I love Napili Beach. It's not a secret but its not totally blown, either. There are no major hotels on this gem of a bay, just south of Kapalua Resort. It's ringed by condos but none are taller than…

This place looks a lot like Pipeline but its actually a locally famous break in Northwest Maui called Windmills. It's pretty hairy. Check it out.…

Hulopoe Beach on Lanai is one of the best places in the islands to swim with spinner dolphins. It's also got a fun surf break, excellent snorkeling, and you can camp there if you don't feel like paying Four…

A post on the go from Iao Valley on Maui. We stopped at the phenomenal little cafe in the back of the Hawaii Nature Center in the valley and sucked down an insanely delish mango smoothie (I also wolfed…

This post is brought to you by Microsoft, which generously sponsored my trip to Maui (indirectly, of course). When you see the Mobile Post icon, you know I'm posting somewhere in Hawaii. Look closely. Here's a picture of Wailea…

Aloha from Maui. Here's another Microsoft Mobile Post, on the go from the most beautiful island in the world and underwritten by Microsoft (literally). Thanks, Steve! Three years ago our neighbor's son Sage Spalding moved to Maui with a…

The Maui News brings good tidings of the spectacular Kula Forest Preserve, a pristine swatch of land in Upcountry Maui on the slopes of Haleakala. The Preserve has been closed after horrific fires destroyed trees and trails and floods ravaged…

John Fischer from About.com gives a nice write up of a hike he took to the Lower Makamaka'ole Valley with Hike Maui. Nice waterfalls, interesting native plants, archaeological ruins -- sounds all good to me. Only bummer is the…

After a spate of serious accidents and casualties on downhill bike rides run by activity companies taking tourists down the steep and serpentine road from the Haleakala Summit, the National Park Service banned the popular rides last year. Now, after…

Pat Caldwell calling for Northwest Swell to push North-facing shores of Hawaiian Islands to 15-20 foot range this week. Here's what you might catch at Waimea if the swell is not too ugly. Kids, don't try this at home.…

Kill me once, kill me twice, kill me thrice -- shut it all down. Haleakala National Park on Maui announced it would suspend the popular and apparently dangerous downhill bike tours after a 65-year old woman lost control of her…

Sigh. Yet another piece of writing about Hawaii from a Mainland journalist that, to be fair, hits many notes but also falls totally flat on others. For someone purportedly writing about the cultural side of Hana on Maui, you'd think…

The kind folks at U.S. Airways put my homage to slumming across Maui on the cover of their esteemed publication. The art looks great. It's a tough life being a travel writer. Here' s a taste.…

Local drivers and Maui residents have long complained about the bike tours sending hundreds of thousands of newbie cyclists down the serpentine road descending Haleakala Volcano, Maui's 10,000 dormant volcano. The tours clogged up traffic with endless trails of slow-moving…

Gourmet Magazine has named Pacific'o and I'o, two highly regarded Lahaina, Maui eateries helmed by popular award-winning Chef James McDonald, to its list of top restaurants with farm connections. There were only nine restaurants named so major congrats to the…

Kapalua Resort has been pummeled on Maui of late for their push to build luxe vacation palaces priced out of reach of mere Valley Isle mortals. Those plans are on hold and the West Maui company did a really…

The Polipoli State Recreation Area was closed after a brushfire devastated the old growth, but alien, forests on the hills. Fortunately, the area should be opening again soon. And it is one of the best places to ride mountain bikes…

The idyllic Northwest corner of Maui is home to the super-rich resort Mecca of Kapalua. There are several beautiful beaches, some of the country's best golf courses, a Ritz-Carlton, and a new super-upscale timeshare on the way. Plus the local…

For centuries, Molokai wielded fierce magic to keep the marauding armies of other Hawaiian chiefs at bay. Apparently the magic is still working, as Molokai has been left virtually untouched by the tourism frenzy that's transformed the other islands. That's…

I've long been a fan of Maui-based writer Paul Wood, whose quirky musings have graced a number of publications. Here's a really nice article he wrote about the remnant forests on Maui for the most recent edition of Spirit of…

Maui Time Weekly (which is a really fun publication) reports that the Hotel Hana Maui, a venerable queen of the Hawaii hotel scene and the only high-end resort in the isolated, lush Hana district, is refusing to let people…

A California visitor snorkeling in the shallow waters off a popular Kihei beach was attacked by a shark yesterday, according to Honolulu Star-Bulletin.. She's fine, having suffered lacerations to her foot and calf. In fact, Hat tip to the folks…

Ringed black-lava sea cliffs, Hamoa Bay near the remote town of Hana was a favorite of literary icons and Hawaii lovers Mark Twain and James Michener. It's easy to see why. The soft, dark sands of this gray crescent composed…

