Three Offbeat Maui Activities
When you get the vacation rental of your dreams on the lovely island of Maui, you will find that there is more to Maui than just the glorious beaches, beautiful ocean views and great dining. On Maui there is natural wonders and history to explore unlike anywhere else in the world. Here are three off beat ideas that are sure to make your visit enjoyable.
Walk Through a Lava Tube

Go underground and explore one of the world’s largest volcanic lava tubes.
Walking the winding trails of this ancient subterranean river of lava is fun, safe and easy. Liquid rock flowing through the passages 1,000 years ago has cooled into myriads of beautiful stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone. The temperature in the cave averages 60 degrees F. year round, and bats and mosquitoes are nowhere to be seen. A smooth cinder pathway through the cave makes it easy to navigate.
Hana Lava Tube, located at 205 Ulaino Rd. in Hana, offers self-guided tours Monday through Saturday.

Ride a Mule to Kalaupapa

There was a time when the tiny settlement of Kalawao, on Moloka’i’s north shore, was locked away from the world. Located on the Kalaupapa Peninsula, Kalawao was a place where people came to die, banned by kingdom law to this stunningly beautiful place because they had been diagnosed with leprosy, a chronic, infectious disease with no known cure.
The law was signed by King Kamehameha V in 1865. More than a century later, the law was finally abandoned after sulfone drugs proved successful in treatment of the illness, which is now called Hansen’s Disease.
Kalaupapa is now a national park, open to the public. It is known not only for the suffering of its inhabitants but also for the benevolent, saintly behavior of Father Damien, a young priest from Belgium who lived and died among the afflicted. Earlier this year, Pope Benedict XVI signed a decree officially naming Damien a saint.
Kalaupapa’s fortress-like location made it a natural prison for its occupants. Surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean and cut off from the rest of Moloka’i by 1,600- to 3,000-foot sea cliffs, it’s both difficult to reach and difficult to escape. Typically, leprosy victims, arriving by ship, were forced to jump overboard and battle rough waters to reach shore.
Today’s visitor is more likely to arrive on the back of a mule, on foot or in an airplane. If you go by mule, you’ll begin your trip in a barn on Highway 470 near the Kalaupapa Overlook in the Pala’au State Park. The trek follows the Kalaupapa Trail, which descends approximately 1,700 feet to the settlement below. At the bottom of the trail, you’ll be met by tour guides who will lead you through the settlement.

Drive the Road Less Traveled

Beach at Kapalua Resort
Even the most far-flung reaches of Maui are accessible. Sort of. The back road around the northern tip of the island from Kapalua to Wailuku snakes through a rugged landscape relieved occasionally by patches of emerald green taro fields, bizarre rock formations and goats foraging the cliffs. The drive begins on Highway 30, north of Kapalua.
The road is paved, but narrows to less than two lanes in many areas. Past Kapalua’s pineapple fields, there’s a side road that leads to D.T. Fleming Beach Park in Honokahua Bay. Past that is Honolua Bay, considered the best winter surfing spot on the island. Beyond that is Honokohau Valley, a small settlement of residents, recognizable by a tropical fruit stand. Highway 30 ends here and turns to Route 340 as you head out of the valley. About a mile down the road, you’ll see a sign for Nakalele Point, the site of a lighthouse of the same name and a blowhole powered by surf.
Continuing on, you’ll approach the picturesque fishing village of Kahakuloa, one of the oldest communities on Maui. A few miles past the settlement, at mile marker 11, the pavement begins to widen. As you come around Waihe’e Ridge near the Boy Scout Camp, you can see views of the northeastern shore from Kahului to Ku’au Bay. Soon you will approach Wailuku and the return to civilization.