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Haleakala National Park
Haleakala Crater Road, Makawao
Tel: 808-572-9306
Haleakala's steaming plume beckons from miles away. It's not difficult to imagine
the demigod Maui capturing the sun and holding it captive here in the "House
of the Sun" (as Polynesian lore dictates), demanding more hours of sunlight
for islanders. Haleakala is a breathtaking spot, a 10,023-foot-tall dormant
volcano whose lava formed most of East Maui. The cinder cone-covered crater
floor measures more than 24 square miles, and is a 3,000-foot drop from its
upper rim. More than one million people visit Haleakala annually.
Maui Ocean
Centre
192 Ma'alaea Road, Ma'alaea
Tel: 808-270-7000
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Cost: $18 adults, $12.50 children
As an island, Maui enjoys a special link to the sea. The Maui Ocean Centre explores
that link; indoor and outdoor displays at the aquarium feature 2,000 sharks,
fishes and other sea creatures as well as vast displays on Hawaii's black lava
shores and colourful coral. More info
Maui Tropical
Plantation
1670 Honopi'ilani Highway, Waikapu
Tel: 800-451-6805
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
Cost: $9.50 adults, $3.50 children
A tram ride transports tourists through this lush region of the island as a
narrator tells of its rich agricultural heritage. The 120-acre plantation encompasses
more than 60 acres of pineapple, sugar cane, mangoes, guavas, papaya, ginger
and coffee, and also showcases dozens of varieties of tropical orchids.
Sea World
191 North Kihei Road, Kihei
Tel: 808-879-8860
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. daily
Cost: $29.20 adults, $14.60 children
A two-hour boat ride takes visitors to see Hawaii's most impressive residents
- its whales. On most trips, boats are able to get so close that observers can
see the barnacles on the whales' backs, and may get sprayed by the splash as
their great tales slap the water's surface. You can also expect to hear the
whales as they converse with each other in their clicking, singing "language." More
info
Whalers Village Museum
Kaanapali Beach, Lahaina
This museum, in the heart of Lahaina, documents the sleepy port city's evolution
to a whaling boomtown. Home to an impressive collection of whaling memorabilia,
the museum shows what life was like between 1825 and 1860 for the men who led
the harsh whaling life aboard tiny boats chasing 45-ton quarry. The exhibit
includes harpoons, sea chests and a re-creation of the typical six-man crew's
quarters. Films about whales and whaling history are shown throughout the day.
The Whalers Village is also home to a large shopping centre
Hike Maui
P.O. Box 330969, Kahului
Tel: 808-879-5270
Hours: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily
Cost: $85 adults, $15 children 15 and younger
Some of Maui's most incredible scenery can only be viewed on foot. A guide will
lead your group on a four-and-a-half-mile mountain hike to the upper ridges
of the West Maui mountains. A picnic lunch, supplied by the outfitter, awaits
at the top, but you may already be full if you've stopped to sample the wild
fruit and berries along the path. More
info
Maui Paraglide
P.O. Box 1286, Kula
Tel: 877-463-5944
Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 pm. daily
Cost: $75 to $275 for a 15- to 45-minute flight
Riding a tandem paraglide (with a flight instructor along), you'll take a once-in-a-lifetime
soar over the Haleakala's magnificent terrain and hover over its 3,000-foot-deep
crater. More info
Maui Downhill
Tours
199 Dairy Road, Kahului
Tel: 808-871-2155
Hours: 6:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $115 for adults and children 12 and older
After a light, pre-dawn breakfast, the outfitter will drive your group to the
summit of Haleakala to watch the sunrise. Then, depending on your skill and
adventure level, you'll take one of five bicycle trips and coast down the volcano
past incredible scenery and through the switchbacks toward Pa'ia for a full-day
adventure. Those with younger children should be advised that, for safety reasons,
children under 12 are not permitted. More info
Sunshine Helicopter
107 Kahului Airport, Kahului
Tel: 808-871-0722
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, weather permitting
Cost: $156.25
Since more than half of the island is inaccessible by car, visitors may choose
to take this memorable flight over Haleakala's crater and the surrounding volcanic
landscape.
Have you been to Maui and know about some more great highlights worth a mention? Add details for other visitors to read about.
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