10 Family Activities That Will Create a Lifetime of Memories

Maui is truly a fantastic destination for the entire family. Sure, it’s great for honeymooners or couples looking to escape day-to-day life, but with safe beaches, plenty of condos and resorts with full kitchens that cater to children and a family-friendly atmosphere in general, Maui truly is the best of the Hawaiian islands for families. But once you’re here, besides the beach and pool, what should you do with your kids? Here are our recommendations of the 10 best things to do with your family on Maui, listed alphabetically.

Bird Watching
Maui is home to many birds, some of which you won’t find anywhere else in the world. However, bird watching can be slow and probably boring for children. Luckily, on Maui, we have a few bird preserves and parks where spotting birds is simple. Here are two suggestions for spots that you’ll be guaranteed to quickly see (and photograph) Maui’s exotic birds.

  • Haleakala National Park
    Haleakala is one of the few places in the world you can find the state bird of Hawaii, the nene (Hawaiian goose). If you’re planning on heading up to the summit for sunrise, on your way back down, stop at Hosmer Grove, a preserve loaded with birds. Another option in the national park is the Waikamoi Preserve. However, to enter this preserve you need to be part of a guided tour.
  • Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
    Located in Kihei, this refuge features a boardwalk open seven days a week, that takes you through marshlands that are home to  species of birds, including the endangered ae‘o (Hawaiian stilt). Please note that the visitors center is not open on weekends. As an added bonus, from May – September, the endangered hawksbill turtle reside here along the shore.

Day Hike/Nature Walk
Nothing beats a day on the trails with the family. Hiking provides many opportunities to interact with nature and enjoy the beautiful weather of Maui. Luckily, Maui is loaded with hiking opportunities. Some, like the backtrails of Haleakala are for experts only. But Maui also provides outstanding trails for families. Here are four easy hikes near common tourist destinations.

  • Twin Falls (just outside of Paia on the Road to Hana)
    Twin Falls is one of the iconic waterfalls on Maui. It’s also one of the most accessible waterfalls. Located just outside of Paia, it makes a whole lot sense to wake up early and do the hike, then get lunch or gelato afterwards in Paia. Once you’ve parked your car at Twin Falls, getting to the waterfall is a short walk, less than a mile, along a well-maintained trail. Once at the falls, you can swim in the water, but the water gets deep quickly, so make sure you keep an eye on the kids.
  • Kapalua Beach Trail (Kapalua)
    Easy to navigate, the flat trail is part paved/part dirt and rock. You’ll be walking between two of Maui’s most popular beaches, Kapalua Beach and DT Fleming Beach. Along the way, you’ll have unencumbered, beautiful shoreline views. There are also small beaches that are virtually devoid of people, which is almost unheard on Maui. It’s appropriate for anyone who can walk 1.75 miles, or 3.5 if you plan on walking back. But really, you can turn around at point of the trail
  • Wailea Beach Path (Wailea)
    The path basically runs the length of Wailea’s gorgeous resorts. You’ll know you’ve reached the end when you run out of path. If you’re staying in one of the resorts along the shore, you can easily hop on the path from your hotel. If you’re seeking out the path by car, there are a few public beaches with parking along the path. The path itself is mostly flat and well kept. It affords some great views of the ocean and access to beaches. There are plenty of rest spots and food stands along the way, as well as the Shops at Wailea.
  • ‘Iao Valley State Monument (‘Iao Valley)
    This hike is really more of a nature walk and is accessible to just about everyone. There’s a nice path that takes you through the park and allows fantastic views of the ‘Iao Needle. As you stroll on the path, you’ll see plenty of native Hawaiian plants and flowers. For a slightly more difficult walk, you can climb the stairs to a lookout. This is very safe. The only difficulty lies in the amount of steps you need to climb.

Horseback Riding
It’s probably not the first thing you think of when planning a trip to Maui, but there are some outstanding horseback riding opportunities on the Valley Isle. Maui has a long history of ranching and some of the best rides on Maui are on working ranches. Other rides take you along coastal trails. Here is an article on our favorite horseback riding excursions on Maui if you’re interested in saddling up.

Luau
When you think “luau” you probably don’t think of kids. But you should! Most of the luaus on Maui have fire dances, which are mesmerizing for both parents and children. The food is also good, with most having children’s menus. Before you book your luau, though, you should double check the menus. We’ve found that the luau’s are also surprisingly fine for gluten-free and vegetarians. But the real reason luaus are good for kids is that they are quite educational. Over the course of the evening, you’ll learn the history of Hawaii and Polynesia through dance and story. Here are five favorite luaus on Maui and here’s another article if you’re interested on learning about the history of luaus on Maui.

