When snorkeling, most enjoy the colorful shallows of coastal reefs due to the density of fish and sea life found there. Rocky volcanic caverns and intricately woven coral reefs provide sanctuary for small and medium sized fish. Some of these active reefs are found just off the shore, while others require boat access. […]
It’s easy to see why snorkeling in Maui is some of the best snorkeling in the world. Each year thousands of visitors travel to Maui to experience one of Maui’s fantastic snorkeling tours. Maui’s shallow reefs provide an excellent place to see the countless variety of fish and sea life that inhabit the Maui coastline. Like finding a hidden treasure, first time snorkelers take home a truly special experience from their Maui vacation with memories that last a lifetime. […]
Hana’s Hamoa Beach – Ancient Sailing Port 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 tour driver. (Road To Hana Tours LLC toll free: 1-808-460-6055) Photos by Natalie Brown Photography as well as Hawaii Web Group […]
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 […]
The Shins absolutely rocked the house at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center last night at the Castle Theater. They played a good grip of our old favorites as well as some new ones off their newest album, Port Of Morrow. 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. […]
This is our 100th blog post on the Maui Goodness! We started in 2007 with a short list of ways to save money in Maui. Since then, we’ve spoken about the many things to do in Maui, Maui weddings, Maui real estate, Maui news and much more. It’s been a fun ride, and we’re continuing with today’s post honoring SNORKELING! […]
A quick note to those looking to rent a vacation rental in Maui. Though vacation rentals can sometimes be the best option as far as price and privacy, not all Maui vacation rentals are created equally. PLEASE, do not rent illegal TVR’s. An illegal transient vacation rental is a home that is being rented to Maui visitors without getting the required permitting. […]
We’d like to share some incredible photos that Michael Chad Photography took recently when Jaws was breaking. Even though the waves didn’t reach record size this day, they’re by no means small. It’s frightening enough to think about being towed into Maui waves on a surfboard, but imagine kitesurfing into these massive waves! I think it’s safe to say that these guys have balls. […]
Maui Activities for Couples We’ve listed 7 of the most popular Maui activities for couples. We hope you’ll experience some of these when you visit Maui with your significant other. Most of the photography was shot by Natalie Brown. See her Maui Photography, from weddings to portraits to landscapes! […]
This is the first recipe of (hopefully) many Hawaiian-inspired dishes using local Maui ingredients. This roasted duck breast came out perfectly with a fig/blueberry/ginger/guava chutney and sage/rosemary quinoa. Everything will take you less than an hour to put together. The following is a recipe for 2 people. […]
This giveaway has ended. Molokini Crater is one of the best locations to snorkel at within Maui waters due to it’s protection from swell, which gives some incredible clarity when snorkeling and diving. A Molokini Boat has decided to run a contest where they’re giving away tickets to Molokini as well as to their sunset cruises. […]
We’ve already discussed some fun Maui proposal ideas, but here’s another one that is truly unique. Why not get engaged on a private cruise? Surprise your lady by chartering an inexpensive private catamaran for your big moment! […]
Teralani offers some great snorkeling trips on their state-of-the-art catamaran. They do snorkeling, sunset cruises, whale watching and much more! […]
There are quite a lot of fun things to do in Maui, and surfing Maui’s wave machine should be on your top ten list. Conveniently located in south Maui in Kihei Town, Da Rush Maui is a Flowrider wave machine that can get you up and surfing at your pace. Both beginners and advanced surfers are embracing the controlled environment that this wave provides. […]
We’ve listed our favorite parts of the Maui Photo Festival along with some things that can be improved. THE GOOD Location! Perfect for outdoor photo shoots and workshops. The beaches here are amazing and perfect for sunsets. you can’t ask for a better area to shoot at. Warm, Strong Community. This is different from any other photography convention we’ve been to. It’s not as huge as some of the mainland conventions, which brings people together more to meet and learn from each other. These things are fantastic for networking and learning from other professionals and enthusiasts. It’s a less intimidating environment allowing everyone time to speak to the pros and mingle. […]
Summit Area The summit of Haleakala is an island atop a volcanic island, with its own distinctive climate and habitats. Its cinder desert is sometimes frozen and seemingly barren, Yet a variety of creatures and unique plants like the ‘ahinahina (Silversword) have adapted to the summit’s extremes. Despite the contrasts to seashores of Maui, the summit is connected to the rest of the island in critical ways. The upper slopes capture moisture to nourish the rain forest of Kipahulu and feed the streams and waterfalls in the valleys. The summit also preserves portions of the original Hawai’i, including native vegetation and evidence of the early inhabitants. […]
We often get the question of what couples should do while visiting Maui. Our favorite thing to do is travel to Hana on the famous Road to Hana. There are many ways of doing this. One of our favorite ways is to rent a jeep and explore at our own pace. We’ve recently been able to use the Road to Hana Map, driving tips, and CD guide from R2H. We loved the full experience it allowed us to have by allowing us to choose the journey best suited for us. […]
Inspired by the oatmeal, we thought it would be fun to build a short comic about why we don’t share while snorkeling with tourists. This is based on real life experiences (unfortunately.) We hope you like it! […]
Tricia Morris and her experienced team have been handling mortgages for over 25 years on Maui and have closed over 2 billion dollars in loans in Hawaii. When you start a loan with Hawaii’s Premiere Mortgage Company, you can be certain that it will be completed with professionalism and expediency. […]
Road to Hana Tours offers some pretty incredible experiences visiting waterfalls, exploring rainforest & learning about Hawaiian legends.
