Maui Wowie

Maui is an essential island to vist on your Hawaiian holidays. The island features a variety of beautiful attractions, stretching from the Haleakala volcano crater (the biggest dormant volcano in the world), to the world-famous lush and windy 'road to Hana'.

the 'Venus Pools' - Road to Hana

Compared to some of the other islands, Maui is more urbanised. To me, it seemed like a cultural bridge between the laid back island-culture of Kauai, Kona and Molokai, to Honolulu and that 'mainland' United States feel. With a popultion of 150,000+, Maui is the third most populated island. Despite the higher population, it is still very easy to get around Maui.

Transport

There are several transport options available for getting around Maui. For independent travellers, I would highly recommend renting a car. I avoided the big rental companies during my time in Hawaii, and chose to rent instead through local businesses. One great business to rent through is Kimo's Rent a Car . I took out standard insurance, and the total rental cost came to as little as $270 USD for 7 nights. You can also rent scooters relatively cheap.

Maui has a bus system that operates throughout the island. The low prices and convenience of bus transport make it an attractive option for travellers. I feel as though using the bus can limit your travels, relative to efficient time use, and transport flexibility. Especially if you do the road to Hana, you'll want to be able to start and stop all the time.

I would generally recommend renting a car for a couple of days while you're in Maui, so that you can get the most out of the places you'd want to visit. Car rental allows you to have a more flexible schedule, and you can stay at a destination for as long as you choose. If car rental is out of the question, you'll be happy to know that the best hostels in Maui offer free daily tours, to some of the most beautiful attractions on Maui.

Accommodation

As always, I recommend checking out Airbnb Maui. If you don't know how to use Airbnb, check out my guide. In Hawaii, I found that hostels were a bit more convenient than it''s listings on Airbnb. That may have changed since I was there, so remember to just have a quick sus of Maui on Airbnb.

As mentioned above, there are a variety of hostels in Maui that offer free daily tours across the island. Hostels are fairly priced in Hawaii (as opposed to California), and you can find a bed for any price between $26 and $35 USD a night. I loved staying in hostels in Hawaii. The most popular hostels in Maui are the Banana Bungalow Hostel and the North Shore Hostel . Prices increase relative to the type of accommodation. Hotels and apartments most commonly start at $90 USD a night, and can increase up to and beyond $4,600 USD a night.

Waiʻānapanapa State park - Road to Hana

Maui Essentials

Maui is so full of beauty. I was there for seven nights, waking up at 5am and falling asleep at 8pm, and I still missed some of the islands attractions. The destinations I went to in Maui were very pretty. You can see the raw beauty in the photo above, taken at Waiʻānapanapa State park. If you are planning to spend time in Maui, I would recommend the following attractions as essentials, in order:

Road to Hana

The Road to Hana is a beautiful drive. The vegetation is lush, and the winding roads give it such a dreamy atmosphere. From Paia, take the 36/Hana HWY all the way down to, and beyond the city of Hana. Travellers stop along the way to marvel at the truly amazing sights. As you travel down the highway, use the mile marker signs to find different attractions. My favourite places to stop along the road to Hana were the Venus Pools (MM 48), Wai'anapanapa State Park (MM 32), Hamoa Beach (MM 51), Oheo Gulch (MM 42) and the Upper Waikani Falls (MM 21).

Wai'anapanapa State Park - Road to Hana

Haleakalā Sunset

Haleakalā (meaning 'house of the sun') is a national park in Maui that homes the largest dormant volcano in the world. It is an incredible opportunity to hike through unqiue and eleveated scenery. It was a great experience to slowly ascend above the clouds, walking on curved cliff trails. The summit at the top of Haleakalā is over 10,000 feet high. If you're going to hike out there, make sure you bring plenty of water, food and sunscreen. You cannot leave Haleakalā before the sunset. Watching the sun go down from the Haleakalā summit has got to be the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen.

Watching the sunset from the Haleakalā summit

Trail Heads : Take HWY 378 into Haleakalā, until you get to the visitors centre. Trails are signposted from the visitors centre

Trail Time: Varies depending on the hike - full day & half day hikes available

Difficulty : Moderate. Be prepared for 40+mins of zig zaged elevation.

Snorkel the Molokini Crater

Molokini is a volcano crater that is partially exposed above sea level. It makes for great snorkeling, and you can easily find boat tickets for as cheap as $40 USD. You can also go on sailing tours that go out to Molokini and Turtle Town. These tours are a bit more expensive, but usually cover equipment, food, drinks, and alcohol. Molokini homes a vast array of beautiful fish, turtles and other aquatic life. The waters have to be among some of the clearest.

Molokini Crater (theluxuryspot.com)

Drive the North Coast

I don't think the highway along Maui's north shore gets much attention due to the road being one lane. I can understand why people would consider the road conditions as daunting, but it is definitely worth the drive to see the unique views and attractions along the way. Just keep the speeds low, and you'll be fine.

From Wailuku take the HWY 340 north, and follow it along the gradual westward bend until it brings you back down to Liahana on the west coast. Make sure you stop at the Olivine Pools, which are just past the mile marker 16. When you walk to the pools, ignore the signs that say "do not proceed past this point". Once you're down in the pool area, you'll come to appreciate how unique and placid it is. You swim in these deep, naturally eroded pools, while there are violent waves crashing on the rock walls that isolate the peaceful pools.

Olivine Pools

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What do you think? Have I missed out something? Tell me about it in the comments section below. If you're heading to Maui, have a quick read about some of the beautiful attractions it has to offer, by clicking here. If you missed my last blog post, check it out at Explore Kauai.

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