MOLOKINI
Every day Team VFH stayed on Maui was planned, even our idle times. All the sightseeing excursions and even the well-earned time at sand gravity were all charted and coursed and with good reason. There is so much to do on Maui and with only a week available to us at the Ka’anapali Beach Club we were determined to see as much of Maui as possible. After all it’s expensive to get to Hawaii and Maui is a very pricey place so no time was wasted, but, even with all of our planning we had to make executive decisions about where our allotted time would lead us and we had to sigh with resignation at not having enough time to do everything.
Now, you may think this would be debilitating to a vacation, to have every moment planned? It is very feasible to just kick back at the resort and let the days saunter into happy hours and sunsets, but Hawaii, and particularly Maui, has so much beauty to offer that it would be a shame to just sit on a chaise lounge every day!
Every day Team VFH stayed on Maui was planned, even our idle times. All the sightseeing excursions and even the well-earned time at sand gravity were all charted and coursed and with good reason. There is so much to do on Maui and with only a week available to us at the Ka’anapali Beach Club we were determined to see as much of Maui as possible. After all it’s expensive to get to Hawaii and Maui is a very pricey place so no time was wasted, but, even with all of our planning we had to make executive decisions about where our allotted time would lead us and we had to sigh with resignation at not having enough time to do everything.
Now, you may think this would be debilitating to a vacation, to have every moment planned? It is very feasible to just kick back at the resort and let the days saunter into happy hours and sunsets, but Hawaii, and particularly Maui, has so much beauty to offer that it would be a shame to just sit on a chaise lounge every day!
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| A room with a view |
So far on Maui we have done a lot. We’ve ambled past resort after resort along the Ka’anapali Beackwalk, stopping for Mai Tai’s (of course) at Duke’s. We have taken the lovely and treacherous Road to Hana. We have gone “full tourist” to attend the “authentic” Old Lahaina Luau. We have dodged Honu the sea turtle while frolicking in the surf at the clothing optional Little Beach at Makena State Park and attended an incredible Uncle Willie dinner show concert at Mulligan’s on the Blue. Of course, we have also sat at the pool, were graced by rainbows each afternoon and sighed at the sunsets over Molokai as we stood on the beach hand-in-hand. We’ve had dinner at a restaurant along busy Front Street in Lahaina and had drinks at the Maui Brewing Company Brewpub, whose bar features a strip of ice to keep the beer cold. It’s been a very busy half week with all these “must-do” Maui destinations.
Next on the agenda for Team VFH was another must-do Maui excursion; snorkeling at Molokini. It is a partially sunken volcanic cone that has formed a curved islet. Approximately 3 miles off shore, in the channel between Makena State Park and the Target Isle, Kahoolawe, Molokini is the number one spot to snorkel on an island that has plenty of exceptional sites for the sport. When I first saw pictures of the crescent shaped island I was shocked by the exotic beauty and my immediate thought was this had to be very inaccessible and a destination only for locals or the privileged. Thankfully Molokini was neither. With morning sails out of Maalaea Bay from several companies Molokini proved to be very accessible and a top tourist destination with good reason.
Because of the curved shape of Molokini the water inside the crater is sheltered from the ocean currents and this calm safe haven is home to several hundred species of fish and other marine-life. Molokini is in the middle of the channel and deep water and there are no sand deposits. The water is exceptionally clear and visibility is up to 150 feet. This combination of calm waters and pristine clarity make Molokini the number one destination for snorkeling on Maui.
Next on the agenda for Team VFH was another must-do Maui excursion; snorkeling at Molokini. It is a partially sunken volcanic cone that has formed a curved islet. Approximately 3 miles off shore, in the channel between Makena State Park and the Target Isle, Kahoolawe, Molokini is the number one spot to snorkel on an island that has plenty of exceptional sites for the sport. When I first saw pictures of the crescent shaped island I was shocked by the exotic beauty and my immediate thought was this had to be very inaccessible and a destination only for locals or the privileged. Thankfully Molokini was neither. With morning sails out of Maalaea Bay from several companies Molokini proved to be very accessible and a top tourist destination with good reason.
