Twin Falls (Wailele Farm)

Located mauka of Wailele Farm at at mile marker #2, “Twin Falls” is what visitors often call the waterfalls in this area.  The closest fall (a 5 minute walk from the Farmstand) is on the right and perfect for swimming.  Further up in the left side, you can hike for around 30 minutes to what is often called the “Caveman Falls.”  These falls are what people traditionally call Twin Falls.  Be very careful when close to the fall, and we don’t recommend spending time in the cave.  Rocks often fall here.  It’s good for swimming and photos.  Make sure to support the farmstand and contribute to the portapotties fund if you use them.  Wailele Farm work hard to keep the area free and open to the public, so respect is of utmost importance.

Upper Waikani Falls (3 Bears)

You’ll usually see a handful of cars parked along the side of the road around mile marker 19.  Please, don’t stop here if there’s no room for your car without blocking traffic.  These falls are picturesque and easily accessed.  The cliff wall next to the bridge is often running with water over a green moss, which is fun for pictures.

Hanawai Falls

Located around mile marker 24, these falls are beautiful even with very little water.  After rain, it becomes numerous waterfalls and is quite impressive.  You can see these views from the road.  Parking is difficult here, so it’s best to view it and drive on to the next waterfalls.

Wailua Falls

At mile marker 45, this is an idylic fall surrounded by beautiful trees.  The parking lot makes it very easy to access and the falls are something out of a painting.  you’ll also find art and craft being created and sold by local Hana residents here. They’re all really nice, to it doesn’t hurt to stop and talk some story with them.

‘Ohe’o Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools)

Located at the Kipahulu section of Haleakala National Park, this is the perfect place to swim at waterfalls, provided there are no flash flood warnings.  There are plenty of pools to swim in while giving you views of waterfalls and the ocean.  The hiking is impressive here too.  The final waterfall on the Pipiwai Trail is called Waimoku Falls and is worth the remarkable hike.

We began our trip by going to the Maui Lani Golf Course for a quick breakfast and some coffee.  The view was spectacular, and it made for a great way to start the day.  Then 13 of us made our way to Hana!

We made an unusual stop at Wailele Farm, at Twin Falls.  I really wanted the crew to see what they do at the farm and to help them understand the efforts they put into keeping the area free to the public by maintaining trails and supporting portapotties and parking.

We then hit the many amazing sites along the Road to Hana including:

• Kaumahina State Wayside Park
• Ke’anae Peninsula
• Upper Waikani Falls
• Wai’anapanapa State Park
• Hana Town
• Wailua Falls
• Seven Sacred Pools (‘Ohe’o Gulch)
• Palapala Ho’omau Church

We also stopped at Travaasa Resort for a tour of the property and spa as well as a delicious meal at Ka’uiki Restaurant.

It was an incredible trip!  You can learn more about the trip by following the hashtag #HanaTrip on Twitter or Instagram and you can visit Hana Trip for more about the group and the results from our trip.

Mahalo to everyone that helped us have such a great trip to Hana!  ALOHA!

You can buy tickets to enjoy the many delicious meals being made.

When:

Saturday, April 6, 2013
9:00 am – 4:00 pm Maui County Agricultural Festival
11:00 am – 2:00 pm Grand Taste Education
2:00 pm – 2:45 pm Live Chef Competition & Awards Presentation

Where:

Maui Tropical Plantation
1670 Honoapiilani Highway
Waikapu, HI 96793

Nutritional Value of Kalo

Kalo starch is one of the most nutritious , easily digested foods.  Kalo corms are high in carbohydrate and low in fat and protein, similar to many other root crops.  The starch is 98.8 percent digestible, a quality attributed to its granule size, which is a tenth that of potato, making it ideal for people with digestive difficulties and infants.  The corm is an excellent source of potassium (higher than banana), carbohydrate for energy and fiber.  When eaten regularly, kalo corms provide a good source of calcium and iron and have the ability to balance the pH factor in the body, as they are an alkali producing food.

Lu’au is the name of the edible taro leaf from the word lau, leaf.  The lu’au leaf is another kinolau of Lono (form of the god Lono.)  Lu’au are excellent sources of pro-vitamin A, caratenoids, calcium, fiber and vitamins C and B2 (riboflavin), and they also contain B (thiamin.)  The Cooked corm and poi have fewer vitamins, but are an excellent source of carbohydrates.  (Canoe Plants online & CTAHR)

Papa and Wakea

To Hawaiians, Growing kalo was not merely an activity of food production but was strongly bound to their culture and beliefs about creation.  According to the Kumulipo (creation chant/story), the union between Wakea (male) and Papa (female) first formed the islands.  (CTAHR, Hawaiian Kalo and Future.)

Wakea or Kane, became involved with his daughter born of Papa, a Goddess associated with the Earth, and this resulted in two offspring.  The first was Haloa-naka, who was stillborn.  They buried him, and out of his body grew the Taro or Kalo plant.  The second child was Haloa, the first ancestor of man.  As the first born held the rights of the priority, the taro plant actually held a status higher than man.  As the hiapo, or first born sibling, Trao was also said to be the body form of Kane, the progenitor.  The Hawaiians considered the plant as akin to the god, and believed they ingested a part of his power when the ate the po’i.  For many hundreds of years, the serving of po’i was held in such high esteem as a sacred part of daily life, that whenever a bowl of po’i was served, it was believed that the spirit of the ancestor Haloa was present, and in honor all conflict or argument among family members and those at the table would end abruptly.

Maui Wedding Planner

Maui Beach Weddings & Events

With decades on Maui, loads of great contacts, and a love for great weddings, the wedding planners at Maui Beach Weddings and Events are some of the best and most fun to work with on Maui.
Call now: (808) 891-8811 and ask for Greg

Maui  Photographer

Natalie Brown Photography

Having photographed hundreds of Maui weddings, Natalie has a strong understanding of the ever-changing light conditions Maui offers, she has an eye for detail, is professional, and is a talented artist.
Call now: (808) 283-3446 and ask for Natalie

Maui Officiant

Reverend Brad Salter

Having lived most of his life in west Maui, Brad brings the warmth of the islands to each ceremony.  He’s a great guy and very professional.  His wedding couples have nothing but good things to say about his ceremonies and vow renewals.
Call now: (808) 298-7873 and ask for Brad

Maui Caterers

Maui Executive Catering

We’ve been lucky enough to enjoy many incredible events they’ve thrown.  The food they send out is beautiful, delicious, fresh, unique, locally-sourced, artistic, and professionally served.  Everything you’d want in a caterer you find at Maui Executive Catering.
Call now: (808) 575-9002 and ask for Jeff or Jason

Equipment Rentals

Island Rents

Island Rents have great equipment such as tables, chairs, linens, tents, dance floors, glassware, tableware and much more.  Their prices are relatively good too. Every time we’ve used them, they’ve shown up on time, been professional and quick, and given us exactly what we had orders.  Can’t ask for more.
Call now: (808) 243-7368 and ask for Rachel

Maui DJ

DJ Del Sol

We love DJ Del Sol because he has great taste in music, is professional and is an all-around fun guy to have at a wedding reception.  He also handles iPod system rentals for those of you looking to save some money and run your own music.

Limousine Services

Coastline Limousine

Since 1997, Coastline Limousines has been offering beautiful limos and Rolls Royces for rentals.  Their drivers are professional and well dressed.  They’re also very patient with their passengers (and when the vino is pouring, this is an important factor considering some guests.)
Call now: (808) 877-5466 and ask for Shaun

Butterfly Release

Maui Butterfly Farm

It’s a beautiful touch to release butterflys during the wedding ceremony.  For one of our editor’s weddings, a butterfly landed on the brides bouquet, making from some amazing photos!  Case in point, check out the photo to the right!
Call now: (808) 280-0506

Fire Dancing Entertainment

Merkabah Fire Productions

Invite some of the warmest (no pun intended) Maui dancers to your reception.  These great people are talented fire dancers with all kinds of fire equipment that will dazzle your guests.  Their first priority is safety, so you have little worry about and a lot to look forward to.
Call now: (808) 276-0145

Top Wedding Location

Hana Plantation Guest House

Give your guests a reason to explore Hana and truly relax in this slow-paced east Maui town.  The guest house is beautiful and the grounds are expansive allowing enough room to have a medium to large sized wedding.  You and your guests will enjoy nearby waterfalls, uncrowded beaches, and tropical rainforest.
Call now: (855) 868-7282

Alternate Title:  If you care about your body and mind, here are some great things to do while on Maui

The following are excellent experiences and services, organized by area of the island, for the purpose of increasing your mental, emotional and physical health. Whether you’re a permanent resident or vacationing on Maui, take advantage of these world-renowned professionals.

North Maui (Paia Town)

Paia Yoga & Maui Living Spa

The things that are happening at this location are incredible!  The Paia Yoga building has become a very popular yoga destination, but now they have massage, acupuncture, and soon we can expect a Turkish bath and much more.  This spot is quickly becoming the haven for those that want to treat their bodies to exercise, relaxation, detoxification, and awareness.
To schedule a treatment or a class, call (808) 866-7681 or text (808) 357-7317.

