Category Archives: Things to do

Maui Canoe Club

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Want to get an idea how the ancient Hawaiians got to the islands? Go on an outrigger canoe paddle with the Maui Canoe Club.

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To go, meet up on the beach with the club any weekday (weekends are for members only) at 7:30 and 8:30 AM. You need to get there 20 minutes early so you should leave the condo by 6:50 or 7:50. It costs $20 for an hour outing or $40 for 4 outings.

To get there from the condo get back on the Piilani Highway 31  (turn right out of the condo entrance and take the first right Keonekai Rd) north like you are going to Lahaina. Turn left at the light to North Kihei Rd (HI 310, where the sign says Lahaina). Stay to the right and follow HI 310 past the Sugar Beach Resort (the big gear on the left) for only a couple of blocks. You should see the red and white canoes on your left. Park on the left.

 

Slack Key Show

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If you like Hawaiian music the Slack Key Show in Napili is a must see. Run by the legendary George Kahumoku every Wednesday at the Napili Kai resort  and Sea House restaurant, it provides a showcase for Hawaiian Ki ho’alu or slack key guitar. Each week in addition to George there is a special guest. We have seen some of the top artists in the world there. Backing them up are Da Ukulele Boys and Sterling Seaton. Sometimes George’s son Keoki will also play and he is a real treat as well.

The show starts at 7:30. Some nights it is packed and you will need to reserve your tickets ahead of time by calling in a few days before. Other nights you will be able to show up at the door and buy tickets. I guess it depends on the season and who is playing. Parking is tight so you may want to get there early. You can take a walk on the beach of Napili Bay at sunset, you won’t regret that!

This is NOT a luau or any kind of fake tourist trap. It is authentic Hawaiian music and culture. It does not have a fancy production, just a stage full of musicians playing the best slack key and having fun with each other.

Dinner before is available at the Sea House. The food is pretty darn good and the sunset view has to be one of the best.

 

Surfing Goat Dairy

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If you are going upcountry you might want to stop along the way at the Surfing Goat Dairy. You can feed the goats and get a tour of the facility. Take a taste of all the different cheeses. They are so cute!

From South Maui (Kihei, Wailea, Makena): Time: Approximately 35 minutes.
1. Go North HI-31/ PIILANI HWY.
2. Turn RIGHT onto HI-311/ MOKOULELE Hwy. (6 miles)
3. Turn RIGHT onto HANSEN RD. (1.17 miles)
4. Turn RIGHT (.3mi) onto HI-370/ PULEHU Rd /OMAOPIO Rd.
5. Stay on PULEHU RD. approx 6 miles.
6. Bear LEFT at fork ….stay on OMAOPIO RD until you come to the farm on the right hand side (1.49 miles).

 

Justin Young Wailuku First Friday

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If you are on Maui during the first Friday of the month you have to go to Wailuku for First Friday party. The street is closed down and there is food, music, and things to buy. We went and were fortunate enough to see Justin Young play. I think his One Foot On Sand album is just great.

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So there I am sitting on the curb listening to Justin Young and I look over and there is Derick Sebastian sitting there with his family listening too. Derick is an AMAZING Ukulele player that plays sometimes at the Slack Key Show in Napili and at Kaanapali. You should check his music out. He also came to our home town in Santa Cruz and  played at Pono Hawaiian Grill.

 

Hikes

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Jonathan and Carrie were kind enough to share some hiking information…

I’ll put this in the review, but here are my thoughts on the hikes we took from your Suzanne Swedo Best Easy Day Hikes Maui book. I should add that although we walk a lot in the city, we’re not big hikers or campers or anything. I also don’t have the greatest balance. We basically took sun hats, and a water bottle, and headed out on the trail.

