1,000 Places to See Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

  FESTIVALS

  WAIMEA TOWN CELEBRATION—It was here that Captain James Cook became the first European to set foot in Hawaii, dropping anchor near a tiny village of grass shacks in 1778. This and just about every other culturally significant event that ever happened in Waimea are commemorated during Waimea Town Celebration, held the weekend after Presidents Day in February. More than 10,000 people converge on the otherwise sleepy town, heading to the Old Waimea Sugar Mill for food, fun, and music. INFO: www.wkbpa.org/events.html.

  KOLOA PLANTATION DAYS—The sugar industry profoundly influenced Hawaii’s culture and history, and it all started on Kauai in 1834, when Ladd & Co. signed a lease with King Kamehameha III and founded Koloa Plantation. Now the mills are idle but the island’s sugar-growing heritage is celebrated with Koloa Plantation Days at the end of July. The highlight is the parade, a classic small-town event, complete with flower-bedecked floats and marching bands; it’s followed by an all-day, ride-filled party with food and entertainment that blends the many cultures once found at the plantation camps. INFO: www.koloaplantationdays.com.

  EATING & DRINKING

  THE BEACH HOUSE—Although the famous sunset views at the Beach House ooze romance, this place on the South Shore is not just about the setting. The menu is equally swoonworthy, especially the seared macadamia-nut-crusted mahi-mahi. WHERE: Koloa. Tel 808-742-1424; www.the-beachhouse.com. Cost: dinner $60.

  HAMURA SAIMIN STAND—The service is notoriously bad, yet there’s a long wait to get a counter seat at this cash-only hole-in-the-wall. Why do locals love it? Because, they’ll tell you, it’s “real Hawaii.” Saimin—homemade noodles in broth—date to the plantation era, when Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Hawaiian, and Portuguese laborers prepared communal meals with a melting-pot appeal. Try Saimin Specialty (noodles with wontons, roasted pork, chopped ham, vegetables, half a boiled egg, fish cake, and green onions), followed by a slice of the mile-high lilikoi (passion fruit) chiffon pie. WHERE: Lihu‘e. Tel 808-245-3241. Cost:$12.

  PUKA DOG—Hot dog aficionados line up to order this cult classic, the ideal treat when you’ve worked up an appetite boogie-boarding on nearby Poipu Beach. It’s named for the puka, or the hole piercing the long, fresh-baked bun that’s toasted on a hot metal spike. After a few generous squirts of three toppings—a lemon-garlic sauce, Hawaiian mustard, and a tropical relish (mango, papaya, pineapple, coconut, banana, or starfruit)—in slides a grilled Polish sausage. A glass of lemonade, squeezed and mixed before your eyes, completes the Puka experience. While this Koloa location is the original, the Puka dog can also now be found at Waikiki, on Oahu. WHERE: Koloa. Tel 808-742-6044; www.pukadog.com. Cost: $9.

  From Pineapples to Posh Hotels

  LANA‘I

  Hawaii, U.S.A.

  Hawaii’s most secluded island, tiny unhyped Lana‘i was once the state’s largest pineapple plantation, a Dole empire unimaginatively dubbed “Pineapple Island.” Since then it has become both a luxury retreat for the rich and an adventure outpost for day-trippers from Maui (see next page), a short ferry ride away. At Lana‘i’s vaunted resorts, guests are spoiled to an almost unheard-of degree, while the great outdoors remains unspoiled, with few cars and no traffic lights.

  The elegant Four Seasons Resorts Lana‘i at Manele Bay is a Mediterranean-inspired pleasure palace on idyllic Hulopoe Bay, a marine preserve where spinner dolphins cavort in clear, blue waters. Considered one of the finest beaches in all Hawaii, palm-shaded white sand–carpeted Hulopoe Beach is excellent for swimming and snorkeling. For golfers, the resort’s Jack Nicklaus–designed Challenge at Manele enchants with some of the most riveting ocean views in all of Hawaii. Four Season sister property the Lodge at Koele overlooks Lana‘i City from the cool, wooded upland district at the center of the island. A handsome mix of old-Hawaii plantation and British country manor styles, the Lodge treats guests to croquet, lawn bowling, and three o’clock tea. But its main attraction is the Experience at Koele, a Greg Norman–designed championship golf course, known for its stunning layout and sweeping views.

  Downhill from the Lodge, Lanai City is the quintessential 1920s plantation company town. Tin-roofed homes are painted in a rainbow of colors, and the charming village square is ringed by general stores, diners, and a handful of boutiques and art galleries. Hotel Lana‘i, a historic landmark built to house Dole executives, is a modest but charming bungalow-style inn that’s the perfect jumping-off point for one of Hawaii’s toughest hikes, the 14-mile round-trip Munro Trail to the top of the island’s highest peak, 3,370-foot Lana‘ihale. On a clear day, you can see the islands of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui from the summit.

