what to do in Maui with only 1 day?

[Momis2]

We will be in Lahaina for 1 day on a cruise to French Polynesia. We have time to do one excursion and are looking at the road to Hana or snorkeling Molokini. Which to choose is the problem! We will be snorkeling a lot in F.P so are wondering if the Hawaiian snorkel will be better, different, or really similar? We will be booking independently for either one, not through the ship.

[puddles99]

How much time do you have on the island? Molokini is a great place to snorkel and having done both that & the Road to Hana, I would select Molokini unless it's really important to you to get out and see the island. A Road to Hana tour - while beautiful & memorable - is absolutely exhausting. Having done it once, I cannot imagine ever doing it again. Molokini, on the other hand, I hope to have the opportunity to snorkel again!

 

 

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[Momis2]

How much time do you have on the island? Molokini is a great place to snorkel and having done both that & the Road to Hana, I would select Molokini unless it's really important to you to get out and see the island. A Road to Hana tour - while beautiful & memorable - is absolutely exhausting. Having done it once, I cannot imagine ever doing it again. Molokini, on the other hand, I hope to have the opportunity to snorkel again!

 

 

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Our ship will be in port from 8:00am until 6:00 pm.

[Susan-M]

Our ship will be in port from 8:00am until 6:00 pm.

 

Lahaina is a tender port, so by the time you get to shore, and allow enough time to get back on board at the end of the day ... you'll have about 8 hours max to work with ... too short to enjoy the RTH as the drive alone is about 6 hours return from Lahaina and 2 hours is really too short to enjoy the sights along the way.

 

Have you considered renting a car and exploring on your own? You could include some shore snorkelling, which is really good on Maui.

[cb at sea]

Don't waste your day doing Hana...it's pretty, but a time killer and not worth it if you only have 1 short day.

[Peachypooh]

The Road to Hana is beautiful but it takes a very, very long time and with all the twists and turns in the road it can be mentally exhausting. I would never attempt it if I was on a time schedule and had to get back to a ship unless it was a ship sponsored tour so they wouldn't leave without me if I couldn't get back in time.

[Momis2]

Thanks to you who have offered suggestions. We will be taking a drive to Haleakala(sp).

[Astro Flyer]

Thanks to you who have offered suggestions. We will be taking a drive to Haleakala(sp).

Most days by late morning the summit of Haleakala has clouds & don't forget that at 10,000' it's about 30° cooler and certainly not the tropics. Today's high here in Kihei was 90° and at the summit of Haleakala it was 56°.

 

Also consider traffic when returning to Lahaina which from the main city of Kahului takes about 45 minutes but may take longer in the late afternoon. You should have enough time but don't cut it too close & risk missing the ship. ;)

 

Here's a link to the Haleakala NP to check for conditions & alerts and the entrance fee is $10 per vehicle.

 

http://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm

[Susan-M]

Haleakala is spectacular - well worth a visit, and good advice from AstroFlyer to make sure that your trip is a success. We've been up a couple of times in mid day and have had beautiful, clear skies - another time we couldn't see more than 100 feet in front of us at the summit, so no views into the crater.

 

I would check the weather forecast before you go, unless it's obvious that there are no clouds when looking at it from a distance ( if there are some clouds, sometimes you can drive through them and end up above the clouds at the summit - other times it's just completely socked in with clouds.)

 

This is a reliable site for weather forecasts.

 

If you are driving yourselves, I would plan to be back in W. Maui by about 3:30. (It's approximately a 2 hour drive each way between Lahaina and the summit). Also, just in case the weather isn't suitable for Haleakala, I would have a back up plan - maybe a trip to south Maui, and down to La Perouse Bay (where the extensive lava fields are from Haleakala's last eruption in the late 1700's.)

 

Enjoy!

Edited August 24, 2014 by Susan-M

[KirkNC]

Don't waste your day doing Hana...it's pretty, but a time killer and not worth it if you only have 1 short day.

 

I agree, to do it justice you need to rent a car so you can stop along the way as well as continue to the Seven Pools.

[Susan-M]

I agree, to do it justice you need to rent a car so you can stop along the way as well as continue to the Seven Pools.

 

Kirk - a tour would offer that, but the OP's time is too short for either a tour or DIY, and they've decided on alternate plans.

[Astro Flyer]

Haleakala is spectacular - well worth a visit, and good advice from AstroFlyer to make sure that your trip is a success. We've been up a couple of times in mid day and have had beautiful, clear skies - another time we couldn't see more than 100 feet in front of us at the summit, so no views into the crater.

 

I would check the weather forecast before you go, unless it's obvious that there are no clouds when looking at it from a distance ( if there are some clouds, sometimes you can drive through them and end up above the clouds at the summit - other times it's just completely socked in with clouds.)

 

This is a reliable site for weather forecasts.