South Maui (Kihei, Wailea)

Massage Maui

We’ve personally been fortunate enough to have had dozens of massages at Massage Maui in North Kihei at the Sugar Beach Resort.  Of those massages, we’ve had 6-7 different masseuses, all of which have their own style and are AMAZING!  There’s a reason why we keep going back.
Schedule your massage appointment today by calling (808) 357-7317 or drop by 145 North Kihei Road.

East Maui (Hana)

The Spa at Travaasa Hana

We recently did the full treatment at Travaasa, which ended up being one of our most memorable journeys to Hana.  We had some of the best massages of our lives, enjoyed the beautiful sauna and plunge pools, and soaked in the hot tub with a view of the ocean at Hana Bay.  It was rejuvenating to say the least.  They also offer facials, body/hand/feet/scalp treatments, waxing and more.  Another part of our stay at Travaasa that’s worth mentioning in this post is the yoga facilities.  The yoga studio at Travaasa is one of the finest I’ve seen.  Its open air and great views make it the perfect place to do yoga and meditate.  My wife had a chance to take a class there, and she said the instructor was the best she’s had.  That says a lot considering her love of yoga and many experiences around the world with different instructors.
Make a reservation at The Spa at Travaasa Hana by calling (808) 270-5290.

West Maui (Kapalua, Ka’anapali, Lahaina, Napili)

The Spa Doc

In order to achieve optimum health, it’s crucial to reduce toxicity as well as identify and correct imbalances in your systems.  Every person is unique and has different needs.  The Spa Doc (Science, Philosophy, and Art of Healthy Living), Dr. Lida Zwi, works with you individually to help you detoxify and rectify all imbalances in order for you to move forward in your quest for vibrant well-being.  Sounds good, right?  Well, from personal experience, Dr. Lida is able to deliver her valuable knowledge in an easy to understand manner.  She has all the tools to get you on track for a happier, healthier existence.
Begin a private consultation by calling Dr. Lida at (808) 669-2772.

Keeping Taro Sacred And Sovereign: Right Or Risky?

by Naia Kelly

The situation has become a long, drawn out, often times bitter fight. Years have passed and the argument between Monsanto’s researchers, their allies within the University of Hawaii’s scientific community and several Hawaiian cultural groups, and individuals, in the Hawaiian islands over the proposed genetic modification of the sacred taro plant of Hawai’i is still undecided.

The majority of islanders argued that it was against their cultural traditions to change the divine, and taro to the Hawaiians is the epitome of the divine life force. It is the physical representation of the earth transferring the divine mana from which life comes to man. The opposing side’s argument is a secular one of reaping the benefits of profit fueled progress disguised as potentially conserving this struggling genetic line of the sacred taro plant from the ancient pacific isles and the financial effects of an increase in taro production on unemployment rates and corporate spread sheets.

The majority of Hawaiians are opposed to any modification of their sacred taro simply on a religious basis. Since once their minds are made up regarding this, then it’s of no use to speak of any financial benefits resultant of the modification or, as the scientists would argue, the potential for keeping the taro plant from pest and microbial infestation that could result in it’s demise. And, it’s the Hawaiian’s right to decide what Hawaiian flora and fauna are open to being sliced and diced on a genetic level.  They are the custodians of the islands both spiritually and physically.

The taro is so sacred to the Hawaiian culture that Molokai’s most famous grassroots eco-warrior, Walter Ritte, and a few friends constructed a “ki’i”, or wooden spirit statue, in protest to legalizing the genetic modification of taro and other foods. The protest made by Ritte was used in hopes of bringing about the awakening of that which is divine in everyone who sees the ki’i so they will more readily identify with the issue at hand and take action to search within and make their voices heard on the matter.

Taro production is down in the Hawaiian islands but the demand is certainly there throughout the globe. Most of the world’s taro comes from Fiji. 1,800,000 pounds of taro are imported into Hawaii each year. Presently there is a moratorium on GM taro in Hawaii, which was put into place two years ago, so that more research and proper review of the issue might be undertaken.

Perhaps during this GM ‘timeout’ Hawaiians should look at what other countries are doing and take a lesson from, say… India? Why? Well, they have increased their rice, potato and other yields by 45% – 100% in their farming villages using a method called SRI, (System of Root Intensification), which requires no chemical fertilizers or herbicides, unlike conventional methods, and less water and also fewer seedlings. And, it doesn’t just work for one species of plant but many, with only slight variations needed depending on soil type and climates.

Perhaps utilizing the less is more theory prior to committing to GMO is the way to approach this problem?  SRI is certainly an option and until these kinds of high yield approaches are exhausted, there is no reason to consider genetically modifying any more food. More likely, should SRI prove applicable, it might be worth a look at ways to reverse the GMO infestation of our planet.

Mahalo to Valley Isle Excursions for helping us share Hawaiian views on Taro and the importance of this divine crop.

http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/sections/news/local-news/panel-considers-gmo-taro-legislation.html
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aoa/h/human_figure_kii_aumakua.aspx
http://www.spc.int/lrd/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=793:whats-holding-pacific-island-taro-exports-back&catid=165:press-releases&Itemid=95
http://www.cornucopia.org/2013/02/indias-rice-revolution/

We’ve been coming to Lana’i for many years.  Sometimes to pamper ourselves at the Four Season’s and other times to explore for the day.  By far, the best way to experience the island is with guides that know the island well.  We can’t say enough about the trip from Lahaina on Trilogy for a full day of exploring and fun on the Pineapple Isle.

Call (808) 874-5649 or toll free at 1-888-225-MAUI

Snorkeling along the shores of Lana’i will change your life!  The ocean life here is pristine due to less human interaction.  Often, Spinner Dolphins will take over the area, giving you an experience you’ll never forget.

Hiking is also great on Lana’i.  The views of the ocean and the legend and history of the land make for incredible journeys.

• Perfect Beaches – Our water is clean, the beaches pristine, and there’s always a good spot to swim.
• Quick Trip – 5 hours from the mainland beats Tahiti, Fiji, Indo, etc…
• Safety – Other Tropical locations in the world may have unstable areas and governments.
• Restaurants & Shopping – Almost anywhere on the island, you’re within minutes of great spots.
• Explore – Maui has so many incredible scenic areas to explore: Waterfalls, Volcanic Craters, Rainforests, and more…
• Activities – Many enjoy doing nothing but relaxing on the beach.  Others like to have some fun: scuba, snorkeling, biking, surfing, hiking, paragliding, ziplining and much more!

And Maui has many exclusive, private properties available along our diverse coastlines.  When searching for beachfront real estate in Maui, Kathryn Tubman has more experience in negotiating and locking down luxury Maui property than most on the island.  Take advantage of her connections and deep-rooted experience buying and selling high-end real estate in paradise by calling (808) 276-3311 and asking her what properties are coming up on the market today.

New Features

• More Photos – larger photos from professional photographers will be featured along with slideshows.
• More Videos – We’re building new videos everyday!  We’ll be adding them to each relevant page to further your experience.
• Better Content – The current content is being rewritten with more accurate information and new popular content is being added with YOUR input!
• Your Input! – We’re opening up our site to allow more commenting, reviews, and ratings from you!  A new blog is also being added, which YOU can contribute to!
• More Custom Maps – We love building specific, easy to read maps for you.  Expect many more!

Design Changes

• Responsive – Our new site will look great on all devices and screen sizes.  All the important information will still be on smaller devices, but it’ll be much easier to read and navigate.
• Larger Fonts – The new fonts we use are bigger and clearer, which makes everything easier to read.
• Simpler Navigation – We’ve cut down the navigation to the core categories.  We’ve also made it follow you as you scroll for easy access.  You can also use the Breadcrumbs to see how far you’ve gone.
• More Relevant Pages – As we concentrate on categories, we’re adding more relevant pages to each one.  That way, as you’re reading a specific page, you’ll see options to read more about the subject.
• Less Advertising – We’re cutting down on advertising space in order to offer a better user experience.  We only have advertisers that are relevant and of whom we believe have a great product.
• Better Organization - You can now search our site with a search bar, search by area of the island, and by most popular pages.

New Blog!

The new blog will allow for Maui residents and Maui visitors to post their own reviews and experiences!  We’re opening our new blog to the world, and expect great things from you!  We’ll also be posting our own reviews, event information, and photos-of-the-day.

Going to this event is special, not only due to the great speakers, but also because of the crowd it draws.  Maui has a lot of really bright, positive, forward-thinking people, but rarely do they all converge on one location.  ON Sunday, January 13th, The Maui Arts & Cultural Center will hold the 2nd TedxMaui event (and more than likely sell out again.)

We’re really excited to see repeat host Kainoa Horcajo back on stage along with Lia Krieg to help present honored speakers. Kainoa is THE MAN on Maui, helping to share the culture and create a brighter future for our islands.  Lia is a legend of Maui Theater and local teacher at Baldwin High.  We couldn’t ask for more appropriate presenters for such a powerful event.

2013 Speakers/Performers include:

• Paul Atkins
• Chad Kālepa Baybayan
• Michael Bernard Beckwith
• Rickie Byars Beckwith
• Jim Channon
• Sean Connelly
• WenLu Duffy
• Alex Grey
• Kamea Hadar
• Graham Hill
• Quayle Hodek
• Archie Kalepa
• Brian Kennedy
• Sherry Lynn
• Makana
• Next Level Theater Productions
• Jenelle Peterson
• Kim Rosen
• Lauren C. Roth Venu

We’re so incredibly excited!   Hopefully we’ll see you there!  ALOHA!

