If you ever get bored on Maui, just grab a complimentary copy of 101 Things To Do. They are all over the island, and will provide you insight on some things you can’t afford to miss while in town. The winter 2013/2014 issue has a big whale breaching on the cover. We DID see a whale breach while in Hawaii. Actually, we saw several breach on our trip to Lanai. We also saw some spinning dolphins, some bottle nose dolphins and more.
Below is the complete list. Have fun. Aloha!
- Watch the Sunrise at Haleakalā (We didn’t watch the sunrise here, but we did drive to the top. It was 20 degrees cooler, the wind was whipping, and we were literally above the clouds. My buddy D.J. did the sunrise, and his photos looked stunning.)
- Explore Maui’s Eye-Popping Aquarium (We didn’t go here, but I did bear great things about it. We thought about going on Christmas day, but it was a little pricey to get in. We skipped it and had beers in the harbor instead.)
- Let Yourself Go on a Zipline
- Get a Window Seat on a Submarine (Sheryl wanted to do this, but for $100 per person, we coldn’t justify it. It looks cool, but no way it is worth that.)
- Putt on Your Hiking Boots (We didn’t bring our hiking boots, so we didn’t do much hiking. However, there is some great hiking on Maui.)
- Explore Haleakalā on Horseback (No thanks. I HATE horses.)
- See Silverswords: Maui’s Rare Plant (We saw this at the top of Haleakalā. I even took a picture of it and poster it to Instagram. The plant is ‘Āhinahina (Hawaiian for the color gray) and is extremely rare.
- Dig Through the Bailey House Museum
- Sail and Snack to Lana’i (We did this with Trilogy Excursions. It was a blast. It was expensive, but we got to see another island and got a fantastic BBQ meal on the beach. Larry Ellison owns this island, and was actually in Hawaii and on the island while we were there. On Lana’i we toured the city with a local, I went snorkeling on the only beach on the island, and learned more about the history of Hawaii. It was expensive, but worth it.)
- Have a Whale of a Time (This recommends the Pacific Whale Foundation, but we saw plenty of whales from our condo and on our way to and from Lana’i. We did see several PWF boats while on the island.)
- Sit in the Shade of an Enormous Banyan Tree
- Hear the Story of Moku’ula
- See ‘Ulalena – Again & Again
- Indulge in Some Retail Therapy (I didn’t buy much, but Sheryl did. She bought a necklace, a ring, and some merchandise at Maui Brewing Co.)
- Re-discover Aloha Wear (Just what we need… Another Hawaiian shirt.)
- Take-Home Gifts
- Make a Jewel of a Find
- Hooked on Scrapbooking
- Take a Slow Stroll Through Pa’ai Town (We had breakfast in Pa’ai in our way to Hana, and then grabbed lunch here one day with our body Brian that was on the island. It’s a cool little town and from what I can tell is filled with hippies!)
- Get a Sweet Taste of the Islands
- Get an ‘Ukulele
- Get Inked, For Now or Forever
- Cruise Humpback Territory (We did that with Trilogy!)
- Gear Up for Undersea Exploration (I went snorkeling on several beaches, and did advice with Maui Pro Diver. The dive was a really cool drift dive around Molokini Crater. I saw some fish and a few sharks when diving. I saw a ton of coral reef, fish and sea turtles while snorkeling. Heck, we saw a giant turtle on the beach by our condo.)
- Catch a Wave
- Explore Molokini’s Waters (I did that while diving.)
- Drift Along the Ocean by Moonlight
- Get High on Kiteboarding
- Sail the Ocean Blue
- Best of Both (Undersea) Worlds (They are talking about scuba diving.)
- Discover Your Favorite Beach (We saw a lot of them, and while I’m not sure what beach was my favorite, they were all nice.)
- Surf the Wind
- Learn all About Fish (We ate a lot of fish.)
- Dive Maui (I did that!)
- Enter the World of Wild Dolphins (On our way to Lana’i we saw spinner dolphins and some bottle nose dolphins.)
- Paddle a Kayak
- Try Deep-Sea Fishing
- Ride the Swells in an Ocean Craft
- Walk on Water
- Help Protect Maui’s Magnificent Marine Animals
- Hitch a Ride on a Helicopter
- Take Flight in a Paraglider
- Visit a Legendary Aviator’s Grave (Charles Lindbergh was the first aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. He is buried in an isolated cemetery a few miles past the Seven Sacred Pools.)
- Feel the Mama at ‘Iao Valley
- Tour a Plantation (Does the Plantation Course at Kapalua count?)
- Watch Coffee Grow (We didn’t see it grow, but we did have a few cups of fresh Kona coffee. It wasn’t cheap, but it was delicious!)
