Aloha to the Valley Isle

Maui is one of the islands of Hawaiʻi, located between Molokai and Lanai to the west, and the Big Island to the east. The name comes from the Polynesian demigod, legendary for such tasks as fishing the islands out of the sea with a magical fish hook, and slowing down the sun to make the day longer. The island consists of two mountains, West Maui and Haleakalā, with a valley connecting the two - hence, "the valley isle."

Getting there and Getting around

The airport and harbor are both in Kahului. Although the island does have public transport, it's nothing compared to Honolulu, so a rental car is practically required. Fortunately, the competition amongst car rental companies is adequately cut-throat enough that the rates are halfway decent. Most roads are kept in decent shape, although if you get off the beaten path, you might notice that the roads get very narrow. Directions typically reference roadside mile markers, and whether you need to go towards the mountain, or mauka or towards the ocean or makai.

Towns and Things to Do in Them

Central Maui - Kahului and Wailuku

Kahului is the biggest town on the island, and where most of the locals do their shopping. For basic supplies, you're going to get the least ripped off here. The Saturday flea market is also excellent. Kahului does get a fair bit of wind, but don't panic - it's mo betta on the leeward sides of the island. There aren't too many touristy things here otherwise.

Wailuku, the county seat of Maui County¹, is mostly how you get to the ʻĪao valley, home of the ʻĪao Needle.

The
ʻĪao Valley is very lovely, especially in nice clear weather, but it gets all of the large tour groups too, especially off of cruise ships, so it can be very busy. Creativity in parking will likely be required. Down the valley a ways, there's a nature center and a much quieter park.

West Maui - Lahaina, Kāʻanapali, Kapaula

Lahaina is probably the most aggressively touristy town on the island. Beware of timeshare peddlers wanting you to watch their presentation. Kāʻanapali isn't quite as bad, and Kapaula is a planned resort area. Lahaina is notorious for being difficult to park in. The banyan tree along Front Street, however, is quite nice.

In Maʻalena, you'll find the Maui Ocean Center, an aquarium with various displays of Hawaiian sea life.

South Maui - Kīhei, Wailea, and Makena

Kīhei is, first and foremost, a beach town; the main drag, Kīhei Road, is usually right next to the beach. Plenty of excellent beaches here.

Wailea is the posh part of the island, with the fanciest and highest rated hotels and resorts. Like Kapaula, it's also a master-planned resort area, with more golf courses than one might expect for the dry side of the island.

Upcountry Maui & Haleakalā

If you get tired of the tropical heat, just head up the mountain. It gets much cooler in the upcountry towns, and even cooler still at the summit of Haleakalā. Haleakalā National Park has its own wide range of interesting things, but do expect much, much cooler temperatures than at sea level. There is a US$10 fee to enter the park, and the admission is good for three days, so do not throw away your receipt! If you go on the Hana Highway later, you'll need it to go to the Kīpahulu section of the park, lest you have to fork over more cash.

North Shore & East Maui - Hana Highway & Hana

The Hana Highway is well-known, and gets a fair bit of traffic. Starting out early in the day is essential to beat the crowds. Be sure to fill up the tank in Kahului - fuel is hard to come by in Hana, and is even more ridiculously pricey than the more populated sections of the island. Hana isn't especially rainy or cloudy, but it can get humid. Past Hana is the Kīpahulu district of Haleakalā National Park, home to the Oheo Gulch.

Things to Look Out For

• Off-sale liquor sales² end at 10:50 PM in Maui County. Most bars close later, however. Plan your imbibing accordingly.
• At the time of this writing, the road past Kīpahulu and Kaupo is still closed, so going completely around Haleakalā is still not possible.
• There are zero branches of US mainland banks on Maui. Just local Hawaiian banks. And most stores that take ATM cards will only give you a limited amount of cash back.
• Yes, Maui is very expensive. More so than the other islands, even. Food in particular is expensive, even at grocery stores, although some items have more of a markup than others. Milk is very expensive, for instance. The big box stores up in Kahului will help keep the costs from spiraling out of control; a Costco membership in particular will be quite handy. Down to Earth, on Dairy Road, is also a decently priced natural foods store.
• If you don't want to drive all the way up to Kahului to get ripped off less, try to find a Longs Drugs - being more of a general drug store type of place, the prices are not the tourist-gouging you get with ABC stores and Whaler's.
• When shopping at flea markets, open-air markets, and roadside merchants, be wary of claims that their merchandise was made on Maui, or elsewhere on the islands - this very well may be a lie. Examine the item carefully.