Iao Valley
Iao Valley State Park is a must visit. The Emerald peaks including that of the Iao Needle, seen in this picture, marks beauty and history.
In 1790 a great battle was fought in the sacred valley between the Maui Army and King Kamehameha. King Kamehameha came out victorious and change the history of Hawaii.
Now I could go on for hours about the cliffs the beautiful river but I have to tell you about the gardens. This is a place of tranquility. I am not sure if we lucked out this day, but there was not a lot of people. It was so easy to absorb the warm breeze, the amazing smells from the tropical gardens and the sounds of the birds. Here is a place that was once a battle field and was now a place of peace.
Read: Why you should travel solo
Getting here from Kahului
Take main street HI-32 West this turns into Iao Valley Rd. 21 minutes 5 miles up the road
Haleakala Sunrise
Haleakala Sunrise and Sunset, mark this on your list. This is a must do and you need to be prepared.
- Warm clothing is a must. Bring a blanket as it gets cold. As the sun comes up the temperature drops.
- Leave early for the sunrise. The drive up the mountain is not easy and you will drive slow. So if Google maps tells you 2 hours prepare for 3.
- Bring snacks and water and a really strong coffee.
- Lastly, get ready for the most beautiful sunrise of your life.
Getting here from Kahului
Take State Hwy 36 to HI-37, turn right. Turn left onto State Hwy 377 and turn left onto State Hwy 378. Enjoy and be safe going up the mountain.
Surfing and Kite Surfing
Maui is a great place for learning to surf or kite surf. There are so many options to choose from. Here are my choices.
SURFING : Check out Maui Wave Riders. I had gone to them a couple times while there. The service is amazing and they have been around a long time.
KITESURFING : Now this is not something you can just do, there is a lot of training, if you are with the right place. I would recommend Maui Kite Surfing School.
Waterfalls
I love waterfalls and Maui is full of them. From Twin Falls to the Upper Waikani Falls there are so many to choose from. These are, to me, the most stunning and easy to get to. You can find these two on the Road To Hana(Click to see my amazing experience with that) Now I didn’t have the time to make it to the Seven Pools of Maui. If you do make the road trip to Hana make sure you go a little further to the pools at Ohe’o. You will not be disappointed.