Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [284]
A different kind of soul jumps into the water today. You’ll often find a line of daring teens waiting for their turn to leap off the rock for a resounding splash into the cool cove below.
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ON LAND
Skyline Eco-Adventures ( 662-1500; www.skylinehawaii.com; Fairway Shops; 4hr outing $140; departs 7am, 8am, 9am, 11am, noon & 1pm), Ka′anapali’s new zipline, takes you on a free-glide above waterfalls, stream beds and green valleys in the hills above the resort. The scenery’s not as wild as Skyline’s wildly popular Haleakalā zipline (Click here), but if this is the only one you can book, you won’t be disappointed.
Ka′anapali Golf Courses ( 661-3691; www.kaanapali-golf.com; 2290 Ka′anapali Pkwy; green fees $195-235, after 1pm $95-125; first tee time 6:30am) consists of two courses. The more demanding Royal Ka′anapali Golf Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, is tournament grade with greens that emphasize putting skills. The Ka′anapali Kai Golf Course is a bit shorter and more of a resort course.
Take it skyward at the Hyatt resort’s rooftop Tour of the Stars ( 667-4727; 200 Nohea Kai Dr; admission $30-35). These astronomy programs, using a 16in-diameter telescope, are limited to 14 people and held at 8pm, 9pm and 10pm on clear nights. Romantic types should opt for the couples-only viewing at 11pm Friday and Saturday, which rolls out champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries.
Courses
Whalers Village ( 661-4567; www.whalersvillage.com; 2435 Ka′anapali Pkwy) offers free lei-making classes and hula lessons. Look for the schedule, which changes throughout the year, in the shopping center’s magazine.
Festivals & Events
Maui Onion Festival (www.whalersvillage.com) Maui’s famous pungent bulb takes center stage in cooking demonstrations and (gasp) raw-onion-eating contests at Whalers Village on a weekend in August.
Hula O Na Keiki (www.kbhmaui.com) Children perform at this hula dance competition in early November at Ka′anapali Beach Hotel, which features some of the best keiki dancers in Hawaii.
Na Mele O Maui (www.kaanapaliresort.com) This event, which translates as ‘Song of Maui,’ features children’s choral groups singing traditional songs in Hawaiian. Lots and lots of aloha at this event held in mid-November at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa.
Sleeping
In addition to the following resorts, there are recommendable B&Bs (Click here) nearby between Ka′anapali and Lahaina.
Ka′anapali Beach Hotel ( 661-0011, 800-262-8450; www.kbhmaui.com; 2525 Ka′anapali Pkwy; r incl breakfast from $225; ) If you’re looking for aloha over ritz, this is the place. The rooms at this older hotel may not pack the same punch as the fancier neighbors but nightly hula shows and welcoming Hawaiian staff remind guests why they came to Maui in the first place. Heaps of family-oriented activities from lei-making to ukulele singalongs assure that the keiki will never be bored. And it borders one of the best sections of the beach for swimming and snorkeling.
Maui Eldorado ( 661-0021, 800-688-7444; www.outrigger.com; 2661 Keka′a Dr; studios/1br from $325/379; ) Don’t bother paying extra for the ocean view – this one’s all about the greens. You can literally step off your lanai and onto the fairways at this quiet condo complex bordering the Royal Ka′anapali Golf Course. Best deal are the studios, which are very large and have kitchens set apart from the bedroom area. Online discounts typically knock about a third off the standard rates.
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa ( 661-1234, 800-233-1234; www.maui.hyatt.com; 200 Nohea Kai Dr; r from $450; ) The most extravagant of the resorts, the Hyatt’s lobby atrium overflows with orchids and artwork while the grounds are given over to lush gardens and swan ponds. Kids will thrill in the water world of meandering pools, swim-through grottos and towering water slides. For grown-ups, there’s a swim-up bar and a pampering full-service spa.
Sheraton Maui ( 661-0031, 866-716-8109; www.sheraton-maui.com; 2605 Ka′anapali Pkwy; r from $500; ) This smart resort enjoys a prime beach location,