How to Propose in Maui Hawaii I’ve been asked many times how one can propose marriage creatively on our island. I tell my own story, and then give suggestions. It’s time to share this with everyone. How I Proposed to my wife on Maui We live here, so I felt that I needed to do more than just walk down the beach and propose (though it would have sufficed.) I rented a beautiful house in Hana and told my girlfriend that I’m taking her camping in Hana. […]
We’ve recently been looking into private charters for weddings, corporate events, and family reunions. Most vessels on Maui will allow for private charters at a price. The key is finding the right boat for your trip with the best price. Along with regular snorkeling trips, sunset dinner cruises and whale watches, boats do their fair share of private bookings for weddings and events. […]
Pepper 10 Years Ago We thought, considering Pepper’s recent success with their Volcanic Rock Tour, we’d revisit the past with some photos we took when the boys played at our little rat-hole pad at the beach on 42nd Street in Newport Beach, CA. We think the show was in 1999, but that has yet to be confirmed (college dates and times are always a little blurry.) They played an incredible show to the delight of us poor surf bums and the neighborhood rejoiced. Our cancerous, toxic little pad on the corner of 42nd was barely big enough to fit the band (let alone any audience.) We moved all of our furniture into the garage and a select few of us packed into the kitchen to watch the show. The rest of us squeezed on the patio outside to listen. […]
When our friends come to Maui, we often get the question, “where is the best spot online to get a good price and quality cars for rent in Maui?” We recommend going through Aloha Rents. You can find competitive rates along with many options for makes and models. Their service was created to simplify the rental process while saving you money. Let them help you secure your discount rental car for the Hawaiian Islands. Call 1-800-440-7029 […]
If you live on Maui, or are just visiting, and you have an accident (auto, aircraft, boating, jet ski, etc...), make sure you're protected. Jan K. Apo is a well-respected Hawaii Attorney at Law, of whom specializes in personal injury. With 30 years in law, Jan is an experienced personal injury lawyer on Maui. Maui [...]
This is the first of many posts we’ll be adding about being pregnant on Maui. For the most part, snorkeling while pregnant can be done without danger and can be a great way to get some exercise while increasing the mother’s happiness (both very important for a healthy pregnancy.) There are a few things you should consider before snorkeling while pregnant. When in your 3rd trimester, it’s a bit more risky since you’ll have less energy and dexterity. Dangers and tips: 1. Reef Cuts and Infection Upon entry and exit of the water, you’ll often find yourself in shallow water. Shallows are also prevalent around reef outcroppings. If you touch the reef at anytime, you’ll likely be cut. Cuts lead to infections, which are bad news when pregnant. We suggest going out at calm beaches and staying a clear distance from any reef. […]
Sadly, some of the activities on Maui are NOT ecologically friendly. Even though whale watching increases our visitor’s knowledge and appreciation of Humpback Whales, the occasional boat strike puts them in harm. Jet ski, para-sailing, helicopter tours, and even driving the Road to Hana dumps fumes from engines into the atmosphere. Seeing that our island is economically tied to tourism, and understanding that the land and animal protection needed to run these activities far out ways the harm some of these activities may create to our environment, we believe Maui is in a better position than most places in the world to build on our already steady stance on environmental protection. […]
I leaned over the edge of the boat as far as I could, totally mesmerized by the huge eye staring up at me. “She’s looking right at me. I know it.” I leaned back slightly and slid myself left along the side of the boat. The big eye followed me. I grinned and slid myself to the right. The big eye followed me back. […]
We love this wedding because of the high-level of style. Everything from table settings to her magnificent dress had thought behind it. Not only was this couple creative, good-looking and fun to be around, they have style oozing out of every pore. Thank you Natalie, for sharing your photos with us yet again. We love looking at them and we hope you’ll continue to send them to us. If you want to see more about Maui weddings, go to the Maui Information Guide where there’s a long list of favorite vendors as well as tips for your wedding. Some of the Maui wedding vendors we’ve listed specialize in catering, photography, transportation, planning, flowers, and even fire dancing. Check them out! […]
I didn’t bring my bike when I moved to Maui. I didn’t think I would want it. I’d never been to Hawaii before and everything I knew of the islands came from Jurassic Park and Lost. I pictured beaches, beaches and impenetrable rain forest. I knew there were mountains, but I thought they’d be so steep and covered in jungle that no one in their right mind would bike down them. I figured I’d learn to surf, or kite board. I wasn’t worried. After I’d been here for about six months I started to miss biking. A lot. Surfing was fun, but I wanted to go really fast for longer than a few seconds. I wanted to brush elbows with trees, smell piney air and dust, and feel my body compress as I whipped around a berm. I wanted to ride a bike. I went to some bike shops and asked around but everyone was really secretive. I’d get vague answers about good trails somewhere on Haleakala, or redirected toward the road biking groups that met every Wednesday and needed more riders. On this small island in the middle of the Pacific, nobody wanted to give up the goods. […]
