MAUI “The Valley Isle”

“MAUI NO KA OI,” the natives say to tourists and others. It means Maui is the best, and while that jubilant, snobbish simplification does an injustice to the other Hawaiian islands, they have a point. Maui has practically everything, from perfect beaches to desolate Haleakala Crater to fabulous restaurants, bars and resorts. That’s why it’s the most popular island to visit after Oahu, and that’s also why it’s a little less private than other islands. Here, privacy has to be sought out.

Maui is large-second only to the Big Island-but it’s accessible and diverse (many of its most alluring attractions are not located near the five major resort areas on the western shores). Still, Maui has gained the reputation of being a resort island for “resorting” only: arriving at your destination, enjoying the activities and inactivities at hand and not going anywhere else. The resorts here are inviting: Maui is an island of planned-resort communities in which a place to rest your head is merely an excuse for pampered living, and where development is so aesthetically controlled that rarely will someone else’s palace block the ocean view from your own.

But Maui should be explored. It excels in coastline drives, odd shops and communities, obscure country roads and, in places, mind-boggling beauty. The epic grandeur of Maui can best be experienced by driving to the center of the larger of Maui’s two major landmasses and witnessing the sunrise from dormant Haleakala Crater, some 10,000 feet above sea level. Legend has it that the sun moves across the Maui sky more slowly than elsewhere because the god Maui once lassoed the Sun, who promised, upon being freed, that he would pass over the island with care. From Haleakala, it seems that he has kept his promise, and this is a fascinating place to be at sunrise or any other time of the day. The crater is easily accessible by road, and once you get there, you may want to hike into the crater itself-and even spend a few days there camping.

Another exciting way to see Haleakala is by helicopter tour. It’s a great way to see any of the islands, period, and while the cost is relatively expensive (between $75 and $250, depending on the company and the length of the flight), the experience can transcend the price. The chopper ride is usually very smooth, the pilots make excellent guides, and the thrill.. .well, what could possibly compare to gliding over the sea, through valleys, over cliffs, into the basins of waterfalls and down into the mouth of a crater bigger than the island of Manhattan while listening to the themes from Chariots of Fire and 2001:A Space Odyssey through stereo headphones? Almost unanimously, those who tour by air say that it’s more than worth it. Another reason to try the flight (if you need another) is that it gives you an immediate, practical understanding of the island’s geography that will make touring by car and foot both easier and more fun. It also opens your eyes to what’s really there to be seen in a way no guidebook can.

The heart of Maui’s affable, sometimes racy personality is the old whaling town of Lahaina, centrally located on the western shore of the smaller part of the island. Maui is where the whales play (or look like they’re playing) when they migrate each winter and spring from Alaska and the Bering Strait to mate and give birth in the warm Pacific waters. Whaling came to Maui in 1819, and for 40 years thereafter it was a prosperous industry, making Lahaina a prosperous town. Lahaina, which still seems like a whaling village, is even more prosperous today, but now the only killing is the one being made off the tourists who flock from nearby resorts to pursue good food, the only really hopping nightlife on the island, shopping and, of course, other pursuers. The whales are as faithful as the tourists and can be spotted from an open-air restaurant in Lahaina or anywhere up and down the western coast. And if a beach-front view of these remarkable creatures isn’t close enough, there are several tour boats that follow the whales and allow you to take pictures of them.

Of the three best resort areas on this sunny side of Maui, the oldest is Kaanapali Beach Resort, which is closer to Lahaina and includes many fine hotels. The elaborate Hyatt Regency Maui, for example, has beautifully landscaped gardens, a cave bar in the pool and a sinful seductress called the Chocoholic Bar. Other deluxe properties here also include the Royal Lahaina, Royal Kaanapali and the Papakea Beach Resort on the north Kaanapali Beach. (The latter two are condominiums.) Thirty minutes south of Lahaina is the newer resort area of Wailea, which includes the Inter-Continental Hotel and Stouffer’s Wailea Beach Hotel. Stouf-fer’s five-star restaurant, Raffles, is one of Maui’s finest. The island’s best swimming beaches are in this area, and a trip this far south is a must. The newest and probably poshest resort area, called Kapalua, is about 10 miles north of Lahaina. The Kapalua Bay Hotel excels in most areas, but remember to request a room with a view of the water. Kapalua also has fine condominium clusters available for rent, a terrific golf course and a coastline reminiscent of California, but more dramatic. Less congested than Kaana-pali, Kapalua is a real first-class paradise.

Maui abounds with places to explore, but if you are planning only one foray into the great beyond, it must be to Hana, and it should be down the notorious crooked road. Plan this as a day trip, and realize that if you decide to spend the night in Hana, you may never want to return. But first things first: Hana has an airport, so if the road seems too much for you, a seat on Royal Hawaiian Airlines, a commuter airline with eight-seater planes, will get you there just fine. The pilots often point out scenic sights and dip down for closer looks at whales during the short trip. The road, however, is unforgettable. It begins near Kahului Airport in the north central region of Maui, about 40 minutes from Lahaina. The road doesn’t really get going until you see the marker that reads: “Curving Road Next 30 Miles.” Then it becomes a serpentine path-frequently wide enough for only one car-that curves, cuts and hairpins its way through the island’s most lush, lavish landscape. Here, fruit and flowers grow in precious sunlight, the foliage sometimes gives way to a view of taro patches and the sea below, ferns drape mountainsides and waterfalls flow under the one-car bridges marked with long-ago dates.

You may be at once exhausted and rejuvenated when you reach Hana, and if any succor is still in order, there isn’t a place in the world more equipped to give it to you. This beautiful slope of green ranch land, sweet air and gentle, cool breezes is a different Hawaii, and one worth seeing and feeling. There are a few homes, a few stores, a dormant police station, several churches and the Hotel Hana-Maui. Visitors to this, by far the better of the two hotels in Hana, might have to stay a few nights in Honolulu to prepare themselves for making the transition from a mainland way of living to the Hana way of living. Hana is quiet-very quiet. If Hawaii is relaxed, Hana is nearly catatonic. It’s unnerving for the first few hours, but soon the comfort of Hana washes over you, and the pleasure is immeasurable.

The Hotel Hana-Maui, an old-fashioned complex that was built in 1946, consists of spacious cottages arranged harmoniously across the deep-green grounds that are speckled with painted coconuts-tee-off markers for the primitive putting green that winds its way around the cottages, which look out and down to the sea. The staff at the hotel (most of whom are cousins of one another) are friendly, and the unusually high rate of returning guests attests to the fact that here is a family that anyone is invited to join.

Beyond the hotel lies the last stretch of paved road, which will take you through the Hana ranch land. (It’s reputed to sustain more cows per acre than any ranch land in the world because of its highly fertile soil.) As you drive around sharp curves and over tiny bridges, you may find yourself feeling as though you’ve found the most remote spot on earth.

Stop and visit Charles Lindbergh’s grave; then slowly savor the last few miles of road where you’ll find-about 10 miles out of Hana-the Seven Pools of Hana. They are often wrongly identified as the Seven Sacred Pools, and though they may not be sacred, like the rest of this area, they must be blessed. The road runs between two of the cascading pools that flow to the lava beach below, but you must park farther along the road and hike down. This is a perfect picnic spot, and it’s wonderful for swimming. From a bluff at the edge of the last pool, you can look back and see why Hana is called heavenly. It’s a hard place to leave.