Inhaltsverzeichnis
If you’re searching for a place to relax for a few days and soaking up some sun, Maui will be perfect for you. I would rank it on the last place of the islands, but this is my personal opinion and it’s based on that that I was more searching for adventures and visiting different places. You can visit the Road to Hana and the Vulcano and some cute Villages, but basically it’s more about relaxing.
Volcano Haleakala National Park
The volcano on Maui is an inactive volcano where you can visit the top oft he crater. The street that you have to take driving up there is perfectly fine and easy to drive. The volcano is pretty impressive, specially watching the sunrise is amazing. Make sure to bring a lot of warm clothes up there, if it’s getting windy, it’s freezing cold, I’ve never been freezing that much (and I’m living in a country where we’re used to some inches of snow every year). If you are going for the sunrise and you don’t want to drive yourself, you can book a sunrise tour, where they will provide a warm winterjacket and even wintertrousers. Oh: and even if it’s around 5 Celcius, you might still be freezing because of the wind.
If you like hiking, this ist he perfect spot for it. The hike is a pretty long one and might take a day, but you are having a fantastic view on the volcano. We did only go a short part of the hike, because we were feeling so cold and the wind was making it so hard, but if you’re prepared for it, lucky with the weather, or just don’t mind, I would recommend it.
Road to Hana
A lot of people I’ve been talking to have been telling me that the Road to Hana is one of the most beautiful streets in the world, but also one of the most curvy ones. I liked it, the nature is really beautiful, but for me being a person getting carsick it was a bit stressful. I loved the waterfalls though, also the view on the fantastic island, the beautiful Wai’anapana State Park in Hana and the Seven Sacred Pools some miles after Hana.
If you’re going tot he Seven Sacred Pools, you might be lucky to be able to take a quick swim in there, when we’ve been there it was closed due to high surf warnings.
I would recommend doing this trip on 2 days (!!), because then you can take your time, in case you feel carsick, you can stop for a while and you can explore the area way better. You’ll be driving at least 3 hours one directions, the streets are windy and sometimes so small that you’ll have to wait for other cars to pass. On the way you can get some coconuts, vegan icecream and other fresh fruits and typical hawaiian food.
Whale Watching
The whales love coming to Maui in winter and probably every person loves whales – perfect combination, right? In the Winter the humpback whales are coming down to Hawaii and you can basically see them around every island, but they’re saying on Maui are the most. They are coming down from Alaska to get their babies far away from the killerwhales. I would recommend taking a boattour to fully enjoy watching the whales. Maybe you’re lucky to see a whale jumping around when he is trying to impress a female whale. And maybe you’re lucky to see a mum whale teaching its child how to wave. Tours are not expensive, around 30-40 Dollar and I can really recommend it! But you need to know that those whales are probably not coming superclose tot he boat, actually the captain is not allowed to go closer to the whale than 150 feet (I think). If the whale feels like coming closer, it’s totally fine, but the captain cannot navigate the boat closer to it.
Lahaina
If you’re searching for some party and shopping, you can go to Lahaina. There you will be able to find an american outlet and a street with some small shops and restaurants.
Beaches
As I’ve said in the beginning, Maui is more for relaxing and having some nice time off. There are some nice beaches and a lot of hotels in the south of the island.
Tips for your perfect stay
I would recommend staying in the south middle area of the island as there are some nice beaches and towns and you’re not too far from the Volcano and the Road to Hana if you feel like doing that. You should rent a car, it’s easiest to get around the island. If you’re only feeling like having some time off and spending it on the beach or at a pool, I guess it does not matter that much where you are.
