Island hopping in Hawaii - Maui

So many of my friends and family have been to Hawaii, and after becoming a travel agent, I had to go see what all the fuss was about.  So, with a friend, we decided to island hop the 4 major islands in January.  After doing some online travel agent training and going to a Tourism Hawaii event, I felt quite prepared to see the sights.  But I realized quickly that reading and being there are totally different, which is why I believe that travel is an experiential thing.  You can be an armchair traveler, but you can never forget your experiences!  

Our first island is "captivating" Maui, known for it's BEACHES.  We went to Lahaina, on the west coast, the first night for a great sunset.  We didn't know that a storm was quickly approaching.  

We went snorkelling at Ahihi Kinau Natural Reserve in the south, because some other tourists told us it was a good spot.  It was not a great beach as it was all lava rocks, but there were lots of fish in the ocean.  No lifeguards here, but if you're a good swimmer, it's fine.

One of the big natural attractions here is Haleakala National Park, and volcano which looks like the moon.  It's on the east side.  Unfortunately, we were stormed out.  It's 10,000 ft above sea level and we drove through many different micro climates on the way up, only to be stuck in the clouds.  And it was warm and sunny at the bottom, but near freezing at the top.  It's a good thing we dressed in layers!

Onwards to the Road to Hana, known as one of the most scenic drives of the worlds, full of twists and turns, waterfalls and rainbows.  We downloaded the Gypsy driving app.  It was super useful and we researched which stops we wanted to do so we could spend more time at them.  

The most popular spots are Wailua Falls, Waimoku Falls, rainbow eucalyptus trees, bamboo forest and Oheo Gulch.  Haleakala and Oheo Gulch are at different entrances, but your admission fee is good for the entire park.  With this huge storm, which has seen winds and rainfall like never before, the waterfalls were water-FULL and gushing.  It was even bigger than what the tourist signs and diagrams say, as they caution people trying to swim across or near the falls, and that water levels change quickly which may lead to rushing water and ... unfortunately death if you fall in.

Black sand beach and Wai'anapanapa state park was my favourite!  With stark black lava rock and sand in contrast to the lush green foliage, blue water and crashing white sea foam, it was wonderful to look at.

If you can stay in Hana for 1 night, I would recommend it.  It would allow you to spend more time on your journey rather than rush and see everything.  It may cost a bit more, but why rush through an 11 hour day just to drive home to the same place you stayed the night before?

Well, we'll have to come back to see the "Mars" landscape, experience First Fridays in Lahaina and see more sunsets.  We had a lot of rainy days in the 4 days we were there.  But this was a quick island hopping trip to get a feel for the island.  I can see why people love this island.