Hawaii: West Maui
Part 4 in the trip summary: West Maui
Areas in West Maui offer some diversity. On one hand, you have Lahaina, which was a town at least as far back as the 1820's. On the other hand, you have areas like Ka'anapali or Kapalua, which have only been around since the 1960's or so (at the earliest). Lahaina has history with whale-fishers, and features a gorgeous banyan tree filling a central square around a historic courthouse. Ka'anapali & Kapalua are master-planned areas with corporate logos, manicured lawns, and fancy resorts. Together, these two areas work well together, especially for people like us who like nice hotels, but also want to explore some local flavor.
We stayed in Ka'anapali on our 2008 trip. On that trip, we went into Lahaina frequently for meals, shopping, surfing lessons, etc. On our 2009 trip, though we stayed in South Maui, we came this way several times as well.
If you go to Maui, you have a 50/50 chance of staying in West Maui (probably in/near Ka'anapali). But, even if you don't stay here, you ought to visit this area for a few reasons:
From West Maui, if it isn't voggy*, you can see the islands of Lana'i and/or Molokai. I think this helps your brain realize you're on an island, not just the coast of California or something. To get the best views of Molokai, drive north towards Kapalua and beyond. At certain times of day, Molokai looks so interesting, with deeply-carved valleys and varying landscapes. Other times, it looks more like this:
There's also an excellent scenic overlook (clearly marked along the road) just as you head up into West Maui. Check it out for scenes like this:
View towards Haleakala:
View that includes Haleakala, Molokini (small islet/crater) and Ka'holoawe ("dead island").
A Cute Town:
Lahaina is definitely touristy. But, it also has a nice charm to it that some other tourist areas don't have. I think the many historical sites and the beautiful old banyan tree help keep Lahaina from feeling too much like just another tourist area with a Hard Rock Cafe.
Lahaina has free parking lots, which can be crowded, but we've always found a space. The heart of the town is along Front Street. Part of the street runs right along the harbor, which views over to Lana'i island. This street definitely has lots of touristy shops, but it also has some more unique shops, including antique maps, etc. (There's also a jewelry shop selling beads for Pandora bracelets; ask for their Hawaiian-inspired collections.)
Roughly in the middle of Lahaina is the courthouse and the Banyan Tree. Pictures can't capture this tree, which is about the size of a city block (yes, it's just one tree). Steve got a few pictures which show some of it, however.
The courthouse has 3 shops, clean restrooms, and a small whaling museum. The art shops are great here. It seems to be an art coop, with the actual artists often present working as sales people. All art in the shops is from people who have lived on Maui for at least 6 months. Art includes acrylics, watercolors, photography, ceramincs, etc. While there are quite a few shops all around the island that sell nice-looking art, we were especially impressed by this one. They have a smaller shop downstairs (in the old jail) as well.
Pretty beaches & shorelines:
In addition to views to surrounding islands, West Maui offers some nice beaches & shorelines (just like other parts of the island). Ka'anapali Beach is a wide sandy beach, easily accessible from all the Ka'anapali resorts (and not hard to get to for others, either). The beaches in Lahaina aren't great for swimming, but are good for surfing lessons. North from Ka'anapali, you find other beaches which are good for snorkeling.
One shoreline near Kapalua is quite good, an area called the Dragons Teeth. The rocks (which I think are volcanic) have been eroded by wave-action to look like a long row of sharp teeth. To get here, you'll have to walk across part of the Kapalua golf course (a security guard gave us permission to do so). Once at the end, you'll be rewarded with nice views of Molokai as well.
There are other scenic spots north from Kapalua which we visited in October 2008. On that trip, we took an awful one-lane on-the-side-of-a-cliff road from Kapalua around the north end of the island. We'll never do that again! However, you could still see many of the good sites there (including a blowhole) and turn around before the one-lane sections.
Golf, if you're into that:
As mentioned above, we walked along one of the Kapalua golf holes. Gorgeous course!
Other things about West Maui:
Areas in West Maui offer some diversity. On one hand, you have Lahaina, which was a town at least as far back as the 1820's. On the other hand, you have areas like Ka'anapali or Kapalua, which have only been around since the 1960's or so (at the earliest). Lahaina has history with whale-fishers, and features a gorgeous banyan tree filling a central square around a historic courthouse. Ka'anapali & Kapalua are master-planned areas with corporate logos, manicured lawns, and fancy resorts. Together, these two areas work well together, especially for people like us who like nice hotels, but also want to explore some local flavor.
We stayed in Ka'anapali on our 2008 trip. On that trip, we went into Lahaina frequently for meals, shopping, surfing lessons, etc. On our 2009 trip, though we stayed in South Maui, we came this way several times as well.
If you go to Maui, you have a 50/50 chance of staying in West Maui (probably in/near Ka'anapali). But, even if you don't stay here, you ought to visit this area for a few reasons:
- Scenes looking over water to other islands.