We hope you enjoy the photos!  Congrats!

After filming sights along the Road To Hana for 11 hours on Monday, there are a few striking lessons learned.

1. You can’t possibly see everything in 1 day.

I’ve been to Hana dozens of times, and I know where to go and see the best views, waterfalls, coastlines, and forests. Even so, in order to get the best video possible, I did research for 2 weeks to pinpoint the best spots that I could visit. That being said, it was a whirlwind trying to see all of them in a day. I couldn’t do it. So, I had to use some older footage as well.

The sad thing about my trip is that I noticed a handful of the same tourists at almost every spot I went to. How could they enjoy themselves by rushing from 1 location to another? That’s why I believe it’s absolutely crucial to either:

• Do research beforehand and decide on only a few places to visit and/or
• Stay the night and do the Road to Hana over at least 2 days. Travaasa Hana Hotel has some great accommodations right on the water in Hana Town.

As beautiful as the sights were, I didn’t enjoy traveling to Hana Town as much as I have in the past. It was incredibly stressful rushing from one spot to the next. Do yourself a favor and enjoy a few spots and take your time while there. It’s the only way to really get a feel for Hana.

2. I understand local Hana frustration

It’s not that all tourists make mistakes, but there’s a solid 5% of visitors to Maui that are inconsiderate, rude, and down-right stupid. If you’re reading this, you’re obviously not one of these people because you’re doing your reading and due diligence. Let me explain a few situations that got my blood boiling.

THE GIRLS
One of the first shots I took was a time-lapse video of the curving road and cars driving by. To get the shot, I had to park off the road in a spot that only had room for one car. There was nothing there to see other than the road, so I thought it a good spot to stop. 2 girls pulled up behind me, and they began to fiddle with their GPS. I politely explained to them that they should move their car immediately because they were taking the whole lane of traffic on a high=speed blind turn. (admittedly, I was more concerned about my own safety than theirs.) They put their finger up to say that they were almost done. A minute goes by, then another. I repeatedly told them to move the car because it was incredibly dangerous to stop there. By the end, it took me yelling at them and approaching the car in a hostile way to get them to move. Aggressive is the last adjective anyone would describe me as, but my actions very well may have saved all of our lives. What on Earth would make these girls think that it was OK to stop there? I understand what they were doing: they wanted to reset their GPS so that it would correspond with the mile markers. But they could’ve done it further down the road and subtracted a mile or the passenger could’ve done it instead of the driver.

A FEW MORE UPSETS
I was behind a driver that was going 15 miles per hour in a 45. I understand they want to look around, but when someone is behind you on a small road, you pull over as soon as it’s safe. They kept this going for mile after mile. Just pull over!!!

There’s good reason for frustration coming from local Hana residents. Those that visit areas that are on private property without permission, litterbugs, and inconsiderate drivers make up a small portion of visitors to Hana. BUT it only takes a small portion to spoil a good thing. When you travel the Road To Hana, please be considerate, safe, and respect the land and people. Here are some good Hana Tips.

OK, so for those of you curious about the video, here it is in all of its glory! Yes, not every spot is featured, but the best spots are. If you’re saying, “but you missed this spot or that spot!” Well, there’s good reason. We spoke with local Hana residents and we’ve gotten the low-down on what spots they feel tourists have taken advantage of to the degree of degradation. These spots are fragile areas and some are even on private property. Please respect their wishes and stick to the ones in the video. Mahalo!

This is a great deal for both local residents and visiting travelers.  Some advantages of flying  rather than driving are:

• TIME SAVINGS: Mainland and outer-island visitors win with less overall travel time. Also some local Hana residents work in Kahului town, and a 20 minute flight might occasionally be worth it depending on budget and time constraints.
• NO CAR SICKNESS: For tourists that would love to visit Hana but have severe car sickness, this is a great option.
• SAVE MONEY: For those that travel alone on the Road to Hana, $59/each way could be cheaper than filling your gas tank a few times.
• NO TRAFFIC: If there’s a road closure or heavy traffic, the drive can become pretty intense.
• COMPLIMENTARY FLIGHTS: Guests that book 3 nights all-inclusive Total Travaasa packages will be given complimentary flights!  It doesn’t get better than staying at Travaasa, though complimentary tickets definitely sweeten the experience.  Visit Travaasa or call 1-855-868-7282.

 The flight schedule is as follows:

OGG 11:19am – HNM 11:40am
HNM 12:00pm – OGG 12:21am

OGG 4:14pm – HNM 4:35pm
HNM 4:55pm – OGG 5:16pm

The designs were created in Hawaii by very talented tattoo artists.  They’re priced very reasonably, and the quality and durability of these phone cases are exceptional. You can see the full selection of iPhone and iPad cases at 808 Shells.

There are several reasons to go on a Maui Sunset Cruise.  Here are a few:

• Warm breezes over the ocean and the calm of the water.
• Tropical cocktails (unlimited premium beverages)
• Delicious food to snack on
• Island Music
• and, of course, the sunset.  Sunsets over the water can’t be beat!

Call 1-877-867-7433 to reserve seats on the Leilani, departing from our convenient Maalaea Harbor. We love this vessel because of its upper viewing deck offering unobstructed views.

Is the Green Flash Real?

In short, YES!  We’ve seen it a dozen times now.  Keep in mind that we’ve seen thousands of sunsets on Maui.  SO, it doesn’t happen often.  Basically, if clouds or islands aren’t in the way of the sun as it dips into the ocean, you may see it.  It lasts a very short moment where the sun is about to vanish past the ocean horizon.  Sometimes it’s barely noticeable, other times it’s very obvious.

If you don’t believe us, tough.  We know it isn’t our imagination because there have been times where we’ve watched it at the park with 30-40 other people within earshot, all of whom yelled, “GREEN FLASH!!” at the same time.  That’s proof in our mind that we’re not crazy.

Blowing of the Conch Shell

Today, the conch (or Pū) is blown at sunset to say goodbye to the day and mahalo.  The roots of conch blowing goes back to ancient Polynesians and Hawaiians using it for multiple purposes.  Here are some of the original uses of conch shell blowing:

• To mark the beginning of a ceremony or event
• To communicate from a distance (sometimes from canoes moving towards land to signify their approach and gain approval.)
• To call upon the devine (Gods)

Today it is used primarily during important ceremonies as well as during sunset.  It’s always a pleasure hearing it blown correctly as the sun sinks into the ocean.

Best locations to watch the sunset

Watching sunset on Maui is best from a boat on the south or west side of Maui.  This way you can watch it from over the ocean.  You can watch the sunset from Central and North Maui, but it’ll be a bit shorter and over the West Maui Mountains. Watching it from Upcountry Maui can be pretty spectacular as well!

But what about the open ocean?  What kind of fish survive away from the protection of Maui’s vibrant tropical reefs?

For fishes living in deep open ocean, color is of little importance.  Adaptations for speed, keenly tuned senses to locate prey and avoid predators, and the ability to navigate and swim vast distances, are paramount.

Different fishes adopt different strategies to cope with life in this seemingly featureless void.  Large predators, such as oceanic whitecap and tiger sharks are capable of fending for themselves and generally live solitary lives.  Smaller prey species with no reef to hide form schools and hide within the swirling mass of their own kind.

Relationships between species form, and small fish such as juvenile jacks will swim with a larger fish, shadowing it unerringly.  This is of little benefit to the larger fish, but the jack finds protection in its company and also gains access to scraps when the larger fish feeds.  Some fish live their entire lives this way, while others may adopt this strategy only during their juvenile phase until they are large enough to survive on their own.

Wherever you look in the ocean, you’ll find life.  From the shallows of the reef all the way to the deepest, darkest ocean trenches.  Life finds a way to adapt and thrive.

Thanks to the Maui Ocean Center for the use of their excellent information and knowledgeable naturalists.

We love this vacation rental.  Maui Sands has:

• 2 bedrooms: a king, 2 twins, and a pull-out queen couch in living room
• a fully equipped kitchen
• an over-sized shower
• Child safety with a high-chair and plug protectors
• a Lanai with 2 chaise lounge chairs and table with 4 chairs
• beach gear: 2 reclining folding beach chairs, over-sized towels, beach umbrella, cooler, and 4 sets of snorkel gear

Your rental at Maui Sands isn’t only eco-friendly, it also has some advanced Technology such as:

• iHome clock radios allow you to use your iPhone or iPod to play music, wake you up, and charges your devices.
• a massage chair
• 55 inch smart TV with 3D capability and 4 pairs of 3D glasses
• Streaming Netflix included
• Blu-Ray Player
• Pandora Radio enabled
• Sony 5 speaker Dolby surround sound stereo connected to the TV, Pandora, and your iPod/iPhones
• DVR
• 20 hi-def channels and 100 regular
• secure high-speed wireless internet
• 18,000 btu air conditioner

Don’t forget about how it is Eco-Friendly and conscious with:

• Organic linens/sheets/duvet covers
• Bamboo louvers
• 2 emersion’s “Midway Eco” Fans using 75% less energy than regular ceiling fans
• private herb garden on lanai with basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary
• recycling station that is built in
• Vegan Cookbooks
• chlorine filter for shower head
• 2 yoga mats
• reusable grocery bags
• naturally occurring tradewinds off the ocean eliminate the need for air conditioning or fans (but they’re there just in case!)
• filtration system for water and ice maker

At Honolua Bay, in the upper west of Maui, you’re treated to a protected large bay with beautiful coral reef and plenty of sea life.  The summertime is usually the best time to go because winter swells can wrap in and murk up the water as well as make it unsafe to snorkel.

