Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [268]
Learning to surf (Click here) on Lahaina’s gentle waves
Walking through the awesome shark tank at Maui Ocean Center (Click here)
Tramping the moonlike surface of Haleakalā (Click here)
Flying Tarzan-style on a jungle zipline (Click here)
* * *
Executive Shuttle ( 669-2300, 800-833-2303) is cheaper and sometimes less backlogged. Like Speedi, its price depends on the destination and the size of the group. For example, the cost for one person from Kahului Airport to Lahaina is $43, for two people $49.
Kahului Airport’s taxi dispatchers are near the exit of the baggage-claim area. Approximate fares are: to Wailuku $20; to Pa′ia $25; to Kihei $40; and to Lahaina $75.
Taxi fares from the Kapalua/West Maui Airport average $18 to Ka′anapali and $25 to $35 for most other places along the west Maui coast. But check with your hotel first, as many resorts on the Ka′anapali coast offer free shuttles to/from the Kapalua/West Maui Airport.
Bicycle
Cyclists on Maui will face some challenges: narrow roads, an abundance of hills and mountains, and the same persistent winds that so delight windsurfers. Maui’s stunning scenery will rev up hard-core cyclists, but casual riders hoping to use a bike as a primary source of transportation around the island may well find the conditions daunting.
However, getting around by bicycle within a small area can be a good option for the average rider. For example, the tourist enclave of Kihei is largely level and has cycle lanes on two main drags, S Kihei Rd and the Pi′ilani Hwy.
The full-color Maui County Bicycle Map ($6), available from bicycle shops, shows all the roads on Maui that have cycle lanes and gives other nitty-gritty details. Consider it essential if you intend to do your exploring by pedal power. For information on bicycle rentals, see specific destinations around the island.
Bus
With the exception of O′ahu, Maui has Hawaii’s most extensive public bus system. But don’t get too excited – the buses can take you between the main towns, but they’re not going to get you to many of the prime out-of-the-way places, such as Haleakalā National Park, Hana or Makena’s Big Beach. And some of the buses, like the one between Ma′alaea and Lahaina, make a direct beeline, passing trailheads and beaches without stopping.
Maui Bus ( 871-4838; www.mauicounty.gov/bus), the island’s public bus system, operates a dozen routes, each of them daily. The main routes run once hourly throughout the day and several have schedules that dovetail with one another for convenient connections. The handiest buses for visitors are the routes Kahului–Lahaina, Kahului–Wailea, Kahului–Wailuku, Kahului–Pa′ia, Ma′alaea–Kihei, Lahaina–Ka′anapali and Ka′anapali–Napili. Fares are just $1 per ride. There are no transfers, however, so if your journey requires two separate buses, you’ll have to buy a new ticket when you board the second bus. Monthly passes ($45) are also available.
Maui Bus also operates city loop routes in the towns of Lahaina, Wailuku and Kahului. These buses are mainly geared for local shoppers, but are free to everyone – just hop on.
All buses allow you to carry on only what fits under your seat or on your lap, so forget the surfboard.
In addition to the public buses, free resort shuttles take guests between hotels and restaurants in the Ka′anapali and Wailea areas.
Car & Motorcycle
Click here for more information on the national car-rental chains, including their toll-free numbers and websites. Alamo ( 871-6235), Avis ( 871-7575), Budget ( 871-8811), Dollar ( 877-7227), Hertz ( 877-5167) and National ( 871-8851) all have booths at Kahului Airport. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar and National also have offices on Hwy 30 in Ka′anapali and will pick you up at Kapalua/West Maui Airport. Dollar is the only rental agency serving Hana Airport.
In addition to the national chains, there are local car-rental agencies on the island. Click here for rentals in Kihei and Click here in Kahului. For information on renting motorcycles, Click here for Kihei and Click here