Maui Ocean Center
Should the weather forecast look iffy, schedule the Maui Ocean Center for a rainy day. Nearly all of the activities are indoors, and oh what activities they are! The highlight of any trip to this aquarium is the stunning glass tunnel through the middle of a tank full of sharks and rays. It’s just beautiful. Maui Ocean Center is ultra-eco-friendly. They keep no mammals, nor do they serve drinks in plastic bottles or offer plastic straws (they use paper straws.) Overall, it’s a very impressive aquarium and was recently named as one 2018’s Top 10 Aquariums in the world by Trip Advisor.

Roller Skating
Take your kids roller skating at the Kalama Park roller rink. Every Wednesday from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM and Friday and Saturday from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Skating is free, but if you need to rent skates, they are available for just $5 a pair. FYI, this is not the free skate park, which is located near the rink. The skate park, for those who crave a little more adventure, is for skateboarders, roller skaters and scooter riders who prefer ramps and tubes.

Snorkel Cruise to Lanai
Definitely the highlight of any trip to Maui is a snorkel excursion to Lanai. The day starts with a continental breakfast featuring fresh fruit, pastries and a variety of juices. Throughout the trip, stay hydrated with all the soda, juice and water you desire. For lunch, we fire up the grill on the back of boat and barbecue burgers, hot dogs, chicken and veggie burgers. Salads, chips and cookies are also served. But, you don’t go on a snorkel food just for the food. We provide a full set of gear, floatie devices for those who need them and general lessons to get you started. We also send our crew into the water to keep an on everyone who enters the water. Note that snorkeling is actually optional. We have many riders who want to cruise without snorkeling. We believe in safety first!

Surf Lessons
Depending on the age of your kids, this can be a fun for the family. Generally speaking, you’ll find friendly, knowledgable instructors who will get both you and children up and riding waves. A morning of surfing creates memories to last a lifetime. It may even create a lifelong surfer, and just as importantly, your children will learn respect for the ocean. You can find surf lessons all over Maui.

Whale Watching
In season, December 1 – April 30, nothing beats a whale watching tour. Two hours on a nice boat, learning about whales and the ocean, while taking in gorgeous views of Maui and surrounding islands. Out of season, snorkel trips out to Lanai almost always take you through pods of active spinner dolphins. While dolphins aren’t as spectacular as giant whales, they are loads of fun and love to play next to the boat. Click here to learn more about our whale watch tours and our Lanai snorkel adventure.

Ziplining
Ziplining is a fun and exhilarating way to see Maui. You can find various zipline adventures all over the island. We recommend googling it. But, for this article, we’ll call out three that are located near visitor hotels and condos and that are family-friendly.

  • Lahaina Zipline Adventure Tour: Soar over the Maui Dragon Fruit Farm on Lahaina’s only zipline tour. Though only 450 ft. long, this zipline tour allows you to go up to four times! The minimum age is 5 years old, with a max weight limit of 250 pounds.
  • Maui Ziplining at Maui Tropical Plantation: With five zipline adventures, ranging from 300 – 900 feet, Maui Ziplining has something for everyone aged 5 and up. Must be between 45 and 250 pounds.
  • Skyline Eco-Adventures Ka’anapali: For ages 10 and up (minimum weight 80 pounds,) this tour encompasses either an 8-line or 11-line tour with views of the Pacific Ocean and takes 2.5 – 3.5 hours.

Save $10 when you book your Lana’i Snorkel and Dolphin Tour with this link. You won’t immediately see the discount, but it will appear when you choose the number of riders at checkout.

 

Where are the Humpback Whales?

Over the past three years, it appears the number of humpback whales coming to Hawaii for the winter are declining. This finding is based not only on hard counts of the whales, but also on the diminishing number of males that have been recorded singing. Finally, and perhaps most troubling, there have been fewer sightings of mother-calf pairs.

Rachel Cartwright, a whale researcher with the Keiki Kohola Project, says the number of mother-calf pairs peaked in the 2013-14 whale season (whale season being December – May). Since then, the number of sightings of the pairs has dropped about 80%.

If you’re coming to Maui and are worried there may not be any whales this winter, fear not! “They’re not all gone,” Ed Lyman, with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, told the Honolulu Star Advertiser. “We are seeing indications of fewer whales near the islands where our effort is … There are still plenty of whales out there.”

