Island Hopping in Hawaii - Maui
Feature by Lizzie Guilfoyle
THE last stop on our island hopping tour of Hawaii was Maui which, on account of its topography – two mountain masses divided by lowland – is also known as the Valley Isle. And just like Kauai, Oahu and The Big Island, it is very beautiful.
When seen from the air, Maui looks very much like a human head, neck and upper torso. Accordingly, the neck (or isthmus) is the lowland, the head and torso the two mountain masses – the West Maui Mountains and Haleakala, two dormant volcanoes.
Of the two, we chose to explore the latter and, I have to admit, we did it the easy way – by coach. Even so, the 90-minute climb from sea level to 10,000-foot summit along narrow serpentine roads wasn’t for the faint-hearted. It was, however, well worth the ‘effort’ for at journey’s end we were rewarded with a view so stunning, it took our breath away.
Although the caldera was partly shrouded by swirling cloud, we could see many of the cinder cones, lava flows and mini craters that make up this massive crater – a crater that is seven-and-a-half miles long, two-and-a-half miles wide and 3,000-feet deep, large enough, in fact, to accomodate the whole of Manhattan. And what the volcano had failed to do, the elements had more than made up for, painting it yellow, red, white, brown, green and grey. A truly magnificent sight.
On a clear day, you can see The Big Island, Molokai, Lanai and even Oahu, though not Kauai, the only island not visible from any of the others. You can also stand on the summit and watch the sun rise although to do this, you must get up early – at least two hours before dawn. And if you’re really brave, instead of making the return journey by coach, you can – wait for it – cycle down. It’s something IndieLondon’s Jack did earlier this year.
Describing the experience, he said: “It mixes fear with exhilaration and is one of the most breathtaking and rewarding life experiences you could possibly wish to complete. Oh, and it’s really quite safe too!” Well, I for one, will take his word for it.
Also not to be missed is the Road to Hana tour – a fifty two-mile drive along a road punctuated by 617 turns (that’s 12 per mile) and 56 one-lane bridges. Moreover, for the most part, it clings to the cliff edge. The result is a drive that is as thrilling as it is beautiful – a drive with shimmering blue ocean on one side and vibrant rainforest on the other, where glittering waterfalls tumble into limpid plunge pools many feet below and tulip trees splash foliage with scarlet blooms.
Along the way there are numerous photo opportunities – a black sand beach, for example, where surf pounds relentlessly against rocky outcrops and the Seven Sacred Pools, not sacred as some have claimed yet fascinating for the way in which water drains from one pool to another on its way to the sea. We reached them in the early afternoon after a buffet-style, eat-all-you-can lunch at the remote Hana Ranch where, apart from our fellow tour members, our only companions were chickens. And although a fine warm drizzle had replaced the morning sunshine (they don’t call it a rainforest for nothing), their allure had not diminished.
The tour concluded with a visit to a winery, the only one in the entire world that makes pineapple wine, which we duly tasted but which was far too sweet for my liking. And finally, before saying aloha to our jovial Hawaiian guide, we were awarded a certificate confirming that we had indeed survived the Road to Hana. We had also thoroughly enjoyed it.
Also worth visiting is lush Iao Valley in West Maui, famous for its 2,250-foot-high basaltic pillar, the aptly named Iao Needle. Towering above the gurgling Iao stream, its intriguing shape is a muse for the imagination. It is, however, simply the product of erosion.
The old whaling town of Lahaina nestling beneath the West Maui Mountains is also a delight, with its boutiques, restaurants and art galleries. It even boasts an authentic replica of a 19th century brig, a wooden prison dating back to 1852, a museum that was once the home of a revered missionary and, on the green in front of the Court House, the world’s second largest banyan tree – at least according to our guide. Our visit coincided with a craft market, its colourful and well-stocked stalls set out within its welcoming shade.
Of course, the whalers have left Lahaina but not the whales and if you go at the right time of year – from late November to early May – you’ll be able to see these magnificent creatures with their calves. For it’s in the warm waters off the coast of Maui that the young are born.
Maui has so much to offer and is everything that you’d expect from a tropical island. And although there are similarities with Kauai, Oahu and The Big Island, like them, it is unique. Our tour of the islands ended in true Hawaiian style – with a beach party, the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean in a blaze of colour, as fiery as the primordial forces that had shaped these beautiful islands. Our holiday might well have been over but our memories would last a lifetime.
Your might be interested to know that Under a Maui Sun is a beautifully illustrated and informative book about the Valley Island.