Before making the drive up to Honolua Bay, stop by The Snorkel Store for information on where to enter the water and also to get the best prices on snorkel gear rentals.  Right now they’re giving gear rentals away for FREE to promote the Grand Opening of their new store.  SO, make sure to get in on the deal while it lasts.  A little bird told us that if you have a trip planned in the future, and you email or call to reserve gear for your trip, they most likely will honor the free rental deal.  So contact them today and save in the future.  1.877.669.1077

by Douglas Bowser

As a professional photographer living on Maui for the last 16 years, I feel so lucky to have seen so many different areas of this amazing island.  Many of these regions like Hamoa Beach, are always making some top 5 list, and are of course beautiful. But Hamoa is so small compared to many Maui beaches, and unlike the larger and more well known ones located on the south and west sides of the island, Hamoa is small and hard to find.  Hamoa has a small pavilion and a few chairs put out by Hotel Hana and access is a steep path coming down from a narrow road with little parking.  I had little appreciation for it until I went out on a Hana tour and learned the stories of this area from a local born tour driver. (Valley Isle Excursions toll free: 1-877-871-5224)

It turns out that this little bay and peninsula has many ancient stories and is truly amazing to look at the towering cinder cones and rocky shoreline and imagine thousands of people living here.  A small island (Alau) seemingly floats just off shore and on the other side of this small peninsula at Koki Beach. (below) In my mind it is a much more spectacular beach than Hamoa, but our guide was quick to point out that Hamoa is a protected bay, thus it was used in ancient times for landing and launching canoes.  As our guide explained, in ancient Hana only the Alii (royalty) were allowed to surf, and the surf at Hamoa at that time was also known as “the waves of Pulehe”.  Many voyages were launched from this bay, and one day a chief and his wife began a voyage here in their outrigger sailing canoes.  The whole village was there to send them off, and as they sailed out of sight the chief’s daughter got in the water and began surfing the waves.  This, apparently, was a sign from the gods that it was now OK for the commoner to also be allowed to surf, and so they did.  “The things teenagers do when their parents are on vacation” said our guide, which made many of the couples on board laugh knowingly.

Having lived on Maui for over a decade, I have never heard of such stories until I went out on a Hana van tour.  Aside from the spectacular scenery I have witnessed traveling the road to Hana over a dozen times on my own, I realized I knew very little about Hana and the ancient people of Hawaii.  My first Hana tour really opened my eyes to how they evolved and thrived through the centuries.  For instance, I learned that at one time the entire island of Maui was ruled from Hana.  It contained all the resources necessary to survive and thrive in stone age Hawaii.  In the 16th century there was a great chief of Hana by the name of Kihapi’ilani and he was beloved by his people.  Along with his sons, he united the island by building a road all the way around the entire island.  Later on it was paved, by hand, with hard ‘ala stones in key places between rugged cliffs and valleys in the Hana districts.  The largest heiau (temple) in the state is located in Hana.  It is called Pi’ilanihale and it was built by this great and wise ruler of Maui.

So, as you travel this wonderful winding road, keep in mind that it was once only a walking path which connected the entire island for hundreds of years.  Also, if you don’t have time to read a half dozen history books along your journey, I suggest you try a Hana tour.  You’ll be glad you did.

Aloha Nui Loa

So you want to go?  The Maui Film Festival usually runs in mid June of each year, so there’s plenty of time to get ready.  We’ve decided to give you a little heads up on what you might need in order to enjoy the festival to its fullest.

Maui Film Festival CHECK LIST

• Tickets to films and parties. Keep in mind that if you buy a ticket to one of the big parties (Ex. Taste of Chocolate at the Four Seasons Wailea), you’ll be given a complimentary movie pass for some of the films.  Some of the events sell out, so buy them early.  Also, buying them online on their website will get you the best prices.
• Resort Casual Attire. They ask that you dress comfortably but well.  At the films, people wear all kinds of things, but for the parties, you’re expected to dress up a bit.

• Celestial Cinema Gear. Unlike watching the film at the MACC, the Celestial Cinema requires a bit more in order to fully enjoy yourself.  You’ll need the following: A folding chair (smaller the better), warm clothes (it can get cold especially for the 2nd film, blankets for the kids to lay on, and cash for scrip (plenty of munchies and N/A drinks available for purchase.  You can also, some people bring glow in the dark frisbees for the 10-15 minute break between the films.  Lots of fun!

Hopefully that helps gear you up for the events.  Have fun and let us know how much you’ve enjoyed it.  ALOHA!

We’ve recently been running some giveaways and contests on our Hawaii Facebook Page.  The following are some of our favorite submissions by our Facebook fans about their favorite Maui memories.  We hope this brings a smile to your face.  To see the winners of 4 Hawaii iPhone cases, see the best Maui stories.

I have a few good memories of Maui, but how can anyone have any bad ones. My fiance and I were in Maui last year in March. We were married at Makena Cove in the rain. We thought that was bad luck, but in fact some locals that were on the beach witnessing said the rain was good luck. On another day we thought that we would try to do some snorkeling just off of the place where we were staying (Kaanapali resorts) and as beginners we looked like two beached whales flopping around trying to get on our flippers. We sat too close to the waters edge and the waves kept flipping us over. It was hilarious and we were wondering why everyone kept walking sideways in those things…we figured it out afterwards. We also went whale watching and for some reason it made me cry. I think just being in such a beautiful place and having the opportunity to watch those beautiful creatures was just breathtaking. When I am in not such a good mood and I need to find my “happy place”, I think about Maui and those whales. That memory always takes me back to Maui even if I cannot be there, I’m there in spirit. Oh and let’s not forget the Tsunami. We were supposed to leave that Friday, but Thursday night we had to evacuate our room and move to a higher level floor. All flights were cancelled, but when we were able to leave and fly to Honolulu to catch our flight back to the mainland, there wasn’t another flight out until Sunday. So we were able to stay in Hawaii for 2 extra days. What great memories and we hope to get back to Maui next year when my business takes off and we are financially okay. Thank you! Oh and I love the pink cover. A Hui Hou!
by Olivia

my favorite family vacation to Maui was when our youngest son was almost one(it was our family of 5 and my parents) – we celebrated Easter on Maui (which was awesome) and our little one decided to take his first steps while we were there…such a great memory. We tried coming to Maui ever-other year but financially have not been able to do that the last couple of years. would love to come back!
by Julie

I have sooo many “favorite” Maui memories. From spending relaxing time with our family, walking down Keawakapu hand in hand with my husband, snorkeling the crystal clear blue waters off the Mana Kai to exploring the “un-touristy” parts of the island. But hands down, my favorite Maui memory is all the wonderful people we have met through our years of visiting, many who we now call friends. The people, the ALOHA…that is my best memory. Thanks!
by Tami

My Favourite Maui memory was celebrating our first morning as a married couple by welcoming the sunrise at the summit of Haleakala. Just as the sun peeped over the summit a native Hawaiian was performing a traditional chant. The experience was very spiritual and one we will never forgot. What a perfect way to start married life (August 12th 2011).
by Sarah

Favorite Maui memory: 2005 was my 25th wedding anniversary. Dear wife and I had never had a REAL vacation in that whole time, so I planned a SURPRISE Maui vacation. The trip was in November. On the day of our anniversary in September I gave her a framed certificate that said she had earned an 8 day, 7 night all expenses paid vacation to a tropical paradise. Nothing else. For two months she prodded me but I never let her know where we were going. We flew out of Eugene, OR to San Fran. This was her first time flying, so she missed it when the person behind the counter confirmed that we were flying through to Maui. It wasn’t until we reached our gate at SFO that she knew we were Maui bound!!
by Dennis

I just got back from 2 weeks in Hawaii. The last 10 of those days we were on Maui. I stayed at the Bay Villas at Kapalua and the joy and peace I found just sitting on the lanai looking for the last of the whales and enjoying the spectacular sunsets, has got to be what heaven is like. Sooooo worth the 12 hour trip to get there. There’s no place like Maui, LOVE IT!
by Cathy

One time when out sailing a whole school of Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins was running with the boat. We stopped and they stayed there. So I jumped off the boat and was in the middle of them swimming all around me. I had my arms outstretched and they would touch my hands.
by Joan

My favorite Maui memory was going to Maui with my Mom for a girls only trip and enjoying our drive to Hana and black sand beach. We stopped many many times along the way stopping at fruit stands, Ho’okipa, Paia, bamboo trail…all precious memories spent on the island with my mom 3 years ago yesterday!
by Kerrie

My favorite Maui memory is going into lahaina on front street, eating at kimo’s and getting my first tattoo at Spikes Westside Ink. He designed it with my help and I love it! We were there on a company trip, which only gave us 4 days in Maui, but as we speak, we have been saving for our return trip and also to look for a home to rent or buy so that we may live. We left our hearts in Maui for sure♥. If I win the phone case I would love the pink turtle one, long life, which will match with my next tat I am getting! Maholo!
by Frannie

