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Activities: Best of Maui
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Activity
Categories: WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE
FLY
ABOVE IT ALL ON
THE LAND NIGHT ON THE TOWN
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From the boss . .
.
In 1986, I
wrote one of the first guidebooks about Maui - a 364-page book that later won the "Best Guidebook in Hawai'i" award.
It took me a year to thoroughly investigate everything offered for
visitors. I've biked and snorkeled and dived and . . . you name it.
Now I'm offering you my expertise. If I were a visitor to Maui,
the activities listed below are what I would do. No hype, no commercialism
. . . these activities will show you Maui
better than anyone else can. Book them through us, and be assured you'll
get good service because we know all these businesses personally. Maui is a
small island and Hike Maui is well known
here. We strive for excellence, and we want you to have the same.
MJ Harden
Vice President, Hike Maui
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WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE
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OCEAN
RAFTING (Whale watching from Dec. to May)
Motor-powered inflatable boats. Unsinkable. Carry 6 to 24 passengers.
Personal service. Raft out to East Maui's
top ocean spots:
- Molokini: a horseshoe shaped islet
called a volcanic tuff cone. No one lives there but the fish and
birds. A conservation area, so the creatures are plentiful.
- Kanaio: a rarely seen,
uninhabited area with one of the most rugged coastlines ever.
Incredible caves and rock formations. Not a tourist scene.
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SAILING
Sail with the oldest sailing company on Maui
(since 1973). It's a family business that wins top tourism awards for
service. They have a fleet of fancy, high-tech sailing catamarans, the best
in the state. Go with them to the private island
of Lana'i,
ten miles from Maui. You can spend the
whole day sailing and exploring Lana'i, and you
often see dolphin pods along the coastline.
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KAYAKING
& SNORKELING
The most peaceful way to experience the ocean. No noisy motor or chattering
boat crew. You slip along behind your guide, quietly becoming as tranquil
as the deep blue Pacific. Yes, you have to paddle. It's not hard and it's
quite thrilling. Dolphins come alongside. Turtles pop up around you.
Snorkeling is sublime.
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SCUBA
DIVING
If you're a scuba diver, we want you to go with the best Maui divers
--people who don't herd you around under water, don't harass marine life,
don't bang on their tanks to get your attention. They'll teach you what we
have in Hawaiian waters (a quarter of our marine life is endemic to Hawai'i), and then
let you explore our underwater world.
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FLY ABOVE IT ALL
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PARAGLIDING
I walk my dogs in a high country pasture early every morning, and for years
I've been watching the paragliders come down off
the mountain and glide high over our heads. "The closet thing to
flying like a bird. It's magical-- one of the neatest experiences on Maui," says owner Dexter Binder of his unique
tour company. I've done it, and I agree. It's not scary; it's really quite
inspiring and peaceful. Spectacular views extend for miles, showing Maui at its best.
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HELICOPTERS
I have to admit there are places you can't hike, places even Rambo couldn't
get to on foot. For the giant waterfalls, the towering cliffs, the huge
valleys, you'll want to do a fly-over. You put headphones on, turn up the
volume on crescendoing music, then
fly into the mysterious interior. We think the Heli-Hike-Hana Highway tour is the
best, of course.
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ON
THE LAND -- What else besides hiking?
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RIDE THE
LAND, HORSING AROUND
Yes, we have cowboys in Hawai'i.
In fact, they were here way before the American West had a need for them.
We call cowboys "paniolo," and their ranches are big and
beautiful, but unlike Mainland ranches, ours include views of the ocean and
of waterfalls. Ride out with these guys --they've been ranchers for
generations-- and you'll experience an unusual Hawaiian tradition.
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BIKE DOWN
A VOLCANO
In 1982, for his 36th birthday, our old friend "Cruiser Bob" rode
38 miles all down hill from the 10,000-foot top of Haleakala Volcano to sea
level. And the light bulb blinked on: This would be a great ride to sell to
visitors. Bob is gone now, but the biking business is booming. The volcano
all-downhill ride is still the most popular, but there are other bike rides
we like too.
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A NIGHT ON THE TOWN
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A
SHOULD-NOT-BE-MISSED STAGE SHOW
I've seen it five times. The songs, the dances, the drumming, the music, the
history in this show . . . so inspiring and done so well Las Vegas couldn't do it better. You
can't imagine this is on small Maui
--professional, and yet very Hawaiian. It was awarded the "Best Show
& Best Attraction" award from the Hawai'i Visitors Bureau.
Everyone raves about it. It does Hawai'i
proud.
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