Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [273]
Lahaina Jodo Mission
Enjoy a meditative moment at this Buddhist mission (12 Ala Moana St; admission free) where a 12ft-high bronze Buddha sits serenely in the courtyard looking out across the Pacific toward its Japanese homeland. Cast in Kyoto, the Buddha is the largest of its kind outside Japan and was installed here in 1968 to celebrate the centennial of Japanese immigration to Hawaii. The grounds contain a lofty pagoda and a 3-ton temple bell, which is rung 11 times every evening at 8pm.
ACTIVITIES
Lahaina is not known for its beaches, which are generally shallow and rocky. For swimming and snorkeling, head up the coast to neighboring Ka′anapali (Click here). For whale watching and other boat tours, Click here.
Diving
Dive boats leave from Lahaina Harbor, with programs suited for all levels.
Lahaina Divers ( 667-7496, 800-998-3483; www.lahainadivers.com; 143 Dickenson St; 2-tank dives from $129; 8am-8pm), Maui’s first PADI five-star center, offers a full menu of dives, from advanced night dives to ‘discover scuba’ dives for newbies. The latter goes out to a reef thick with green turtles and makes a great intro to the sport.
Maui Dive Shop ( 661-5388, 800-542-3483; www.mauidiveshop.com; Lahaina Gateway, cnr Keawe St & Honoapi′ilani Hwy; 2-tank boat dives from $140; 7am-9pm) is another reliable full-service operation with a dive geared for everyone.
Contact Pacific Dive ( 667-5331; www.pacificdive.com; 150 Dickenson St; shore dives from $59; 8am-6pm) if you just want an inexpensive dive from the beach.
Surfing
If you’ve never surfed before, Lahaina’s the perfect place to learn, with skilled instructors, gentle waves and ideal conditions for beginners. The section of shoreline known as Lahaina Breakwall, north of Kamehameha Iki Park, is a favorite for novices. Surfers also take to the waters at Launiupoko Beach Park (Click here).
Several places in Lahaina offer surfing lessons. Most guarantee you’ll be able to ride a wave after a two-hour lesson, or there’s no charge. Rates vary depending upon the number of people and the length of the class, but for a two-hour lesson expect to pay about $65 in a small group, $150 for a private lesson.
Goofy Foot Surf School ( 244-9283; www.goofyfootsurfschool.com; 505 Front St; 7:30am-9pm Mon-Sat) does a fine job of combining fundamentals with fun. In addition to lessons, it runs daylong surf camps and rents boards to experienced surfers.
Besides honing a solid reputation for its instruction, Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy ( 276-7873; 117 Prison St; 8am-5pm) has the coolest T-shirts. Look familiar? MTV focused its lens on Royal Hawaiian’s surf instructors for its Living Lahaina reality series.
Yoga
If it’s time to stretch, bring your mat and pop in to Bikram Yoga Lahaina ( 661-6828; www.bikramyoga.com; Lahaina Center, 900 Front St; class $16; schedule varies). Classes include a daily morning session at 8am (9am Sunday).
WALKING TOUR
Chockablock with historic sites, Lahaina just begs you to stroll around it.
Begin at Banyan Tree Sq (1; Click here), taking in the Old Lahaina Courthouse (Click here) and eclectic harbor sights. Quirkiest are the four waterfront cannons raised from an 1816 shipwreck that in a comical twist now point at Lahaina’s small-boat harbor, which is jam-packed with sunset sailboats and windjammers.
At the corner of Wharf and Canal Sts stands a partial coral-block wall from an 1832 fort (2) built to keep rowdy whalers in line. Each day at dusk a Hawaiian sentinel beat a drum to alert sailors to return to their ships. Those who didn’t make it back in time ended up imprisoned in the fort.
Continue up Canal St, which takes its name from the canal system that once ran through Lahaina. An enterprising US consul officer built the canal in the 1840s to allow whalers easier access to freshwater supplies – for a fee, of course. The canal turned into a breeding