When you’re a bit bored of lying on the white sand beach and bobbing about in the gentle ocean waves, there is a lot of other fun stuff to do over here on Maui.
Just a 25-minute flight from Honolulu (it takes longer to check in and pass through security than it does to actually get here), you land on the second-largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is made of two dormant volcanoes that merged together over time and the largest mountain, Mt Haleakala, is the star of our day today.
We’re going to visit Napili, Pa’ia, Makawao and summit at the top of Mt Haleakala.
But before we get to driving up the 10,000ft mountain, let me plan out your 10-hour perfect day trip, for tomorrow we rest.
I have just returned from Maui, Hawaii, three years after the devastating fire tore through the historic seaside village of Lahaina, consuming 2,700 houses, shops, restaurants and other structures, and taking 102 lives. Today Lahaina’s waterfront is a newly paved road passing by empty sections and still some ruins that are hopefully salvageable.
Because that’s what the locals want. They want to rebuild this iconic town and restore its mana. They want to build it in keeping with the quaintness of before, but with safer and more modern facilities.
In the last three years, the priority has been to rebuild residential homes and that has largely been accomplished. The consents and permits have taken months as officials have taken a painstaking approach to the redesign as well as safety. And there’s the proximity to the ocean to consider too, which wasn’t even though of 200 years ago when Lahaina became the capital city of the Hawaiian Kingdom by Kamehameha the Great in the late 18th century.
They are expecting a grand opening of several new businesses in 2028, and I for one, can’t wait to go back and celebrate with them.
But in the meantime, don’t let the images and stories of this event mar your view of Maui. She is a beautiful island and has such a wonderful, cultural and historical charm that you won’t find on Oahu.
Cousin Kate and I arrived at Kahului Airport, collected our luggage, and took the electric tram to the car rental hub to pick up our cool-as Jeep Wrangler. I got in the “wrong” side and set about familiarising myself, before we used my phone on Carplay to head to Outrigger Ka’anapali Beach, and off we set. Keeping right…
Reader: I aced the driving!
The Outrigger at Ka’anapali is just a few minutes along the coast from Lahaina, where several beachfront resorts edge the perfect white sand beach. Right next door is The Whaler’s Village, which is a great spot for shopping and dining.
But here is the perfect day. I did ask ChatGPT to design it originally, plus we spoke to locals for inside tips on where to eat, and then we actually did it to find out what was and was not possible. Below is what is possible, working backwards from sunset.
Napili
We turned left and headed in the opposite direction because someone told us The Gazebo at Napili Beach (also managed by Outrigger) is a great breakfast spot. It was! Famous for their macadamia waffles, we actually went for sandwiches and a glass of POG. You’ll see that everywhere, with and without alcohol: passionfruit, orange and guava. Oh my!
You could also have a wonderful beachfront brekky at back Outrigger’s Maui Brewing Company restaurant on the beachfront. We did that on two other occasions, as well as a couple of dinners here too. It’s a fabulous spot for live music at happy hour too.
Lahaina Cannery
Ok, so by now Kate and I are fully into the ABC Stores that you see everywhere! So when we were heading back past our hotel and came upon a large car park and mall with an ABC store and a supermarket, we swung in. A few drinks and a Maui T-shirt later, and we were on the road again.
Note: this is a cheeky parking spot for the fabulous Old Lahaina Luau, which we did the next night.
Pa’ia
Wow, this cute little surf town is filled with boutiques, galleries, locally made jewellery, cafes… We needed longer that the two hours we spent here! What Old Lahaina has lost, is here.
We bought jewellery, a tea towel and tried on lots of clothes. Ending with an iced coffee for the driver and a beer for the passenger, we shot down to Ho’okipa Beach for a quick look at the surfers and the famous turtles that rest in the sand. Alas, not today.
Makawao
By now it’s about 3pm and if it hadn’t been for needing to get in the long line of cars that inch up the mountain by 4.30pm (at the latest!) we would have dilly dallied longer.
Makawao on Sunday afternoon was closed when we went through, so worth noting if you fancy a day out to visit the local shops. It’s also known as Cowboy Town for the wooden facades of the stores and galleries along the main street and super photogenic too.
If you love working studios, stop at Hot Island Glass and hopefully see some glassblowing.
Mt Haleakala
The star of the show!
Get here at least 90 minutes before sunset, there is a ticket booth ($35 per car) and a lonnnng line…
From Makawao we still had just over and hour to drive to the summit. And even longer once we got behind the traffic. The drive up there passes through rural roads. It was getting misty and a rainbow was brightening the horizon making for unreal pics.
But this mountain is SO high we drove up through the clouds and poked through above them. It is also BITTERLY cold up here. Do not underestimate this. You need to wear shoes and socks and have at least a light jacket. I did not have the latter, and I do know better because I’ve been here before! In winter there can be snow up here.
As it was, it was 42˚F (5˚C) with a strong wind blowing mist around us. It felt like below freezing. People had puffer jackets, hats and even blankets, as they sat on their chairs, or on rocks waiting for the sun to set.
Also note, it’s an hour and a half to drive back to Ka’anapali from the summit. In the dark.
Read my post on 23 awesome things to do in Waikiki!
