See the World (at 50% off!) — Maui

Wed, Oct 14, 2009

An instructional ultralight flight banks over Maui’s Keanae Peninsula. Photo credit: Courtesy Armin Engert/Hang Gliding Maui

Best For Relaxing On the Beach

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Base Camp: Hana
As Hawaii’s most accessible vacation island, Maui is chock-full of resorts desperately discounting in the recession, and flights are as low as $450 from Los Angeles. But how do you find solitude in paradise? Fortunately, the 617 white-knuckle switchbacks and 56 one-lane bridges on the road to Hana keep most tourists away. With dozens of spectacular waterfalls and secluded red-sand beaches, this cliffside jungle village with little more than a general store actively discourages development, with bumper stickers that read “Keep Hana Hawaiian.” Rent a private home (studios from $600 per month; hanamaui.com) or, for a bit more luxury, stay at Hotel Hana-Maui, whose island craft–adorned seaside bungalows, built from native woods in the 1940s as the spring-training home of the Pacific Coast League’s San Francisco Seals, make it the most quietly beautiful hotel in the entire state — and $200 cheaper than a year ago (from $495, hotelhanamaui.com). For a delicious bargain meal, simply head out on the Hana Highway, which is dotted with plate-lunch trucks selling fresh-caught seafood ($5) and smoothies ($3) made from fruit right off the tree. Still not convinced this is paradise? Hana is also home to Hawaii’s best nude beach.
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Excursion 1: Gliding over the waters off Hana
An ultralight airplane is little more than a motorcycle with wings — all the exposure of a hog with the grace of a bird — but it’s the best way to get close to stunning waterfalls and cresting humpback whales. At 10,000 feet, your instructor will cut the engine and glide on gentle winds to the remote Hana airstrip (from $220 per hour, hangglidingmaui.com).
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Excursion 2: Haleakala
This dormant volcano dominates the island; you can make a three-day trek to the crater and back by camping or booking cabins in Haleakala National Park. Take the Hana highway south, then follow signs to the park ($5 fee plus $75 for a reserved cabin; nps.gov/hale).
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Can’t Get It At Home: An Authentic Gyotaku
Intricately detailed prints, made from the fresh fish you just caught, and framed in Hawaiian koa wood, by local artist Naoki Hayashi ($100; gyotaku.com).