 

If you are driving yourselves, I would plan to be back in W. Maui by about 3:30. (It's approximately a 2 hour drive each way between Lahaina and the summit). Also, just in case the weather isn't suitable for Haleakala, I would have a back up plan - maybe a trip to south Maui, and down to La Perouse Bay (where the extensive lava fields are from Haleakala's last eruption in the late 1700's.)

 

Enjoy!

I used to stay in West Maui & wasn't aware of the La Perouse Bay lava flows in the Ahihi-Kina'u National Area Reserve until decades later after reading about it in the "Maui Revealed" guidebook. :o Although the last time I went all of the turnouts in the lava flow were blocked & the reason I read was concerns about removing lava.

 

Every time I've taken friends snorkeling to the lava point at the south end Maluaka Beach (in front of the Makena Beach Resort) we've seen turtles & is what snorkeling boat trips calls Turtle Town.

 

Glenn James' weather site is the best I've discovered in the Islands.

 

Unfortunately the Haleakala crater webcam is currently not working :( : http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/haleakalanew/webcams.shtml

 

If the crater is covered in clouds below the summit there is an unusual phenomenon...Brocken Spectre...where when conditions are right (visible in only 2 other spots in the world) you can view your shadow on the clouds below as a rainbow rimmed halo.

[Karysa]

I used to stay in West Maui & wasn't aware of the La Perouse Bay lava flows in the Ahihi-Kina'u National Area Reserve until decades later after reading about it in the "Maui Revealed" guidebook. :o Although the last time I went all of the turnouts in the lava flow were blocked & the reason I read was concerns about removing lava.

 

Every time I've taken friends snorkeling to the lava point at the south end Maluaka Beach (in front of the Makena Beach Resort) we've seen turtles & is what snorkeling boat trips calls Turtle Town.

 

Glenn James' weather site is the best I've discovered in the Islands.

 

Unfortunately the Haleakala crater webcam is currently not working :( : http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/haleakalanew/webcams.shtml

 

If the crater is covered in clouds below the summit there is an unusual phenomenon...Brocken Spectre...where when conditions are right (visible in only 2 other spots in the world) you can view your shadow on the clouds below as a rainbow rimmed halo.

 

So unique. Never heard of Broken Spectre before. Is it quite common here or very rare?

[Astro Flyer]

So unique. Never heard of Broken Spectre before. Is it quite common here or very rare?

I do not know how rare the Brocken Spectre is at Haleakala but have experienced it.

 

It's only viewable when clouds obscure the crater area & you're above the clouds which looking from sea level happens regularly about midday. I'd prefer a cloud free view of the area to the Brocken Spectre although having the clouds roll in later would allow me to enjoy both. :)

 

I found this short video of Brocken Spectre:

 

[Karysa]

I do not know how rare the Brocken Spectre is at Haleakala but have experienced it.

 

It's only viewable when clouds obscure the crater area & you're above the clouds which looking from sea level happens regularly about midday. I'd prefer a cloud free view of the area to the Brocken Spectre although having the clouds roll in later would allow me to enjoy both. :)

 

I found this short video of Brocken Spectre:

 

 

Is this crater way better in real life because in pictures and video I would take the broken spectre over that particular crater? Thank for the videos I really enjoyed them.:)

[Astro Flyer]

Is this crater way better in real life because in pictures and video I would take the broken spectre over that particular crater? Thank for the videos I really enjoyed them.:)

That's a personal preference & we enjoyed our hike from the summit into the crater area. I've read that astronauts trained there in preparation for walking on the moon.

 

You can search for photos & here's just one example.

[Susan-M]

Is this crater way better in real life ...

 

Yes ... a photo can only give you a limited view of it. The view into the crater is spectacular, and probably different than anything you've seen anywhere else.

[Karysa]

That's a personal preference & we enjoyed our hike from the summit into the crater area. I've read that astronauts trained there in preparation for walking on the moon.

 

You can search for photos & here's just one example.

 

Some things in life are a one and done while others you can never get enough of. Where would this hike from the summit into the crater area rank to you?

[Susan-M]

We've hiked into the crater on Sliding Sands as well - once about a half mile down and back up, another time we did a full day hike starting at Sliding sands and ending at Halemau'u trailhead - 11 miles down, across and back up.

 

If I had to hike very far back up Sliding Sands, I'd say "once is enough" ... it's a tough slog in the soft volcanic sand, hiking uphill at 10,000 ft. But for view, it's "never enough" ... there's a lot of 'wow factor' in that view!

 

For those who don't want to hike down & back up, you can walk the first part on level ground and get great views into the crater.

 

Back to Astro Flyer for her(?) perspective.:)

[Karysa]

We've hiked into the crater on Sliding Sands as well - once about a half mile down and back up, another time we did a full day hike starting at Sliding sands and ending at Halemau'u trailhead - 11 miles down, across and back up.

