Interesting Things to See and Do on the Island of Maui in Hawaii
Maui is famous for its beaches. But if you are ready for something different ….
Drive to the summit of Haleakala.
See the largest dormant volcano in the world.
It is a breathtaking experience to stand on the edge of the crater:
No place can prepare you for the experiences and feelings you will have on the summit of Haleakalā volcano. The landscape – deeply sculpted, richly colored, and intensely evocative will be unlike any landscape you have known.
https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/summit-area.
Haleakala crater is 7 miles across and 2,600 feet deep.
Stand Above the Clouds
Plan your visit
You can drive to the summit. The road is a well maintained paved highway … with lots of hairpin turns and sheer drop-offs.
It is a short uphill walk from the parking lot to the summit. But at 10,000 feet, even a short uphill walk is taxing.
There is nothing between you and the universe at the summit … no restaurants, no water, no bathrooms, no gas stations.
Be prepared:
Dress warmly. Temperatures at the Summit are at least 20 degrees colder than at sea level and often drop below freezing.
Fill up your gas tank and bring food and water.
Wear sunscreen.
Wear sturdy shoes.
Pay the entrance fee with a credit card.
Please be quiet and respectful. The Summit is sacred to Native Hawaiians.
The Summit is remote. Emergency medical assistance is at least one hour away.
Is this a Star Wars location?
Are you interested in astrophysics? If so, the summit of Haleakalā summit is your dream destination.
This is what wikipedia says about the summit of Haleakalā:
Because of the remarkable clarity, dryness, and stillness of the air, and its elevation, as well as the absence of the lights of major cities, the summit of Haleakalā is one of the most sought-after locations in the world for ground-based telescopes.
Experts come from all over the world to take part in research at “Science City“, an astrophysical complex operated by the U.S. Department of Defense, University of Hawaii, Smithsonian Institution, Air Force, and the Federal Aviation Administration.
While we were tourists on the summit of Haleakalā, astrophysicists were working with those telescopes, our window to the universe.
Stand on top of the world!
See the rare Haleakala Silversword
The silvery hairs, fleshy leaves, and low-growing rosette form of the Haleakala silversword allow it to survive in hot, dry climates like the aeolian desert cinder slopes of the crater. Silverswords live between 3 and 90 years or more. They flower once, sending up a spectacular flowering stalk, and then die soon afterward, scattering drying seeds to the wind.
Delicate silverswords (‘ahinahina), once ripped up and taken home by visitors as souvenirs, now depend on management efforts for survival. Park staff fence silversword-munching ungulates out, destroy non-native plants that would crowd out silverswords, and educate park visitors to stay on trails to avoid stepping on fragile silversword seedlings and root systems.
We hiked the Halemau’u Trail
We hiked a mile to the rim of the crater. I peered over the edge. There are no protective barriers, no warning signs … just a sheer drop to the valley floor of Haleakala crater.
I snapped a photo of this couple, gazing over the edge of the crater. I crawled to the edge.
For the more adventurous, there is a 10-mile hike on a switchback trail along the side of the crater to the valley floor. But if you walk down, there is only one way out … a long walk back up the mountain. We could see hikers heading down. Too much for me!
I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now
Planning a Sunrise Visit to Haleakala?
If you don’t mind a drive in the dark, you can plan a trip to the summit at sunrise or sunset. You need reservations for sunrise.
Here is a link with all the info
https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/sunrise-and-sunset.htm
We did not go for sunrise or sunset, but all the reviews say it an epic experience.
If you are more adventurous than me, you can book a bicycle tour and ride down the mountain.
A parking lot can be interesting
After our fabulous trek to see Haleakala crater, it was time for our descent to sea level and warmer weather. While walking to our car, we were surprised by this nene. He saw his reflection in the bumper. He mistook his reflection for a rival. He pecked at his reflection … many times. He could not drive his rival away. This is a bird brain in action.
The nene, or Hawaiian goose, is the official bird of Hawaii. It is a smaller relative of the Canada Goose. Canada Geese are everywhere but the nene is only found in the wild in Hawaii.
The nene is the world’s rarest goose. It was once common but hunting and predators reduced the population to 30 birds by 1952. With special breading programs, the nene has been successfully re-introduced. The present population is approaching 3,000.
