This is a travelog of a trip that Manisha, Amarya, and I undertook of Maui in December 2016.
First some geological trivia to get your bearings. The island of Maui is geologically founded on two volcanoes of the Hawaiian volcano chain. The older volcano, which is now extinct, lies on the west of the island, and is considerably eroded, lush, and live. The newer volcano, Haleakala, lies to the east of the island and is an imposing presence - rising 10k+ ft above sea level. It is the largest dormant volcano in the world with the last eruption in 1790, about 1 million years old and stretching a whopping 25k ft from the surrounding seabed! Its slopes are home to rich fauna and many of the key attractions of Maui. The island itself is formed by these volcanoes and the isthmus between them formed through their erosion.
The Hawaiian volcanic chain is the result of a rare geological phenomenon called a "Hotspot" and the gradual movement of the Pacific tectonic plate. The hotspot is continuously spewing out lava, and as the Pacific tectonic plate shifts over it, a volcano gets created periodically and roughly at even distances from each other. Interestingly, as the volcano moves away from the hotspot, the volcano goes through a cycle of aging which ultimately ends with it completely collapsing below sea level, leaving only the surrounding reef as a sign that it ever existed! The Hawaiian Hotspot has been active for the past 85 million years during which it has generated 129 volcanoes, most of which are below sea level today.
That's enough on the geology! Our trip started on Dec 20, 2016 when we reached Maui late evening from SF. The first two days of our stay were in Kahului, which is located on the plains of the West Maui mountains. Dec 21 started early with breakfast at Vanta Cafe after which we headed over to Maui Tropical Plantation in Wailuku, also located on the plains of West Maui mountains. Crisscrossing the plantation, we saw a variety of fauna including pineapples, jackfruit, bananas, coconut, and mangoes. Macadamia nut trees were the real novelty here. After getting a bite of local papayas at the organic plantation store and tasting real Maui coffee, we headed over to Kula.
Kula is a large agrarian community located on the northwest plains of the Haleakala. This side of the Haleakala slopes gradually from the summit down to the plains, offering a vast area of temperate climate, ideal for farming. Our first stop in Kula was Kumu farms. This was our first encounter with the breathtaking views of the plains below and the ocean that you can enjoy from Kula, and which became a regular feature in all our farm visits over the next few days. Kumu farms had strawberries, bananas, lots of goats, some sheep too if I recall, ponies, cows, and rabbits. It was a kid friendly place with a play area.
We got out from Kumu farms at about 3PM and drove straight up to the Haleakala summit. The summit area has good tourist infrastructure with a visitor center, large parking lot, restrooms, etc. Parking at the highest point is tight though and several folks just left their cars on the narrow 1-lane street as they tried to catch the sunset. From the summit, you can see Haleakala's many craters - each of which rise like a mini volcano around the main crater. At this altitude, there is very little vegetation and the surrounding terrain dotted with craters and black soil looks very extra terrestrial. Watching the sunset from the top of the Haleakala was an unforgettable experience - also much easier to pull off than the sunrise. We told ourselves that we'll be back some day to bike down from the crater to the plains, which is a popular activity. We drove down to the plains after sunset, had dinner at Tante's and that was it for the day.
Next morning, we started our day with the Ali'i Kula Lavender farm in Kula, one of the main attractions in Maui. This was a serene place with beautifully planned lavender plantation and other fauna on a gradual slope. The store had some interesting novelty items (we tried the lavender scone, lavender honey, lavender tea) and the same breathtaking views of the ocean that we saw the day before.
After hanging out at the fragrant farm, we headed further down to the Surfing Goat Dairy. This is an excellent place for kids. Amarya couldn't stop playing with baby goats and I finished a full goat cheese platter made for 6 people with Manisha enjoying her Maui coffee. We learned about the goats, toured the farm, and loved the concept of the "Surfing Goat"! Afterwards, we headed to Lahaina, not realizing how busy the highway would be around sunset, and eventually turning back and retiring early for the day.
Next day, December 23rd, I spent first half of the day snorkeling with Ed Robinson Diving Adventures / Maui Snorkeling at Ulua beach in Wailea. The reef here is rich with life, more than anywhere I recall. The surprise element was running into two full grown turtles. Spent some time trying to understand one of them (and giving up), and swam with the second one. Thanks to our guide, Tobey, for making this a memorable experience.
