Maui — Destination Guide: Overview

What Maui has that all other islands lack is snug proximity to other islands which provides visual comfort in the mid-Pacific void. Visible are Lanai, Molokai, Kaho'olawe, the Big Island of Hawaii, and little islets like Molokini, the scuba divers' magnet. This inviting cluster attracts great pods of Pacific humpback whales along with 1 million bipeds who keep crowning Maui the "best island in the world" because of abundant natural beauty, laid back attitude, sunbaked beach towns and gilded resorts. Kahului, the jet port amid retail clutter, is quickly fled in favor of ritzy Wailea and Kapalua where folks shop for Gucci and dine at ...

What Maui has that all other islands lack is snug proximity to other islands which provides visual comfort in the mid-Pacific void. Visible are Lanai, Molokai, Kaho'olawe, the Big Island of Hawaii, and little islets like Molokini, the scuba divers' magnet. This inviting cluster attracts great pods of Pacific humpback whales along with 1 million bipeds who keep crowning Maui the "best island in the world" because of abundant natural beauty, laid back attitude, sunbaked beach towns and gilded resorts. Kahului, the jet port amid retail clutter, is quickly fled in favor of ritzy Wailea and Kapalua where folks shop for Gucci and dine at Wolfgang Pucks in between endless rounds of golf. Tourists clog Lahaina's grog shops while world class windsurfers hang out in airy Paia. Kula grows sweet Maui onions and Tedeschi wine grapes in the cool uplands while Kihei, a strip mall with three great beaches, bakes in tropic heat. Familes favor Kaanapali's retail/condo/mall mix. Hana embraces escape artists. Above it all 10,023-foot-high Haleakala looms in clouds.

About the Expert

Rick Carroll has written dozens of articles on Hawaii and the Pacific. His books include Great Outdoor Adventures of Hawaii, Madame Pele: True Encounters with Hawaii's Fire Goddess, and Travelers' Tales Hawaii.