We had one more interesting stop in Haleakala Park … Hosmer Grove
Hosmer Grove, home of the i’iwi
I’m so glad that our birders friends brought us to Hosmer Grove. This is a wonderful place to visit, even for non-birders. It is just inside Haleakala National Park, an easy stop on the way up or back from the summit. The first thing I noticed is the fresh, clear air. It is a lower altitude than the summit so it is easier to catch your breath.
We followed the half-mile long nature trail that starts in a forest of non-native trees. This is an experimental forest that got out of control. In 1910, Ralph Hosmer imported trees from around the world with the hopes of creating a timber industry. He planted 86 species, including stands of pine and Douglas fir from mainland US, eucalyptus from Australia, pine from Japan, deodar from India.
Many species could not survive in their new environment but the eucalyptus thrived. It is now an aggressive invader. We saw stands of eucalyptus all over the island. They look like telephone poles. A lumber industry did not develop and now the eucalyptus is a threat to the native ecosystem.
When we popped out of the forest, we were on a hillside, covered in bushes with yellow flowers in peak bloom. We could see dozens of brilliant red birds, darting about. Luckily, I was with birder friends. They told me that the red bird is the i’iwi, pronounced ee-EE-vee, It belongs to the hummingbird family and can hover like a helicopter. I took lots of photos but the i’iwi is very fast. I have lots of photos of red streaks. Luckily, other photographers had better luck so I uploaded a photo from the internet so that you can see the beautiful i’iwi.
The i’iwi are plentiful in spring because they feast on the nectar of the yellow flowers of the sophora chrysophylla, the bush that was in peak bloom.
One of the great benefits of travelling with friends is that you have a chance to experience their passions. If I had gone by myself to Haleakala Crater, I would not have stopped at Hosmer Grove. I would not have inhaled the sweet mountain air. I would not have seen an i’iwi and I would not have seen the sophora chrysophylla in peak bloom. Thank you, Rob and Cliff!
A close-up of the yellow blossom of the sophora chrysophylla
We had one more interesting stop in the neighbourhood …
Kula Botanical Garden on the slopes of Haleakala
I went to Kula Garden to see a protea in bloom
It was well worth the trip. I saw dozens of protea, in brilliant reds, oranges, pinks and yellows.
Protea bushes can only thrive in subtropical climates with lots of sunshine. This is not an everyday flower.
The king protea in this photo is larger than a dinner plate.
Since I went to Kula Garden to see a protea, you are now going to see a lot of photos …
This is a King Protea bud
A different protea bud
This is a Protea Pinwheel
Another protea …
… And another Protea
There are lots of other flowers at Kula Garden …
Bird of Paradise
A red flower? Don’t know the name …
See stunning orchids at Kula Garden
… and a Lovebird
Time to call it a day at Haleakala. Tomorrow … Lahaina, once the royal capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom
This Banyan tree in Lahaina is the largest banyan tree in the United States
This is one tree. Its circumference is a quarter of a mile.
The banyan tree is known for unusual growth of its roots. The roots sprout from the branches as aerial roots and descend towards the ground where they form new trunks. This results in growth of many trunks around the main trunk. These aerial roots help support the tree’s huge limbs.
To encourage the roots to reach the ground faster, the local Japanese gardening community hung lanterns filled with water just below the aerial roots. The roots grew faster to reach the water.
The banyan tree in Lahaina has a main trunk and 16 major trunks.
This is the Hawaiian Flag
The old courthouse in Lahaina is now a museum and art gallery.
How many black crabs can you spot?
While strolling along the boardwalk in Lahaina, I stopped to look at the shoreline below. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me when I saw the black lava rock move! Then I looked closer and saw these crabs. How many crabs? Eight.
We had a lovely lunch by the ocean. We meandered into shops and art galleries. Lahaina is a lovely place to visit.
Lahaina is very popular as a tropical destination because it gets very little rain and a lot of sunshine. Real estate is very pricey.
The weather changed as soon as we left Lahaina, so I was able to see ….
A beautiful Hawaiian rainbow
The stilt gets its name from its long thin legs
On the way back from Lahaina, we stopped at a bird conservation area. Rob and Cliff were on the lookout for stilts. It was a success. We saw these two foraging for dinner with their long strong beaks.
The Road to Hana is the Number One Attraction in Maui
Norman drove the road to Hana and took lots of photos for me. I did not go. It is a minimum 5 hour return trip. The road is only 52 miles but it has 620 switchback turns and 46 one-lane bridges. The drive is through lush tropical jungles and waterfalls, with stunning vistas of black lava sand beaches.