When I got back, we started on the road to Hana. Our first stop was the surfing town of Paia where we had lunch at the Paia fish market and enjoyed some local Kombucha nearby. We also saw some sugarcane plantations along the way which had a rich political and economic history that Manisha got very interested in. After lunch, we started towards Hana, the goal being to make it to the "Halfway to Hana" stop which is 17 miles from this point.
Hana is on the eastern tip of the island. The road to Hana from Paia goes along the northern and eastern shore. These sides of the Haleakala see a lot of rain and are steeper than the Kula slopes. The result is thick tropical rain forests in all their majesty. It really is a sight to see - stop at any of the designated hike spots and wander through the woods. Since Hawaii doesn't have snakes, walking through these tropical rain forests with no fear feels very unreal!
After a few short hikes, our first stop was the Garden of Eden Arboretum. This was a well planned paradise located in thick tropical rain forest with peacocks and ducks as added attraction. A highly recommended stopover on the way. The garden also offers great views of the Keopuka rock which was featured in the opening scene of Jurassic park. After some great shots of the three of us in this tropical paradise, we continued on the Hana highway. This highway is challenging to drive but it's possible to both be safe and enjoy your trip.
Finally, when we got to the "Halfway to Hana" stop, it had just closed, the time was 4:05PM I think. Manisha used her negotiation skills and got us their famous banana bread though, which started a long obsessions with banana breads, but more on that later. We headed back from here and retired early for the day, spending rest of the evening at Nalu's cafe in Kihei, near our resort, the Maui Sunset.
We started the 24th of December again at Ulua beach but this time with Manisha and Amarya too. Go early to find parking (before 10AM), this was the lesson we learned the hard way. Fortunately, parking at the nearby Wailea shopping center is an option. Manisha and Amarya had some nice quiet time at the beach while I went looking for the same fishes in the same spots, meeting Tobey again! When we got back to our resort, I was able to get some "Maui Gold" pineapple which I had been craving all along and made some quick pineapple smoothie.
Next, we left for Mama's fish house to try our luck without reservation. Fortunately, Manisha got us a table again in quick time and what followed was one of our most enjoyable meals outside. The fish here is caught fresh daily, it's a new menu every day, it even has the day's date on the menu with detail of the fisherman and the boat with each fish!
This being our second last day, we decided to take it slow afterwards, spent some time at a mall in Kahului and retired to our resort. The next morning, we discovered that our resort had a great paddle boarding location, alas it was too late for us as we had just checked out (but something for next time). We started the day the Maui Ocean Center, sipping Maui coffee during breaks.
We learned that Hawaii has never been connected to any other landmass due to its distance (~2300 miles from land) and the depth of the ocean in between, even during ice ages. The result is that all reef fish and wildlife has evolved in isolation. The fish and coral larvae (planktons) arrived most likely with ocean currents. Since the odds of survival and regrowth in a 2300 mile journey are slim, Hawaii's reefs have much fewer variety of fish (500 species as compared to 2500 found in Southeast Asia). The Aquarium also had a very interesting presentation on the complex life and food chain of planktons.
Our next stop was the Maui Dragonfruit Farm in Lahaina, one of the few places open during Christmas. The farm was great and our guide very knowledgeable who showed us a wide variety of fauna, life at the farm with hurricanes and winds, challenges of keeping the farm economically viable, and the many breathtaking views from the farm. We also learned from her about WWOOF, an exchange program for working on organic farms across the world (World Wide Opportunity for Organic Farming).
From here, we headed deeper into Lahaina at the downtown. During our lunch, we were honored to have a guest appearance from a turtle which completely thrilled each of us alike! We walked down the waterfront, enjoying some breathtaking views of the sunset, Manisha indulging in art galleries, and ended up at the Lahaina Banyan Tree - a huge Banyan tree stretching over 2 acres. Exploring its various branches with Amarya was a lot of fun!
That brought our trip to an end. It was one of the most memorable trips that Manisha, Amarya and I have ever undertaken. Maui truly is a unique tropical paradise and exploring its diverse natural riches an adventure of a lifetime.