 

If I had to hike very far back up Sliding Sands, I'd say "once is enough" ... it's a tough slog in the soft volcanic sand, hiking uphill at 10,000 ft. But for view, it's "never enough" ... there's a lot of 'wow factor' in that view!

 

For those who don't want to hike down & back up, you can walk the first part on level ground and get great views into the crater.

 

Back to Astro Flyer for her(?) perspective.:)

 

Great answer. That's exactly what I was wondering. Thanks:)

[Astro Flyer]

We've hiked into the crater on Sliding Sands as well - once about a half mile down and back up, another time we did a full day hike starting at Sliding sands and ending at Halemau'u trailhead - 11 miles down, across and back up.

 

If I had to hike very far back up Sliding Sands, I'd say "once is enough" ... it's a tough slog in the soft volcanic sand, hiking uphill at 10,000 ft. But for view, it's "never enough" ... there's a lot of 'wow factor' in that view!

 

For those who don't want to hike down & back up, you can walk the first part on level ground and get great views into the crater.

 

Back to Astro Flyer for her(?) perspective.:)

Here's what he thinks. ;)

 

I've been to most places I want to visit on Maui and rarely go again unless we have visitors. We hiked over an hour into the crater & back to the summit when our kids were young. They merrily skipped their way downhill as we got upclose views of some of the cinder cones. Going uphill they were dragging & grumpy as the high altitude even affected them even though it was not as long as Susan's hike. That was decades ago & now that we're retired it would be even more stressful on our bodies at 10,000 feet.

 

I've enjoyed the amazing sunrise experience with my family & another time by myself when I continued around the south end of Maui driving the opposite direction on the Road to Hana. Nearly everyone else was going to Hana while I was returning & it was a more leisurely drive back home. As wonderful as the sunrise was to experience, driving in the middle of the night & bundling up for the cold & windy summit is something I may not do again. It's like seeing a sunrise from orbit...a black moonless sky slowly begins with a golden glow on the horizon & expands into a amazing sunrise. The first time with family it was crystal clear but the 2nd time by myself high clouds created ice crystals in the upper atmosphere resulting in a less desirable view.

 

Haleakala has been dormant since the late 1700s & does not change so we rarely return. However since 1983 on the Big Island Madame Pele has been sculpting the landscape with new lava flows so we repeatedly go to VNP when on a cruise in Hilo. Amazing things like Queens Bath are now covered in lava but it's also created new things to see.

 

We've experienced Haleakala sunrises, the Spectre Brocken & hiked into the crater so for us we only return if someone visiting wants to go there with us. That doesn't make it the "right" thing to do because as Susan posted the view is "wow"! :)

[Karysa]

Here's what he thinks. ;)

 

I've been to most places I want to visit on Maui and rarely go again unless we have visitors. We hiked over an hour into the crater & back to the summit when our kids were young. They merrily skipped their way downhill as we got upclose views of some of the cinder cones. Going uphill they were dragging & grumpy as the high altitude even affected them even though it was not as long as Susan's hike. That was decades ago & now that we're retired it would be even more stressful on our bodies at 10,000 feet.

 

I've enjoyed the amazing sunrise experience with my family & another time by myself when I continued around the south end of Maui driving the opposite direction on the Road to Hana. Nearly everyone else was going to Hana while I was returning & it was a more leisurely drive back home. As wonderful as the sunrise was to experience, driving in the middle of the night & bundling up for the cold & windy summit is something I may not do again. It's like seeing a sunrise from orbit...a black moonless sky slowly begins with a golden glow on the horizon & expands into a amazing sunrise. The first time with family it was crystal clear but the 2nd time by myself high clouds created ice crystals in the upper atmosphere resulting in a less desirable view.

 

Haleakala has been dormant since the late 1700s & does not change so we rarely return. However since 1983 on the Big Island Madame Pele has been sculpting the landscape with new lava flows so we repeatedly go to VNP when on a cruise in Hilo. Amazing things like Queens Bath are now covered in lava but it's also created new things to see.

 

We've experienced Haleakala sunrises, the Spectre Brocken & hiked into the crater so for us we only return if someone visiting wants to go there with us. That doesn't make it the "right" thing to do because as Susan posted the view is "wow"! :)

 

I grew up 15-20 minutes from Niagara Falls and visited frequently while growing up and now when I go visit my parents its on the agenda at least 4 times a year. Every season is different and time of day as well. I never say no to a visit there. I don't and wouldn't wake up at 3 in the morning or hike 2 tough miles to see it very often though.:) Thanks for the reply.

[Susan-M]

Here's what he thinks. ;)

 

 

That's why I don't buy lottery tickets ... I'm a terrible guesser at anything, LOL.

 

I grew up 15-20 minutes from Niagara Falls ...

 

Small world ... I did too. We're still that close to it, but it's so busy in the summer that we avoid it from about mid-May to early October.