Activities for Perfect Days

For every visitor to Maui, with every level of fitness and athletic ability, expertise, energy, passion and adventuresome spirit, there’s a suitable choice for a Perfect Day of: walking, hiking, biking, horseback riding, snorkeling, scuba diving, snuba, parasailing, surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, boogie boarding, jet skiing, helicopter rides, excursions in one- and two-person kayaks, ocean kayaks, rafts, and a variety of ocean vessels for snorkeling, sailing, fishing, whale-watching (Dec-May), and dinner cruising.

Most of your Perfect Days on Maui will be spent on your own walks and hikes, enjoying beautiful beaches, swimming and snorkeling, shopping in Lahaina, Kahului, Makawao, Paia, Wailea and Ka’anapali resorts, and elsewhere. Exploring and enjoying many of Maui’s best sights and activities on land and sea, however, will require the right transportation, equipment and possibly guides or instructors -- fishing, hiking, horseback riding, seeing remote or inaccessible mountains and valleys by air and land, exploring underwater for marine life, and the like.

Here are just a few examples of Perfect Days on Maui that combine your own “self-guided” activities and other activities that you can purchase at an everyday discount of 10% from Barefoot Hawaii (see: http://www.tombarefoot.com/maui/activities_maui.html):

• Bike down Haleakala, snorkel at Molokini or Lana’i, or whalewatch in the morning and then take a sunset cruise with or without dinner onboard ship. Several morning activities provide breakfast or lunch so you don’t have to think about where to eat until dinner. There will be plenty of time left at the end of the day to see one of the unique Hawaiiana or magic shows in Lahaina and Ka’anapali or attend a lu’au that combines entertainment and a full dinner.

• Cruise over to Lana’i, snorkel at a marine reserve, then 4-wheel around the island on your own or as part of a group excursion and spend the rest of the day exploring remote beaches, highlands and backcountry of Lana’i. Return to Maui for a quiet dinner near your lodgings in South or West Maui or stay for several days on Lana’i -- in the mountains (Lodge at Ko’ele) or at sealevel (Manele Bay Hotel).

• Play a round of golf at the Makena Resort or the North or South Ka’anapali Golf Course first thing in the morning and, after lunch, hoist sails on an afternoon trade winds sail at speeds at over 25 miles per hour.

• Take an early morning surfing lesson from the pros that have taught thousands of beginners and others. After lunch, there’s still plenty of time for an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) ride on beautiful Ulupalakua Ranch or Haleakala Ranch with great views of the South Coast.

• Snorkel the calm waters of Honolua Bay (summertime is best since world-class surf rolls in during the winter), Black Rock at the Sheraton Maui or Makena Landing in front of the Maui Prince Hotel. After brunch or lunch, explore the mysteries of the ocean without getting wet at the Maui Ocean Center where you can walk through an open-ocean tank surrounded by thousands of fish. Make reservations for dinner at one of Maui’s best beachside restaurants or take a sunset dinner cruise and watch Lahaina slowly light up against the West Maui Mountains as the sun goes down.

• Fly in a helicopter along the West Maui mountains and the Hana coastline, above Haleakala Crater or Iao Valley to the many waterfalls at the “Wall of Tears”. Make a ground stop in remote Kaupo. Fly over the channel (see whales below in winter) to the island of Moloka’i, tour Kalaupapa, the site of Father Damian’s famous leprosy colony in the 1800s, and then on your return fly past Moloka’i’s North Shore and its awesome 3,000’ pali (cliffs) with the planet’s highest free-falling waterfalls cascading into the ocean. End the day touring, shopping at the boutiques and art galleries and dining in Upcountry’s Makawao.

• Soar on a tandem paraglider over the slopes of Haleakala with your instructor and find out what it’s like to fly like a bird.  (Except for the breeze rushing by your face, the silence at 1000’ is almost deafening). Stroll around historic Wailuku and have lunch or dinner in one of the surprisingly good local restaurants.

• Take a submarine dive to depths over 125’ where you can see rare black coral trees, reef shark and an octopus or two. Spend the rest of the day historic sightseeing, shopping and dining in Lahaina, and end the day with a romantic sunset sail or take in the magic show at Warren & Annabelle’s.

• Follow the Lahaina Restoration Foundation’s historic walking tour (Lahaina O Mo’olelo), perhaps starting with breakfast at the historic Pioneer Inn. Shopping along Front Street, in the Old and New Lahaina centers and at the Lahaina Cannery Mall offers a great collection of artwork, jewelry, souvenirs, gifts, clothing, browsing and also places to eat, drink and have snacks.

• Head north from Lahaina to Ka’anapali to stroll on the lovely beachfront walkway, snorkel at Black Rock, shop at the Whalers Village Shopping Center, and take a helicopter tour for spectacular views of Maui.

• Drive up to Kula for breakfast, head over to the starting point for an ATV tour on Haleakala near Tedeschi Winery Tasting Room, and then tour up to 5,000 feet or down to the King’s Hwy., and then head for lunch to Makawao or along the North Shore.

• Depart from Ma’alaea on a Molokini snorkel trip and, after lunch, spend a few hours at the Maui Ocean Center featuring over 60 interactive exhibits.