  • ‘Iao Needle. Very cool. There are some trails off the main trail that are pretty interesting. The walk up to the top is a few flights of stairs and there are some inclines and declines if you want to check the whole place out. But pretty easy.
  • Tropical gardens of Maui: dead easy, very beautiful, $5 per person charge. We saw lots of great foliage. Kids might get bored.
  • Makele Blowhole. The most physically challenging on the ones we did. You’ve got to climb down a lot of rocks to get to the blowhole and then climb back up. Teenagers seemed to navigate it with no problem; my balance isn’t great so I found it a little challenging but in a good way. It was totally worth it. The blowhole itself is spectacular. Also, for people not inclined to white knuckle driving, it should be approached from the west. If you come from the east (Kahului, etc) you have to traverse some pretty sketchy mountain roads that are much more intense than the Road to Hana. The views are breathtaking, though.

We did all three of those in one day and had a picnic lunch.

  • Garden of Eden. Get a little taste of the road to Hana on this one–you’re about 45 minutes in. This place seems very kid-friendly, lots of beautiful plants and views, and birds to feed. It rains there most afternoons as far as I can tell. Also a very easy hike.
  • Twin Falls. We only did the right one as we didn’t want to walk through a stream. Most of the hike is very easy with a slight incline on the way out. At the end you’ve got to traverse some narrow elevated paths (if you fell off or stumbled, you’d get wet but not hurt) and scale a few rocks to get the falls and pool. Also beautiful, but I gather it’s a pedestrian waterfall for Maui.

We did those on the same trip.

  • Olowalu petroglyphs. This one is the most different from the book. Not all the landmarks are there anymore, but some signs are up to guide you. The petroglyphs themselves are now protected and sort of fenced off. In the book the hike ends with you climbing up rocks to get to them; now you have to stand at the foot of the rocks and look up. The area itself is pretty ugly, and it’s an easy walk up a dirt road. If you’re into ancient art (we are), the petroglyphs themselves are super cool, and worth the easy trip, perhaps on the way to a day in Lahaina (we went there for lunch afterward). If not, skip it.

Top Ten Things To Do

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Angela asked us for a top ten things to do.

Oh there is SO MUCH to do where do I begin and what do I pick as the musts? First let me tell you that in the condo there are a selection of guide books. They are filled with things to do. There are also two books on hikes in Maui with maps and trail info. Also there is a CD that you can play while you drive Hana Highway that works great to tell you where you are and where to pull off. Also a book on Maui restaurants. Ok I’ll try a top 10…

1) Snorkeling
In the hall closet are swim fins and towels, you will need your own mask & snorkels. You can rent them there or bring ones if you have them already. Right off our beach Kam III is excellent with lots of tropical fish and turtles. Towards Wailea just a mile is Ulua beach, really great there too. To the left of Kam III is the Eddie Pu trail that you can walk to Keawakapu beach for really good reef snorkeling. And on and on….

Check out this blog entry.

2) Boogie boarding
Kam II and III are easy fun waves. You can rent boards across the street at the Surf Shack for $7 a day.

3) Sunsets. Go right across the street onto to big grassy section, or walk along Eddie Pu trail and stop at one of the benches. We go every single night that we are there. Never gets old. Always different. People come from all over the island to Kam III to see sunsets.

Check out this blog entry.

4) Molokini
Take a boat trip to Molokini, it is only a mile or so off from Kihei. You can go right from Kihei boat dock across the street.

5) Hana Highway, go early like before 7:30, bring camera. Take it slow, lots of twists and turns and one lane sections.
This will take ALL DAY round trip. In Hana have lunch at Hana Ranch outside on the patio. AWESOME!

Check out this blog entry.

6) Haleakala
Ok, so I must admit that we have never gone to see the sun rise. Some people say it is a life changing experience. We have gone up there in the afternoon to check it out, but the drive is too much for me in the dark pre-dawn. You have to get up at like 3:30 AM in order to get there in time. And it is FREEZING COLD! Bring lots of jackets!

7) Iao Valley. Really cool looking mountains.

Check out this blog entry.

8) Lahaina. Fun tourist shopping. Check out the Banyan tree.

9) Aquarium at Ma’alea harbor. Spend time in the under water tube.

Check out this blog entry.

10) Sit on the beach and do nothing.