Maui… In general

Categories: USA, Hawaii, Maui

Aug 31st

When you arrive in Kahului Airport on Maui, gather some brochures while waiting for your luggage.

To get your rental vehicle, go outside and head over to the right where you’ll see various car rental booths. Go round the back to where the shuttles are and they’ll take you to their car lot. It’s always a good idea to check your vehicle for dents or scratches before you leave the lot.
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If you are going to Kihei use these directions: about 15 miles:

As you leave the lot follow signs to Kihei and/or Wailea.

About ¾ mile from the airport there is an intersection with a traffic light.
Continue STRAIGHT. Costco and Kmart will be on your left. Follow the signs towards Kihei.
After about 1.8 miles from the airport you will turn LEFT at the traffic light. There is a large Assembly of God church on your left. I think it’s called Mokulele Road.

After about 6.5 miles from the airport turn LEFT towards Wailea. (Don’t take the Kihei road as you end up at the opposite end of Kihei Road from where you want to be and the road to Wailea is a highway which is better.
This is the Piilani Highway. You can stop at the Piilani Shopping Center on your right and get some groceries at Safeway. Most places sell milk for about $8 per gallon but often Safeway has it for about $4.
Continue on the Piilani Highway and turn right on Ali’i Ke Alanui which is about ¼ mile beyond milepost 8. Follow the road all the way down to the ocean and turn left onto South Kihei Road.

Stay on the Piilani Highway if you’re going to Wailea.

To go to Lahaina or Kaanapali return on the Piilani Highway and follow the signs. There’s a nice lookout point at McGregor point which is after the Maui Ocean Center.

Iao Valley and Hawaii Nature Center
Where can you re-trace the footsteps of Hawaiian royalty, stand on the site of Maui’s bloodiest battle or be surrounded by the spirits of ancient chiefs and kings? The answer lies nestled in the West Maui Mountains, encircled by the dizzyingly beautiful cliffs of Iao Valley. It is the Hawaii Nature Center, a non-profit organization offering visitors and locals alike guided interpretive hikes, an interactive nature museum and a well stocked gift shop featuring Hawaiian prints and merchandise. The Hawaii Nature Center is committed to sharing the natural, historical and cultural wonders of the island through its visitors’ programs and environmental education for the children of Maui. Iao Valley is a rainforest, so it is often cool and green, with the sound of the stream a constant companion. The area is also rich with history. The Hawaii Nature Center is your interpretive guide for the “Hana” of the West side. And remember, your dollar spent helps fund our comprehensive environmental education programs for the keiki of Maui. Come explore the wonder that is Iao. Call 808-244-6500 for reservations.

kbeach2.jpg picture by amichael1140

Whalers Village Museum is a fascinating look at an important period in Maui’s history. This museum is believed to house the largest single collection of whaling memorabilia and scrimshaw in the world.

Mokapu and Ulua Beaches, the protected expanse before the Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort, has plenty of parking, showers and restrooms and being a hotel beach is well maintained with excellent snorkeling out by the first reef.

Wailea Beach, a short but wide expanse with excellent swimming, was once very secluded, and now showcases the Grand Wailea Resort.

Polo Beach provides excellent swimming, facilities, and an underwater view of large numbers of fish among the large rocks separating Polo from Wailea Beach.

Lahaina
See the huge banyan tree. To recapture history, the Baldwin Home at Front and Dickenson Streets is a good place to begin. It was the 19th century home of missionary Dr. Dwight Baldwin and has been restored as a museum and historical center by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation. Other Restoration Foundation projects worth visiting are the Wo Hing Temple on Front Street, the whaling-era Prison on Prison Street, and Hale Pa‘i (House of Printing) on Lahainaluna Road. The Lahaina Heritage Museum is located upstairs in Old Lahaina Courthouse. Lahaina Historic Trail is an interpretive, self-guided tour which tells the complete story of Lahaina through the centuries.

Drive to Haleakala National Park. Stop at the museum. On the way down stop at a flower nursery to see the beautiful protea flowers.

On the north shore east of the airport area visit Pahia and continue on to see some more beaches where there are lots of surfers.

A good website for information on the island islands is gohawaii

This entry was posted on Friday, August 31st, 2007 at 10:21 am and is filed under USA, Hawaii, Maui. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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