Maui: The Good Parts and the Honest Caveats

Maui is genuinely beautiful and Hawaii’s most visited island for good reason. The Road to Hana has become a victim of its own fame. Lahaina is still rebuilding after the devastating August 2023 wildfire. Rental car prices are high. Parking at popular beaches requires reservations. Go in with accurate expectations and you’ll have a better time than someone who arrives expecting a quiet paradise.

Haleakala Summit

The one experience you shouldn’t skip. The volcano rises 3,055 metres and the summit crater is a genuinely alien landscape: a vast silent depression of cinder cones and sparse silversword plants (a species found nowhere else on Earth), often sitting above the clouds with blue sky above and cloud ocean below.

Sunrise requires a timed vehicle reservation from recreation.gov, bookable up to 60 days ahead and filling quickly. Sunset is less crowded, equally dramatic, and doesn’t require a 4am alarm call. Allow 90 minutes from Kahului to the summit. The temperature at the summit is 10-15°C colder than the coast; bring a real jacket.

Road to Hana

The 52-mile drive is genuinely beautiful and individual stops are worth seeing: Wai’anapanapa State Park’s black sand beach and sea caves, waterfalls along the route, the Ke’anae Arboretum. The problem is that it’s heavily trafficked in both directions, single-track bridge sections cause regular delays, and the “hidden gems” are widely documented. Wai’anapanapa requires a parking reservation through Hawaii State Parks ($10 for non-residents). Do the drive on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Start by 7am.

Snorkelling at Molokini

The most reliable snorkelling on Maui. The crescent-shaped submerged volcanic crater about 4km offshore creates an enclosed reef with extremely clear water (visibility often 30+ metres) and good fish diversity. Catamaran tours from Ma’alaea Harbour at around 7am, roughly $80-120 per person. Book the first tour of the day to beat the wind and the later crowds.

Lahaina

The town is still rebuilding after the August 2023 fire destroyed much of the historic Front Street area in one of the deadliest US wildfire disasters in a century. Check current conditions before visiting; the situation was still in active recovery in 2025.

Where to Eat

Mama’s Fish House near Paia: Hawaii’s most famous restaurant, genuinely excellent, expensive, and requiring reservations that open 60 days ahead and fill in hours. Worth attempting for a special occasion.

Paia on the north shore: smaller town with good options at lower prices. Milagros Food Company does solid food on the main street.

Da Kitchen in Kahului for plate lunches, kalua pork with rice and mac salad. Unfashionable and genuinely excellent.

Where to Stay

Wailea (south shore) has the major resort hotels at full luxury prices with the calmer south-shore beaches. Ka’anapali (northwest) is the family resort area. For something less corporate, Paia and Haiku on the north shore have small inns and B&Bs at more manageable prices.

A car is essential. UV exposure at these latitudes is intense.