Maui Guide: 5 Things You Must Do on Maui

Cross off some of these things from your Maui bucket list.

Chasing Waterfalls, TLC told us not to do it, but  if you’re on your way to Hāna anyway, it’s probably OK.

Photo: Ryan SiphERs 

Scooter Dive

Want to feel like James Bond underwater? Book a scooter dive with Maui Dreams Dive Co. Sea scooters (something like underwater jet packs) allow you to zip along the ocean floor to investigate sunken wrecks, frogfish and sea stars. 

Guided scooter dive $99, (808) 874-5332, mauidreamsdiveco.com

Earn Your Wings

Pilot a plane over Maui’s most scenic locales during an intro flight lesson with Maui Aviators. The instructors will calm any butterflies you have and a guest can tag along, making the trip cheaper than a comparable helicopter ride. 

Lessons start at $149 per hour. (808) 871-6990, mauiaviators.com

Swim in Secret Waterfalls 

Maui has waterfalls by the hundreds, in seemingly every deep curve along Hāna Highway. To find your own secret pool, don’t rely on guidebooks. Hit up Pā‘ia Bay Coffee before heading out. Buy coffee for a local and ask about their favorite spot. While you’re there, fuel up on delicious bagels with goat cheese, scrambled eggs and roasted peppers. 

The 400-foot-tall Waimoku Falls is no secret, but it will satisfy your waterfall craving. Venture through the clacking Kīpahulu bamboo forest to stand in awe of this natural marvel. (4 miles round-trip)

Pā‘ia Bay Coffee, 115 Hāna Highway, Pā‘ia, (808) 579-3111 

Hike Kaupō Gap

Trekking through the volcanic heart of Haleakalā is an unforgettable experience. Hike 10.3 miles to spend the night at Palikū cabin, tucked in the crater’s rain-forested corner. See the night sky light up with celestial bodies. Listen for the eerie calls of the uau, native seabirds winging their way home. The 8.6-mile hike out, down steep and rocky Kaupō Gap, can be brutal on the knees. No shame for bringing walking sticks. (You’ll need to arrange dropoff and pickup, or volunteer with Friends of Haleakalā National Park who will arrange logistics for you.)  fhnp.org

Don’t leave Maui without…

Photo: c. robby kohley

Spotting a crested honeycreeper amid the ‘ōhi‘a blossoms, or seeing a Haleakalā silversword (especially during summer, when this bewildering plant tends to bloom). These rare native treasures exist nowhere else on Earth. Find them at Hosmer’s Grove and Haleakalā National Park Visitor Center, respectively. 

This story is part of The Holoholo Guide to Maui in our November 2015 issue.