  If you’re coming for a day, rent a 4WD vehicle and explore the plateau of encrusted lava called Garden of the Gods. Its red, orange, ocher, and yellow hues are at their most mysteriously beautiful in the early morning or just before sunset.

  VISITOR INFO: www.visitlanai.net. MANELE BAY: Tel 800-321-4666 or 808-565-2000; www.fourseasons.com/lanai. Cost: from $400; greens fees $210 (guests), $225 (nonguests). LODGE AT KOELE: Tel 800-321-4666 or 808-565-4000; www.fourseasons.com/lanai. Cost: from $295; greens fees $210 (guests), $225 (nonguests). HOTEL LANA‘I: Tel 808-565-7211; www.hotellanai.com. Cost: from $100. BEST TIME: 1st weekend in Jul for Pineapple Festival.

  “I went to Maui to stay a week and remained five.”—MARK TWAIN

  MAUI

  Hawaii, U.S.A.

  Who’s to argue with the local saying “Maui no ka oi”—“Maui is the best”? The “Valley Isle” is named for the Polynesian demigod who, after having plucked all the Hawaiian islands up out of the sea, decided to make this one his home. Known for its miles of stunning beaches, lush rain forests, and mix of crowd-pleasing resorts and luxurious hideaways, Maui embodies the spirit of aloha, an expression used to say hello and good-bye that actually means love.

  TOP ATTRACTIONS

  HALEAKALA VOLCANO—Nothing beats the views of and from the hulking mass of 10,023-foot Haleakala (House of the Sun), the world’s largest dormant volcanic crater, so big that Manhattan could fit inside. Many visitors make a predawn ascent through 38 miles of upcountry landscape to watch a sunrise that Mark Twain called “the sublimest spectacle I ever witnessed.”

  The most thrilling way down Crater Road is by bicycle, an hours-long ride that requires next to no pedaling. (Stop for a breakfast of justifiably famous banana–macadamia nut pancakes at Kula Lodge & Restaurant.) Or spend the day hiking through rain forest and alpine shrub land, realm of the rare Hawaiian goose, or nene. Sunset, when the lunarlike landscape glows fiery red, is just as awe inspiring, and you’ll practically have the place to yourself. WHERE: 40 miles southeast of Kahului Airport. Tel 808-572-4400; www.nps.gov/hale. BIKING: Maui Downhill, tel 800-535-2453 or 808-871-2155; www.mauidownhill.com. Cost: bike tours from $109; sunrise tours $149.

  HANA HIGHWAY—Maui’s other famous road show is the narrow, serpentine Hana “Highway,” on the island’s lush, isolated northeastern coast. Beginning at the laid-back former sugar-plantation town of Paia, the 50-mile drive takes 2 to 3 hours, the road climbing and dropping along some 617 curves, crossing 54 one-lane bridges, and wending past dozens of waterfalls and vistas before reaching the sleepy, eye-blink town of Hana. Hire a convertible, pack a picnic, and plan to spend at least one night (preferably more) in Hana. Just don’t hurry to get there; Hana Highway is about the journey and the incredible display of nature along the way. WHERE: 50 miles from Paia to Hana.

  HANA VILLAGE—At the end of the serpentine Hana Highway lies “Heavenly Hana,” a stronghold of local culture that is a throwback to the Hawaii of yesteryear. You can luxuriate on Hamoa Beach (see next page), climb the hill to Fagan’s Cross for great views of the coast, then hike the ancient 6-mile trail of Wai‘anapanapa State Park, winding past lauhala trees and coastal rock formations. Nearby, the National Tropical Botanical Garden’s Kahanu Garden is home to Pi‘ilanihale Heiau, an ancient lava rock temple that is the largest intact heiau in Hawaii. For the drive back, stop
by the wonderfully old-timey Hasegawa General Store to stock up on cold drinks and sandwiches. WHERE: 64 miles southeast of Kahului Airport; www.hanamaui.com. WAI‘ANAPANAPA STATE PARK: www.hawaii.gov. KAHANU GARDEN: Tel 808-248-8912; www.ntbg.org.

  HUMPBACK WHALE NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY—Humpback whales are Hawaii’s largest visitors, and when they come, they come in force. Nearly two-thirds of the entire North Pacific population of humpbacks spend the winter here, migrating from their summer feeding grounds off Alaska to mate, calve, and fascinate curious humans. Book a cruise on a whale-watching boat (the nonprofit Pacific Whale Foundation has an underwater hydrophone that lets you hear humpbacks sing), hop a ferry to neighboring Molokai or Lanai, or simply scan the horizon from McGregor Point Lookout, Keawakapu Beach, or Big Beach. Calm conditions are ideal for sightings of breaching whales. Once you’ve seen the real thing, visit the sanctuary’s Education Center in Kihei. You can also visit in February during the Great Maui Whale Festival for all sorts of whale-themed events. PACIFIC WHALE FOUNDATION: Tel 800-942-5311 or 808-879-8811; www.pacificwhale.org. It offers catamaran cruises and snorkel tours from Maalaea and Lahaina harbors. HAWAII HUMPBACK WHALE EDUCATION CENTER: Kihei. Tel 808-879-2818; www.hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov.