How many? Here on Maui, the Great Whale Count has been using volunteers to count whales from Maui’s shores for 30 years. In February, 2018, over 100 volunteers counted 529 humpback whales. That’s a good number, but down significantly (46%) from 2017 when 984 whales were counted. Let’s take a quick look at the whale numbers, as counted by the Great Whale Count over the past five years:

2018: 529
2017: 984
2016: 732 (an El Nino year that researchers believe stymied whales)
2015: 1488
2014: 1331

Researchers concerned about the shrinking whale counts have advanced three reasons why they could be declining. Let’s explore them.

The first theory is that the whales are not getting sufficient nutrients over the summer in Alaska. In Alaska, the whales feed on small fish and krill. If the whales’ prey are no longer abundant in Alaska, the whales may be having to search elsewhere for food and this could potentially shift their migration pattern. At the same time, if the whales can’t digest enough food to power the 3,000 mile journey Hawaii, then they obviously won’t reach us. At this point, we should remind you the humpbacks do NOT feed while in Hawaii. They need to consume enough in Alaska to support themselves throughout the year. Surveys have shown the whales in both Alaska and Hawaii are thinner than they have been in past years.

The second theory is that the number of whales isn’t actually declining, rather they simply staying further offshore and thus aren’t being counted or heard.

The third theory, which is similar to both of the others, is there is a finite number of resources to sustain the whales. It’s possible the number of whales the Hawaiian islands can support has reached its limit and the whales are now searching out other locations in the Pacific.

Last year, the first whales were spotted off of Maui in late October, which is the earliest watchers can remember the whales arriving. By mid-April, the whales were nearly all gone. Where the season is traditionally from December to May, if the “peak season” for whales has shifted from February to earlier in the calendar, say, December, then that could be another explanation for the declining February whale counts.

We keep a close eye out our for whales. When we start spotting them from our Lanai Snorkel and Dolphin Tour, we alert local researchers and once we see them in abundance we launch our Whale Watch tours. We hope to see you and the whales soon!

Save $10 when you book your Lana’i Snorkel and Dolphin Tour with this link.

10 Reasons to Take a Spectacular Snorkel Cruise to Lanai

Snorkeling on Maui is great. Whether it’s from a boat or from the beach, there are numerous places here to see fish, turtles, rays and even sharks (the good kind that don’t bite!) If you’re looking for great places to snorkel, check out our article “Best Places to Snorkel on Maui”.

But for this article, we’re going to focus on why snorkeling from a boat on our Lanai Snorkel and Dolphin Tour is so much fun and the highlight of every vacation to Maui. There are definite advantages to snorkeling from a boat. But before we get into it, we should point out some of the reasons you may just want to snorkel from the beach. First, if you’re staying near the beach, it’s easy to simply enter the water with your gear and start snorkeling. Another good thing about snorkeling from the beach is that it’s free… if you don’t need to rent gear. Finally, by snorkeling from the beach, you’re on your own time schedule. Of course, if you do go on our Lanai snorkel tour and you get bitten by the snorkel bug, you can rent gear and snorkel from shore during the rest of your vacation!

OK, those are three good reasons to snorkel from shore. Here are 10 reasons why snorkeling from our 70-foot, double-deck catamaran, the Kaulana of Maui, is even better than snorkeling from the beach.

  1. When you head out on our chartered snorkel tour, you will be outfitted with all the gear: mask, snorkel, fins, floaty-device (if needed) and you will receive professional training, again, if needed. We also have wet suits available for rent if you get cold in the ocean. Safety is our first priority. While you’re in the water, know that you’re being watched by multiple sets of eyes. If we see you drifting into “danger” zones, we’ll turn you around.
  2. Once on the boat headed to Lanai, it’s not unusual, in fact it’s probable, that you will see dolphins! Dolphins are rarely (if ever) spotted from shore. You will not snorkel with the dolphins (we are an eco-minded company that doesn’t believe human interaction is healthy for dolphins), but they often swim right up to the boat and they love to frolic in the wake. Spinner dolphins are among the most athletic mammals alive and watching then leap is a true treasure. (To learn more about them, check out our 10 Fun Facts about Spinner Dolphins article). During whale season, heading out on a snorkel excursion is often like a whale watch tour, with the added bonus of meals and snorkeling!
  3. Our boat captains, with their years of experience, will take you to two locations. The chosen locations are based on daily conditions, so we don’t know where we’re going until we survey the ocean. In this way, you’ll be assured of always snorkeling in the best conditions.
  4. You will not only learn about the snorkel locations, our boat captains and crew will also tell you about the surrounding area and point out cool sites like “Shark Rock” and “Sweetheart Rock” (pictured above) off of the island of Lanai.
  5. From a boat, because you are entering the ocean to snorkel at a deeper point, the water is far more clear than near the shore. One big cause of the cloudy sediment near the shore is the waves lapping the sand. Maui’s strong winds also stir up the sand near the shore. In deeper waters, this is rarely an issue. One of the biggest reasons for cloudy water is actually snorkelers themselves kicking up sediment while swimming. Because the water where we take you is deeper, this usually isn’t a problem.
  6. A different variety of fish can be seen when you’re further off-shore. Plus, the further away from shore, the bigger the fish tend to be.
  7. If someone in your group is not able or willing to go into the water, they are still welcome to ride on the boat. Nor are riders expected to snorkel at both locations. For some people, 30 to 60 minutes in the water is enough. But just experiencing Maui’s oceans by boat is always a vacation highlight.
  8. Dehydration while snorkeling can be an issue. But with unlimited water, soda and juice available for the entire trip, you will never need to fear dehydration. We also serve a continental breakfast featuring fresh fruit, muffins, danish and more. For lunch we fire up the barbecue on the back of the boat and prepare, burgers, veggie burgers, grilled chicken, hot dogs, salad and cookies. You can also snack on chips throughout the duration of the tour.
  9. While most people like to ride on the upper deck, we also have a below deck area to escape the sun.
  10. Water slide! Once we’re anchored for snorkeling, if you prefer a little more action, try our slide. It’s about a 20 foot drop from the top of the slide to the water. Some people, especially kids, will ride the slide over and over.

