Maui has a lot to offer, in or out of the water, so visitors are sure to find plenty to do. Scuba diving in Maui’s pristine warm waters and watching the sunset from the Haleakala Volcano are at the top of our list. Other must-see places include the Iao Valley State Park, Lahaina and the Hana Highway. Aside from scuba diving or snorkeling, watching the expert surfers at Jaws is a fun thing to do.
You can get an overview of Maui when visiting by cruise ship. But to really have the chance to explore more of this beautiful island we recommend flying in and staying at least for a week.
Maui by cruise ship
Our first visit to Maui was by cruise ship. We were staying in port overnight and the most difficult part was choosing our excursions. We ended up taking a tour that combined the famous Hana Highway and a helicopter ride over the Haleakala Volcano on the way back.
The Road to Hana was really scenic with stops at key points along the way with gorgeous ocean vistas. For those that get car sick, take your motion sickness meds before leaving!
The highlight was the helicopter ride over the Haleakala Volcano. A spectacular bird’s-eye view of the volcano’s caldera and surrounding area!
On the second day we took a transfer to Lahaina where we visited this historic town on our own. A local told us to remove the seashell necklaces we were given on arrival in Lahaina because the shopkeepers all knew exactly what these meant: “I’m on the cruise ship, please rip me off!” We took them off and had a good laugh about it!
Exploring Maui’s underwater world
When we visited initially, we didn’t have enough time to go snorkeling at Molokini Crater. This was something we would have enjoyed but when cruising it’s just not possible to do everything due to the short stays in port. Of course, we saw this as good incentive to come back, which we did a few years later and by then we had become certified scuba divers which was even better!
So, our second trip to this beautiful island was mostly dedicated to scuba diving, a sport we have come to love more and more. We only had a week to explore Maui, but we managed three days of diving with a couple of dives in per outing.
Our travel book recommended Mike Severns Diving and we were not disappointed. We dove for two consecutive days with them. The boat was leaving from the Kihei boat ramp near where we were staying. Everyone on board was very professional and helpful. There was no pressure, rushing, or amateur diving here! It was a fantastic experience, and we hope to be lucky enough to visit again. We will certainly look them up for our diving needs. (Don’t look for a store there isn’t one.)
The early departure from the boat ramp also gave us the chance to see beautiful sunrises.
Our dive guide, AJ, was very knowledgeable and she wrote the names of what we were seeing on a slate during our dives. After she also gave us more information about what we saw so we could add the names into our diver’s log books. It was also pretty cool to see a super rare Hypselodoris paulinae (Pauline’s nudibranch) as Pauline, the woman that discovered that species was also diving with us (she had logged over 9,000 dives!).
Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures of the beautiful jewels of the sea that we saw during those dives because my camera flooded on my descent. Brightly colored sea slugs, nudibranchs and the delicate snail that was fully out of its shell will have to stay in my memory.
At least I was able to salvage the footage of the manta rays and a few pictures taken at Molokini Crater during our first day of diving. Diving with the majestic and graceful manta rays was an amazing experience! Please see my video: Maui Manta Ballet
Things to do and places to see in Maui
We also took time to do other activities. We rented a car to get around the island but be aware that most rental companies don’t allow you to loop fully around due to the treacherous roads. These are clearly marked on the map, and trust me, even as we got close to them, the roads got narrower and narrower. They are prohibited for good reasons!
Hana Highway
If you plan to drive to Hana, you’ll have to come back that way, but it’s also possible to take a tour, perhaps the same one we took originally with the return by helicopter over the Haleakala Volcano. Either way, the convenience of a car is nice as we’re not much for just ‘sitting at the beach’ or ‘being hostage to the resort’. It was really nice to explore and to take our time to go to the places we wanted to visit at our convenience.
Haleakala Volcano
Another highlight was when we drove up in the middle of the night to the summit of the dormant Haleakala Volcano hoping to see a glorious sunrise. Unfortunately, Mother Nature was not cooperative as that morning we were in the clouds, literally, like being in a fog, so we couldn’t see the sunrise.
A few days later we made it back for a spectacular sunset and it was absolutely beautiful! From our vantage point, we could see the summit of the Big Island. As fellow scuba divers know, we have to time any altitude visits carefully after diving, and it’s typically best to leave 18-24 hours between your last dive and anything above 3,000 ft.