We just got back from Maui yesterday….Yep, back to Texas and all the heat! There wasn’t ever a bad time on Maui! Loved the Swap Meet shopping! So many beautiful things to see and buy! I love all the jewelry on the island, so different! The trip to the crater was awesome! Such a beautiful view even tho it was of cloud’s, well worth the trip to see. Probably the best part of Maui that we have ever seen is the Luau at the Marriott. The dancing was awesome, the food was great. Being on the beach looking out at the water as the background of all the entertainment was grand! Just driving around seeing the site’s, swimming in the ocean…the flower’s and the palm tree’s! Life was good on our 12 day trip to Maui!
by Marie

Best Maui memory: Last month my daughter and I took our first trip to Maui and we decided to learn to surf! (I am 48 and this was way out of my comfort zone) We both agreed it was one of the most exhilarating experiences of our lives. I had such a great instructor that I got up on my first wave! We love MAUI!
by Carrie

Our best memory of Maui is definitely our 2 years old’s first time being on beach was at the beach by the Marriott hotel in Makena area… we enjoyed him amazed by staring at the ocean. Ocean in Hawaii means a lot for us because we named our son’s name, “Kai” as we know it means “ocean” in Hawaii… it’s no surprise that he wasn’t even scared when he fell in the water on that day, but he just wanted to go back in there [:D] Best family vacation ever it was in November 2011!!!!
by Hiromi

My favorite Maui memory was during our honeymoon 2 years ago in May. We did the standard road to Hana and we read somewhere about a Red Sand beach. It was inaccessible by cars and no clear trails or anything. So we got out of the car and just wandered around in the bush for awhile until we saw someone else walking. We quickly found what looked like a trail and took it. Straight down to a tiny red sand beach. It was treacherous as my wife was wearing flip flops. We got down there and I’m like “no way this is the beach its too small and not really beachy, and it actually had quite violent waters.
Luckily we saw a dog running on another trail near us and we were able to find the real trail and proceeded to the gorgeously hidden red sand beach. The way back was way easier and we laughed at the treacherous route we took when there was a much safe…almost flip-flop sandal friendly path to take!
It was a great little adventure and go tot see the beauty of the beach as well…hands down my favorite memory from Maui
by Troy

Favorite time in Maui was 2 years ago last Feb. Our 27 years together anniversary. Stayed in a lil mother in law house at the end of a culdisack in Haiku. Drove down a block every morning to watch the local surfers ride their first waves as the sun was coming up.
Then we would drive to the west side & go whale watching on these amazing little mini-cruises. Whales so close I could almost reach out & touch them. Tears rolling down my cheeks as I video the Momma & baby coming up for air right before our eyes. I still tear up when I see the videos.
So in Love in this beautiful paradise. We’re saving to come this next February 2013 to celebrate 30 years together. Can’t think of ANY place on earth I wanna be with the LoVe of my life ;~}
My video wouldn’t load…I will try a pic…
It was like she was waving at us after the show as she danced around swimming off into the sunset. It really was just magical
by Lavender

My favorite Maui memory was snorkeling in the water off of Black Rock and seeing all the fish and coral and then a sea turtle can right up to me. It kept following me. It was so beautiful to see so close. It was very calming to me.
by Kathleen

I got Married to the man of my dreams on 2/25/06 on Lahania Beach. We had our reception at the old Lahaina Luau. it was perfect. We waited 10 years to plan the perfect wedding and it was a dream come true.
by Rachelle

I was visting my husband (then boyfriend) who was stationed at Hickam AFB. He told me we were going to go on a whale watch cruise for the day in Oahu, so he told me to pack a light bag and a change of clothes for the day. Well…after several turn of events on our way to the “Maui whale watch cruise” we ended up at the airport…he forgot to mention that we were going to watch whales in Maui. We boarded a flight to Maui and got our rental car and first drove to Lahaina, where we had lunch at Cheese burgers in Paradise and then on to Wailea, where my next surprise awaited…we were staying at The Kea Lani (now Fairmont Kea Lani). However on our way to Wailea, we stopped at the lookout (can’t remember name) and right there below us we saw whales and a baby whale breached right there…it was amazing! We continued on to the resort where I thought, I was a princess checking into the Kea Lani. It was amazing. We had a wonderful stay in Maui and always go back…because Maui holds a special place in heart! obviously, this trip was planned to a T to surprise me and it did! A hui ho!
by Theresa

My greatest memory on Maui was swimming/snorkeling at Black Rock in Kaaanpali and a pod of dolphins came up and swam with us for about 45 mins. To hear them underwater was absolutely amazing and to watch them play with each other was beautiful.
by Pam

On our 25th wedding anniversary we went to Maui. My husband and daughter wanted to go snorkeling, but I don’t swim very well and was afraid of getting sea sick, so I told them I wasn’t going. But my husband kept insisting on me going, would not let it go, so reluctantly I went. When we were near Molokini after they had snorkeled a couple of times I was so upset seasick, took no precautions. (silly me)All of a sudden the captain announced that he had someone on board that wanted to say something.My husband was standing near the captain and said he was so grateful for his wife being a good sport and coming, even though I didn’t want to, he announced he had a gift for me for our anniversary and then gave me a diamond ring! I was so shocked, i couldn’t believe it. It was so precious, because he had bought it at Maui Gold jewelry. I’m still wearing it today. Now I love going on the ocean!
by Barb-Vern

Ok and this is so the truth my Maui Story is we went to Big Beach to experience more waves. As my friend and I stood in the water facing shore a wave came up from behind and totally took us off our feet. When I fianally got my feet back under me my friend starts frantically screaming at me…thinking a shark was about I almost ran to shore when she finally yelled…….you have no pants….the water had taken my bottoms right off and I had no idea!!! Luckily i had a tankini on so the top could be pulled down somewhat till she could go retrieve my shorts……So no on the beach totally mad that I lost my 60 bottoms….about 1 hour later a man teaching his daughter to boogie board pulls them out of the ocean… [:)] And I totally swear its the truth…who would make that up….
by Brenda

I was snorkeling near Kamaole Beach Park 2 in early April 2009 on a day that had the clouds scudding across the sky. I slipped under the water, and looked at a school of fish that were rather unremarkable, and turned away. In my peripheral vision, I saw rainbows as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds – I turned a saw the same school of fish all lit up. Suddenly, they were just GONE. I turned around to see what scared them, and saw 4 sharks that were about 4 feet long chasing after them. This happened about 10 feet from me. A little while later, I poked my head out of the water to drain my mask, and saw a lot of people on shore pointing – I turned around to see a mama whale and her calf swimming along about twice as far out from shore as I was. I raced after to get a better view, but they were gone. On my way back, a turtle with a milky eye swam up form the ocean floor to take a breath – I swam with that magnificent creature for a few minutes until he decided to go back to the depths. This was the most surreal snorkel experience I’ve ever had.
by Bill

It is very difficult to come up with my most favorite Maui experience, but I will share one that includes others who feel the same:
In 1986, after spending a couple of weeks in Japan sightseeing and going to concerts with my friend (and world known, Grammy winning friend Kitaro), I wanted to show him my favorite place on earth … Maui. I gathered up a few of my local friends and we took Kitaro to Haleakala Crater so that he could see the “Moon”. As we hiked about in awe I noticed Kitaro had stopped and was sitting on the edge. He was staring into the crater. While at the same time, he was gracefully moving his hands about, with the artistry and magic of a composer. Later that day when we were all walking back to the ca , I asked him what had been doing. He replied with a big smile on his face, ” I was making beautiful music in my head as I was feeling the energy of the crater”. Maui has the ability to put some people into a very spiritual place. We all felt it that day while enjoying the magnificence of Haleakala Crater.
by Barbara

There are a lot of fantastic memories of Maui, from simple things like cruising the highway in Kihei in our open-air Jeep, to incredible moments, like diving with honu at Turtle Town, or swimming with the fishies 100 feet below at Molokini. But the best-ever moment has to be marrying my best friend in the entire world on Makena Surf Beach in the pouring rain with our families and friends cheering us on, and the sweet sounds of a ukelele surrounding us. The two manta rays that came up on shore near us during our ceremony and flapped in the surf were pretty sweet too! Blessings from Maui all the way. We’re looking forward to relocating to Maui in a few years too. It’s where we know we’re meant to be, and in the meantime we Live Aloha every day from the mainland! Maui no ka oi!
by Lisabeth