Those are 10 reasons why we think you should book a snorkel tour with us. If you’re interested in joining us, save $10 when you book your Lana’i Snorkel and Dolphin Tour with this link. You will see the discount when you choose the number of riders at checkout.

Pirates in Hawaii

A Brief History of Pirates in Hawaii

Unlike the Caribbean, there hasn’t been a long history of pirate activity in Hawaii. But there is one incident, one that many believe was the last large-scale pirate attack in the territories of the United States, which is truly unbelievable. So unbelievable, in fact, that while the raid was documented by a California newspaper, we’re not totally sure it’s true, as we cannot find other supporting documents. Whether or not it’s true, it’s certainly an intriguing story. Here is the account of the Great Pirate Raid of Honolulu, as reported by the Daily Alta newspaper of San Francisco on December 15, 1884.

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What Hawaii’s Sunscreen Ban Means for You

On July 1, 2018, Hawaii became the first state in the country to ban certain chemicals found in a majority of the sunscreens available to the public. Though the ban does not go into effect until January 1, 2021, here is a brief explanation for why the ban is being put in place and why you should consider switching to reef safe sunblocks prior to 2021.

First, it’s important to understand Hawaii did not ban sunscreen, as a whole. What is banned is sunscreens using the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate. Many researchers believe these two chemicals lead to coral bleaching and ocean acidification.

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hurricanes

Why Hurricanes Rarely Hit Hawaii

Hurricane season in Hawaii usually falls between the months of June and November. However, as exemplified by Hurricane Lane, hurricanes, or tropical cyclones, rarely strike the Hawaiian islands directly. In fact, in nearly 150 years, only three hurricanes have reached landfall in Hawaii. The most recent was Hurricane Iniki in 1992, which devastated Kauai, caused $1.8 billion in damages and killed six people. Prior to that only two other hurricanes had reached landfall in Hawaii. Hurricane Dot arrived in 1959 and an unnamed storm occurred in 1871. According to the NOAA historical hurricane database, from 1950 – 2017, only 14 hurricanes have ever passed within 200 miles of Hawaii.

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jellyfish

10 Fun Facts About Jellyfish

There are two schools of thought when it comes to jellyfish. When seen in an aquarium, like the fabulous Maui Ocean Center, they are stunningly beautiful. Watching them glow and glide is a sight to behold. On the other hand, when you’re wading waist deep in the ocean and spot a jellyfish, your first thought is usually to high tail it out of the water like you’ve just seen Jaws. It’s true the sting of some jellyfish can be nasty. Generally, though, Maui’s waters are pretty clear of the largest stinging jellies. On the Hawaii Ocean Project Lanai Snorkel and Dolphin Tour, we avoid snorkel locations with stinging jellyfish. Here are 10 fun facts about jellyfish…

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Romantic activities on Maui

Top 10 Romantic Things To Do On Maui

Just being on Maui can be pretty darn romantic. All you need to do is step outside and all five of your senses will light up. Hearing the ocean, smelling the flowers, seeing the palm trees, touching the sand and tasting the ono (delicious) food sets you up for a romantic vacation that you’ll never forget. Here is our breakdown of the top 10 most romantic activities on Maui.

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