Hawaii: Central Maui

Part 3 of trip summary: Central Maui:

If you visit Maui, you'll have to visit the central area for a few key things:

• The airport (or if you arrive via boat, I think many boats come here as well)
• Walmart, Kmart and other non-touristy shopping
  

I think a lot of tourists overlook Central Maui's other worthwhile destinations, thinking of this area as mainly residential communities and warehouses, and someplace to drive thru on your way to Hana or Haleakala.

While that's generally a correct view (in my opinion at least) I think there are two places in Central Maui that ought to be part of a well-rounded itinerary.

The 'Iao Valley / 'Iao Needle

From Tuesday in Maui

This site (a free state park) is relatively easy to get to and makes a good short destination in Central Maui. I figure that you're going to come this way at some point during your stay, so why not make it more interesting than just visiting Walmart or Kmart? Take a slight detour thru Wailuku and then as far into the West Maui Mountain as I think you can get.

The 'Iao Valley / 'Iao Needle is located in the West Maui Mountain. This photo explains more. Basically, in addition to being a unique geological feature, this area is visited because of it's significance in some of the battles to unite the Hawaiian Islands under a single ruler. If geology/history aren't your thing, you may also enjoy this area for it's lush vegetation and pretty streams.

On this trip, Matt & I visited twice. Once, we both went to the top viewing area (which they claim to be a half-hour hike). The second time, my foot was hurting, so I avoided the stairs and stayed at the bottom while the others went to the top. I snapped this photo (zoomed in as far as I could!) of Matt & my parents at the top viewing area.

From Tuesday (Iao Needle, Kahekili Beach, Family)

Pa'ia
This town, the next you come to when driving west from the airport, is another town I think most tourists skip in a race to get to Hana. That's unfortunate, I think, since Pa'ia is home to two of our favorite restaurants on the island.

Pa'ia also has quite a few shops, though they don't seem entirely fit for me (i.e. too many natural foods stores, unique clothing stores, etc). Despite the stores not being entirety interesting, I'd encourage friends to visit Pa'ia twice, for meals. One might be as you get back from Hana, and the other after you come down from Haleakala.

One meal should be at the Flatbread Company, mentioned earlier on my blog. Yum!

The other should be to the Pa'ia Fish Market. (This is not to be confused with Mama's Fish House which is also in Pai'a. The Fish Market is actually affordable while Mama's is not. I hear it's good, but incredibly pricey.) They serve fresh fish (and other things) in many ways. You order at the counter then sit at long tables, where you'll often have the chance to talk to others (mostly locals, from what I can tell). Tasty food in an unpretentious environment.

Neither the 'Iao Needle nor Pa'ia is what a trip to Maui should be made of - but I think they bring some balance to a trip. Both destinations take you out of the traditional tourist areas into other parts of the island, and offer something to see besides gorgeous beaches.

Other items of note in Central Maui:

• Hansen Road is a nice cut-off if you're staying in Kihei or Wailea and are headed up Haleakala. You can avoid driving by the Walmart and other busy shopping areas. However, this is the heart of the sugar refinery/landfill, so it may be a little smelly. Think of me as you drive your convertible on this road. I think I referred to it as "Return to Stank Land."
• Maui Coffee Roasters on Hana Highway near Dairy Road is most excellent. This is a good place to grab breakfast before driving to Hana. Their bagels are basically "a roll with a hole" but taste pretty good*. Their coffee is excellent, and well-priced. If you want to bring home some coffee from Maui, I'd recommend getting it here (fresher-roasted) rather than something from a grocery or souvenier shop. They carry Kona coffee, as well as other lesser-known but very excellent Hawaiian types.
• If you're meeting a friend at the airport and want to bring them a lei, Kmart has plenty. Look for the refrigerated case by the registers, along the front wall. And, note how the employees are all wearing special shirts with Hawaiian flowers and the Kmart logo worked into them. Kmart also has a remarkably good selection of touristy gifts to take home.

*By the way, "roll with a hole" in reference to bagels comes from the Newsboys movie, Down Under the Big Top, which I loved at some point in my youth. Here's a short clip.