I've hoofed it over the years a few times with Ken Schmitt's Hike Maui team and they are extremely professional and fun to hang out with. For the most part I've only hiked. That said, I find the idea of…

We've not yet mentioned the Lanai Cathedrals off the coast of Lanai in this blog. The Cathedrals are amazing underwater laval formations that have become coral encrusted and produce some of the most spectacular light play and diving conditions…

Right on schedule, Maui County opened a temporary bridge to replace the Paihi span damaged in the October 16 earthquake. This means waterfall fans can return to Ohelo Gulch (the tourist name for the place is Seven Sacred Pools though…

What the heck is skimboarding? Basically, its akin to surfing but rather than paddle into a wave, the boarder runs towards shorebreak, slides the board out in front of himself / herself, jumps on the board as it begins…

This waterfall was mostly popular with locals until recently. You do have to trek across private property to get there, though that doesn't seem to stop folks. Gee, I wonder why? ;) It is a surreal spot, with a…

We've written about the Pipiwai Trail past Hana on Maui. It's currently closed due to quake damage to century-old bridges along the Hana Highway. But here's a taste of what it looks like to whet your waterfall whistle. Related…

According to the Maui County officials, a temporary replacement for the Paihi Bridge should be open by December 1, in time to allow Xmas season visitors to the Valley Isle to finish their Road to Hana journey with a dip…

I listened yesterday to a news report on the local public radio news station detailing growing gripes from locals over the bike tours that descend from Haleakala each morning after sunrise. The tours ride the serpentine descent down the…

The state Deparment of Land and Natural Resources has closed Little Beach in the Makena district of Maui, Maui News reports., after a landslide hit the beach area. Cinder cones that form the hill between Little and Big Beaches are…

Quick update on the situation for the Road to Hana on Maui, where FEMA and county officials have closed bridges on either side of the Kipahulu District Area in Haleakala National Park, the home to an extremely popular hike (the…

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin is reporting that Maui County has shut a two-lane bridge just past Hana town but before the Seven Sacred Pools in Haleakala National Park, which is part of the park's the Kipahulu District. The county estimates…

I got a chance to sample this insanely delish sauce from Ali'i Kula Lavender at the Hawaii Products Expo in August. Ali'i Kula is an 8 acre lavender farm in Upcountry Maui. Full disclosure. I'm a chocomaniac. And I'm not…

This trail in central Maui near the country seat of Wailuku is actually one of the few state maintained trails on the Valley Isle that lie relatively close to the major resort areas. Most trails are further up Haleakala Volcano…

I'm introducing a new feature that will be a regular fixture on Hawaiirama. John Clark, the noted Hawaii beach expert and all around beach nut, will be feeding us his extremely informed take on best beaches around the Aloha…

Why we love it: No hotels in sight, long enough for a really long stroll or to find some solitude, gorgeous views of Kaho'olawe and Lanai across the channel, generally good for swimming. The only downsides are the surf…

When I visted Maui last month, the Kaheawa Wind Power Farm on a ridge above Ma'alaea was operational and quite visible. The farm can power about 10,000 homes thanks to an average windspeed of 25 mph on that location.…

The Valley Isle has 16 hiking trails maintained and marked by the state and about a dozen others inside Halekala National Park, one of the most amazing parks in the world. The majority of these hikes on Maui are…

We love to take walks here during the midday hours when Maui is hot. This is a very short hike and should take, with kids, probably, 20 minutes or so. They may want to linger over the rushing stream…

Five feet down in the liquid blue somewhere off leeward Lanai, I see a subtle flutter amid the busy commotion of butterfly fish on a cluster of pinkish brain coral. I swim down a few feet to the lava…

Sifting through all the garbage offerings from freebie publications on Maui is a major hassle. All masquerade as true editorial -- 101 Things to Do on Maui, or Maui Menu's or whatever. Maui Time, however, is a true-blue alt…

Your butt will ache, you knees will be knock, your vision may blur...but you'll be transported to one of the most spiritual -- and haunted -- places in the islands. It's a classic excursion, over covered and much extolled.…

I've done numerous stories mentioning windsurfing on Maui. It is the windsurfing capital of the world, with the most consistent breezes on Earth whipping through Hookipa on the North Shore. Maui is also a great place to learn, even…

We left Charley's and Paia town to drive up to our digs in Huelo. It's not really a town as much as a place. There is no center and its mostly rural homelots and gentlemen farms spread above and…

We flew into Kahului in the early morning (my son gets me up at 5:30 am so its always a little difficult but I'm kinda used to it by now). Our first stop, after renting the car, was Wailea,…