Maui No Ka 'Oi: Walking Above the Clouds in Haleakala

"Maui No Ka 'Oi" means Maui is the best!  But then every island in Hawaii will tell you they're the best anyway! ;-) To be fair, Maui has been voted best island by many for many years.  So does Maui really deserve this?   After visiting every island in Hawaii, I think it's hard to compare them to each other as each one has a distinct character for me.  While Kauai has the best nature, Maui is probably best for a mix of action and nature.  Oahu, in my view, is more about city life, and the Big Island is all focused on its live volcanic action.  But let's go back to Maui and consider some of the best things to see and do.

We spent a late afternoon at the Haleakala National Park ("House of the Sun") hoping to catch the sunset and see the glow of the sun over the craters.  Haleakala Volcano is a dormant volcano at the East side of Maui.  Legend says the Maui demigod lassoed the sun from the volcano's summit to slow it down from its descent so that the day will last longer.  We didn't really know what to expect except for a warm sunset over highest peak in Maui.  But we were baffled by the tip to bring warm clothing as we were advised that it gets really cold up there.  And as any human nature would dictate, there will always be someone in the group ignoring those tips, thinking "Hey, this is Hawaii, how cold can cold get?"

It was a lovely 1-1/2 hour drive from Kahului and beautiful views meet us along the way especially along Haleakala Crater Road or Highway 378.  This is the fastest ascending road up to the peak, just 38 miles ascending to 10,000 feet.  Wally, our driver, was an excellent narrator.  He kept us all awake with his interesting stories and with his hoarse throaty voice, he keeps building excitement as we go.  As we near the park, the roads turn left and right through a series of switchbacks, and we are finding ourselves on top of the clouds.  Yes, clouds!  Then sun seems to be shining and we still feel the warmth from it through the windows, until we got off the bus somewhere in the middle of the ascent to take a good look at these great views.  And boy, was it getting chilly!

Taking The Diamond Head Trail Challenge

I'm not really a fan of hiking, especially on steep terrains, but somehow I keep getting challenges to hike so that I see and enjoy the places I dream of visiting!  I guess challenges make things more interesting and when one is able to experience a challenge whether they actually overcome it or not, it frees our mind from wondering if we can do it or not, thus creating inner peace.  It also helps us discover things about ourselves and helps us accept ourselves for who we are and who we are not, thus self-discovery, self-acceptance and self-love.

Taking the psychoanalysis aside, this was all about enjoying the hike to Diamond Head Summit, because I know at the top, I would be blessed with breathtaking views as wide as the eye can see, and these would put me in awe and pull a string in my heart every single time.  I can't help but sigh loudly as I try to breath in the beauty of everything around me, hoping I can capture it and keep it within me.  These moments remind me of God's amazing creations and how we are all part of this beautiful world we often forget about.  Being part of a society that has turned more and more worldly material and to a certain extent negative, this yearning is odd to a lot of people and a touch irresponsible to some.  But this is precisely why we all need these reminders from time to time.  Call it a mission, a crusade, a pilgrimage!  It can be addicting!

Having heard that the 1.5 mile Diamond Head Summit Trail only takes about 1.5 hours to hike, I quickly put this in my list to do when I visit Oahu.  Despite the moderate rating coming from some hikers, the trail is mostly paved with actual steps versus rough terrain and testimony from many that this is suitable for non-hikers also because of the short trail.  I am no hiker and I knew my limits.  My biggest enemy is the steep elevation.  I am normally a very risk averse person but I know that getting out of my comfort zone and taking a bit of risks is key to living a full happy time.  It doesn't always have to be the best. I didn't have to outrun anyone.  I just had to at least try and experience it for myself.  Besides I needed the outdoor and physical exposure given my normally sedentary indoor lifestyle.

Flying Over a Live Active Volcano

An experience of a lifetime, flying over a live active volcano may sound like a ridiculously unsafe thing to do. Still, hundreds of people do this every single day on the Big Island in Hawaii.  They are actually made of 5 active volcanoes altogether and the one currently erupting is Kilauea Volcano.  I just had to add this to my list of thrill activities to do before I die.

I decided to take the helicopter tour, which was another first for me.  This is my first time to ride a helicopter, add in with doors off and over a live active volcano!  What else can one ask for, for a once-in-a-lifetime experience?  Although excited, I have always been a bit wary of my height phobia but surprisingly, I was not at all worried during the whole ride.  It probably helped that I had shoulder straps too in addition to the waste belts since I was sitting on the right front side of the helicopter.  There was probably only one tiny second when I first looked directly below me through the open door when the chopper was turning right that I had a slight phobia attack, probably because of the strong winds too, but succeeding looks were not a problem.  I even wanted to sit facing the side if I could instead to get a better glimpse of things but the type of chopper we had, had seats all facing front.

During the orientation, we were surprised to see a lot of people at the airport, and even more surprised to see that they didn't have anything else aside from their shorts, sleeveless shirts, and slippers.  And here we were, looking like idiots with our long-sleeved shirts, closed shoes, and even a jacket in warm tropical Hawaii.  But it turned out we were the smart ones.  The couple that rode with us was not prepared since they didn't know about the doors-off option.  Apparently, they booked at the last minute, so they weren't given a choice, so they had to put doors on their seats.  Even if they wanted to pay extra, the staff wouldn't allow them up cause they said they would freeze without the proper clothing.  So our chopper was half doors off, hahaha!  Luckily they have those easily removable and reattachable doors. But it didn't matter to us cause we were in front anyway and still had the full experience of doors off.

