Top things to see and eat in Maui plus what’s FREE for the Military Veteran and Kama'aina Traveler, Part 1
Above the clouds in Haleakalā, Maui
Maui is one of the most popular islands to visit. There are so many different places to see, you may want to go a couple times to hit all the great sites so I’ve split this into a 2 part Blog. I also add in the places I liked to eat.
Maui’s Upcountry Part 1
1) Haleakalā East Maui Volcano
Haleakalā summit is one of the best places in the world from which to watch the stars. At 10,000 ft above sea level it covers 24,000 acres of exploration. This is probably the top site to visit for me.
The Military traveler and their dependents can enter the park for FREE with an Annual National Park Pass.
FREE entrance for Active Duty Military and their dependents
FREE entrance for (all others including Retirees) U.S. military Veterans and Gold Star Families
How to obtain: When you arrive at the gatehouse present In person your Common Access Card (CAC) or Military ID (Form 1173)
Some tips when driving up there is to have a full tank of gas since it’s a 40 min drive up the Volcano and another 30 min drive after you enter the park to get to the Summit. There are no gas stations after Kula town. Also the best time to go is either at sunrise or after 3:00pm due to the clouds moving in. If you go at sunrise you must make a reservation a week in advance to enter the park 0300-0700am. Also it’s 20 degrees cooler at the top and there is no food or water to buy in the park so plan accordingly!
After Hiking Haleakala stopped in Makawao at the bottom of the Volcano near Kula. Casanova Italian Restaurant and Deli is DA BOMB! Best in the state of Hawaii.
ʻĪao Needle, Maui
2) ʻĪao Valley State Monument - FREE for Kama’aina
When you get off the plane in Kahului don’t miss this great first site! It’s only 8 miles from the Airport. Some stay to hike the trails but you can see this site in less than 30 min. Nestled in the Valley is where Maui gets it’s name as the “Valley Isle” is because of ʻĪao Valley. There are only about 30 parking spots so be prepared to wait in line or you can park and try to walk in. The parking situation went pretty quickly because it’s a short .6 paved easy walk to see the famous ʻĪao Needle (above photo) and then people tend to turn around and leave.
Ka’anapali/Kapalua Coast trail stop - Kapalua Cliff House. Hawea Point at Kapalua Villas in Maui has a secret little swimming hole - so beautiful.
Ka’anapali/Kapalua coast trail (1.76 miles)
Lahaina Lighthouse
Lahaina - PAI’A FISH MARKET has the best fresh catch of the day!
3) FREE Ka’anapali/Kapalua Coast trail - Northwest Maui
Starting in Lahaina you can walk the full 4.4 miles trail along the Northwest coast of Maui. This is a fairly flat trail with no real elevation changes but you need to wear good shoes when walking over uneven lava. There’s also zero shade (Hot) so recommend you go in the early morning and bring lots of water!
Kapalua Coast Trail head entrance is at 99 Coconut Grove Lane. See Map
There’s a secret Locals swimming hole, near Kapalua Cliff house in Hawea Point at Kapalua Villas along the hike. I highly recommend you make stop to this gorgeous ocean viewpoint. It’s one of the highlights of the Trail.
KAHAKULOA Head view - Ohai Trail Maui
Ohai Trail through the beautiful green mountainside
Ohai Trail stop
4) FREE Ohai trail loop in Northwest Maui
A lot of people don’t know about this trail but it’s in my top 4 best places in Maui to visit. Located about 30 min north of Kapalua on the Northwest tip of Maui (between markers 40 and 41) you can see all these amazing sites in this short 1.3 mile trail. If you go in the Winter months you can see whales from the cliff side. Most of the Hawaii’s whale migration and breeding happens in the channel between North Maui and Moloka’i and Ohai Trail is the place to see it.
Molokini crater dive
5) Molokini Crater Dive - Kihei
Imagine swimming with the fish? Molokini is a half moon shaped volcanic crater between the islands of Maui and Kaho’olawe. We signed up for one of those snorkel dives and departed out of the Kihei boat ramp. It can be a pretty bumpy ride if you go in the afternoon. The best time to snorkel is 0800 or in the early morning as the waves are much calmer and easier to tread water with! The dive I went on was at the back of the crater due to the rough waters at the time so go early and swim on the inside of the crater. Either way it was a great dive with tons of fish along the crater wall. They give you floaties and masks and snorkels. The views of Maui heading back to Kihei are so amazing from the water. You can’t miss this boat ride!
KIHEI also has the WAILEA BEACH WALKING PATH that goes along the beach where the beautiful 5 star hotels are located.
For additional Kama’aina only discounts visit Kama’aina first Maui County.
This is end of Maui blog part 1 and please stay tuned for Maui blog part 2.
Mahalo for reading and be sure to check out my other blogs for the Military and Kama’aina traveler.
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