Maui : Picture-Perfect Postcard Adventure Island in the Evergreen US State of Hawaii

Important Note: 

1. Check the COVID 19 travel restrictions of the place online before undertaking your sojourn.
2. Kindly note that the Distance of places, Prices, Hotel rates, Temperature, and other figures may change according to the conditions prevailing at the time of your visit. There may even be short cuts and extra conveyance available that you can avail of when traveling locally. Tourists must conduct their own research before traveling and take due diligence on rates & distances from authorized online sources. All the facts and information provided in relation to the place is for my own personal use and collected from different online sources and collated together. For more details, Click this link DISCLAIMER.

                    [Picture Credits: "Kaihalulu Beach, Maui" by RustyGage, Pixabay is in the Public Domain, CC0]

Located in the lush green, volcanic active isle of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean lies the secluded gem of Maui (not secluded anymore :). Known for its deepest ocean, the Pacific region encloses within its cocoon some of the finest coastal gems like Atolls, volcanoes, tropical forests, lagoons, and other marine wonders, Hawaii being one of them. Maui is heaven incarnate with swaying and rustling palm trees casting its glory on the azure waters beneath. It is rated as the best island in the USA for 22 years by Conde Nast Travelers magazine. The golden divine beaches,  forested mountain stretches, and eternal sunshine make it an ideal place for a discerning traveler. It is here that you can pamper yourself at the many spas, immerse yourself at Luau organic farmers market, sip a swig at the Kula local distillery and dine on multi-ethnic cuisines.

The Hawaiin territory is renowned for its vibrant beaches, eclectic sunsets, and evergreen panorama and is replete with marine wonders and breathtaking sceneries. You can gauge the beauty of Hawaii from the numerous word-of-mouth praise stories of tourists and the ritzy beauty pageants held on its soil since the time it opened the economy to the outside world. In terms of area, Maui is the second-largest island in Hawaii & 17th in the US. Although Kahului island scores in terms of commerce and finance, Maui surpasses it with its unparalleled scenery. Wailuku is the seat and capital city of Maui island. Other lesser-known places on the bucket list of travelers are Kehei, Lahaina, Pukalani, Kula, Haiku, Hana & Makawao. 

[Picture Credit: "Maui " by Wrolandholst, Pixabay is in the Public Domain]

Many places are located alongside mountains, valley, beachside, and confers an amazing topography to the region. It is really blessed to be in Hawaii. 

Legend states that Hawaii's name is derived from Hawaii Ilona, an early settler on the island. You can find numerous peaks dotting the island of Hawaii, and the highest of them is the Haleakala, carpeting more than 70% of the island area. Even the Maui beach is not immune from the overlapping of volcanic rocks which zigzag on the shore. The climate of Maui is characterized by marked changes based on regions. 

[Picture Credits: "Maui, Hawaiʻi" by Tony Webster, Flickr is licensed under CC BY 2.0]

The climate of lowlands and highlands subregions vary with altitude and can be tropical based, wind-based, rain-fed, etc. Makena Beach in Maui is one stunning wonder which forms an enclosed mass in the center of the river. 

Due to the warm tropical climate, Maui is home to many Humpback whales that migrate and rush here to enjoy the warm waters and mate. 

[Picture Credits: "Maui, Sunet" by hmmunoz512, Pixabay is in the Public Domain]

The whale population is concentrated in the Auau channel wedged between the Maui islands. Many whales watching adventures are conducted here during that season of whale arrivals. Maui is also home to Rain and Cloud forest but due to the wanton agricultural and coastal activities, most of the area is run off with pollution and uninterrupted tourism leading to the destruction of natural marine habitats of turtles, dolphins, and fishes. 

[Picture Credits: "Maui" by dan Hutchinson, Wikimedia Commons is licensed under CC BY 3.0]

The Tahiti tribe, more specifically the Polynesians were the original inhabitants of the Maui islands. Due to its ethereal beauty, Maui was not far off from the sight of avid explorers like James Cook who was lucky to watch its shores but was unable to land due to its difficult terrain. The first sight eventually led to many explorations and Maui got its first European visitor by way of  French admiral Jean-François de Galaup, who set his foot on its shores at a place called La Perouse Bay in 1786. Curiosity led to many traders, loggers, wildlife enthusiasts, missionaries, and other marine adventurers to land here in subsequent cycles.  But the opening of tourist activity brought with its own peril of land exploitation, trafficking, and natural degradation. Even the population of whales showed a marked decrease due to the extraction of its oil for medicinal purposes.

