Top 10 Things To Do in Lahaina

Today, Lahaina Town, located in West Maui, is one of Maui's quaintest cultural hubs, and celebrated beach town. Before that, it was a whaling port, and before that, the home of the Hawaiian monarchy. Today, there are plenty of interesting things to do in Lahaina, all of which can be accessed on foot. Here is a list of our top 10 favorite things to do in Lahaina, so you can make the most of your time spent in this lively, charming beach town:

1. Banyan Tree Park

Brought all the way from India, the Banyan Tree was planted in 1873, and has since become one of Lahaina's landmark sites. Its sprawling canopy stretches to fill an entire city block. It's a great place to take some pictures, enjoy the the cooling shade, listen to a cacophony of mynah birds at sunset, and browse the wares of arts and crafts vendors who set up booths there regularly.

2. Pictures With Parrots

Many a visitor has enjoyed stopping by The Birdstand on Front Street for some fun photos with brilliantly colored and even better trained birds. Whether you're visiting on a romantic getaway or a family vacation, these photos are a great way to commemorate your vacation spent in this tropical paradise.

3. Art Galleries

Did you know that Lahaina boasts more art galleries per capita than anyplace else in the world? It's an art lover's dream, strolling Front Street and browsing the works of master artists as well as hot new up-and-comers. You'll find everything from paintings to sculpture to photographs and a surprising array of mixed media.

4. Ulalena

This uniquely Hawaiian theater performance is an enchanting blend of brilliant music, dance, song, costume and set design, all coming together to immerse you in the rich culture of the islands. If you're one of those people who loves the excitement of live performances, you'll want to get tickets to this show, which is held at the Maui Theater on Front Street.

5. Shopping

Lahaina Town is full of shops and boutiques that you can peruse for gifts and souvenirs. Some are the touristy things you can find anywhere, but keep your eyes peeled for unique artisan crafted goods and you'll bring some real gems home with you. You'll find something for almost everyone here, if you have a sharp eye.

6. Museums

Among the numerous historical landmarks of Lahaina Town, you'll find two lovely museums. These are the Baldwin House Museum and the Wo Hing Temple Museum. These tell the stories about what life was like during the plantation era for both European and Chinese settlers, respectively. Both have their own tours available, and both are conveniently located on Front Street.

7. Free Hawaiian Music Concerts

Lahaina provides a free Hawaiian music concert series that brings remarkable musical talent right to the Baldwin House Museum lawn for your enjoyment. The best part about it is that you won't have a hard time finding it, especially since the museum is on Front Street. All you have to do is follow the soothing sounds of whichever local band is playing!

8. Watch the Sunset

Front Street runs along the sparkling calm waters of Maui's western shoreline. In the distance, you can see the neighboring islands of Lanai and Molokai. The scenery is breathtaking at any time of day, but nothing compares to the flaming red sunsets in the evenings. The scenery there is already beautiful, but the vivid colors and dynamic light make it almost surreal. The only thing better than watching the sunset from Front Street is watching it from our Maui Sunset Dinner Cruise.

9. Explore the Harbor

The tranquil water of the picturesque Lahaina Harbor is home to a surprising collection of marine life and some of Maui's finest vessels, including ours. You can often spot iconic tropical species like the Moorish idol ("Kihikihi"), the convict tang ("manini"), and sometimes even octopus ("ʻAiʻAi").

10. Go On a Maui Ocean Adventure

You can find us at the north end of the Lahaina Harbor, at the main booth. From here, we can take you on a romantic Maui Sunset Dinner Cruise, a Maui Whale Watch Cruise, and snorkeling tours to both Molokini and Lanai islands. If you're craving some adventure, or a calm sightseeing tour aboard one of our stable yachts, we hope we'll see you soon! If you book online, you can currently save 10% on your entire purchase.

We hope you enjoy these top 10 activities during your stay in Lahaina, as  much as we locals do!

Join Us For a Whale Tales Benefit Maui Whale Watch Tour

If you love marine mammals and you're on vacation to Maui, why not join in on Whale Tales, an annual marine science and education event? Specifically, you may wish to jump on one of the event's benefit Maui whale watch tours. All the proceeds support marine science research, and you get to have a blast watching the whales during their most active month here on Maui.

Did we mention that we're one of the sponsors? That's right! On February 20th, we'll be taking a delightful group of fellow whale enthusiasts out aboard our Maui Princess, the largest and the most stable yacht on Maui. Again, all the proceeds go to the Whale Tales beneficiaries, which are marine researchers who work hard to reveal new and useful data to help conserve and restore the health of our oceans for future generations.

If you can't make it on our cruise on February 20th, there are a number of other outings to choose from, all the way until Monday, February 27th, 2017. That's one of the nice things about the benefit excursions. If you need to plan around your busy Maui vacation schedule, you can still choose from a number of these activities.

Most of the tickets cost between $60 and $75, but a couple of the outings cost as much as $250. Our cruise, however, is the only one offering tickets for just $30 per adult at this point in time. Remember, these spaces book up fast, so contact Whale Trust as soon as possible to reserve your space! You can peruse the list of excursions at whaletrust.org/benefit-whale-watch-tickets.

