Fodor's Maui & Lanai 2001
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We've compiled a list of helpful guidebooks that complement Fodor's Maui and Lana`i 2001. To learn more about them, just enter the title in the keyword search box.Fodor's Hawai`i 2001Fodor's Exploring Hawaii: An information-rich cultural guide in full color.Fodor's Compass American Guides Hawai`i: A full-color guide, providing in-depth coverage of the history, culture and character of Hawai`i.
Destination Maui and Lana`iSurvey just one of Maui's flawless beaches, and you'll wonder how this island ever could have been a travel backwater. Yet that's what it was until savvy locals built championship golf courses and invited the world to tee off. Now two million visitors a year flock to Maui, for everything from water sports to whale-watching to not watching their waistlines. You can hike a volcano here, along the way admiring exotic, spiky silversword plants found nowhere else in the world. At night, you can enjoy cuisine of a sophistication found only in New York and London. Later, you can party in Lahaina, in a former brothel district once frequented by whalers. Or pack for a retreat to Lana`i, the backwater of present-day Hawai`i.
MauiThe Valley Isle never runs out of ways to enchant. Its lush, verdant beauty would be reason enough to visit. So would its world-class golf, water sports, and whale-watching, and its surprisingly hip dining scene. But of all things Mauian and enchanting, the finest is the warmth of the people. You encounter it everywhere. It infuses both posh resorts and the just-as-friendly rustic stands along the
Hana Highway, one of the world's most beautiful drives. Easier on suspensionsafter considerable roadwork, the highway's 55 miles offer breathtaking overlooks, drowsy little towns, magical waterfalls, and flower-scented breezes (roll down your windows). Step into the past on the passenger run between Lahaina and Ka`anapali aboard the 1890s-vintage
Sugarcane Train, or in the community of Lahaina, where whalers once came for lusty R&R and where missionaries, fellow New Englanders, made landfall to clean up the whalers' act (with less than impressive results). Today it is a National Historic Landmark, and the good times are safe and sanitized, at shows like the
Old Lahaina Lu`au. Even when Lahaina gets crowded and commercial -- and it can -- the mood is mellow. Neptune rules at the
Maui Ocean Center, where without even changing your clothes you're virtually plunged to the ocean floor, surrounded by the finny creatures of a great Pacific reef.
Dining and LodgingThanks to creative local chefs, Maui's food scene is cosmopolitan, and you'll find everything from classic coq au vin to contemporary Pacific Rim fare, as at
A Pacific Cafe, and one-of-a-kind delicacies at the
Komoda Store & Bakery. The cream puffs here are what you'd expect in heaven -- or, in this world, on Maui. At bedtime, you will be reminded that Maui was not made for roughing it. Although you may head to Haleakala National Park's campgrounds and cabins, the island's hotels and resorts may beckon more seductively. There are vintage charmers like the Hotel Hana-Maui as well as stylish town-house complexes that are good for families, such as
Kapalua Bay Villas. Children's programs like the one available in summer at the
Sheraton Maui have enabled many a mom and dad to explore Maui on their own. Meanwhile, budget travelers find their comfort zone at the
Pioneer Inn, in Lahaina's historic district, or in any number of other bed-and-breakfasts. Side-trippers to Lana`i retreat to the gracious
Lodge at Ko`ele on 21 montainous acres, or sit on the expansive porch of the quaint Hotel Lana`i, which has enjoyed this scenery since 1923.
Lana`iFor all its charm, Maui sometimes feels crowded. Fortunately, Lana`i is just a hop away, full of serenity. Once known as the "Pineapple Island," it was rechristened "Hawai`i's Most Secluded Island" after giant Dole Foods opened two luxurious hotels here. Whether you stay in one of them or opt for simpler quarters, rare pleasures await, like snorkeling off Hulopo`e Beach or scubadiving among the angelfish at the submerged rock pinnacles known as
Cathedrals, both off Lana`i's south shore. Never quite a cathedral, even during the sugarcane boom, the 19th-century church in
Keomuku is still lovely in its desolation. So is the rest of this eerie ghost town of ruined homes and crumbling stone walls poignantly cradled by paradise. Long before missionaries built here, the first Hawaiians were moved to awe and fear by the lunar
Garden of the Gods. Come late in the day, when the shadows grow long, and a spooky beauty descends -- or connect with past at the
Lu`ahiwa Petroglyphs, boulders inscribed with figures by Hawaiians just 200 years ago. To reach the island's high point and a spectacular view of nearly all Hawai`i's islands, ascend the
Munro Trail. Back at home base, settle in on the front porch after dinner and appreciate the textures of the Pacific night. Commotion lies across the water. This is why you came to Lana`i.