The rapidly increasing population coupled with traffic and tourist growth has led to congestion, low access to water, and a housing boom which ultimately led to unaffordability. A lot of homeowners started letting their rooms on rent giving rise to vacation rentals and new real estate complexes.

Maui's economy is mostly concentrated on tourism, but retail, agriculture, services, and the IT industry also share space as secondary sectors of the economy. 

[Picture Credits: "Secret Cove,Maui" by Joe Parks, Flickr is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0]

The main agricultural products are corn, seeds, cattle feed, sugar, macadamia nuts, Pineapples, Papaya seeds, and flowers. 

This is not all, Maui's tourism industry boasts of pleasure activities for adventure freaks like Snorkelling, Windsurfing, Kitesurfing, Paddleboarding, helicopter rides, and Whale watching. 

To relieve your hunger pangs, visit some street-side open-air restaurants which offer delectable dishes at affordable prices. Mamas Fish restaurant is one famous hippie style grab and dine restaurant.

The main attractions in Maui include Haleakala national park, which is also the highest peak at 10000 meters above sea level, Lahaina which is the smaller of the main ports, and which serves as the main city center lined with ritzy cafes and beaming restaurants. Lahaina is best visited for its panoramic sunsets and whaling pastime.  Kaanapali beach is the star-studded jewel in Lahaina kitty and is visited by hordes of tourists to let their hair down and relax.  Kahalui is the primary port of call for cruise liners and ships. 

[Picture Credits: "IslandMauiHwaii" by Dronepicr, Flickr is licensed under CC BY 2.0]

Hana highway crosses Maui's east coast and winds along rugged mountains, passing through black sand beaches and milky waterfalls. 

The road to economic prosperity should not be at the cost of natural degradation and for this reason, many locals have taken on the cudgels to save the environment through eco-friendly measures and Government intervention. This has generated an eco-conscious movement which is directed at the tourists. 

Internal Touring of the Island: A Primer

Due to the proliferation of tourism-related ancillary business and arrivals of inbound tourists, the Govt. started what was known as the Maui Bus, a funded program for touring the island by bus. Hop on the designer buses and tour the island at nominal rates. Renting a car in Maui is easy on the pocket and there are plenty of rent a car agents to assist you. Bus trips normally cost between $2-$5. Guided bus tours, For eg: On Hana Route is navigated by Shuttle buses. 

Landing on the dream island by Air:

• To land in West Maui: Board at Kapalua airport.
• To land in Eat Maui: Board at Hana airport.
• To land in Central Maui: Board at the Kahalui International airport, which is most commercial & busiest.

For healthcare and 24/7 medical facilities: Visit the 3 main healthcare centers located in most of the areas of Maui.

• Maui medical center (Located in the central town of Wailuku)
• Hana medical center (Located in South East of Maui)
• Kula hospital (Located in the remote rural town of Kula)
• Lanai medial center (In Lanai island neighboring Maui)

All the facilities are located in close vicinity of Maui island.

Maui has something to offer for every class of tourists from family, solo, and business class. Family excursions, hiking trails, and rural rustic farm tours are some splendid offerings from Maui's tourist itinerary.  

Find an Accommodation in Maui, Hawaii to Unwind and relax: Hawaii is one of the magnificent islands in the world and is rated as the top 20 islands in the USA. It is not a surprise to find even honeymooners and Event planners descending on this slice of paradise year after year. Kaanapali beachfront hotel is one truly amazing and typical Hawaiin type hotel wherein you'll be spoilt for choices. 

• Check the link to find reasonable and pocket-friendly accommodation options:https://cutt.ly/Lf95MBQ
• For signature dining options, visit the link: https://cutt.ly/of9599

Main Airport: Kahalui airport is the primary airport and second-biggest commercial airport in Hawaii. It serves as the major hub for interisland travel by Hawaiin airlines. Kahului can be reached nonstop from major cities in the USA. Kapalua and Hana are secondary airports for traveling to other local islands. 

Exit the airport and reach either Lahaina and Kaanapali where majority of hotels are concentrated.

What to shop for:

Being a tourist haven, Maui is littered with shopping centers and supermarkets where you can shop at leisure for trinkets, souvenirs, relics, clothing, cultural artifacts, etc. Need some flea market experience, then Kihei is worth a visit. ABC Stores can be found all over the island and comes to your rescue from normally inflated rates at superstores. 

