Maui no ka 'oi
maui, hawai’idecember 2017
E komo mai! I took a much-needed, restful trip to Maui over winter break with Louis.
We spent the first two nights in upcountry Haiku, in a beautiful little room with an outdoor bamboo shower.
On Lou’s birthday, we explored upcountry and the north shore. After spending some time in Paia and Haiku, we visited the historic town of Makawao, which is a Hawai’ian cowboy town with roots in agriculture and herding.
Upon a recommendation from one of our drivers (Shelly from San Rafael), we took a trip to the Sacred Garden of Maliko in Makawao. This garden was so beautiful and restorative – such a great stop! We walked two labyrinths, meditated, and drew, all among some wonderful green plant friends.
Before dinner at Mama’s Fish House (apparently the best restaurant in Maui!) for Lou’s birthday, we stopped at Ho’okipa Lookout, a popular spot to observe seasoned windsurfers.
We planned to do the Road to Hana on our third day, but the north side was drenched due to heavy rain. Thanks to a great tip from Robynn, our host in Haiku, we decided to go backwards – through upcountry around the back side of the island. Before turning around, however, we made it to one stop past Haiku on Hana Highway: Twin Falls! We even saw a double rainbow.
We tried to go to the Kula Botanical Garden on our way to Hana through upcountry, but decided not to because of the entreance fee. Instead, we broke out Lou’s new hammock and spent some time among the trees.
Taking the back road to Hana proved to be a great decision: the road was less crowded, the sun was out, and we had the whole coast to ourselves.
Lou and I spent the night car-camping at Kīpahulu Campground in Haleakalā National Park – highly recommended! We had a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean and all the stars, which we tried to capture with some long exposures.
We got up early to make our way out of the campground before the park ranger came and kicked us out, but first we watched the sunrise over the ocean.
By the time the sunrise was over, the entire campground was bathed in a dream-like pink light.
Then, we went on an early morning hike in Haleakalā National Park. We saw a huge banyan tree, waterfalls, and a bamboo forest, making it back just in time for the weather to heat up.
After getting to Hana, we were so exhausted that we kind of rushed the rest of the sights leading back to Haiku. We moved on from Robynn’s to a hostel in Kahului, where we stayed the next few days. We visited the 'Iao Valley State Monument, a lush green park with a stream for swimming.
We also spent some time on the south shore of Maui, especially in Kihei, where we spent a whole sunny day biking around on beach cruisers.
On our last day, we found that our flight was delayed by an hour. So, we packed up our bags and headed for Kanaha Beach Park, adjacent to the Kahului airport. We hammocked for a bit and watched hordes of kite-surfers harness the power of the wind and the waves, waiting till our flight.
Mahalo for following our Hawai’ian journey, and aloha!