Because of the curved shape of Molokini the water inside the crater is sheltered from the ocean currents and this calm safe haven is home to several hundred species of fish and other marine-life. Molokini is in the middle of the channel and deep water and there are no sand deposits. The water is exceptionally clear and visibility is up to 150 feet. This combination of calm waters and pristine clarity make Molokini the number one destination for snorkeling on Maui.
MAUI SNORKELING DESTINATIONS
Molokini is a State Marine Life and Seabird Conservation District and access is limited and going ashore is prohibited. Obviously disrupting the coral is too. Of course the fish are used to humans invading their home and are tame. Still to get to Molokini you need to take a tour. Each of the licensed tour companies have mooring spots so as not to disturb the coral. We went with Quicksilver and purchased our tickets through the resort at a discount. Still it was not cheap at $123 for the two of us. It was well worth the expense for this unique experience though. The price included a continental breakfast and a lunch. Alcoholic drinks were available after snorkeling for a very reasonable price. Underwater cameras were available for rental and by the time the Quicksilver docked again at Maalaea Bay the crew would have burned dvds of your pictures. We rented wetsuits because the water was cooler and they helped keep us afloat but the snorkeling gear was all included.
QUICKSILVER MAUI
I have to say that the crater was somewhat crowded There were a lot of tour companies represented and there were a lot of bodies in the water, but Janet and I were able to glide along with comfort. The captain announced that the visibility at Turtle Town was poor. This was the second destination for our planned snorkeling adventure and because of the conditions there the Captain opted to stay longer than usual at Molokini, that it was not worth the effort to travel there. After awhile a lot of people returned to the boat anyway and for awhile we had free run of the crater largely to ourselves, unpressed for time.
We were disappointed though in not venturing over to "Turtle Town". It is an area near Maluaka Beach in South Maui and the protected Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle is in abundance here. The waters of this beach are calm and inviting to the turtles because Mount Haleakala blocks the prevailing trade winds. It is possible to drive to the area and snorkel from shore. Had we more time on Maui we might have visited these gentle creatures.
TURTLE TOWN INFO
Mahalo for reading. Sorry for the delay between entries. Please come back to read more about Team VFH 's extended trip through the Hawaiian Islands!
Janet and greg
Molokini is a State Marine Life and Seabird Conservation District and access is limited and going ashore is prohibited. Obviously disrupting the coral is too. Of course the fish are used to humans invading their home and are tame. Still to get to Molokini you need to take a tour. Each of the licensed tour companies have mooring spots so as not to disturb the coral. We went with Quicksilver and purchased our tickets through the resort at a discount. Still it was not cheap at $123 for the two of us. It was well worth the expense for this unique experience though. The price included a continental breakfast and a lunch. Alcoholic drinks were available after snorkeling for a very reasonable price. Underwater cameras were available for rental and by the time the Quicksilver docked again at Maalaea Bay the crew would have burned dvds of your pictures. We rented wetsuits because the water was cooler and they helped keep us afloat but the snorkeling gear was all included.
QUICKSILVER MAUI
I have to say that the crater was somewhat crowded There were a lot of tour companies represented and there were a lot of bodies in the water, but Janet and I were able to glide along with comfort. The captain announced that the visibility at Turtle Town was poor. This was the second destination for our planned snorkeling adventure and because of the conditions there the Captain opted to stay longer than usual at Molokini, that it was not worth the effort to travel there. After awhile a lot of people returned to the boat anyway and for awhile we had free run of the crater largely to ourselves, unpressed for time.
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| THE MAYOR OF TURTLE TOWN |
We were disappointed though in not venturing over to "Turtle Town". It is an area near Maluaka Beach in South Maui and the protected Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle is in abundance here. The waters of this beach are calm and inviting to the turtles because Mount Haleakala blocks the prevailing trade winds. It is possible to drive to the area and snorkel from shore. Had we more time on Maui we might have visited these gentle creatures.
TURTLE TOWN INFO
Mahalo for reading. Sorry for the delay between entries. Please come back to read more about Team VFH 's extended trip through the Hawaiian Islands!
Janet and greg
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