Not going to be on the island for the event? No worries! You can always join us aboard another Maui Whale Watch Tour from December to May. This celebrated activity is popular for a reason. Humpback whales are the most acrobatic of all the baleen whales, and among the largest whales in the world. This makes them a whole lot of fun to watch!

If you'd like to learn more about our own charitable efforts, you can always take a loot at the list of Hawaii marine scientists who we support through the sale of our retail products. If you need our assistance or you have any questions for us, you'll find our contact information at the top of the page. If you want to join one of the benefit tours for Whale Tales, you can call (808) 572-5700 or click the first link in this blog. Mahalo!

Maui Sunset Dinner Cruise and Golf Combo

Looking for good deals on combo activities? It's a great trick for saving money on your vacation! We have a new package that might interest you. It includes a Maui Sunset Dinner Cruise and Golf Combo. These are two of the island's most celebrated activities, so we have combined them so that you can save on both of these fun outings.

First, you can dine and dance the night away aboard our luxury 120-foot-yacht, the Maui Princess. On this scenic journey, you will dine on the upper deck, which provides unobstructed views of the vibrant sunset over the ocean and the surrounding islands, including Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

Your fine dining experience will include linen tablecloths, full table-side service by wait staff in tuxedos, and four entrees to choose from. The menu currently includes the following choices: Prime rib (carved on board), Roasted chicken, Macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi fillet with buerre blanc sauce, or Vegetarian patty with marinara sauce. Included with your entree, we have the Vegetable du Jour, Garden salad with croutons, New potatoes, Dinner rolls, and Cheesecake with seasonal fruit glaze.

Beverages include unlimited soda and juices. We also provide a full bar onboard, and two alcoholic beverages are included with your meal. If you'd like to order more drinks, they will be available for just $4 to $6 each. Don't forget your photo ID if you plan to order alcoholic beverages.

After you've enjoyed your indulgent evening onboard with us, you will be scheduled for a beautiful game of golf, including 18 holes at the Country Club in Pukalani, which means "Entrance to Heaven" in Hawaiian. When you arrive and take in the splendid bi-coastal views, you will understand why this part of the island has earned its title. The Pukalani Country Club features 160 acres of lush greenery. The course plays to a par 72, featuring 19 greens throughout its 18 holes. Tee time is from 11am-1pm, every seven minutes. Your combo package also includes the green fee and shared cart fee.

We have combined these two activities for a total of $161.83 per adult when ordering your Maui Sunset Dinner Cruise
& Golf Combo online. After you order this activity package, you will simply need to call (808) 572-1314 to schedule your golfing session. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us! Mahalo!

Marine Life Sightings While Traveling to Lanai Snorkel Spots

Lanai is one of the best places for snorkeling in Maui County. The nicest spots are much less crowded than those surrounding Maui, and the coral reefs are full of delightful marine life, such as native fish, crabs, urchins, sea stars, sea cucumbers, and much more. You may have heard this before, but what many adventurers forget to mention is that there are often some exciting marine life sightings on the journey to Lanai and back, from Lahaina Harbor, where we operate our Maui ocean tours.

If you're visiting Maui now, in February, you can experience the delights of peak whale season. There are often so many of these gentle giants in our waters this time of year, they can be hard not to spot, especially on the trip to Lanai. Luckily for us, humpbacks are the most acrobatic of the baleen whales. They routinely perform all kinds of maneuvers above the surface of the ocean. The best way to track them is by watching for spouts, which looks like a misty spray of water that rises straight up as they exhale and take a new breath. Keep an eye on those, and you're much more likely to see an exciting behavior, like a breach, which is quite a thing to see, considering humpbacks reach up to 45 feet in length.

One of the most common sightings on the Lanai trip is the spinner dolphin pods that prefer to roam those waters. The nice thing about these charismatic little mammals is that, unlike the humpbacks, they stick around throughout the year. This particular species of dolphin isn't very big, reaching a maximum of 5-6 feet, depending on the individual. What they lack in size, they often make up for in number. Pods range from as few as 15 to as many as 300 individuals. The playful spinners also tend to be very aerial, which is how they earned their name. Their signature move is leaping from the water in a corkscrew spin. In fact, they have been observed spinning up to seven times in a single jump.

Last but not least is the most diminutive of the creatures that you may spot along the journey to Lanai. That is the Hawaiian green sea turtle. It may be smaller than the other members on this list, but this marine reptile is one of Hawaii's most celebrated animals. You'll need to keep your eyes peeled for this sighting, as they will often just pop their heads up for a breath before descending back into the water. You may see a flipper, a bit of iconic shell, a pair of big eyes, and then just a ripple in its quiet wake. The nice thing about the sea turtles is that although they can be challenging to spot during the trip, you may get to watch them when you arrive at our chosen snorkeling site. They feed off the algae and other greens that grow on and around the reefs, so they are regularly spotted on snorkeling trips all over Hawaii, including Lanai.

When it comes to wildlife, you never really know who is going to show up, or for how long, but that's half the fun of the journey. If you're very lucky, maybe you'll spot all three of the animals on our list: humpbacks, spinner dolphins and Hawaiian green sea turtles. If you want to snap some pictures, have your camera at the ready, just don't drop it overboard! We hope to see you aboard our Lanai Snorkel Tour soon. As a reminder, you will save 10% on your trip if you book online! Mahalo!