  LAHAINA & THE OLD LAHAINA LUAU—Maui’s western coast is home to the picturesque 19th-century whaling village of Lahaina, which offers excursions to watch the whales its sailors used to harpoon. The first capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii is a delightfully walkable town, with restored Victorian buildings that now house art galleries, shops, and the island’s liveliest dining scene. Take the town’s Historical Walk, which includes 20-plus sites such as the 1836 Baldwin Home, built for the first missionary to Lahaina.

  For Maui’s best and most authentic luau, don’t miss the nightly Old Lahaina Luau. Customary luau dishes include kalua (roast pork), laulau (pork wrapped in luau leaf), poi, and ahi poke (marinated raw tuna). After dinner a spellbinding program tells the story of Hawaii through hula and chant—it is far from the commercial clichés you’ll catch on Waikiki. WHERE: 22 miles west of the Kahului Airport. THE OLD LAHAINA LUAU: Tel 800-248-5828 or 808-667-1998; www.oldlahainaluau.com. Cost: $95.

  During the early-19th-century whaling boom, sailors packed Lahaina’s harbor; today it’s filled with pleasure craft.

  BEST BEACHES

  KAPALUA BAY—Maui is blessed with beaches—81 of them ring the island, all of them gorgeous. But with its perfect conditions for swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking, Kapalua Bay may be the most appealing: The sheltered, shallow beach lets you paddle a long way out before you hit deep water. And because it’s part of Kapalua Resort, it has all the amenities, including vendors who rent scuba and snorkeling gear right on the beach. Once you’re in the water, brilliantly colored parrotfish swim right up to you. WHERE: 10 miles north of Lahaina.

  ONELOA BEACH—Oneloa Beach (also known as Big Beach) is widely considered one of the most beautiful stretches of sand on Maui. Three-quarters of a mile long and 100 yards wide, this tawny strand between two black lava points is just a few minutes’ drive from the glitzy resorts of Wailea. Yet because it lacks facilities, it’s rarely crowded. It’s a pefect spot for lying in the sun, walking in the surf, and swimming or snorkeling. When you’re hungry, head south on Makena Road to Makena Grill, a simple roadside cart, for great fish tacos, wood-grilled chicken, and teriyaki beef kabobs. WHERE: 1.5 miles south of Makena Beach & Golf Resort.

  HOOKIPA BEACH—An early stop on the Hana Highway (see p. 770) just outside Paia, Hookipa (“hospitality”) Beach Park is one of the greatest windsurfing spots on the planet. This pocket-size spot at the foot of a grassy cliff attracts only the best windsurfers and kiteboarders, along with the people who love to watch them from the bluff above. WHERE: 2 miles east of Paia.

  HAMOA BEACH—One of Maui’s most dramatic beaches, Hamoa, near Hana (see previous page) on the east side of the island, is a stretch of inky sand at the base of 30-foot lava sea cliffs. Called “Black Sand Beach” for its dark gray grains—a mix of coral and lava—Hamoa is especially popular with surfers and bodysurfers. But it’s swept by strong currents, so less venturesome sorts are advised to simply enjoy its striking beauty from the shore. WHERE: 4.5 miles south of Hana.

  GOLF

  KAPALUA RESORT COURSES—The sundrenched northwest coast of Maui is home to Kapalua Resort, a major destination with luxury accommodations (see the Ritz-Carlton, next page), shopping, beaches, and golf galore. With gentle rolling greens and wide fairways, the Bay Course (designed by Arnold Palmer and Francis Duane) is the more forgiving of its two championship courses. The clubhouse boasts one of Maui’s best restaurants, the Pineapple Grill, known for its Pacific Island cuisine and almost exclusive use of Maui- or Hawaii-grown ingredients. The Plantation Course (designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore) unfurls across low rolling hills and offers, along with breathtaking views, a challenge worthy of the pros: The PGA Tour’s SBS Championship is played here every January. And if your swing is a little rusty, the Kapalua Golf Academy is considered one of the best golf schools in Hawaii. INFO: Tel 877-527-2582 or 808-669-8044; www.kapaluamaui.com/golf. Cost: greens fees from $130 (guests), $185 (nonguests). PINEAPPLE GRILL: Tel 808-669-9600; www.pineapplekapalua.com. Cost: dinner $55. KAPALUA GOLF ACADEMY: Tel 808-665-5455; www.kapaluagolfacademy.com. Cost: from $195 for half day.

