Magical Maui Today
By Wes Bolyard
After visiting the island of Lanai, travel back to Maui for more fun and adventures. Maui is the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands which were formed by multiple volcanoes. Considered a “volcanic doublet”, Maui was created when lava flows from two volcanoes overlapped merging into a single island but forming an isthmus between them. The larger, younger volcano to the east, Haleakala, rises to more than 10,000 feet above sea level, but measures 5 miles from seafloor to summit, making it one of the world’s highest mountains. The Haleakala area is designated as a National Park.
After arriving at The Kahului Airport, it will be about a 35-minute drive to The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Kaanapali, part of the Marriott Bonvoy group. The 769-room resort on the Hawaiian island’s Ka’anapali Beach recently completed a $160 million makeover that included 217 rooms and suites in the Hokupaʻa luxury tower and rebranded its Ocean Tower into Kukahi Tower. Guests will be treated with exclusive access to The Lanai at Hokupaʻa which includes panoramic views, a private bar, infinity edge cocktail pools, and daily cultural experiences. With multiple restaurants, the Kawaiola Aquatic Playground features six stunning pools overlooking Kaanapali Beach and spanning 87,000 square feet of pool playground. Highlights include a serene adult-only pool deck with an infinity pool and hot tub. Families can enjoy a newly designed family area including an interactive splash zone and our iconic 270-foot water slide. Coming soon, is another family entertainment area, the Social Entertainment Space. For wellness and fitness, visit the Heavenly Spa by Westin and Fitness Studio. The property is located on the number one beach in the U.S. (rated by Trip Advisor). Also, right next door is Whaler’s Village, which is where you can dine and shop.
marriott.com/the-Westin-Maui-resort-and-spa 808-667-2525
Just across the street from the Westin Maui Resort are two courses with a complete set of new challenges to test your golfing prowess. General Manager, Karl Reul for the Royal Kaanapali and Kaanapali Kai Golf Courses says “The two courses are significantly different, the Royal course is a little more of a challenge, it is a longer course, it provides some holes that go down right to the water. It has unbelievable scenery, big greens that are very undulating making them hard to read and has some wind to consider.
The Kai course is a little more forgiving, a little bit shorter, but a little bit more target golf. The greens are also undulating, just not as big. Scenery every bit as beautiful as the Royal course and is a little shorter than the other course. Hole 17 is an interesting par 3 over a lake with hole 18, being the hardest hole on the course with another lake that could come into play. We call it a Big Boy par 4. One of the more scenic holes is number 10, a downhill par 4 with Cook Pines on both sides of the fairway. These golf courses are not going to beat you up, they are player friendly.” Try Roy’s for lunch after your round for a great meal, just opposite the pro shop.
kaanapaligolfcourses.com 808-661-3691
There are the three excellent golf courses of Wailea Golf Club: Gold, Emerald and Blue. The Gold and Emerald courses are next to each other with the Blue just north of them. This trio offers beautiful landscaping and gorgeous views, but each course has its own unique features.
Designed for fun at all skill levels, the 6,825-yard Wailea Emerald Course was one reason Golf for Women Magazine first granted the Wailea Golf Club a Top Fairways Award for the country’s most women-friendly golf clubs, an honor that Wailea has won several times. The Emerald delights players with its carpet-like fairways, colorful foliage, and numerous vistas of the Pacific Ocean and Mt. Haleakala. Relatively few forced carries with fairways right there in front of you making it ideal for players who view golf as an enjoyable form of recreation. For players seeking a greater challenge, multiple tee boxes allow them to tailor the course to their skill level and offer a suitable track for virtually every player. With a rugged and masterful design that takes advantage of the terrain’s natural undulations, just be careful of being distracted by the surrounding views. Also, available is the Wailea Golf Academy with an elevated view, dropping about 150’, making it look like the ball is going forever.
waileagolf.com/Academy waileagolf.com 808 875-7450
If you don’t want to bring your own golf clubs, all the golf courses mentioned above offer a very nice choice of rental golf clubs including some upscale varieties. Check with the pro shop prior to making your reservation.
What to do when not playing golf or playing in the sand or surf…
Maui Ocean Center opened in 1998 and has worked to protect Hawaii’s remarkable marine life. They offer unparalleled encounters with amazing oceanic creatures, some of which exist only here in Hawaii, and care for one of the world’s largest collections of live Pacific corals. Their exhibits and educational programs are designed to inspire Hawaii residents and visitors with a fresh appreciation for our surrounding sea and local culture. In USA Today, they were voted in the top 10 aquariums in the U.S.
Mike Morris, with marketing at the Maui Ocean Center, says, “We are open 365 days a year and have one of the largest collections of live Pacific corals. There is a 3D movie about the Humpback Whales, shown every ½ hour. There is a 54-foot-long tunnel open ocean exhibit featuring a variety of different species of sharks, Hawaiian Broad Stingrays, and schooling fish in our 750,000-gallon open ocean exhibit. A good restaurant, Seascape, is available for dining. Spend a couple of hours learning about marine life on Maui where you will learn how fragile the ocean is and how it must be protected.”
There was a fire in Lahaina in August 2023 resulting in devastating community impacts. Prior to this disaster in 2012, owner Gunars Valkyrs, became interested in growing a cacao farm operation. By the time the first ten acres were planted in 2016, Gunars had to decide how to keep growing high-quality cacao while also maintaining an economically sustainable farm. The only way to make the business viable was to make and sell chocolate, so he built a chocolate factory, Maui Kuia Estate Chocolate. Gunars, being a very smart person, and due to the amount of sun available in Maui, converted to solar electricity, thus allowing his factory to survive the electrical blackout resulting from the fire.
Chocolate tours are available through the factory where you will learn how chocolate is converted from a bean to different delightful munchies. The main thing that Gunars wants the public to know is that: “Many of the businesses that survived the fire are open and they need the business in order to maintain some level of employment, profitability and most of us are losing money at this time and unless visitors start coming back, and supporting us, ultimately, we won’t survive. If Lahaina businesses continue to face difficult challenges, building back the community and the economy will surely be a struggle.” mauichocolate.com
Other things to do: See the sunrise on top of Haleakala, ride a bike from top to bottom of Haleakala, explore inside Haleakala (either by horseback or hiking), and visit art galleries throughout Maui. Whatever you choose to do in Maui, the fun and excitement await you.
MOST IMPORTANT to keep in mind while visiting Maui, use ONLY Mineral Oil Based Sunscreen to protect the coral reefs.
Visit Maui Visitors Bureau to learn more about the island by calling call 808-244-3530 or visit gohawaii.com/islands/Maui
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