First some geological trivia to get your bearings. The island of Maui is geologically founded on two volcanoes of the Hawaiian volcano chain. The older volcano, which is now extinct, lies on the west of the island, and is considerably eroded, lush, and live. The newer volcano, Haleakala, lies to the east of the island and is an imposing presence - rising 10k+ ft above sea level. It is the largest dormant volcano in the world with the last eruption in 1790, about 1 million years old and stretching a whopping 25k ft from the surrounding seabed! Its slopes are home to rich fauna and many of the key attractions of Maui. The island itself is formed by these volcanoes and the isthmus between them formed through their erosion.
The Hawaiian volcanic chain is the result of a rare geological phenomenon called a "Hotspot" and the gradual movement of the Pacific tectonic plate. The hotspot is continuously spewing out lava, and as the Pacific tectonic plate shifts over it, a volcano gets created periodically and roughly at even distances from each other. Interestingly, as the volcano moves away from the hotspot, the volcano goes through a cycle of aging which ultimately ends with it completely collapsing below sea level, leaving only the surrounding reef as a sign that it ever existed! The Hawaiian Hotspot has been active for the past 85 million years during which it has generated 129 volcanoes, most of which are below sea level today.
That's enough on the geology! Our trip started on Dec 20, 2016 when we reached Maui late evening from SF. The first two days of our stay were in Kahului, which is located on the plains of the West Maui mountains. Dec 21 started early with breakfast at Vanta Cafe after which we headed over to Maui Tropical Plantation in Wailuku, also located on the plains of West Maui mountains. Crisscrossing the plantation, we saw a variety of fauna including pineapples, jackfruit, bananas, coconut, and mangoes. Macadamia nut trees were the real novelty here. After getting a bite of local papayas at the organic plantation store and tasting real Maui coffee, we headed over to Kula.
Kula is a large agrarian community located on the northwest plains of the Haleakala. This side of the Haleakala slopes gradually from the summit down to the plains, offering a vast area of temperate climate, ideal for farming. Our first stop in Kula was Kumu farms. This was our first encounter with the breathtaking views of the plains below and the ocean that you can enjoy from Kula, and which became a regular feature in all our farm visits over the next few days. Kumu farms had strawberries, bananas, lots of goats, some sheep too if I recall, ponies, cows, and rabbits. It was a kid friendly place with a play area.
We got out from Kumu farms at about 3PM and drove straight up to the Haleakala summit. The summit area has good tourist infrastructure with a visitor center, large parking lot, restrooms, etc. Parking at the highest point is tight though and several folks just left their cars on the narrow 1-lane street as they tried to catch the sunset. From the summit, you can see Haleakala's many craters - each of which rise like a mini volcano around the main crater. At this altitude, there is very little vegetation and the surrounding terrain dotted with craters and black soil looks very extra terrestrial. Watching the sunset from the top of the Haleakala was an unforgettable experience - also much easier to pull off than the sunrise. We told ourselves that we'll be back some day to bike down from the crater to the plains, which is a popular activity. We drove down to the plains after sunset, had dinner at Tante's and that was it for the day.
Next morning, we started our day with the Ali'i Kula Lavender farm in Kula, one of the main attractions in Maui. This was a serene place with beautifully planned lavender plantation and other fauna on a gradual slope. The store had some interesting novelty items (we tried the lavender scone, lavender honey, lavender tea) and the same breathtaking views of the ocean that we saw the day before.
After hanging out at the fragrant farm, we headed further down to the Surfing Goat Dairy. This is an excellent place for kids. Amarya couldn't stop playing with baby goats and I finished a full goat cheese platter made for 6 people with Manisha enjoying her Maui coffee. We learned about the goats, toured the farm, and loved the concept of the "Surfing Goat"! Afterwards, we headed to Lahaina, not realizing how busy the highway would be around sunset, and eventually turning back and retiring early for the day.
Next day, December 23rd, I spent first half of the day snorkeling with Ed Robinson Diving Adventures / Maui Snorkeling at Ulua beach in Wailea. The reef here is rich with life, more than anywhere I recall. The surprise element was running into two full grown turtles. Spent some time trying to understand one of them (and giving up), and swam with the second one. Thanks to our guide, Tobey, for making this a memorable experience.
