— Maui —
This beautiful isle was born in a fiery explosion of two volcanoes.
To one side of Maui is the 1764 metre Pu’u Kukui and on the other Haleakalā, a 3055-metre dormant volcano with a Manhattan size crater that houses a vast desert of unusual flora including the rare Silversword. Add to this, 190 kilometres of dazzling coastline – both dramatic and diverse for surfing, snorkelling and canoeing plus waterfalls plunging 300 metres, rainforests bursting with exotic vegetation and a stark lunar landscape so barren that the astronauts practised their moon landing here, and you have the extraordinary island of Maui.
The dramatic variations in climate and land formations are a large part of what makes Maui so exciting. The West Maui Mountains are rugged and verdant, with jagged peaks and deeply grooved valleys hiding waterfalls. Central Maui and the slopes of Haleakala are agricultural areas where the rich volcanic soil supports sugar, pineapple and ranch lands. The south shore, except where irrigated, is desert and scrub because Haleakala snags the rain clouds and empties them before they cross her peak.
The second largest of the Hawaiian Islands, Maui was settled by Polynesians and had its own ruling family. King Kamehameha’s warriors overthrew the kingdom of Maui to unite it with the other Hawaiian Islands. He made Lahaina in Maui his capital in 1802. Today Maui has evolved into a peaceful agricultural island of charm and rustic beauty, particularly Lahaina which is being restored to its previous colonial splendour.
The banyan tree came to Lahaina from India when only eight feet tall. William O. Smith, the Maui sheriff, planted it in 1873 to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of Lahaina’s first Christian mission. By the time large fires arrived on Maui in August 2023, it was the largest banyan in the United States. It had grown to more than 60 feet with 12 major trunks and reached a height of 15 metres stretching outward over a 61-metre area. Unfortunately, many branches were destroyed by the fires however, with a lot of care, the banyan is now thriving and there is still plenty to see and do that is away from the fire-affected areas of Lahaina Town.
The Carthaginian, a replica of a 19th century brig which houses a whaling exhibit, graces the harbour, which is also the departure point for a multitude of cruises and whale watching tours (in season).
However, if it is off season, Whalers Village in Ka’anapali houses an excellent whale museum and the Maui Ocean Center at Maalaea is also well worth a visit. Lahaina Jodo Mission Cultural Park, on a point of land known as Puunoa, was once a small village fronting the royal grove of coconut trees. Now the best-known landmark in the area, the largest Buddha outside of Japan sits in the small park commemorating the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in 1868.
Don’t miss a journey on the famous Sugar Cane Train, modelled after the turn of the century railroads that transported Valley Isle sugar to Lahaina mills. The steam driven locomotive runs between Lahaina and Ka’anapali and visitors can hop aboard at Puukolii and Ka’anapali as well.
While on Maui, you can explore the Maui Tropical Plantation which consists of 45 hectares of crops. Learn how to husk a coconut, create a delicious tropical fruit boat and string a fragrant lei. Then catch the Tropical Tram on a 40-minute circuit to see fruit cutting demonstrations, visit the marketplace and learn how to start your own tropical garden.
At the Sugar Museum you will see the production of sugar, once one of Hawaii’s biggest cash crops, from beginning to end.
