In my opinion Maui has been getting a bum wrap lately. Instead of concentrating on the Hawaiian Island’s sugary white sand and pristine waters (not to mention the balmy air and the golden sunsets) several travel publications have been taking note of the record high gas prices ($4 a gallon for regular unleaded) and “outrageous” prices for accommodations. Who said paradise comes cheap?
I was born and raised in Hawaii and feel compelled to provide a quick overview of the priceless opportunities that visitors get when they visit the state’s second largest island.
For example:
Haleakala. Not too many visitors leave Maui without take a leisurely drive to the House of the Sun, a.k.a. Haleakala. A full 19,270 of Haleakala National Park’s 28,655 acres are wilderness and you are welcome to explore as much as you like. The park is home to miles of hiking trails that snake through the rain forest and past 400-foot waterfalls, tropical streams, and turquoise pools. The paved road, which takes you from sea level to an elevation of more than 10,000 feet, can be driven in less than an hour. Though, you’ll want to get out at Leleiwi Overlook, where you’ll get your first glimpse of the volcanic mountain’s giant crater (3300 feet deep and 22 miles around). At 10,023 feet, the Puu Ulaula overlook offers breathtaking 100-mile panoramic views of the Big Island of Hawaii, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, and Kahoolawe.
Napili Beach. It’s considered one of the world’s best beaches and one look of it from the parking lot and you’ll see why. Napili is the perfect crescent of talcum powder white sand protected by reefs brimming with colorful tropical fish. The diving conditions here are ideal and so are the views.
Maui Ocean Center. I gush about this attraction a lot in this blog and you’ll be able to see why during your first tour of the place. It’s one of the only places in the islands that you can get up close and personal 6-foot tiger shark named Ikaika. The stealthy swimmer’s home is a 750,000-gallon tank featuring a 54-foot acrylic tunnel that allows guests to stand nose to nose with a variety of sharks, including scalloped hammerhead sharks, sandbar sharks, black-tip reef sharks, gray reef sharks and white-tip reef sharks.
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