Maui – Hawaii, One of the Most Beautiful Place On Earth!
Maui
The Hawaiian island of Maui is a destination for true nature lovers. The beautiful bamboo forest and astounding waterfalls in Haleakala National Park can be explored via the Waimoku Falls Trail (Pipiwai). Stretch out on warm, golden sands or hit the surf for an unforgettable windsurfing or snorkeling session. Driving the scenic road to Hana along the island’s northeastern shore will be among the most spectacular journeys of your life. Visiting the hawaiian island was on my bucket list for some time and I had a chance to explore the island during the Memorial weekend. My wife and I flew to Maui on May 24th evening.
As soon as we landed, we knew we are going to have a great trip. The weather was awesome. We just headed to our hotel, check-in, had a good Mexican food for dinner and went to bed for the next long day in the island.
Road to Hana
As soon as I planned the trip to Maui, the first thing I wanted to do was a Road to Hana. The Road to Hana, as everyone knows, is the number one thing to do on the island of Maui. The Hana Highway (HI-360) has 620 curves and 59 bridges. The road leads you through flourishing rain forests, flowing waterfalls, plunging pools and dramatic seascapes. The drive is one of the most beautiful drives you will ever do with plenty of great sights to stop along the way. You can’t make all the stops possible on the Road to Hana in one day, so you need to prioritize.
Twin Falls – A short and easy hike to the waterfall at Mile Marker 2. This is worth spending 30 minutes. There is a food truck selling fresh coconuts and fresh cut fruits.
Wai’anapanapa Black Sand Beach – We walked down to the black sand beach first. You can see the beach from the walk down. The beach is small and there are a lot of people, but there are still plenty of spots to get a nice shot. The black sand is really more of black tiny pebbles. This is one of my favorite spots to hang out.
Pu’a Ka’a Falls – We stopped by Pu’a Ka’a falls, where the parking lot had a public bathroom and across the street was what looked like a state built waterfall park. This one was nice too. There are some picnic tables where you can have your sandwiches. There is a small swimming hole beneath the waterfalls. A nice spot for having a lunch and worth spending 15 minutes.
Pipiwai Trail – The Pipiwai Trail is located toward the end of the Road to Hana, about 12 miles past Hana town. The two-mile trail begins just across the road from the parking lot, and you don’t have to walk very far (about half a mile) before you come to the first set of waterfalls. The Falls at Makahiku plunge 200 feet over a cliff and cascade into the prehistoric-looking jungle below. The scene is breathtaking, and it’s just the beginning.
Walk a little further down the trail and you’ll come to another highlight – a gigantic banyan tree. With far-reaching branches and a footprint the size of a house, this majestic beauty is truly a sight to behold.
As you continue along the trail, you’ll notice that the scenery changes from lush rain forest to thick bamboo. Listen to the hollow, percussive sounds of swaying stalks as you walk through the magical forest.
Once you pass the bamboo forest, you’ll see Waimoku Falls between the trees. This awesome waterfall thunders down 400 feet and will take your breath away. Even at a distance, you’ll be cooled by its refreshing mist and wind.
The Seven Sacred Pools is also known as the “Oheo Gulch” and despite the name, there are actually dozens of swimming holes instead of seven. The pools can be reached by a short half mile hike from the entrance of Haleakala National Park in Maui.
By the time we finished the Pipiwai trail hike and Seven sacred pools, it was already 7PM and that means we had to drive 60 miles back to down at dark in that hairpin bend road. We were back to hotel at 11PM after the dinner at midway point. We had a very long and tired but a rewarding day. Went to bed immediately for the next day.
Towering emerald peaks guard the lush valley floor of Iao Valley State Park. Located in Central Maui just west of Wailuku, this peaceful 4,000-acre, 10-mile long park is home to one of Maui’s most recognizable landmarks, the 1,200-foot Iao Needle. This iconic green-mantled rock outcropping overlooks Iao stream and is an ideal attraction for easy hiking and sightseeing.
There is a well-marked, paved pedestrian path leading from the parking lot to view Iao Needle and the ridge-top lookout provides incredible views of the valley.
The Maui Tropical Plantation is a beautiful place to visit. The tram takes you around the grounds and shows you the various fruits and flowers that they grow, which are so pretty.
I was more interested in doing a snorkeling tour as I am a good swimmer, but my wife is not so. So we decided to go with Zip lining and the 8 line Ka’anapali Zipline adventure tour was the perfect one for us. Experience some of Maui’s best views on this tour, where you’ll leave the sandy shoreline behind and drive high up the West Maui Mountains. Over the course of eight different ziplines spanning deep, eroded ravines, you’ll not only see views of Molokai, Lanai, and the entire West Maui coastline, but also learn the island’s history and about native plants and wildlife.
After an 3.5 hour ziplining tour, we were back to the Royal Lahaina Resort for our second night stay. The room was comfortable with a beautiful view. The good thing about this resort is, the famous Ka’anapali beach is just a walking distance. We had 2 option to choose, one was to see the Luau dance inside the resort itself or just go to the Ka’anapali beach, walk the famous beach road, people watching, see the Maui sunset and have a dinner at the beach front hotel. We had chosen the second choice. (Will see the Luau dance when we go there next time). The sunset was breathtaking.
Lahaina Joda Mission, Located away from downtown Lahaina to the north on Ala Moana Street, you can find the Lahaina Jodo Mission. This mission is one of the most beautiful and serene places in Hawaii and one which should not be missed.
The banyan tree in Lahaina was planted on April 24, 1873, to mark the 50th anniversary of the arrival of first American Protestant mission. The banyan tree known in Hawaiian as paniana, located in the Courthouse Square, which was renamed Banyan Tree Park covering 1.94 acres, is not only the largest in the state but also in the United States.
After the road to hana, we wanted to explore the West Maui. Some of the stretches in this route were very dangerous. We decided to just drive around west Maui, North to Kapaula and around the island clockwise through Kahului and back to Kaanapali.
We took Office Road back to Highway 30 and continued north, stopping occasionally before we reached Honolua Bay after mile marker 32. This is a must-see destination. There isn’t as much vegetation on West Maui as there is on the road to Hana, but the path to reach the rocky beach goes through some thick jungle.
Nakalele Blowhole, When the waves are just right, the push under the rock and up through the blowhole, erupting like a whale spout.
I wanted to go to Waihe’e Ridge Trail hike while driving West Maui, but we had only half a day to explore the famous Volcanic Halekala National Park. My wife was tired, but I wanted to do it. It is a 6.4 kilometer moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Wailuku that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. My wife was in the car at the parking lot while I hiked this. I hiked only half a way (1Mile in 15 minutes) and back to car in 25 minutes after spending some time in the trail. This is very scenic hike and you can see the ocean on one side and huge lush green mountain on the other side.
By the time, we started driving, it was already 4’0 clock and we had a flight at 9:30. So we drove to Halekala national park right a way. This special place vibrates with stories of ancient and modern Hawaiian culture and protects the bond between the land and its people. The park also cares for endangered species, some of which exist nowhere else.
Sunrises and sunsets are only two of the many reasons to pay Haleakala National Park a visit on your trip to Maui. Spanning more than 30,000 acres of public land, the stunning landscapes range from Mars-like red deserts and rock gardens near the summit to lush waterfalls and streams in the park’s coastal Kipahulu section.
After spending a good an hour here, we started driving back to the airport to catch our flight back to Los Angeles. We reached the airport just in time and flew back to LA with lots of good memories and already decided to check some other Hawaiian island in near future.
The video ‘The Road to Hana’ is here: