| Riding the ziplines with Kapalua Adventures; aboard a Trilogy catamaran en route for Molokini Island. |
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TIP FOR ZIP
A zipline’s worst enemy is the wind. (Well, OK, second maybe to a giant pair of steel-cutting scissors. But what are the odds of that?) It’s no surprise that there’s a wind farm in the West Maui Mountains—the breezes blow strong here. These mountains are also home to Kapalua Adventures and its many ziplines. Whenever high winds cause the lines to sway too much, the company cancels its scheduled tours, so it’s smart to book your zip tour early in your stay (goziphawaii.com; 808-665-3753). That way, if your trip is canceled, it’s more likely that you’ll get to go another day. Kapalua Adventures is quite accommodating and works hard to reschedule. If you haven’t planned ahead, assess conditions in the morning and then try to book an outing for that afternoon—and cross your fingers it’s not sold out.
WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT
Many tourist vessels call Ma’alaea Harbor their home port—but for my tastes, when I saw the other boats I felt lucky to have chosen a Trilogy catamaran (sailtrilogy.com; 808-874-5649). I prefer sails to motors, and Trilogy’s smaller boats hold fewer passengers. The neighboring rigs looked like behemoths, loaded with pink-tinted tourists. Having said that, some of the large motors did seem to have rockin’ tunes, lots of water toys and free-flowing alcohol. So decide what kind of day you want to have on the water and book accordingly.
AIRPORT SECURITY 411
We live on Oahu, but even my husband thinks Maui has the perfect blend of civilization and wilderness. For example, the hauntingly empty landscapes of Haleakala balance out the slew of big hotels on the island. But sometimes the infrastructure doesn’t keep up with tourism. Take the airport in Kahului: Despite its heavy traffic, it has failed to grow accordingly. The biggest problem comes at security, where there’s only one line for the entire airport—so a single pair of manicure scissors can gum up the whole works. Make sure that you’ve packed your carry-ons correctly (see a list of the TSA’s prohibited items at tsa.gov), that you have all your documents in hand and that you arrive as early as you can stomach it.
NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.
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