There are lots of tours if you don’t want to do the drive yourself. Here is the description in one tour site:
When it comes to driving the Hana Highway on Maui, it’s the journey, not the destination, that is the main attraction. There are few words that can describe the beauty of this drive with its cliffs cloaked in green and lush valleys bursting with waterfalls. Curves hug the coast and gaze over an ocean that stretches uninterrupted all the way to the Alaskan coastline. Couple that with black, red, and white sand beaches, a multitude of trails, and beautiful gardens and you’ve discovered the highway to heaven itself.
I am going to save The Road to Hana for a future trip and make it into a 2-day trip, with an overnight stay in Hana.
You need to watch the weather reports before setting out on The Road to Hana. It rains a lot on that side of the island.
Instead of going to Hana, I went to the beach …
Ulua Beach has it all … sand, surf and sun
Ulua Beach is a crescent-shaped sand beach, bordered by outcrops of lava rock. I was mesmerized by the green waves over the black rock … but it was time for a swim …
You can swim and snorkel at Ulua Beach
There are lots of snorkeling tours in Maui but you can just put on a mask and snorkel right from the beach.
This is the last picture from my water camera. I took thousands of underwater photos when I worked in Indonesia for two months. In Maui, I took one picture and the camera froze. Oh well … I like shopping for cameras.
Turtle-watching near Ulua Beach
After swimming and snorkeling, I strolled over to look for turtles. They come close to shore at the end of the afternoon.
I had to wait a really long time to get this picture. Sea turtles have lungs and need to surface to breathe … But they can hold their breath for a really long time. Could I out-wait a turtle? I was just about to give up, when he popped his head up for a couple of seconds.
A foraging sea turtle can stay under water for 40 minutes. A sleeping turtle can stay under water for 7 hours. When sea turtles surface to breathe, they do an explosive exhale and a rapid inhale … and then under again for a really long time.
After turtle-watching, I did not have to wait long for sunset ….
The Road to Hana or a Hawaiian Sunset?
When there isn’t time for everything on one trip, you have to pick.
Our friends, Deb and Jim, went to Maui for a week. Here are their top picks and recommendations:
- For anyone wanting to rent road bikes, South Maui Bicycles was excellent. The bikes are in very good conditions, they recommend places to ride and they fit the bikes for us. Our daily ride to the lava fields was exceptional.
- Pacific Whale Foundation snorkeling excursions. The company is very eco friendly and the guides are all scientists.
- Waihee Ridge Trail – even when it is fogged in, it is a lovely hike.
Deb sent me notes from their trip:
If you have been to Maui, what are your favourites?
Rose Ann MacGillivray
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Thank you so much for taking the time to shoot, write, and prepare this blog. I love having you do the traveling for me! It’s fun learning about new places and things to do, or being reminded of places I have been but didn’t take the time to record them well with pics and notes.
Hi Cindy. Thank you for the lovely comment. I found Maui very interesting and diverse. Taking lots of photos helps me remember the experience.
Rose Ann, your visit to the Haleakala Volcano triggered a memory of my terrifying experience on Mt. Etna, Sicily, a few years ago!
As you know, I am very adventurous and game to do everything & anything.
Mount Etna is a cone shaped giant active volcano, overlooking the Ionian Sea, near beautiful Taormina.
Don drove up to Rifugio Sapienza, the highest place you can reach by car on the slopes of Mount Etna.
He was going no further, but I took a cablecar that takes you to the altitude of 2500 meters.
Then a 4 wheeler takes you up to the upper level, leaving one walk 350 vertical meters up to the crater with a guide.
The view was indescribable and absolutely stunning for about 3 minutes, until a blizzard came out of no where.
You could not see the person beside you, with the fierce winds, snow and hail.
The guide had us form a human chain and crawl on our hands and knees, while leading us to safety.
I was never so scared in my life, knowing how large the crater was and how deep one would fall, if a slight error were made!
I was frozen with icicles hanging from my clothing and hair and both hands were in spasm, from gripping so tightly.
I was never so glad to see Don, at the mid-way point and wine at dinner that evening, tasted divine. 🙂
I also loved seeing the Proteas of Hawaii, after learning and appreciating the King Protea, which is native to South Africa.
It looks like the Protea has found a very happy second home on the beautiful island of Maui.