When I got back, we started on the road to Hana. Our first stop was the surfing town of Paia where we had lunch at the Paia fish market and enjoyed some local Kombucha nearby. We also saw some sugarcane plantations along the way which had a rich political and economic history that Manisha got very interested in. After lunch, we started towards Hana, the goal being to make it to the "Halfway to Hana" stop which is 17 miles from this point.
Hana is on the eastern tip of the island. The road to Hana from Paia goes along the northern and eastern shore. These sides of the Haleakala see a lot of rain and are steeper than the Kula slopes. The result is thick tropical rain forests in all their majesty. It really is a sight to see - stop at any of the designated hike spots and wander through the woods. Since Hawaii doesn't have snakes, walking through these tropical rain forests with no fear feels very unreal!
After a few short hikes, our first stop was the Garden of Eden Arboretum. This was a well planned paradise located in thick tropical rain forest with peacocks and ducks as added attraction. A highly recommended stopover on the way. The garden also offers great views of the Keopuka rock which was featured in the opening scene of Jurassic park. After some great shots of the three of us in this tropical paradise, we continued on the Hana highway. This highway is challenging to drive but it's possible to both be safe and enjoy your trip.
Finally, when we got to the "Halfway to Hana" stop, it had just closed, the time was 4:05PM I think. Manisha used her negotiation skills and got us their famous banana bread though, which started a long obsessions with banana breads, but more on that later. We headed back from here and retired early for the day, spending rest of the evening at Nalu's cafe in Kihei, near our resort, the Maui Sunset.
We started the 24th of December again at Ulua beach but this time with Manisha and Amarya too. Go early to find parking (before 10AM), this was the lesson we learned the hard way. Fortunately, parking at the nearby Wailea shopping center is an option. Manisha and Amarya had some nice quiet time at the beach while I went looking for the same fishes in the same spots, meeting Tobey again! When we got back to our resort, I was able to get some "Maui Gold" pineapple which I had been craving all along and made some quick pineapple smoothie.
Next, we left for Mama's fish house to try our luck without reservation. Fortunately, Manisha got us a table again in quick time and what followed was one of our most enjoyable meals outside. The fish here is caught fresh daily, it's a new menu every day, it even has the day's date on the menu with detail of the fisherman and the boat with each fish!
This being our second last day, we decided to take it slow afterwards, spent some time at a mall in Kahului and retired to our resort. The next morning, we discovered that our resort had a great paddle boarding location, alas it was too late for us as we had just checked out (but something for next time). We started the day the Maui Ocean Center, sipping Maui coffee during breaks.
We learned that Hawaii has never been connected to any other landmass due to its distance (~2300 miles from land) and the depth of the ocean in between, even during ice ages. The result is that all reef fish and wildlife has evolved in isolation. The fish and coral larvae (planktons) arrived most likely with ocean currents. Since the odds of survival and regrowth in a 2300 mile journey are slim, Hawaii's reefs have much fewer variety of fish (500 species as compared to 2500 found in Southeast Asia). The Aquarium also had a very interesting presentation on the complex life and food chain of planktons.
Our next stop was the Maui Dragonfruit Farm in Lahaina, one of the few places open during Christmas. The farm was great and our guide very knowledgeable who showed us a wide variety of fauna, life at the farm with hurricanes and winds, challenges of keeping the farm economically viable, and the many breathtaking views from the farm. We also learned from her about WWOOF, an exchange program for working on organic farms across the world (World Wide Opportunity for Organic Farming).
From here, we headed deeper into Lahaina at the downtown. During our lunch, we were honored to have a guest appearance from a turtle which completely thrilled each of us alike! We walked down the waterfront, enjoying some breathtaking views of the sunset, Manisha indulging in art galleries, and ended up at the Lahaina Banyan Tree - a huge Banyan tree stretching over 2 acres. Exploring its various branches with Amarya was a lot of fun!
That brought our trip to an end. It was one of the most memorable trips that Manisha, Amarya and I have ever undertaken. Maui truly is a unique tropical paradise and exploring its diverse natural riches an adventure of a lifetime.
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