My husband and I spent 7 days in Maui last May 2011 on our Honeymoon and it was AMAZING!!!! Everything was perfect about the trip but the best story has to be about the “Time Share” thing, so here it goes:
Well, as you know, when you are a tourist in Maui you pretty much get “suckered” into going to a Time Share event so you can get AWESOME deals on all of the fun activities. My Husband wanted to do the Helicopter ride and I wanted to do the Horseback Ride and the two activities would save us a bunch of money if we went to the Time Share thing… I was pretty much dreading going to this thing, but figured it was worth it since we would got to do beautiful Helicopter Ride and Horseback Ride first. I was kind of bummed a little bit on our Helicopter ride because my husband and I had to sit in the back with another “honeymooners” parents while the other couple of honeymooners got to sit in front with the pilot. (Wouldn’t you think they could sit with their own parents??) Come to find out the new husband was a pilot himself so he always gets to ride up front once he tells everyone he is a pilot… Bummer for us, but what comes around goes around right? So the next day my husband and i went to the Time Share thing and we ran into that other couple that we rode in the helicopter with and said “hi” to eachother but that was it. They got called first to go meet with the time share guy and then we got called a few minutes later (we were informed this would be a 2 – 3 hour ordeal). When we started to talking to the guy he could TOTALLY tell that we were not interested in buying any timeshare since my husband told them that his parents already have one in Maui and we are able to share with them. He then told us that they were WAY short on staff and if we weren’t buying a Condo today we were free to leave… Literally out of there in 10 minutes AND got to keep our activities for the super low price.. That made our day or maybe whole week!! When then got up & walked out of there waving & smiling so BIG to our “friends” that were in the helicopter with us and they were shaking their heads back at us and giving a mean / confused look…It stll cracks me up just thinking about it right now!! It was priceless!! [:)]
 by Jeannie

I will never forget watching the sunset over Heleakala on my daughter Katie’s 18th birthday. It was a fantastic memory for all of us!
by Deb

have been there 3 times…once three of my husband’s brothers and wives came along and we had a “brilliant” idea one night to go to the ocean and once in, remove suits – just to say we did!! after a super large wave upended me, the top to my suit disappeared. we looked the next morning to no avail and I’m teased unmercilessly often!! they did get me a new suit at Goodwill…..
by Joleen

My favorite Maui memory was seeing the Dali Lama speak at the War Memorial Stadium, it was a beautiful Maui Day and his presence was so enlightening and made me feel like I was exactly where I was supposed to be at that moment in time. Later as we were leaving the stadium and he was driving away in his limousine flanked by security, he passed right by us, rolled down his window and waved and smiled to me.
by Nancy

While on the isle of Maui we decided to take a drive around the Northwest side. It started out so beautiful – we stopped to see Black Rock and the Blowhole. We kept going and soon realized we had forgotten to eat lunch – we were getting hungry and had no cash. We decided to keep going. The road was windy and only one lane wide! I honked the horn as we came to each curve just in case a car was coming from the other direction. The road twisted and turned and had a fabulous view of the ocean. truly paradise! We felt like we were getting further and further from civilization when we came upon a small town. FOOD we thought. There were a few guys selling banana chips and pineapple slices – we had no cash. Luckily they were willing to barter – 3 Maui Brew beers for a bag of banana chips. Those are the best banana chips we ever had.
On another day we went on a whale watch. LOVE whales! Well, we went in an 18 passenger Zodiac in hopes of a close encounter. We saw whales in the distance and they were very nice. We had been out for about an hour and I was getting a little discouraged when here comes “henry” (we named him) the whale. He swam under out boat and came up on the other side on his back. He then turned over and waved his fin at us. He kept swimming back and forth under our boat and around us for then next half hour. It was truly an amazing experience.
by Rhonda

My favorite memory of you is marrying my best friend in January at your beautiful Po’olenalena Beach. We had an amazing 2 weeks full of whale watching, swimming, sun bathing, relaxing and eating the wonderful food. We especially loved Ululani’s Shave Ice! And Da Kitchen! YUM! Mahalo for the wonderful memories. Aloha, until we meet again.
by Beki

My husband and I got married on Maui (in front of the Mana Kai Maui) in 2006. My parents, his parents, our siblings and three of our grandparents were all able to make the journey from MN to Hawaii! It was an unforgettable experience. When we left, we promised we would go back ATLEAST every 5 years….
Who knew that when we went back on our five year anniversary that we would have a one year old tagging along. My favorite moment was when we arrived back to stay at the Mana Kai Maui (HEAVEN!)….and my daughter was crawling on the very spot that we got married—and at the end of our two week stay—-WALKING on the very spot we got married! My picture at the top of my Facebook page is of my husband, me and my daughter sitting on the very spot we got married….
We are now planning to go BACK to the same spot next summer—so we are heading back within three years this time [:)]
by Megan

One very special memory is while pregnant with my son born on Maui, I used to walk down to Kaanapali beach and dig a little hole in the sand to sink my baby belly into while laying on the sand to soak up some lovely Hawaii sun.
by Brenda

Five years ago my husband and I made our first trip to Maui with some friends to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. We stayed at beautiful Napili Shores. The second day there, I fell and sprained my wrist in the tide pools, and had to wear a brace the rest of the trip. A day or two later, we went to Lanai to do some snorkeling. The water wasn’t real clear, but we saw a lot of fish and I had a great time. When we got out of the water, my friend looked at me and said, “What happened to your eyes?” I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about, but when she found a mirror, I saw that both of my eyes were black & blue! Apparently, my rented mask was a bit loose, so I was sucking it on my face too hard to keep the water out!! I wore sunglasses until it cleared up!! In spite of all that, we had a fantastic time–and we’re going back in a few weeks to celebrate our 35th!
by Debbie

I spent a summer on Maui in 1986…we had a lot of adventures…we crossed a rope bridge and went swimming in a private pond that had a rope swing. One morning, we drove to the top of Halehakala and watched the sunrise in 40 degree weather in July. I hiked up behind O’heo Gulch and went swimming in the pools that very few people see…and we sat on the edge of the rocks next to a 200 foot waterfall. We hitchhiked across the island from Paia to Lahaina and back. We met a lot of fabulous people who lived there. One couple…David and Violet Cup-Choy invited us to their home in Makawao and had a cookout for us and told us stories of their life on Maui in the early 60′s. He had been the plant manager at the Dole Pineapple Plant and he brought us pineapple fresh from the field. I went snorkeling for the first time in my life in Hana Bay. I ran into people i knew from Florida in the rest stop on the Hana Highway. It was the best summer of my life and i ddin’t want to come home. I have sent a number of couples to Maui for their honeymoons…just because i speak so highly of it. Maui Na Ka Oi…..
by Sullivan

I’ve always been afraid of the underwater! But I wanted soo much to be able to snorkle when we took our children to Maui last November. We booked our tour early so i could not back out. I had trouble getting out of the boat then when floating in the water started to hyperventalate in the snorkle mask. My children tried to help, the instructor tried and my husband tried I just was too scared. Then someone yelled hey there are turtles here. Once I saw a green turtle floating majestically in the water close by, I let go grabbed my underwater camera and swam away. I was like magic!
by Kim

Please message us with your favorite Maui memories (NOT comment, but private message.) The best 2 stories will result in an iPhone case each! Please also attach your mailing address, the iPhone case you want, and your email address to let you know you’ve won. Winners announced on Saturday.
My favorite Maui memory is from our second trip to the beautiful island of Maui. We rented a VW camper van and drove the whole perimeter of the island (where there are roads, of course!). We got a very intimate view of the island and had the freedom to go where ever we wanted each day without having to worry about getting back to a hotel. We saw every road, every unique environment, and every scenic overlook the island has to offer! It was especially amazing to see Honu swimming in the ocean. We got to feel like Maui was our home for the week we were there, camping just feet from the beach. We even did a little beach clean up at our favorite spot– unfortunately other campers did not show Maui the same love as we felt for every inch of the island that we were able to explore. Can’t wait to go back and get re-acquainted!
by Becky

Favorite maui memory so far is boogieboarding at big beach with my two kids and getting rocked and tossed to the beach while others on the beach were watching and laughing…must have looked awesome slamming down 7ft to the sand.
by Maureen

Hard to choose only one. but my parents had treated our family of thirteen-plus to a stay at the Kea Lani. Several of us were snorkeling about 100 yards offshore when my sons and nephews heard whales. I decided to jettison to shore to capture our last sunset for this trip with my video camera. I was primed for this event, when everyone started yelling and screaming. When I followed their voices, I saw what the excitement was about — a mom and her calf were breaching playfully with the Maui sunset behind them. My nephew said it best when he commented, “Where’s Spielberg? Cue the sunset, Cue the whales!” We’ve never recovered from the inspiration of this moment, nor do we want to.
Thanks for enabling us to keep alot of our Maui moments alive via your own awesome photography!
by Janet

I have many but my favorite was on April 8,2012 we renewed our wedding vows for our30th anniversary on Kapalua Bay at sunset with the wonderful Pastor Laki Ka’ahumanu. I fell in love with Maui on that trip.
by Brenda

On my wedding day we were getting married in Maui on Changs beach but staying in West Maui. I got my hair and make up done at the four seasons and my husband to be, being stubborn decided to get changed into his tux at the beach. Little did he know there was no restroom there. Needless to say, he changed in the parking lot. When the Rev. Kenneth Hoopai jr showed up my husband to be was puttin on his pants and accidentally dropped them. In front of the Rev! Glad to say he had a good sense of humor and asked “nervous are we?” “Aloha, nice to meet you.”
by Dena

And last but not least, a fun Maui story from Brittany!

The Molokini Palani
I grew up going out on the water with my family anytime I possibly could. My grandpa called us “River Rats.” Virtually every single river or body of water I have been to has been dirty, dark, and had little to no visibility of the bottom or anything for that matter. That drove me crazy because I couldn’t see if any fish were around–especially the bottom feeders and my least favorite, sturgeon.

