Suitcase Souvenirs: Maui - Part 1

Maui, HI
February 17-22, 2013

This was our first trip to the Hawaiian islands, and my first real beach vacation. We chose to visit Maui on the recommendation of many others who have frequented the island in the past. I loved it enough to want to go back in the future! The highlights of the trip were snorkeling, driving the road to Hana, catching the sunrise at the Mt Haleakala crater, attending a luau, and seeing the Nakalele Blowhole.

We managed to snorkel in 3 different areas around the island; our favorite spot was at Honolua Bay along the northwest coast of Maui. The waters were calm the morning we went, and we got to see the most variety in the sea life here. 

honolua.bay

The other 2 snorkeling spots we checked out were Black Rock just off of Kaanapali Beach, and Turtle Town at Maluaka Beach. It may have been bad timing for us, but we found that Black Rock was too busy for our liking, and although Maluaka Beach is supposed to have calm and still water, we got there near evening when the currents had picked up and so it wasn't welcoming to snorkeling. 

maluaka.beach

We found this site to be incredibly useful in planning our snorkeling journeys. Some friends also recommended going on a snorkeling sail out to Molokini Crater, where the water is supposed to be incredibly clear for snorkeling. We didn't do that this time because we figured there would be enough places to explore right off the beaches of the island.

kamaole.beach.1

When in Maui, one must partake in a Luau! Went to the Old Lahaina Luau because it had higher ratings on Trip Advisor and because it was recommended by others. It's about $100 per person, and it includes a traditional Hawaiian buffet, unlimited drinks (including yummy alcoholic beverages), and entertainment.

old.lahaina.luau

We did this early on in our trip and that is what I would suggest to others. It really sets the tone for a Hawaiian vacation. Upon entering the luau site, guests were greeted with a fresh orchid lei and a Hawaiian cocktail. We were then free to roam around the grounds with live Hawaiian music playing in the background. We also got to watch the unearthing of the kalua pork - a pig that has been roasted in an underground pit.

kalua.pork.unearthing

It was to be served to us at dinner. Next was the buffet dinner, which included traditional foods like poi, which is steamed, mashed taro. It was meant to be a palate cleanser as it had no flavor to it. Many people didn't like it, but the taste eventually grew on me (or maybe because I mixed with other items on my plate). Other dishes included things like ahi poke (marinated tuna sashimi), fresh island fish, and the aforementioned kalua pork. The last event of the evening was the Hula dancing and music telling the history of Polynesia and how inhabitants migrated over to the islands Hawaiian islands of today.

traditional.hawaiian.dancing

Another "must-see" while in Maui is the sunrise at Haleakala Crater. Depending on what time the sun rises and where you are on the island, you may have to get up as early as 3 AM to get to the observatory on time - not only for the sunrise, but to get a parking spot and to find a good spot to watch the sunrise. On the day we went, the sun was to rise at 6:45 AM, so we got up at 3:50 to leave our hotel by 4:30 make the 1.5 hour drive from Kahului to Mt Haleakala's summit. I was told that the summit is chilly, so I had on 4 layers: a tank top, a fleece lined long-sleeved shirt, a yoga zip up, and a fleece hoodie, with gloves, closed toed shoes, and jeans. I was still cold!

It was very foggy when we arrived at the summit. At around 6:45, there was still a lot of cloud cover and we were worried that we wouldn't see the sun.

fogginess.at.mt.haleakala

A few minutes later, all of the fog and some of the clouds magically cleared away and we were able to see the rising sun.

sunrise.at.mt.haleakala

We enjoyed the view for about half an hour before it started to fog over again. We then descended and carried on with our day. Though the $10 admission fee is valid for 3 days, we didn't get a chance to go back to enjoy the view at sunset.

Stay tuned for Maui Part 2 and Maui Eats!