The Īʻao Needle in the West Maui Mountains
The decision of where to stay on Maui hinges on a few factors. If you think that you might want to stay in Lahaina for its shopping, nightlife, restaurants, proximity to inter-island ferry ports and its historic Hawaiian vibe, be aware that you are going to experience city-like crowds and congestion most- if not all- of the time. Because most people come to Maui to escape the crowds and traffic, Lahaina isn’t where most people decide to stay. Why then do so many resorts seem to be located in Lahaina? Well, they really aren’t. The resorts will often advertise on Read the rest…
Visitors to Maui will often wake up at ungodly hours of the early morning to make the drive to Haleakala summit. Why? So that they can watch the sun rise over the island and enjoy the celestial views that span the distance of 100 miles or more.
Haleakala is a Hawaiian word which when roughly translated means, “house of the sun.” Along the 37 mile drive up to Haleakala summit, you will navigate over thirty switchbacks to complete the climb from sea level to 10,000 feet. The amazing fact about such a steep climb (the quickest, most drastic in the Read the rest…
Ask someone what West Maui weather is like and you’ll probably get a bunch of different answers. Depending on where you are, it could be sunny and warm, cloudy and cool, or windy and rainy. From the island’s best weather to the worst, West Maui has it all.
Ma’alaea, on the way to Lahaina, is one of the windiest places on the island. It’s close enough to Central Maui that it gets the wind and dust from between the mountains. While the wind creates killer waves for surfers in the winter, it’s not so great for outdoor diners (hold onto Read the rest…
If you’re looking for a place completely opposite from somewhere that actually experiences season changes, South Maui should be your destination of choice. With very little rain and temperatures slightly lower than those in West Maui, places like Kihei and Wailea make picture perfect getaways. And have you seen the beaches?
Being on the leeward side of the island, South Maui is warmer and drier than Upcountry and East Maui. Yearly precipitation totals average about 15 inches. Consider the fact that the West Maui Mountains get up to 200 inches per year—15 inches sounds just peachy. In South Kihei, it Read the rest…
Maui is a tropical island, so it’s always sunny and warm, right? Wrong. When it’s warm in the south, it’s sweater weather on Haleakala. With so many climates to choose from, you can make your trip more than just a beach vacation.
The island is made up of a bunch of different microclimates. The valleys, plains, and mountains create all kinds of weather, from warm to cold and rainy to sunny. The leeward side, which includes South and West Maui, tends to be warmer and drier. Central Maui gets a lot of wind. The windward side, which encompasses Upcountry, the Read the rest…