  WAILEA COURSES—Spread over 2 miles of palm-fringed gold coast in southern Maui, the Wailea resort area has everything: sunny weather nearly every day; sandy beaches sloping into fish-filled waters; luxury hotels and shopping; and Wailea’s greatest claim to fame, world-class golf. The area features three of Maui’s best courses: the beginner-friendly Blue Course, designed by Arthur Jack Snyder; the challenging Gold Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.; and Jones’s slightly more player-friendly Emerald Course. You can play them all from any of the area’s best hotels, which offer every imaginable creature comfort. WAILEA GOLF CLUB: Tel 888-328-6284 or 808-875-7450; www.waileagolf.com. Cost: greens fees from $135.

  FESTIVALS

  KAPALUA WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL—Attracting chefs, winemakers, critics, and food lovers by the thousands, this four-day festival held in June at the Kapalua Resort in West Maui is a high-end event, featuring guided tastings, cooking demonstrations, seminars—even golf with the winemakers. WHERE: 10 miles north of Lahaina Tel 808-665-9160; www.kapalua.com/index.php/kapalua-wine-food-fest. Cost: $699 for a 4-day pass; individual events from $50.

  EAST MAUI TARO FESTIVAL—The staple food of Hawaii, the taro root (the “potato of the tropics”) is considered near-sacred, and this down-home festival, held each April in Hana Ball Park, gives it its due. Tourists and locals enjoy music, arts and crafts, and, of course, taro prepared every which way. But the real highlight is the taro pancake breakfast on Sunday morning. INFO: Tel 808-264-1553; www.tarofestival.org.

  WHERE TO STAY

  FOUR SEASONS RESORT MAUI AT WAILEA—Known for its exceptional service, the Four Seasons is an elegant haven on the sandy crescent of Wailea Beach. The “Serenity Pool,” with its swim-up bar, underwater music, and panoramic views of the ocean, is for adults only—for children, there’s the fun-packed kids’ camp. An exceptional spa offers seaside massage in thatched Hawaiian hales, and dining options include Wolfgang Puck’s Spago and Ferraro’s. WHERE: Wailea. Tel 800-334-6284 or 808-874-8000; www.fourseasons.com/maui. Cost: from $465.

  THE GRAND WAILEA RESORT HOTEL & SPA—Hawaii’s first resort and spa and still one of its most lavish, the Grand Wailea is a family-friendly pleasure palace on Maui’s southwestern shore. The opulent 40-acre resort is best known for Wailea Canyon, a water wonderland with nine pools, waterfalls, slides, a water elevator, and Tarzan swings. With a kids’ camp that runs until 10 P.M., parents have plenty of time to relax in the enormous Spa Grande, and golfers can find three great courses just minutes away. WHERE: Wailea. Tel 800-888-6100 or 808-875-1234; www.grandwailea.com. Cost: from $725.

  OLD WAILUKU INN AT ULUPONO—Located in the island’s l
ush center, the Old Wailuku Inn is a restored 1924 plantation manager’s home. Renowned for its historic charm, island-born innkeepers, and home-cooked breakfasts, it is also near Iao Valley State Park, a verdant valley 750 feet above sea level. Hike past waterfalls and the Iao Needle, a tower of volcanic rock that rises to 1,200 feet. WHERE: Wailuku. Tel 800-305-4899 or 808-244-5897; www.mauiinn.com. Cost: from $165.

  THE PLANTATION INN—In super-expensive Maui, the Plantation Inn in Lahaina is a find. Just two blocks from the waterfront, the 19th century–style B&B (built in the 1990s) is within walking distance of everything, and guests can get a taste of the island’s best French cuisine at the inn’s Gerard’s, where chef Gerard Reversade combines Gallic traditions with fresh local ingredients. WHERE: Lahaina. Tel 800-433-6815 or 808-667-9225; www.theplantationinn.com. Cost: from $170. GERARD’S: Tel 808-661-8939; www.gerardsmaui.com. Cost: dinner $60.

  RITZ-CARLTON KAPALUA HOTEL—Following its top-to-toe renovation in 2008, the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, set on a knoll between two of Maui’s best beaches, is now considered by some to be the island’s best address. Part of the 23,000-acre Kapalua Resort, the Ritz-Carlton cultivates an elegant sense of place through the use of native hardwoods and displays of work by Hawaiian artists. Naturalists accompany guests on underwater photography missions while golfers can enjoy a 36-hole championship course (see previous page) and a glimpse of Molokai and Lanai across the channel. The spa’s treatment rooms open onto private outdoor gardens and showers. WHERE: Kapalua. Tel 800-262-8440 or 808-669-6200; www.ritzcarlton.com. Cost: from $375.