Doors off Helicopter with the doors left behind

Kauia's Paradise: The Na Pali Coast

No words can describe exactly what Kauai's Na Pali Coast looks like!  No photos can capture it's true grandeur beauty!  That's how mysterious this place is!  How can one place be so magical?  I get goose bumps!  Is this paradise? Are we dreaming?

This is exactly what goes through my mind as nature reveals the more than 6000-acre stretch of mountains so uniquely represented by its razor-sharp jagged giant cliffs towering 4000 feet up high, right from the blue ocean water below.  Barely any flat shores where one can land on except for a few sea caves, this place can only be seen from the sea or air, and by the adventurous heart by foot.  Even an experienced hiker will need to thread the 11-mile (each way) goat trail over valleys after valleys from Ke'e Beach to Kalalau Beach, camp out and return the following day.

Rainbow to welcome our visit

Getting Lost in Magical Kauai: Kalapaki Beach and Nawiliwili Harbor

We had a couple morning hours before leaving Kauai, and we didn't want to waste an opportunity to see more of Kauai, even if it's just staying near the port area.

We heard about Kalapaki Beach which people claim is a nice beach.  We've been disappointed in previous Hawaiian ports where claims to have a nice beach turns out to be a small dirty shore area with some sand.  Coming from a tropical country which boasts of having the best beaches and having seen the beaches in Kauai's North and Eastern coastlines, I am of course bias, but even compared to our city beaches back home, beaches near the ports of Hawaii are often subpar.  Kalapaki Beach on the other hand, is a pretty decent one, given that it's also the beach area outside the busy Kauai Marriott Resort.

Near the harbor are small shopping malls offering specialty products like the Harbor Mall and the Anchor Cove Mall.  From here, access is available to the nearby Kalapaki Beach as well.

Harbor Mall

Moving Toy Train Set from the nearby Hobby Shop

Getting Lost in Magical Kauai: Hanalei

Getting lost in a magical island sounds like a great adventure!  Not that we got lost physically, but we fell into its magical spell.  To me, Kauai is the most beautiful island in Hawaii.  It sits in the Northernmost part of the group of Hawaiian islands.

Instead of going the usual touristy thing to visit Waimea Canyon, which is the popular Grand Canyon of Hawaii, we ventured out into the more rugged and off the beaten path Kauai with a lovely local couple, Karen and Jay, both Kauai guides, who brought us around.  We are not hikers but we love the secluded outdoor nature sceneries that simply take your breath away, where the mountains meet the sea.  And that is why Kauai is popular to moviemakers who have ventured to for those perfectly breathtaking backdrops for movies like King Kong, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Jurassic Park.  More recently, movies like Lilo and Stitch, Catching Fire, Six Days and Seven Nights, and Soul Surfer, amont many others, have continued to be added to the list.

Kauai's charm is brought about by the successful preservation of this natural beauty.  Quaint charming houses and shops line Kauai's beautiful little towns tucked between valleys.  Our favorite was of course Hanalei, which is sort of an artsy sleepy town graced with timeless beauty, with population of 450.  It's popular for its art galleries and famous beaches.  Hanalei was also supposedly referenced in the song, Puff the Magic Dragon, despite no proven acknowledgement of this interpretation by the song writers.  Although from the Hanalei Pier, we can imagine the exact scenery painted by the song, complete with the autumn mist that covered the mountains shaped like a dragon which lived by the sea.

View from Hanalei Pier on a rainy afternoon

Getting Lost in Magical Kauai: Kilauea Lighthouse, Kong Mountain, Coco Palms, Nawiliwili Harbor

Topping off Kauai's North Shore was a visit to the Kilauea Lighthouse, located at Kilauea point, which is in the northernmost part of the main Hawaiian islands.

Deep blue seas, rugged mountainous coastlines, cool ocean breeze, flying seabirds such us frigates and shearwaters from the nearby National Wildlife Refuge, a tiny lighthouse out of the cliff, this is one of my most favorite sceneries where I get lost in the beauty of God's creations.

Kilauea Lighthouse, Kilauea Point

Getting Lost in Magical Kauai: Princeville, Hihimanu Twin Peaks, Anini Beach

As we approached mid day, we made our way from Anahola further up north.  We get a glimpse of the Hanalei Mountains and specifically Twin Peaks as Jay pointed out the perfect timing to take the photo as we drove by.  I can't get over the sharpness of the edges of these mountains.  It's almost like asking a small kid to draw their first mountains.

Hanalei Mountains

Twin Peaks, 2400-foot Hihimanu Ridge (Hihimanu means beautiful)

Getting Lost in Magical Kauai: Wailua Falls, Kealia Beach and Anahola Beach

As we ventured out from the Nawiliwili Port for a day of rugged and off the beaten path Kauai with a lovely local couple, Karen and Jay, both Kauai guides, who brought us around, we were met with a smashing first highlight at the Wailua Falls.

Ever watched the TV series "Fantasy Island"?  If so, you're probably old enough to remember stories of visitors being flown each week into a hidden magical island resort.  At the start of every episode, the character of Tattoo would ran up the bell tower and shout the popular catchphrase, "The plane, the plane" to announce the arrival of the new guests. The shows were filmed with the gigantic 113-foot Wailua Falls as a backdrop.

Wailua Falls