You can fly from Maui to other islands via a short-haul flight. Honolulu is well connected to Maui and there are frequent flights to and fro. Catamarans ply nearly 4-5 times a day between some islands like Lahaina and Lanai. The travel time is approx 1 hr and costs $25 per travelers per direction. 

Exiting from the Hawaiian islands to the US Mainland requires strict checking of luggage for any agricultural produce (mainly pineapples and papaya) to contains fruit fly disease. 

Currency Traded: $US

Best time to visit: Summers and winters are the most appropriate times to visit Maui island. 

The coolest month is February and the hottest month is August. So you can plan the trip accordingly based on your seasonal preference. May-Oct also has some pleasant weather devoid of crowds. Nov-March starts the rainy season and also peak times when you find crowd swelling in numbers. Labour Day & Thanksgiving Day are the two times when the airfare and accommodation rates are the lowest.  

Maui has been on the radar of Hollywood celebrities and Page 3 crowd for a long time due to its radiant beaches and glamour quotient. Not only celebrities but seekers of truth and spiritual mavens flock to Maui for some peaceful vibes and soak in its untouched beauty. 

Some cultural terms for befriending the locals: The Hawaiian language is derived from Polynesian dialect and is a mix of Swahili, Samoa, Tahiti, Maori, etc... which are the Austronesian language mix. 'Pidgin' is the slang language mostly used by locals to converse. 

• Hello / Goodbye - Aloha
• How are you - Pehea Oe
• Thank you - Mahalo
• Where is this place - Aia I Keia Wahi
• How much? - Ehia
• Anything less - Kekahi Mea Emi
• Bathroom - Lua
• Help - Kokua

Top Cities and significance:

• Hana - Isolated town on the east coast of Maui renowned for rainforests, green pastures, and black sand beaches
• Haiku - Maui's cultural melting pot. Known for agricultural and plantations estates. 
• Kahului - Main airport is located here. It is a commercial and transportation hub. 
• Kaanapali - A tourist frequented place where major festivals are conducted. Close to Lahaina.
• Kapalua - Prominent place for golfing events. Also boasts of luxurious resorts, boutiques, and award-spinning restaurants. 
• Kihei - Features famous condos and beaches and is close to the Haleakala volcano region.
• Lahaina - Famous whaling tour center and also houses museums and galleries. 
•  Paia - Renowned town for windsurfing, and kitesurfing adventures. 
• Wailuku - Central seat of Hawaiin government, and contains list of prominent storefronts.
• Lao valley - A nature, hiking, and wellness center.
• 'Road to Hana' - A unmissable slice of Hawaiin adventure. Encounter peaks, valleys, tropical flowers, tranquil ponds, bamboo jungles, gurgling waterfalls on this 50 mile Hana Road trip traversing through 54 one way bridges and 600 hairpin curves. 
• Haleakala national park - Home to the endangered SilverSword plant and exotic flora and fauna.

Helpful links for an immersing experience: 

• For local brewing experience: To enjoy the local brew flavors and Hawaiin hospitality, 

          visit: https://mauibrewingco.com/

• For wellness and spiritual retreats: https://lumeriamaui.com/
• For Coffee addicts: https://mauicoffeeroasters.com/
• Local outlets: https://www.outletsofmaui.com/
• Pineapple cultivation tours: https://mauipineappletour.com/
• Airline for Interisland travel: https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/island-guide/maui
• Wine brewing tours: https://mauiwine.com/
• Maui Film Festival: https://www.mauifilmfestival.com/
• Maui Mexican Food connect: https://mauitacos.com/
• Best Maui cultural extravaganza: https://www.dukesmaui.com/
• Explore the underwater world of Maui: https://atlantisadventures.com/maui/
• Encyclopedia of Maui: https://www.hawaii-guide.com/maui  
• Maui Information Guide: https://www.mauiinformationguide.com/
• Top things to do in Maui: In order to truly enjoy your Maui trip, I recommend you check this:  https://cutt.ly/nf8eYWJ

Extra reference link:: (Take it easy in Hawaii - Zero in your preferences and don't confuse with too many offers) - https://cutt.ly/Bf3qfzy

HAWAII is truly a paradise to those who experience it. 

Do you want to Escape, Unwind, and Relax from the HumBum of life? 

Then its time to visit Maui, Hawaii, and utter 'ALOHA', 'HO OPONOPONO' & 'KAHUNA'.