Hawaii-The Island of Maui

Maui is a gorgeous island amongst the chain of the Hawaiian Islands.

There are tons of activities for both families, and honeymooners looking for a quiet escape. Weather water sports or land activities are your thing, Maui is sure to please. The town of Lahaina is an old fishing village located on the western side of the island. Here you will find a vast array of shopping and fine dining options to choose from.

There is also a whaling museum located here. It's a great place to explore the wonders of these huge mammals. Lahaina is also a great place to take surf lessons.

There are a couple of different surfing schools located here. Lastly, the Old Lahaina Luau is one not to be missed. If you are interested in going to a luau at all, while on the island this is the place. It's smaller and more authentic than those that you will find at the resort hotels. The road to Hana is another popular journey for vacationers on the island. If you were to drive straight through on the Hana Highway, the trip would take about two hours, however, this journey is not about the destination.

There are literally over a hundred places you could stop along the way.

There are waterfalls galore, a rainforest reserve, black sand beaches, and more hiking trails than you can imagine. Once in the town of Hana you might want to stop for lunch or perhaps a relaxing swim on the beach. I would highly recommend renting a vehicle with 4-wheel drive because the best spot, the Ohe'o Gulch is located just past Hana. If you don't have 4-wheel drive, you will have to go back the way you came. This road is full of one lane roads and hair pin turns; and it's located at the top of huge cliffs that overlook the Pacific Ocean. The Ohe'o Gulch, otherwise known as the seven sacred pools, is nothing short of spectacular.

There are actually twenty four pools.

They are natural pools that form from water trickling down from the ocean.

The water runs over the rocks to form the pools and falls.

The best part about the pools is you can take a relaxing dip in them. Kihei is a quiet town located on the southern side of the island. Here you are more likely to find low-rise hotels and condos rather than the high-rises that are so prevalent in the resort area of Ka'anapali. This is a good place to relax on the relatively quiet beaches, or perhaps take a windsurfing or kite boarding lesson. The Maui Ocean Center is located in Ma'alea, near the Ma'alea Bay.

The ocean center is home to a giant aquarium that has a tunnel you can actually walk through. It makes for a great picture taking opportunity, as you can literally have sharks and huge manta rays swimming directly on top of you. Ma'alea Bay offers some great whale watching opportunities, particularly during the winter months. Mother humpback whales come into the shallow waters of the bay to protect their babies from sharks that frequent the deeper waters.