Episode 42: The Top 5 Experiences to Have in Maui

Angie Orth:

If last week's episode on the wonders of Maui had you scrambling for your flip flops, then we've got a little extra bit of travel motivation for you today. Last week, Leanne Pletcher joined me to talk about the magic of Maui and how your visit could help the community in big ways.

This week, I'm sharing her top Maui experiences that need to be on your to-do list before takeoff. So, without further ado, let's hear what you definitely shouldn't miss in Maui.

Leanne Pletcher:

The top 5 must-have experiences: I would say the farmer's markets, like the farm tours; festivals like the Kapalua Wine and Food Festival or the Hawai‘i Food and Wine Festival, as well as the Breadfruit Festival. We've got a number of food festivals.

Angie:

Are those scattered all throughout the year?

Leanne:

Yes, and you can find that information on gohawaii.com or follow us on our social media pages.

Angie:

If you decide I must come to see the baby whales, you'll be able to find whatever festivals are food-related and delicious because it's worth it to get that local food experience.

OK, number 2, best experience for authentic cultural immersion.

Leanne:

I would say Kipuka Olowalu. I'm sorry, I have several. Ka‘ehu, and then Bailey House Museum, or the Maui Historical Society in Wailuku.

Angie:

How do people sign up to do the volunteer work?

Leanne:

There's a wonderful website: gohawaii.com/volunteerism.

Angie:

Wonderful. What's the best experience for parents with kids?

Leanne:

Maui Ocean Center, as well as whale watching and snorkel cruises.

Angie:

Where do the snorkel cruises usually go out of?

Leanne:

They are currently out of Ma`alaea Harbor and then also South Maui out of Kīhei.

Angie:

I imagine they have turtles in Maui.

Leanne:

The Honu are incredible, yes. You see quite a few of those when you go on the snorkel cruises, as well as some of our beaches.

Angie:

The best aerial experience for a bird's eye view. This is a good one.

Leanne:

My favorite aerial experience is taking a Mokulele flight to Lāna’i, Hāna, or Molokaʻi from Kahului Airport. It's very similar to doing a helicopter tour. It's a 9-seater plane, and it's pretty incredible. You get a good bird's eye view, especially going to Hāna and Lāna’i, and Molokaʻi is pretty amazing.

Angie:

And getting to Lāna’i and Molokaʻi, you would come to Maui first and then go to those?

Leanne:

Yes.

Angie:

Best water experience. This can be on the water, in the water, or under the water.

Leanne:

All of the above. I'm sorry! We have surfing, snorkeling, paddling, diving, outrigger canoeing, whale watching. For those that are more experts, there's kite surfing and windsurfing, too. So, I have to say all of the above. For me, personally, I'm a big-time swimmer, so that's my favorite water experience.

Angie:

Do you do open water swimming?

Leanne:

Yes.

Angie:

Wow, that's impressive. Do you ever see anything cool out there?

Leanne:

Yeah, of course. The honu we were talking about, and it seems like I'm always very fortunate and blessed to see the humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa or the Hawai‘i state fish.

Angie:

The Hawai‘i state fish. I can't necessarily say it, but I can recognize the word when I see it written. Say it for me again.

Leanne:

Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa. I think I'm saying that correctly.

Angie:

I think so. It sounds right to my ears.

Leanne:

My friends at Maui Ocean Center will correct me, but I believe that's it. I'm saying that from memory.

Angie:

No, that's pretty good. It sounds right to me. There are a lot of vowels in that one, so I think you did great. I don't know that I've ever seen one of those while snorkeling, but it's on my list.

Leanne, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you to our listeners for being with us.

If you're planning a trip, be sure to connect with a AAA Travel Advisor, check out AAA.com/travel, or visit your local branch. If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. I'm Angie Orth, thank you for traveling with AAA.