For my honeymoon I got the chance to go to Maui with my fiancé, Brook. It was amazing. The people, food, and smells were unforgettable. The paradise lifestyle everyone seemed to be living was so immensely intriguing. We ate Maui Tacos for approximately half of our meals. They had fast-food prices with restaurant-sized meals. The activities available in Maui were by far not like anything we could do in the Tri-Cities. The water blew me away the most. I had never seen water so clear and pristine blue before in my life. What better to do in this type of water but snorkel? I had never been snorkeling before, so my fiancé booked two seats on the Molokini Crater Express. We had heard that it was suppose to take us to some of the best snorkeling around Maui.

So there we were, my Fiancé and I, headed out to Molokini on the Molokini Express. We had a great view of the city of Lahaina, from which we departed, as well as an insane view of the whole west side of Maui. The boat ride seemed to fly by, and we arrived before we knew it. The two guides gave us the run-down and boundaries of the crater while we all geared up.

My heart was pounding when I realized I might have made a huge mistake–too late–it was our turn. My fiancé got down on the ladder to get in. After the guide provided us with few more rules, Brook went for it and jumped in. He made it look easy, since it was his 6th time snorkeling. My heart felt like it was going to come up my throat and feed the fish. I was a scared snorkel virgin!

I put the much-needed defogger on my mask and stepped onto the ladder. With 15 people behind me and approximately forty-five minutes left, I had no choice but to push myself to get into position. There were over one hundred fish in sight from above the water. I let myself fall off the ladder into the beautiful bathtub-warm water as normal as possible. I was so overwhelmed and my heart was beating so fast, I thought I was going to die. I swam off towards Brook and put my fears aside, plunging my head into the water.

It took my breath away. There were such vibrantly colored fish just a few feet from me. They looked amazing compared to the drab brown fish in the Columbia River. There were countless Black Durgon all around us. I soon came to find out the little buggers had teeth. I quickly brought my arms close to my chest, folded them, and swam to Brook. He was looking at a huge 2-foot fish that was watching us with it’s huge eye.

We swam on a bit, when a foot long Silver Palani came towards us. It came closer and closer until finally Brook reached out to see if he could touch it. It was about an inch too far away–an inch! It began to circle us. I felt my heart pounding so hard my head felt like it was throbbing and going to burst. The crazy fish circled us 5 or 6 times, then suddenly it was gone. It had disappeared somewhere, somehow, behind Brook. That’s when I thought I was going to lose my mind.

Once Brook realized it was gone he swam off a bit, thinking I was following close behind like I had been. Instead I had to go up and get some air. After seeing all the fish around me below the surface, I couldn’t stand to be above the water for too long not knowing what might be after me next. I knew I had to go back under.

At the very same moment I put my face back in the water, the Silver Palani that was circling us before, was coming towards me at the very same instant. It darted at my face, from about 2 feet away. I screamed into the snorkel, shut my eyes and kicked as fast and hard as I could away from it, swimming backward, until I smacked my head right into the side of the Molokini Express. I thought I was going to throw up. I popped my head out of the water, swam to the ladder and got onto the boat. I wanted to cry, more for the bump on my head than the crazy Silver Palani that I thought wanted to bite me.

It was such an insanely scary feeling thinking this fish was coming for me. Brook told me it wasn’t coming after me and that I happened to go into the water at the perfect time for it to appear that way. What an experience for my first snorkel adventure.

**Note…we are not legally married but did our private ceremony on 11.11.11 to know and have that date in our hearts. We will be legally married when I am out of school. Didn’t want you to think this is a crock of crap…

by Brittany of Kennewick, WA
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!!

The evening began with cocktails and familiar faces outside the entrance of the Castle at MACC.  We were really happy to see that the art exhibit next door was still open (closes I believe in a few days.)  Beautiful pieces lined the walls, including one piece from Jefferson Stillwell. We strolled around seeing some amazing local art before The Shins began playing.

They played flawlessly and got the crowd grooving and dancing.  It was a blast!  Thank you Anna Kim for taking these beautiful photos.  You can see more of her photos on her Maui photo blog.

Jessica Dobson, Richard Swift, Joe Plummer and Yuuki Mathews played along side James Mercer giving a great show.  We honestly can’t say there’s one song on any of their albums that we don’t like.  They have a truly unique sound that defines indie rock. Mercer mentioned that their performance of New Slang was the best they’d ever done.  Let’s hope that they remember this and come play Maui more often!

This is our 100th blog post on the Maui Goodness!

Snorkeling is our favorite thing to do in Hawaii.  Yes, even more than surfing, hiking, diving, etc…  The reason being that you can almost always go snorkeling somewhere on the island and have an amazing experience.  Surfing needs waves, hiking needs good weather and a lot of time, scuba needs heavy equipment, but snorkeling needs some inexpensive gear, some clear water, and very little time.

Our favorite places to snorkel are at:

• Molokini Crater (Boat Destination)

   

  The crater has incredible visibility.  On certain days, you can get the same visibility off the shore, but the abundance of sea life at Molokini is pretty amazing.  Also, taking a boat out is a lot of fun.  We enjoy getting the full experience with meals, coral gardens, and a cocktail on the way back.  Pride of Maui offers a great trip from Maalaea Harbor. We like them because their staff is great, the price is right, and we’ve never had a bad experience.  Maalaea is an excellent place to leave from since it’s close to Wailea, and not far from Lahaina either. Call (808) 242-0955 to book your seats on the Pride.

   

• Black Rock (West Maui)

   

  We love grabbing some towels and gear, heading down to Kaanapali Beach, and enjoying some snorkeling between beach time.  It’s one of the prettiest beaches on Maui, and the snorkeling around Black Rock is great and easy to get to.  Keep in mind that once you get to the end of the rock, currents can become stronger.  Also, cliff divers often jump off the rock repeatedly, so stay clear of that area.

   

• Ulua (South Maui)

   

  Mokapu and Ulua beach sandwich a reef outcropping that harbors many turtles and ocean life.  We’ve seen huge manta rays, loads of fish, and beautiful coral here.  At the second reef, there’s a turtle cleaning station.  The station is pretty deep and better to get to when scuba diving, but it’s still worth a gander.

   

We hope you enjoy your next snorkeling trip on Maui.  Remember to be safe and to pay attention to all signage.  It’s always best to let people know before you go, and ALWAYS snorkel with a buddy.  If you’ve never snorkeled a spot before, ask an expert before going out.  Aloha!

There are literally hundreds of wedding photographers in Maui, Hawaii.  That fact makes it very difficult to narrow down.  Having been married ourselves on the island within the last 5 years, we’ve gone through interviewing many personally.  We’ve looked at 100′s of portfolio websites, spoken to dozens of our favorites, and it all comes down to 4-5 that we love.

Sean Michael Hower is one of our chosen few.  His talent, professionalism, and attention to detail gives his photography life..  He’s great fun to be around, his technical skills are incredibly advanced, and his artistic eye is focused and brilliant.  We love his work, and we think you will as well.

Learn more by visiting Sean Michael Hower.

Here are a few of his photos that we like.  Mahalo, Sean, for contributing to the short list of truly professional Maui wedding photographers!

Makawao Forest Reserve is a great place to hike, and even better to mountain bike (see Makawao Forest Reserve Map).  There are loads of great jumps and berms to hit on the downhill.  We saw at least a dozen bikers cross our path as we made our journey.

Not many people were on the hike, which made it feel even more special.  The air had a touch of chill, which felt great as we got hot hiking.  Baby needed a little extra clothing though, since she was pretty stagnant other than her enthusiastic arm swinging when a hiker with a dog passed us.

The warm up trail is about 1/2 a mile, then you get to the beginning of the west and east loop.  We’re glad we did the whole thing, and our highlights were a few amazing clearings in the forest as well as the fern forest.  SO beautiful.

See other great Maui Hiking Trails.

If you’re interested in what types of trees and plants you’ll find on the Kahakapao Trail in the Makawao Forest Reserve, we’ve listed the more popular ones below:

• Tropical Ash (fraxinus uhdei) -

  Native to Mexico, one of the most successful trees for reforestation, though not native to Hawaii.

• Hale-pepe (pleomele auwahiensis) -

  Endemic, Hale-pele was used at the hula altar built for the goddess Laka and medicinally in ancient times.

• Cook Pine (araucaria Columnaris) -

  Native to New Caledonia (not Hawaii), this wood is suitable for mast, lumber and furniture making.

• Eucalyptus -

  For reforestation, 50 of the 300 species of Eucalyptus have been introduced to Hawaii.

• Kupukupu (nephrolepis cordifolia) -

  These indigenous ferns play an important part in Polynesian culture by being used for food, medicine, ceremonial plants, and decorations.

• ‘Le ‘Le (freycinetia arborea) -

  Also indigenous, this plant was formerly considered sacred and dedicated to ceremonial purposes.  Also it was used to make decorations, calabash coverings, baskets, and mats.

• Mamaki (pipturus albidus) -

  This endemic leafy plant is used to create tapa and for medicinal purposes.

• Pilo (coprosma foliosa) -

  Pilo is included in a genus of 90 species of shrubs/small trees, and is native to several islands of the Pacific, including 17 endemic Hawaiian species.

