All the major travel mags have written off Lahaina. It's too touristy. It's cheesy. It's crowded. True, true, true. Which clearly explains why everyone is fleeing Las Vegas. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's cover why Lahaina actually rules. It's a compact little beach town with everything in walking distance. It's one of the few places in Hawaii where you can surf in the morning, go fishing in the afternoon, have a glass of wine on the beach at sunset, and eat a five-star meal -- all without having utilized a four-wheeled or even a two-wheeled vehicle.

here are no megaresorts in Lahaina, which is great. You can pick between a handful of largish condos or very cool B&B properties like the Lahaina Inn or the Plantation Inn. Some of the best eating in Hawaii is in Lahaina -- David Paul's, I'o, Pacific'O and Mala. One of Hawaii's hottest restaurant bars -- and its only rooftop bar, that I know of -- the Lahaina General Store, is right in town, too. For drinks on the water, Lahaina has gobs of bars. For nightlife, Lahaina rivals the far larger destino of Waikiki and totally tops anything else in Maui, let alone Kauai or the Big Island. And more than any other place in the islands, Hawaii has an actual historic feel, with the architecture and character of its whaling town roots intact. Lahaina also has one of the best luaus in Hawaii, the Old Lahaina Luau. My kids loved the ride on the Sugar Cane Train, an actual working steam locomotive once used to haul cane. The downside? The beach is mediocre. The surfing is not great -- although its great for beginners. It's hot as heck -- the Hawaiian translation of Lahaina is, essentially, cruel heat. The shopping is, well, pretty poor. The art galleries have some nice stuff but a lot of hokey junk, too. Add it all up, however, and -- particularly for urbanites who don't want to go to country or too resort -- Lahaina is an amazing amalgam of fun things you should probably do on your vacation. Oh, if you're going carless, then green points, too! Bonus.

Related posts: Maggie Coulumbe, Where Chef's Eat on Maui

Image via Flickr / losborne

—Alex, 01/04/07