On our way down from the Pu’u’ula’ula Summit, we stopped at the Haleakala Visitor Center, Leleiwi Overlook and Headquarters Visitor Center. On the summit we saw huge silverswords, a rare species of plant that blooms only once before dying.
We also kept a lookout for Hawaii’s national bird, the nene (also called Hawaiian goose) which is protected. You have to be careful because this isn’t the brightest bird and it’s quite likely to run in front of your car, which can land you a $10,000 fine even if it was an accident.
If you plan to go up to the 10023 ft summit of Haleakala be sure to dress warm because it’s freezing up there. We saw people in shorts and flipflops and they looked frozen, and ridiculous. Layering-up is the best option so you can remove extra clothing on your way back down to the warm coast.
Maui’s North Shore
The Hana Highway is more like a sinuous winding road along the coast with many sections literally carved out of the surrounding cliffs. Since we had been to Hana on our previous trip, we only drove part of the way to see the experts surf at Peahi, also known as Jaws.
When the north winter swells are coming in, waves can reach up to 50 ft! Even on a calm day, the waves and surf are powerful on the North Shore and we preferred to look from a safe distance. For the locals, it looked like just another day at the beach with the surfers jumping in after school or work to catch a few waves. They make it look easy!
Lahaina
We enjoyed visiting the bustling town of Lahaina. There are lots of shops and many restaurants to choose from. We indulged in some delicious and refreshing shaved ice. Our favorite places were the harbor and the huge banyan tree.
(Sadly, in August 2023, the town of Lahaina has been completely destroyed by ragging wildfires.)
Iao Valley State Park
A beautiful place to visit is the Iao Valley State Park where you can see even more spectacular views. Enjoy the lush foliage and the refreshing stream where you can take a dip if you’re so inclined. An easy hike will take you up to a platform where you will be rewarded with a great view of the soaring Iao Needle. Adjacent to the park, a pleasant stroll through the Kepaniwai Park Gardens is worth adding to your visit.
Nakalele Point
This scenic overlook has an active blowhole that spouts water with the force of the waves. We enjoyed watching it for a while from a safe distance. Getting too close is dangerous, the spout is very powerful, and you could get sucked in!
La Pérouse Bay
This is where you can witness the ravaged coastline from a late 18th century Haleakala Volcano eruption.
Pu’u Ola’I
This ancient cinder cone separates Big Beach (Oneloa Beach) and Little Beach.
Maui Ocean Center
The Maui Ocean Center is located near the Maalaea harbor and for those wishing to stay dry, it’s the perfect place to go to see some of Hawaii’s underwater wildlife.
Beaches of Maui
Some of the nicest beaches we visited were: Kaanapali Beach near Lahaina, Kamaole Beach in Kihei and Wailea Beach where we stayed. The many beautiful sunsets were a delight for the eyes…
Other islands near Maui
The islands of Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe are visible from Maui’s coast. If you want to go visit Molokai or Lanai, you can take a ferry from Lahaina. Kahoolawe and its surrounding waters aren’t open to the general public. It’s now an island reserve and access is limited to Native Hawaiians for cultural and spiritual practices.
Good to know:
- Don’t wear the ‘free necklace’ that brands you as a new tourist that should be charged extra before they get ‘street smart’.
- Check the weather forecast, the roads can be treacherous, especially when combined with torrential rains that can occur frequently on the north side of the island. Best to sit out the storm or plan to go another day if it looks bad.
Conclusion
Overall, we were delighted with our vacation in Maui, especially scuba diving at Molokini Crater and seeing the manta rays at the cleaning station dive site. Another must-do activity that we enjoyed was seeing the sunset from the Haleakala Volcano. Perhaps one day we will make it back there and try again for the sunrise. Now that we are better scuba divers, I would love to return to Maui for a scuba diving vacation and this time with a working camera!
Related Posts:
- Visiting Hawaii by Cruise and by Land
- Things to Do and Places to Visit on the Big Island of Hawaii
- What to See and Do in Oahu, Hawaii
- How to Make the Most of Your Time in Port in Kauai
*Post updated in December 2020