There’s Something About Maui

Sidney Gonsalves gets on top of a volcano and then cycles down 30 kilometres in three hours. And that's besides jaunts to nude beaches and eating delicious roast pigs

Aloha! The mellifluous voice interrupts my reverie at 20,000 feet above sea level. The descent has begun. We are about to touch down at Kahului Airport, Maui. A resounding pinch confirms that this is no daydream. Indeed it is Maui - the land of the Lei and the Luau, grass skirts and Hula. And I was jetting into this much sought after, exotic paradise for a wedding, that of our second generation Indian buddy, Keith and his ‘asli’ American bride to be Kristen.

Getting to Maui in Hawaii is, well, long and tiring. The usual middle-of-the-night take-off from Mumbai to Kuala Lumpur. Then onto Los Angeles with a refueling stop at Taipei. And finally Los Angeles to Maui. Total flying hours - 27 hours or thereabouts, which makes a stopover en route almost mandatory. We relished a three-day break at Kuala Lumpur. Add to that a time difference of 15 1/2 hours between Maui and Mumbai - enough to disorient even the most seasoned traveler.

The beauty of Maui becomes apparent from the air itself. Pristine beaches that seem to stretch forever, the beautiful multicoloured Pacific and thick forests in the middle. At Kahului we are welcomed with the traditional Lei (ours were orchid garlands, but they can be of any flowers). A one-hour drive through some seriously gorgeous scenery takes us to Kaanapali on the northwest coast to our fabulous resort, bang on Kaanapali Beach. Talk about a room with a view from our 10th floor condo.

Maui is one of the Hawaiian islands, second in size to the 'Big Island' and for many years now the preferred vacation destination and with good reason too since it is much less commercial, less crowded, slower paced and stunning. And with proper planning, one week is sufficient time to see and do it all.

Feast On

The hottest selling T-shirt in Maui simply says 'Just Maui-ed'! And when you come all the way to 'get maui-ed' (the closest land mass is San Francisco, a five-hour flight away) you had better celebrate it in traditional style - Luau and all. A Luau is the Hawaiian Feast (for weddings and other occasions) and it is very elaborate. You are welcomed by a serenading couple and escorted to your name-tagged seat by a host of women and men clad seductively in dangerously low colourful ankle length slim skirts! The men go bare-chested and the women strut around in coconut shell bikini tops! You are served your choice of spirits from a very well appointed bar. Mai Tai (a blend of Light Rum, Coruba Jamaican Rum, Orange Curacao, French Orgeat, Candy syrup, fresh lime and orange juice) seems to be the cocktail de la nuit. Suddenly the focus is shifted amid much fanfare to the roast pit called the 'imu'. In the heated sand pit (at least 5x7 feet) a piglet has been buried wrapped in banana leaves in the morning to roast. After six to eight hours of this steam-cooking, the Kalua pig is ready for the Luau. Unearthing it is a precise ritual, with music, popping of tourists' flash bulbs and raucous cheering. And then it is carried on two huge rods to the kitchen, ready to be served. The dinner service is efficient, the food and dessert typically Hawaiian. The exotic sounding menu reads Oven Kalua Pig with sweet potatoes, Poi (a staple of the Hawaiian diet made from pounded taro root), Chicken Luau, Lomi Salmon, Haupia (a coconut pudding dessert) and a platter of tropical fruit and assorted sweets

And then begins the traditional Hawaiian song and dance revue which features entertainment from all the Pacific Islands. It's a magical evening, very theatrical, loud and pulsating.

Water World

The beaches of Maui stretch out for miles - absolutely clean white sand and surprisingly not crowded. The waters of the Pacific are mesmerising hues of blues and aquamarine. Makena Beach, near the ritzy towns of Wailea and Kihei, is supposedly the best, though I suspect a big reason for its popularity is a little nudist beach tucked away just over a nearby hillock. About 100 people are frolicking there, au naturel, and all at sea - literally! Kaanapali Beach too is beautiful as are many others. Early morning jogs just in swimwear is definitely detox therapy. Can you believe I ran into one Mr Shinde from Mulund?

For the water sports enthusiast, Maui is a godsend. There is everything - scuba diving, snorkeling, wind surfing, water skiing, parasailing...but all at a price. Lessons don't come cheap, neither the equipment that needs to be rented. But their safety record I am informed is impeccable. The seas here are the roughest I have seen anywhere, with fairly big waves (70 feet at the famed Jaws area, but not all year round) which makes it a surfer's paradise.

Dining out is varied and plentiful. And mostly beachfront places that are buzzing with activity. From pizza parlours and burgers to taco joints and Greek pitas to classy gourmet restaurants - Maui has it all. Expensive? Well, a Mai Tai, starters, entree, and dessert could be yours for around US$ 40 per head. We enjoyed some excellent fare at Hula Grill, and Leilanis in the Kaanapali area. A few miles from Kaanapali in Lahaina is Front Street, Maui's hangout area. It's cute, quaint, has a lot of souvenir shops, great restaurants (Kimo's for one) and is along the sea. The buzz here is infectious and palpable.

Bike Adventure

Another facet of Maui is the drive to Hana or the Hana Highway as it is popularly referred to. Is that a must-do? Depends if you can take the thee-hour (each way) journey through a non-stop winding route up and down through mountains on roads that are extremely narrow. It is a breathtaking drive undoubtedly - the rain forests are thick, there is a lot of rain enroute, pretty waterfalls and for most part a scenery that is awesome with the road sandwiched between the mountains and the Pacific. But for the driver, it is a pretty harrowing drive, and very tiring. Especially if it is a turnaround trip. I'd say do it as long as you don't have to drive. Yes, I was in the driver's seat.

If the Hana Highway drive is an option to consider, a must-do is the Haleakala Downhill, which would have to be the high point of a Maui visit. Haleakala, the world's largest dormant volcano, stands 10,000 feet above sea level. And it is where supposedly out-of-this-world sunrises happen. But - and this is a big ask - you have to be up there at 5.30 am! Atop Haleakala, it is zero degrees centigrade. Well 'layered' with warm clothing, we are surrounded by a thick blanket of white cloud. Surreal to say the least. At the gates of heaven it seems, awaiting St. Peter to suddenly arise and ask why he should let us in! Instead of St Peter, it is the sun that begins to rise. My digital camera goes trigger-happy...5.50, 5.52, 5.53...to record for posterity this drama unfolding before our mesmerised eyes. Once the sun has risen in all its splendour and the 'oohs and aahs' have died down, it is time for us to start our descent. No big deal right? Wrong! A slight change in the mode of transport is effected. On two wheels instead of four. Yes, the 38 miles downhill is going to be on bicycles. Ground rules are explained. And then off our convoy goes. The lead biker in front, followed by five women and six men. The zero degrees with wind chill is bracing. No vehicle can pass our convoy except at certain designated areas. The scenery is breathtaking but we are advised to keep our eyes on the road. And down we zoom. And zoom. As we descend, one layer of clothing comes off. Then another. Thirty-eight miles with hardly any pedaling. Braking instead to slow us down. The Haleakala Downhill takes us all of three hours - three hours that leave us stunned, breathless, in shock and awe - and with a memory that will stay with us in vibrant CMYK 32 bit colour forever - the accompanying picture is now our desktop welcome on our home PC.