Maui is a truly magical place.  If you’re living here or just visiting, hiking should be on your short list of to dos.

Below we’ve copied a few letters we’ve gotten from a concerned Maui resident about these rentals.  Please read it and continue to be respectful to our local people.  MAHALO!

Thank you for your time to allow me to express my feelings. This issue is very political and is starting to get heated up within Maui Meadows in Kihei, so let me apologize for the lengthy reply.

As always, there are two sides to all issues and you will only get mine on this open letter. So, for what it’s worth, I happen to live next to an illegal TVR and a legal B&B. I know this issue is often confrontational, and for those who do not live next to them, they do not know what it is like, and either do not have my noise issue, or like the fact that they can rent to vacationers to get money, but none of that money ever gets to the county.

Let me say this, I understand some tourists like to live in a home that has 4 bedrooms. The fact is, four families can get in on it, so that a $5,000.00 per week rental, only costs $1,250.00 per couple. It costs a lot more if they stay at a Condo or Hotel, yet when they do stay at a condo or hotel, local jobs are created, and revenue is paid to the county from taxes that go for services.

The problem is when multiple families do this, many times they come into a quiet neighborhood and disturb everyone…I live in Maui Meadows and since they are on vacation, they forget they are in a neighborhood, so I end up living their vacation with all the late night partying and the keiki’s getting up at 6AM and screaming out Marco Polo in the pool. Now not all vacationers are like this so don’t think everyone is, but over the last four years I have lived in Maui Meadows, too many are!!!

As the rent for these TVR’s go out over the internet, no money is seen by Maui County in tax revenue, and it does not promote any local jobs and only puts money into the hands of the owners and the MVRA who manage some of them. The homeowners who rent their homes lie by claiming their 300K personal home deduction by saying they live there full time, and some of these properties are owned by corporations. All of this is illegal, but it is the real estate agents and the MVRA that have started all of this by promoting the homes as investments, and shows them how to pocket big money and not give any to the county in the way of taxes. These owners promote their sites on line to perspective renters. So their theory is…if you post it…they will come, and they do!

I want tourists to come to Maui. We are a tourist economy, but for the locals like myself who live there, is it fair that we be on vacation with them? I want a quiet neighborhood to live in. I did not ask the homes around me to become hotels. I pay my tax and should be entitled to my enjoyment of life. Just because some want to cheat the county and make money…I don’t! I just want to live in peace and quiet.

A lot of this is explained on this new website See  http://www.stoptvrs.com/

If we want real growth in Maui, expansion of local jobs, and increased taxes to the county in order to provide better services to its residents and communities, then we need to make sure we have our visitors stay in licensed hotels and condos that have to pay the transient rental tax. It is these hotels and condos that hire the locals for full time jobs. If we are to have TVR’s then they have to be regulated. They have to pay the tax to the county, and the county needs to regulate them so they do not create noise pollution in the neighborhoods. The owners should be required to have someone live on site to keep the peace and quiet at all times, and the county should go after all illegal TVR’s and shut them down for failing to pay taxes. If the county wants to have TVR’s, establish a number, regulate them, tax them and do the right thing by making sure they are regulated. Those who violate too many times should then get shut down and fined.

One thing you could do is to inform those who are coming to Maui and end up renting illegal TVR’s to remind them that they are moving into a residential neighborhood for the one or two weeks they are there. Some people like me who have to get up at 5AM to work do not want to be kept up to 2AM listening to them being on vacation. I get it…they are on vacation, but I am not. I am sure they would not like it if someone rented next to them and did what they are doing in their neighborhood.

Sorry to make this so long, but the last 4 years have been very frustrating. It is killing my dream of living on Maui.

A good deal of people do not know about this. They don’t have sympathy to a sensitive issue, and most do not not really understand the depth of the problem. Some are very angry about this as we are trying to take a lot of money out of their pockets. A couple of these people are making under a million dollars a year, so you can imagine if they got shut down!

So yes, I do not want any repercussion by my name being attached only to find out someone is looking to hurt me, or damage my property. As you know, Maui is still a very good ole boy town. The shame is that for those who do not live next to TVR’s, there is no issue. The fact that money does not get to the county for jobs and other services does not bother them. They just complain that there are no jobs on Maui and do nothing about it. If they could spend a couple days in my shoes, they would all be up in arms against TVR’s. Until they are effected like I am, they do not see it my way.

I have to believe that visitors want our Island to be stable and see our local people have jobs. Without that, the Maui experience is dead. Maui is a great Island for both visitors and residents. If we can get our story out, maybe some would be sympathetic and try to keep their noise down should they rent legal or illegal homes. For those who want to party hard into the night, well there are hotels and condos for that.

All we ask all visitors for is their Kokua, and to respect our Mana… When their vacation is over, some local residents do not get any rest. Another visitor begins their vacation as soon as the last ones check out, and they check in.

We got married on Maui, and thankfully we LIVE here.  That doesn’t mean that some of the wedding vendors we chose didn’t fall short of the perfection we foolishly expected.

This is why it’s important to have connections to those that have worked with the many wedding professionals that make up the Maui wedding industry.  We suggest contacting Maui Beach Weddings & Events to help you coordinate your wedding.  It’s important to go with planners that have many years of experience in the industry and know the good and bad people to work with.  I can tell you from experience that a few vendors with the best websites and best magazine ads are some of the worst to work with (and vice versa.)  Having someone on the inside is important.

When establishing a relationship with your Maui wedding planner, make sure that they’re professional, friendly, not pushy, and flexible.  Keep in mind that your coordinator isn’t going to be able to do everything, so ask them what they can and can’t do for you.  Also, make sure that the person you’ve been working with will be the same person on-site during your wedding.  Sometimes directions can get lost when dealing with too many people.

Again, we highly suggest working with Maui Beach Weddings & Events for your big day.  have a great time, try to relax, and don’t sweat the little things.

If you have family with you while visiting our incredible island, make sure to get a professional family portrait in Maui, Hawaii.

You’ll find that years from now your exact memories from your vacation will have faded, but your photos will still hold every happy smile.  Give Grins 2 Go a call or visit their new location at the Hyatt shops for more information.

I think it’s safe to say that these guys have balls.

Peahi (Jaws) is located on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii and only breaks a handful of times per year.  It’s one of those spots that needs enormous swell for even a ripple to begin stirring.  But, when the swell is hitting, Peahi gets big and scary.  There’s a left and right, but the right seems to be more popular.

Through recent years, Jaws has become recognized as one of the premiere big wave spots due to the attention brought from Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama, and the big wave surfers of Hawaii and elsewhere.  Since their publicizing of the spot, surfing Jaws has become somewhat of a circus with all kinds of surfers in the water looking to prove themselves.  We’ve heard that in order to curb the participation, Laird and some others have organized competitions to where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to surf there without an invitation or some kind of permit.

We love to watch these guys surf here, and we hope that the surfers take every precaution to be safe.  It still shocks me when I hear a surfer say they want to surf there, especially when they’re not that good.  It takes a lifetime of training to get ready for something as heavy as surfing Jaws, and plenty of jokers think they’ve got what it takes.  Machismo will only take you so far.  For me, I’ll stick to manageable, fun waves and leave the suicidal waves to those looking for an ego boost.

We’d again like to thank Michael Chad Photography for sharing his photos of Jaws with us.  He’s a fantastic photographer and can be hired for weddings and portraits on Maui.

We’ve listed 6 of the most popular activities done on Maui in 2011.  We hope you’ll experience some of these when you visit Maui in 2012!

Big Aloha and happy 2012!!!

The Road to Hana is Maui’s number one attraction for a good reason. Cascading waterfalls, breath-taking coastal views, lush rainforest, and the untouched purity of the islands bring visitors back again and again. Hana is exactly what you imagine it to be. It’s home to local Hawaiians that pride themselves on keeping Hana undeveloped and untarnished by encroaching “civilization.”

Maui is world famous for the best whale watching in the world! Maui whale watching is what Africa is to safaris. You get a chance to not only see Humpback whales enjoy the freedom of warm waters with no predators, but you’ll most likely be given a show in acrobatics. Every year our Humpbacks journey to Maui in order to mate and give birth. If you haven’t witnessed whale surface behavior in Maui waters, you’re in for a treat!

Haleakala is Maui’s largest mountain/volcano with views of the surrounding islands and all of Maui. The best way to experience these views is by riding down the slopes of Haleakala on a bike. There are many Maui bike tours, and we recommend a self-guided tour for safety and convenience. Watch the sunrise from the crater, then bike downhill at your leisure through Maui’s Upcountry.

Molokini Crater is a volcanic atoll sitting just off the south coast of Maui. Conveniently, it harbors and protects some of the most awe-inspiring ocean life in Hawaiian waters. Snorkeling Molokini has become one of the most popular activities on Maui due to it’s incredible water clarity. Scuba diving is also a world famous activity for advanced divers on the backside of Molokini.

Maui is home to all kinds of surfing. Wind, kite, stand-up, longboarding, and shortboarding are all increasingly popular on the Valley Isle. You’ll find different areas attract different surfers and different skill levels. If you’re new to surfing, there are plenty of surf schools in Maui. If you have more experience under your belt, you can find great waves depending on season.