Maui Guide

DISCOVERING THE SPIRITUALITY OF MAUI
Seven days in paradise surpassed my expectations. What I didn’t expect, and what surprised me again and again, was the island’s spirituality, its ability to calm your soul and put you at peace with the universe ... More

Conversation and laughter fill the dining area of “Da Kitchen” tucked away in an unassuming strip mall in Kihea. Angela Smith, president of the African-American Heritage Foundation of Maui, and her husband, Love ... More

ZIPPING THROUGH ISLAND SKIES

The zipline guide tightens my belts, double-checks my harness and flashes a smile of encouragement. On a platform 1,800 feet above sea level. On the count of three, I am to unplant my feet and rocket into the wild blue yonder. I pray ... More

TOURING THE LAND OF PURPLE FLOWERS

My best friend and I are winding our way through Maui’s Upcountry, a bucolic region that many sand-and-surf worshipers might miss. Our destination is Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm. As we bump along the rutted road leading to the entrance... More

STUDYING LIFE UNDERWATER WITHOUT GETTING WET
For those wanting an underwater experience without pulling on a snorkeling mask, Maui Ocean Center is the place to be. More than 60 indoor and outdoor exhibits immerse visitors in all aspects of marine life ... More

FINDING PEACE IN PAIA
After you’ve hiked, swam, parasailed, ziplined and snorkeled yourself into exhaustion, head to Paia. It’s Mayberry RFD, Hawaiian style. But definitely hip. After I park my rental car, a stocky young man with golden skin approaches me and asks if I like hip hop music ... More

SAMPLING HAWAIIAN CULTURE and CUISINE AT A LUAU
I’m usually shy, but on vacation I turn into an exhibitionist. When the mistress of ceremonies at the Royal Lahaina Resort Luau invites audience members to learn to hula, I take the stage with a dozen other folks. The outdoor theater faces several hundred tourists ... More

A RESORT PAYING ATTENTION AND GIVING REVERENCE

I’m not surprised when the spa masseuse, who gives me the best massage of my life, also provides tips to loosen the tightness in my shoulders. What I didn’t expect and what impresses me most is the resort’s commitment to preserving Hawaiian culture ... More

MAUI HOTELS WE THANK

These wide-ranging hotels helped make this 1st edition Maui guide possible and we enjoyed their service ... More

FACTS & TRAVEL TIPS
Hawaiian tradition credits the origin of Maui's name to the legend of Hawaiʻiloa, the Polynesian navigator credited with discovering the Hawaiian Islands. The inter-generational story says he named Maui after his son, who was named for the demigod Māui. ... More

MAUI,

HAWAII

BLACK CULTURAL TRAVEL MADE EASY