living quarters to modern day cruise ship cabins to see how
far ship design has come. For more whaling lore, the Lahaina Whaling
Museum exhibits relics from that period.
Take
the Lahaina-Kaanapali Railroad, or sugar cane train north from
Lahaina to Kaanapali, Hawaii's first planned resort community.
There, a life-size metal sculpture of a mother whale and two baby
whales and the skeleton of a 40-foot sperm whale greet visitors to
Whaler's Village. On the second floor of the shopping mall is the
Whale Center of the Pacific with exhibits containing whaling tools,
harpoons, and artifacts detailing the whalers' lives at sea. Some of
the world's finest examples of Pacific scrimshaw are found here.
Shopping
Maui
is an art lover's paradise and dozens of galleries and gift shops
all over the island display the work of local artists. Particularly
prized are delicate Niihau shell jewelry.
Kahului
has two main shopping malls, Kaahumanu Center and Maui Mall, where
the mix of stores runs the gamut from food to arts and crafts.
Lahaina
Cannery Mall is located in what once was a pineapple cannery and, if
you can't find what you're looking for along downtown Front Street,
you'll surely find it there or at Lahaina Center.
Whaler's
Village in Kaanapali has gone upscale and high fashion. If Prada and
Ferragamo aren't on your shopping list, just stop for a locally made
Maui ice cream cone after you admire the whale skeleton.
Beaches
Golden sand beaches are seldom far
from sight along West and South Maui. Don't worry about the
imposing luxury resorts that line the most spectacular beaches—all
beaches are open to the public and SHORELINE ACCESS signs point the
way. For swimming and snorkeling, Kaanapali and Kapalua Beaches are
havens of calm crystal clear water inhabited by thousands of
colorful tropical fish. The best snorkeling is around Kaanapali's
Black Rock where vendors rent snorkels and boogie boards. Take along
some frozen peas and you'll be the center of a fish feeding frenzy.
A favorite beach along the sunny
South Maui shore is at Wailea where the waves are a bit more active
and Pacific humpback whales can be spotted in season (December
through April). Snorkeling here is limited.
Windsurfers head straight for
world famous Hookipa Beach just off the Hana Highway near Paia to
take advantage of the nearly constant perfect wind and wave
conditions. The wind and surf make is less than ideal for swimming
and exploring the reef except during periods when the waves are
flat. he beach park has full facilities and is the ideal spot to
watch the daredevils taking on the wind and sea.
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