- A cute town to stroll thru (with somequality local art that's not entirely mass-marketed).
- Pretty beaches & shorelines.
- Golf, if you're into that
From West Maui, if it isn't voggy*, you can see the islands of Lana'i and/or Molokai. I think this helps your brain realize you're on an island, not just the coast of California or something. To get the best views of Molokai, drive north towards Kapalua and beyond. At certain times of day, Molokai looks so interesting, with deeply-carved valleys and varying landscapes. Other times, it looks more like this:
 |
| From Friday in Maui (Kapalua) |
There's also an excellent scenic overlook (clearly marked along the road) just as you head up into West Maui. Check it out for scenes like this:
View towards Haleakala:
 |
| From Maui Panoramas |
View that includes Haleakala, Molokini (small islet/crater) and Ka'holoawe ("dead island").
 |
| From 2008 Maui Panoramas |
A Cute Town:
Lahaina is definitely touristy. But, it also has a nice charm to it that some other tourist areas don't have. I think the many historical sites and the beautiful old banyan tree help keep Lahaina from feeling too much like just another tourist area with a Hard Rock Cafe.
Lahaina has free parking lots, which can be crowded, but we've always found a space. The heart of the town is along Front Street. Part of the street runs right along the harbor, which views over to Lana'i island. This street definitely has lots of touristy shops, but it also has some more unique shops, including antique maps, etc. (There's also a jewelry shop selling beads for Pandora bracelets; ask for their Hawaiian-inspired collections.)
Roughly in the middle of Lahaina is the courthouse and the Banyan Tree. Pictures can't capture this tree, which is about the size of a city block (yes, it's just one tree). Steve got a few pictures which show some of it, however.
The courthouse has 3 shops, clean restrooms, and a small whaling museum. The art shops are great here. It seems to be an art coop, with the actual artists often present working as sales people. All art in the shops is from people who have lived on Maui for at least 6 months. Art includes acrylics, watercolors, photography, ceramincs, etc. While there are quite a few shops all around the island that sell nice-looking art, we were especially impressed by this one. They have a smaller shop downstairs (in the old jail) as well.
Pretty beaches & shorelines:
In addition to views to surrounding islands, West Maui offers some nice beaches & shorelines (just like other parts of the island). Ka'anapali Beach is a wide sandy beach, easily accessible from all the Ka'anapali resorts (and not hard to get to for others, either). The beaches in Lahaina aren't great for swimming, but are good for surfing lessons. North from Ka'anapali, you find other beaches which are good for snorkeling.
One shoreline near Kapalua is quite good, an area called the Dragons Teeth. The rocks (which I think are volcanic) have been eroded by wave-action to look like a long row of sharp teeth. To get here, you'll have to walk across part of the Kapalua golf course (a security guard gave us permission to do so). Once at the end, you'll be rewarded with nice views of Molokai as well.
 |
| From Friday in Maui (Kapalua) |
There are other scenic spots north from Kapalua which we visited in October 2008. On that trip, we took an awful one-lane on-the-side-of-a-cliff road from Kapalua around the north end of the island. We'll never do that again! However, you could still see many of the good sites there (including a blowhole) and turn around before the one-lane sections.
Golf, if you're into that:
As mentioned above, we walked along one of the Kapalua golf holes. Gorgeous course!
 |
| From Friday in Maui (Kapalua) |
Other things about West Maui:
- We stayed at the Sheraton in Ka'anapali last time. We didn't love the hotel, but it's not bad either. Great location on Ka'anapali Beach. They host an evening cliff-dive ceremony off an area called Black Rock. You can watch the ceremony even if you don't stay at the hotel. Come by about 30-45 minutes prior to sunset to make sure you don't miss it.
- Cool Cat Cafe in Lahaina makes a pretty good burger. But, before you go there, be sure to get a coupon for a "free" Root Beer Float (available at the art shop at the courthouse, or from most of the activity vendors on the sidewalk). We think that the price of the "free" Root Beer Float is included in the price of the burger, so you might as well get it.
- Maui Taco in Lahaina isn't great (tiny shop, no view, etc.) but if you're staying in this area, check it out for a cheap breakfast or lunch.
- Kahekili beach between Ka'anapali and Kapalua isn't great for swimming, but is nice for laying out or ought to be good for snorkeling (we saw quite a few fish within 2 feet of the shore).
- If you do take the evil one-lane road, be sure to get banana bread in the little town. (You can't miss it, I don't think.)
- Sunset on Ka'anapali beach can be quite nice (when it's not voggy*).
- There are tons of places to pull off the road and be on the shoreline all over west Maui. Watch for surfers, stand-up paddlers, and kayakers.
- Local Boy Shave Ice in Lahaina (across from the courthouse, more or less) makes the best shave ice we've found on Maui. They'll include ice cream or other add-ons for free. (they have a location in Kihei, too.)
posted by Becky Laswell at
3:47 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home