- Bike Down a Volcano (Sheryl doesn’t know how to ride a bike, but we drove down the volcano. Does that count?)
- Ride with Aloha
- Upcountry: A State of Mind (We took a tour of Ocean Vodka, which is considered upcountry. It is cold up there, but offers some spectacular views of the island.)
- Make a Cheese Run
- Lana’i: A Taste of the Quiet(er) Life
- Hit the Main Street (They are talking about on Lana’i. We did that on our island tour.)
- Play Pineapple Paniolo
- Hunt on Lana’il
- Take A Culinary Tour
- Moloka’i: The Island Money Can’t Buy (We didn’t visit this island, but could see it from our balcony. I’ve heard they have some epic hiking there.)
- Ride a Mule to Kalaupapa
- See an Army of Palm Trees
- Get Your Hands Dirty
- The Drive to Hana (This took an entire day, but man… What an experience. From hairpin turns to waterfalls, the Road to Hana is a must when visiting Maui. We grabbed some banana bread on the way, and saw a black sand beach. It took us nearly 14 hours, but was SO worth it.)
- Hire a Driver for the Jaunt to Hana (We had a rental car, and it was a fun drive. We also had a sweet iPhone app that told us where to stop on the way and on the way home from Hana.)
- Detour to Ke’anae Peninsula
- Take a Breather
- Walk Through a Lava Tube (We did this on our way to Hana. It was really cool, and this is also where we found the black sand beach. The waves here were sick, and some crazy people were cliff diving off the volcano rocks. I’m glad we stopped.)
- Hear Hana’s Story (The app Sheryl downloaded did a good job of that.)
- Go Beyond Hana (We did!)
- Stroll Through a Pandanus Forest
- Laze by Mountain Pool
- Legend and Leisure
- Follow the Path of the Ancients
- Talk Story in Kipahulu
- Walk Around Lahaina (We did this for a little bit. Sheryl did this more than me, as she fell in love with shave ice. Not shaved ice… Shave ice. Totally different.)
- Mingle with the Artists
- Get Festive
- Most Hawaiian Hotel (Apparently the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel is the most Hawaiian hotel.)
- Sample Some “Local Kine Grinds”
- Lose Yourself in a Show
- Revisit Maui’s Golden Sugar Era (Maui is covered in sugar cane. We actually got to try some while on the Ocean Vodka tour. They even have a sugar museum one the island. Oh, and don’t forget about the Sugar Cane Train.)
- Dig In
- Party with the Locals
- Take a Whimsical Train Ride
- Visit a Beautiful Country Gallery
- Go to a Lu’au (We did that. We went to the Old Lahaina Lu’au and had a great time. We sat with a table of travelers from Australia, and the food and show was awesome. I got sick, but I probably ate too much.)
- Pick Lunch from the Garden
- Take a Hike
- Soothe Your Body and Soul (We booked a massage at the Westin on New Year’s Eve and spend some time on the beach, in the spa, and more. It felt so good it still hurts when I move my body. It was a full body massage on the beach. It was pretty great.)
- Find Beachfront On
- Visit Maui’s Arts and Culture Hub
- Be an “Easy Rider”
- Battle it Out on the Paintball Field
- Go to a Farmer’s Market (We went to a fruit stand. Does that count?)
- Absorb the Spirit of Hula
- See Maui on Horseback
- Hang in a Culture Club
- Plan a Wedding
- Romantic Maui Eateries (We did eat a lot, but our most romantic and most expensive meal was at Humuhumunukunukuapua’a. We would have dined at Mama’s Fish House, but we had 1 drink and 1 appetizer and went $50. I don’t care where you are, that’s ridiculous. We also tried to have a romantic brunch on Christmas Day, but our service was TERRIBLE. I spoke with a manager about it, so hopefully they can use this as a learning experience. I pretty much expect perfection at The Ritz-Carlton.
- Find Romance at Sea
- Best Places to Sneak a Kiss (We kissed every time we saw a rainbow. We pretty much kissed every day!)
- Golf Central and South Maui (I didn’t play. I know I know. We drove by golf courses every day, and I plan on taking my clubs the next time I visit Hawaii.)
- Golf West Maui (I didn’t play Kapalua, but I did meet with Mike Jones while we were on the island. He was nice enough to give me a tour of the facility and shared some history of the course. I got to meet a few PGA TOUR. It was fun seeing the course and meeting some of the players. Kapalua hosts the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. The event started the Friday we departed the island.)
- Golf Upcountry
As you can see, there are a LOT of things to on Maui. If I had to add anything to the list, I would say check out Maui Brewing Co. They are the largest brewery in Hawaii and make some great beer.
Have you been to Maui? What would YOU add to this list? Aloha!
There are so many things to do in Maui. You can easily spend all year doing various things and having an adventure. Thanks for this great list!